God is a Builder by nature. He’s been building for all eternity and will continue to do so forever. The cross invites us to be players in His ever expanding kingdom. I’m all in. -Bob Sorge

"To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it." —Charles Spurgeon

“Hell can’t be made attractive, so the Devil makes attractive the road that leads there.”— St. Basil the Great

Paul went to Damascus to arrest Christians and instead got arrested by Jesus. -Dr. David Ireland

When we worship, we gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and grow in the knowledge of who He is. -Rick Pino

“The covenantal promises made to the Jewish patriarchs and prophets, mediated by the Jewish Messiah, and proclaimed by the Jewish apostles is the foundation that the New Testament Church is built on.”  -Jordan Scott

If you truly care about the truth, you will want people to believe it. Say it, then, in a way that makes it as hearable as possible. Words take craftsmanship. You need truthful words. You need kind and gentle words. And you need apt, appropriate, beautiful words. -Tim Keller

Israel's story follows a simple pattern:

(1) Zealous commitment to the Lord.

(2) Failure to keep the aforesaid zealous commitment.

(3) The Lord's loving chastisement.

(4) The Lord's forgiveness and restoration.

Basically, Israel's story is the same as all of our stories. -Joel Richardson

It is common for modern Christians to live as if the return of Jesus does not pertain to them; it is also common, therefore, to ignore everything Jesus, Paul, and Peter said about the great falling away from the faith. We really can not afford to think this way any longer.  -David Sliker

2018 Summer

“One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to His divine power but emptied himself and became as we are.”  -Henri Nouwen

The applause of man is like an inflated currency. It looks significant but it has very little eternal value. -Lee Cummings 

How diligently have you labored to make your call and election sure? “Be even more diligent” 2 Peter 1:10.  -Bob Sorge

The American definition of love is “liberated acceptance” (unto independence). Heaven’s definition of love is “fiery jealousy” (unto holiness).  -David Sliker

Your Beloved Is Ready

She has saved her whole heart for you Lord,
She has kept her eyes pure for you Lord.
She has waited and waited, while her hungers were raging,
To taste only the love of her Lord.

She has set her delight in you Lord,
She has stayed all her thoughts on you Lord.
She has stilled her desires, all her tossing and straying,
She has put all her hope in you Lord.

You have washed her for the day of her wedding,
Promised yourself, by your Spirit abiding.
In the earthquakes and war, Lord, can you hear her singing,
Her arms are raised high, she is radiant, she is holy,
Your beloved is ready.

She has shut out the greed of her soul,
Scoffs at scarcity, rotting and mold.
She has given so freely, to the mean and unworthy,
She’s so loved that she cannot withhold.

She surrendered her fight for control,
She has waived every right that she holds.
She wiped out all the debts that she’d demanded from others,
Cause she knew that she’d owed so much more.

You have washed her for the day of her wedding,
Promised yourself, by your Spirit abiding.
In the earthquakes and war, Lord, can you hear her singing,
Her arms are raised high, she is radiant, she is holy,
Your beloved is ready.

She has torn up her murderous laws,
Her comparing and searching for flaws.
But you’ve made her so humble, holding others so highly,
That her joy has been filled to the full.

She took off her pretense for you Lord,
She confessed all her shame to you Lord.
She came out of her hiding, to be know so profoundly,
She’s so free she can dance for you Lord.

You have washed her for the day of her wedding,
Promised yourself, by your Spirit abiding.
In the earthquakes and war, Lord, can you hear her singing,
Her arms are raised high, she is holy, she is radiant,
Your beloved is ready.

While the people were on the ground, carousing and worshiping the Golden Calf, the awe-inspiring theophany, the Lord’s glorious presence, manifested as fire, continued to cover the mountain (Deuteronomy 9:15). Golly Gee.    For all those who wrestle with the pain of rejection or betrayal, just think about this: Yahweh's bride actually cheated on Him, right in front of Him, during the flipping wedding, with a deaf, dumb, and blind Egyptian calf-god. -Joel Richardson

“As Christians, we should be the most disciplined, eager, focused, loving people around. The mission is worth the training, the sacrifice, the pain.” -Francis Chan 

The psalmist envied the sparrow and swallow who were able to nurture their young inside the very tabernacle of God, Psalm 84:3. O to raise our kids in His presence! -Bob Sorge

"We have all eternity to celebrate the victories but only a few hours before sunset to win them." - Amy Carmichael 

When you realize the things that are truly valuable can only be received from heaven (John 3:27), you become a person of prayer.  -Bob Sorge

Five lies of identity:
1) I am what I have.
2) I am what I do.
3) I am what other people say or think of me.
4) I am nothing more than my worst moment.
5) I am nothing less than my best moment. 
 -Henri Nouwen

Jesus Christ is the repository of all faith and love. To get more, go directly to Him.  - Bob Sorge

Premillennial futurists eagerly await the return of Jesus Christ and the restoration of all things. Preterism holds that everything is already fulfilled, thus the only thing left to look forward to is death. Preterism is literally the anti-Gospel.  -Joel Richardson

There is no gospel without repentance. If you don't include someone in the call to repentance, you end up excluding them from the gospel. Ironically, calls for greater inclusivism in the church are often not inclusive enough.  -Sam Allberry