1. Just like for Mordecai and Esther, our lives are also sustained by the hand of God in the ordinary, in events begging to be seen as the work of Christ in our lives.
  2. 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.
  3. God is the end of living, the destination, the point of it all.
  4. God wants his word of promise to be the only thing we bank on, the only thing we have confidence in.
  5. This hymn is not for people who feel strong, but those who are weak.
  6. Christ's words of exclusive salvation are not just a warning but a sure promise for you.
  7. 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.
  8. If it’s all a fiction spun by disappointed disciples, if it’s a mere symbol for the idea of an inner awakening, if it’s not a fact that Christ has been raised, then our grief and loss have no end, and we have no hope.
  9. By mandating the promise, Christ states something stronger than just an invitation.
  10. Sunshine and rain, food and harvests, family, friends, and health, love and joy. All these things and more he gives, not because of what you do or don’t do, but because he is generous and gracious.
  11. The hardest thing you and I will ever be called to do is to believe that it is done already, that it really and truly is finished.
  12. When I finished this book, I loved the Bible, and the Bible’s author, even more. And I can’t imagine a better endorsement than that.