1. If the season of Lent is a journey, Holy Week is the destination.
  2. It’s scary to share my struggle and to show that I have cracks because once I’ve shown my cards, I open myself up for judgment.
  3. Ash Wednesday's purpose is not to motivate our resolve to redouble our efforts to do better.
  4. Reading includes, on some level, striving. Hearing, on the other hand, remains passive.
  5. 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).
  6. Even as he was dying, the heart of God poured itself out for the sake of sinners.
  7. The further up and further into the season of Epiphany we get, the bigger the grace of God in Christ is, the brighter the Light of Christ shines, and the more blessed we are in Jesus' epiphany for us.
  8. The gospel's message is the scandalous announcement that Yahweh has stooped to our frame, to where we are.
  9. Repentance is meaningless unless we are willing to acknowledge who we are: sinners needing mercy.
  10. As the writer to the Hebrews affirms, what makes the Christian gospel so much better is that we are no longer dealing with “types and shadows."
  11. God resolves his wrath through the unexpected giving of his Son.
  12. Toy Story is indeed a Christmas story.