1. Ash Wednesday's purpose is not to motivate our resolve to redouble our efforts to do better.
  2. The answer to our messages is God's "yes," Jesus, who sends his preachers to proclaim that there's no place for us now other than in the grip of our God and Savior.
  3. When we pray to Jesus, we pray to the King's right hand. We know one who has the Father's ear, respect and trust. And the one who intercedes for us is still one of us, with nail-pierced hands.
  4. God is not calling us to “grow up.” He is calling us to dependence.
  5. Our God is a living God and he listens to our cries for help.
  6. If a key part of the Reformation was placing God’s Word back into the hands of the people in a clear, understandable way, then John of Ragusa can be called a “Prometheus” in his own right.
  7. When the Reformers read the Bible (especially when studied in the original languages), they found a God who was gracious and merciful for the sake of Christ.
  8. Through water, blood, and word, the Spirit never stops pointing us to Christ, and even more, giving us Christ.
  9. Even though All Saints is a day for remembering the dead, it is not a day of mourning.
  10. The reason that God’s commandments are not burdensome is that Jesus has fulfilled them.
  11. Both now and forever, the bruised and crucified Lord nailed to a cross is our assurance of deliverance.