When troubles come our way, we can be stressed and upset, or we can trust God. Caleb could have cursed God. He didn't deserve the wilderness. He had to put his dreams on hold for four decades. Still he didn't complain or grow sour.

Just when the truth about life sinks in, His truth starts to surface. He takes us by the hand and dares us not to sweep the facts under the rug but to confront them with him at our side.

There is a rawness and a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don't listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it's to live.

Sometimes I wonder if we don't see Christ's love as much in the people he tolerated as in the pain he endured.

No place is too common. No person is too hardened. No distance is too far. There's no person God cannot reach. There's no limit to his love.

There is no way our little minds can comprehend the love of God. But that didn't keep him from coming.

It's my hope that as you dip your toe into the Bible's story and viewpoint, you'll find yourself feeling that the Good Book knows more about the world -- and about you -- than any normal book does.

Forgiveness doesn't diminish justice; it just entrusts it to God. He guarantees the right retribution.

There's an antidote to our fears- trust. If we trust God more,we can fear less.

Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off.

I think it's noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou. The One who knew it all wasn't a know-it-all. The One who made the stars didn't keep his head in them. The One who owns all the stuff of earth never strutted it.

When we're in the middle of a difficult time, we have to speak against that lie that says, God is not here. We have to draw near to God.

God is not a miser with his grace. Your cup may be low in cash or clout, but it is overflowing with mercy.

Of all the things you must earn in life, God's unending affection is not one of them. You have it.

God sees in you a masterpiece about to happen.

If you're looking for a place with no change, try a soda machine.

We serve a good God who oversees the affairs of mankind.

I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that befriends you to them. It engages you with them and then you can come in; they will remember that point.

Pastoring the flock with words. I love that. We always have a prayer time in the middle of our service. We take about eight or ten minutes before I preach, after we've sung, and invite people to come forward for prayer. That's a tender moment to me. I don't preach much in that, but I like to speak to the people.

As a pastor, you get asked questions and receive emails. Many of them I had answered, but just in conversation. So we kind of re-crafted the question and answered it. It turned out to be an interesting exercise. I hope it's encouraging for people.