1. It’s not our eloquence or persuasive rhetoric that changes hearts, but the Word of God that pierces through the hardened shells of unbelief and breathes life into the dead bones of sinners.
  2. God's faithfulness is constant and consistent. It knows no season. His love for us doesn't fade with the summer sun.
  3. When we forget that we live by promise, that's when the danger tends to creep in. Because failing to embrace promise means we usually fall back into notions of luck, or even worse--into works.
  4. The drama of Scripture is about God renaming us by bringing us into his image-bearing family once again. And it would take “a name above all names” to accomplish it.
  5. This is an excerpt from part two of “On Any Given Sunday: The Story of Christ in the Divine Service” by Mike Berg (1517 Publishing, 2023).
  6. Paul thinks the consequences of Christ not being raised are worse for those who believe than those who never did if it were to be true Christ was not raised.
  7. What is undoubtedly true, however, is that St. Peter wasn’t left outside. He wasn’t left weeping. He was restored, as am I, as are you.
  8. We can’t predict the harvest. We can only sow.
  9. To believe God is love and thus loves you is a miracle wrought by the Holy Spirit.
  10. His love for you is so deep that in his mercy, while you were yet a sinner, God sent his only begotten Son to die for you.
  11. “So loved,” then isn’t about how much but instead simply how.
  12. Love is pointing to Jesus who said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).