1. We can interpret "be the Church" as either law or gospel.
  2. The church is called to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Where is that message found? In every blade of grass, on every page of Scripture.
  3. We are not pursuing dragons; we are the dragons. We are, all of us, Eustace Scrubb.
  4. He shows up when we are at our worst to usher us back to his side, lead us to repentance, rescue us, and reclaim us as his own.
  5. Sometimes, we get prayer dementia. We can’t remember what we were going to pray for, we can’t put the words together, and, frustrated, there is nothing we can do but sigh and groan.
  6. There is no AA for legalists. At least not officially. But there ought to be, and it should be called your local church.
  7. The driving impulse of Lent isn’t so much “giving up” things as it is “putting on” something.
  8. At the Transfiguration, we say farewell to alleluia and hello to the horrific reality of our lost condition.
  9. One way or another, Rod always found a way to bring whatever story he was telling back to the gospel and God's grace in Christ.
  10. In a world—and even a church—full of distractions, thank God for Rod Rosenbladt. He pointed us to Jesus and Jesus alone.
  11. Christ's resurrection does not merely negate the bitterness of sin; it changes it into a source of divine sweetness, embodying the promise of a new life for us and a restored existence overshadowed by heavenly hope.
  12. My goal here isn’t to selfishly reflect on all the reasons I will miss Rod because I know that if you are reading this, you may miss this man, too.