This is an excerpt from Chapter 1 on Sinner Saint: A Suprising Primer to the Christian Life
The Fourth in the fire is Jesus.
If you struggle with doubt, take heart: You are not alone.

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God hides from us on purpose so he can be God for us without limits or measures in the way of faithful, loving-kindness.
The easiest way for us to contend with our sin is to become an agent of sin. We slice and cut others to pieces for all the world to see.
We live in the strength of our baptism again and again and again, returning to it every day according to God's promise. 
We don't have to worry about making progress towards God because he's already come to us, named us as his own, and promises to never leave or forsake us.
We confuse salvation and vocation in our quest to determine who is in control of our salvation.
One moment, we pray for our rescue from sin and death. The next moment, we beg our Father to do unto others what we hope he will never do to us.
It may seem like a radical statement, but in Christ Jesus, there’s nothing wrong with you.
God has closed the religious gym. We don't have to show up for church determined, this year, finally, to make a change for the better.
The promise of Advent is the promise of the lamb slain, who is born and given for us so that we don’t have to fear sin, death, and hell.
Our regrets and anxiety, self-abuse and addictions, violence and endless lists are signs that we don’t have an answer to the question: "Why am I here right now, alive, existing?"
At Christmas, we hear the story of our salvation, but it’s not pretty.
No matter what is done to undermine Christmas, the holiday won't go away. Two thousand years of persecution from outside (and from within) the Church hasn't ended Christmas.