1. God gives his church a story that helps to make sense of this life.
  2. It would serve us well to embrace the beauty of our diversity within the unity of the body of Christ.
  3. We must also address the stigma surrounding addiction within so many churches.
  4. It is of the utmost importance that pastors teach their congregation that through faith in Jesus Christ, they are fortified against the machinations of the adversary.
  5. God comes to us through the flesh and blood and spirit of Christ precisely where he promised to be manifest to us and for us.
  6. I’ve experienced firsthand the promise that God never leaves a congregation empty-handed.
  7. A pastor is sent to proclaim the unconditional grace of God, reminding us again and again that it is our Heavenly Father who reaches out to us in love through his Christ-won forgiveness, and not the other way around.
  8. God’s published will offers us anchorage, the anchorage of Jesus Christ, in the midst of chaos, reminding us that there is a greater purpose to our lives than the pursuit of worldly success or fleeting pleasures.
  9. The resurrection of Jesus encompasses the total and comprehensive glorification of a human being, not merely his restoration.
  10. The Holy Spirit unleashes his power through us, his vines, and we then get to watch as his fruits blossom and ripen.
  11. Everything in Scripture is God revealing himself to his people, you and me.