1. This is a companion article to “Johann Spangenberg on Dying Well”
  2. If you are a Christian, you already have what you need to give a reason for the hope within you. That reason, though, is not you.
  3. Some part of us always wants our ability under the law to be just as important (or more) than grace.
  4. For Paul, the hope of the resurrection was the ultimate antidote whenever his circumstances tempted him to despair or to "lose heart."
  5. St. Patrick was great but only because he was a slave to Christ.
  6. Patrick's breakthrough came when he began to leverage his knowledge of the native language and customs to build a bridge between Irish lore and the Christian mythos.
  7. We do not choose our struggles, but there is One who has chosen to always be with us.
  8. How can we be sure that we are getting a “solid spiritual diet” and not a “milky” one?
  9. The more awareness we have that we are weak and low and frail and incapable of doing this thing called life, the more perfectly we are positioned to meet the God of grace.
  10. You’re not new because of what you do. You’re new and so you do new things, even in spite of yourself, because of your sinful nature.
  11. There is no true life and meaningful community apart from forgiveness.
  12. When we stop looking to Christ in faith, we are walking in sin. Anything (including our supposed law-keeping) that does not proceed from faith is sin.