“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs in to it and is safe.”
—Solomon, Proverbs 18:10
Great Sorrow, Greater Joy (John 16:16-24)
“Part of the goodness of creation is we were made to be dependent on God, on our neighbor, and on the earth. That is not a result of sin. Dependence isn’t a result of sin. Sin just distorts those dependencies.”
—Kelly Kapic
Jacob's Turning Point (Genesis 32)
“St. Thomas, for instance, says: ‘That God wishes to give to someone... grace and glory proceeds from his sheer generosity.’ … [T]o someone, to some person at whom we can point. To someone, to you, to me, this very day.”
—Henri de Lubac
“True faith is not only a certain knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in his word, but also an assured confidence... that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sin, everlasting righteousness and salvation, are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits.”
— Heidelberg Catechism, Question 21
“Read the words ‘me’ and ‘for me’ with great emphasis. Print this ‘me with capital letters in your heart, and do not ever doubt that you belong to the number of those who are meant by this ‘me.’ Christ did not only love Peter and Paul. The same love He felt for them He feels for us. If we cannot deny that we are sinners, we cannot deny that Christ died for our sins.”
—Martin Luther
Divine Perspective (Acts 18:1-23)
“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring you offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, give up, and to the south, do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
—Isaiah 43:5-7
Synthesis: Intelligence, Discernment, Understanding (Acts 13:1-12)
“Jesus, with Thy Church abide; Be her Savior, Lord, and Guide. While on earth her faith is tried...Keep her life and doctrine pure; Grant her patience to endure, trusting in Thy promise sure...May she one in doctrine be, one in truth and charity, winning all to faith in Thee...May she guide the poor and blind, seek the lost until she find, and the broken hearted bind: We beseech Thee, hear us.”
— Thomas Pollock, Jesus With Thy Church Abide