1. Nothing stands against you. Only Christ stands now, and he is for you, more for you than you could ever know, for you like nothing else that has ever loved you.
  2. The God who abundantly restores is still in the business of total restoration, even today. Even now the God of heaven restores dead sinners to life.
  3. What the gospel promises is not escape from our humanity, but resurrection from the dead.
  4. Our Judge (the one who can condemn us) has become our Advocate (the one who doesn’t condemn us) because he is also our Substitute (the one who takes our condemnation).
  5. This book is not in your hands so that we can simply commiserate with each other’s difficulties. It is meant to pierce your sin-darkened night with the light of God’s Word.
  6. I want the beginning of my funeral to be focused on Jesus, as well as the middle, the end, and every point in between.
  7. Sometimes loss is gain. Sometimes defeat is victory. Sometimes weakness is strength. Sometimes death is life. Sometimes, that is, when Christ is at the center, on his cross and not in his tomb.
  8. Who we are buried with matters. But there is no need to go out and find a dead prophet so you can join him six feet under.
  9. The promise here is that God is present with us in our troubles, issuing commands to save us before we ask. God does not ignore our suffering and cries.
  10. You can die now, you can let go, and because that is true, you can begin to live!
  11. God is not a preoccupied parent, he’s an invested and interested tender loving Father. He values what perplexes us.
  12. This is the patient love of God. He is stubborn about the salvation of sinners. He will not be rushed even if his name is mocked, and the trustworthiness of his promises are called into question.