Living by grace means affirming daily our unworthiness. We are never thankful for what we think we deserve. We are deeply thankful for what we know we don’t deserve.

Years ago, I wrote an article about Westley Allen Dodd, a man who was executed in 1993 for torturing, raping and murdering three young boys in Vancouver, Washington, about twenty minutes from where I live

What I think about myself is important. We all have a self-image. But not all self-images are equally valid.

1 John 2:15-16 reads, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh [the sin nature] and the desires of the eyes [which relates to the warped perspective we sometimes have] and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” 

1.  Do you look down on those who are less educated, less affluent, less refined, or less successful than yourself? 2.  Do you think of yourself as more spiritual than your mate, others in your church?

I appreciate the thoughtful, biblical and Christ-centered insights of Pastor Tim Keller. I recommend his books, messages and online videos. Here’s something he wrote awhile back that deserves a wide audience.

In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn answers the question, "Should my giving be kept secret?"

A.W. Tozer was one of the writers (along with C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer) who had the most profound impact on me as a young Christian, and he continues to do so.

Puritan Theologian John Flavel said, "They that know God will be humble; they that know themselves cannot be proud."