1. As is usually the case with God, He uses something strange and earthly as a picture of His grace and mercy.
  2. We fail over and over again to tame the sin in our hearts, to guard the doors of our lips and to act like the children of God.
  3. Freedom from the Law does not come through personal perfection, it comes through Jesus Christ. The answer is not a better you, but a you who is united to God through Christ.
  4. “Christ came with no goals when it came to Himself. His only goals entailed us. He didn’t come to be fulfilled, but to give Himself. And He did that for me.”
  5. As a new year approaches, a mawkish paranoia sets in. Looking over our shoulders, we add up our good choices, our praises, and our reasons to celebrate.
  6. Are our resolutions righteous? Is our commitment to self-improvement a selfless act motivated by love for the neighbor?
  7. It's coming. Can you feel it? It's creeping up on us like a quiet predator. It's hiding behind the Christmas trees and stockings hung with care. It's getting ready to strike.
  8. Ah, the New Year. It’s the stuff of resolutions. To be better. Do better. Live more healthful. And yet, year after year, we never quite change as much as we hope. Entropy is still a scientific fact.