1. Unprompted, without any warning, for no reason at all, without any instigation say, "I love you." And that will wash over your parents like a beautiful absolution.
  2. Rightly distinguishing between law and gospel, as Paul helps us see in 2 Corinthians 3, is, quite literally, a matter of life and death.
  3. God gives us the power and authority to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to burdened sinners who entrust us with their pain, guilt, and defeat.
  4. Repentance is meaningless unless we are willing to acknowledge who we are: sinners needing mercy.
  5. The law had to have its way with the expert to bring him around (and back) to Abraham's response.
  6. 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.
  7. Maybe, just maybe, our goal for 2023 should not be to live more but to die more.
  8. 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.
  9. God is not calling us to “grow up.” He is calling us to dependence.
  10. Our God is a living God and he listens to our cries for help.
  11. The reason that God’s commandments are not burdensome is that Jesus has fulfilled them.