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1. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his suffering by becoming like him in his death\u2026 <\/em>(Phil 3:10). Both suffering and resurrection\u2014times of great difficulty and times of triumph\u2014are expected and normal parts of the Christian life.<\/p>\n 2. \u2026unless you change and become like children\u2026<\/em> (Matt 18:3). As children trust their parents with no thought of an alternative, Christians are called to trust God\u2014which is both comforting and challenging.<\/p>\n 3. \u2026do not worry about your life\u2026look at the birds\u2026consider the lilies\u2026<\/em> (Matt 7:25-34). Worry should be as impossible for followers of Christ as it is for birds and plants, which by definition are incapable of worry.<\/p>\n 4. \u2026the truth will make you free\u2026<\/em> (John 8:32). The truth\u2014knowing Christ\u2014will make you free, namely free from yourself to be free toward God.<\/p>\n 5. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us\u2026<\/em> (1 John 4:12). The difficult and often counterintuitive act of loving one another is the closest we get to seeing God.<\/p>\n 6. But while he was still far off, the father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran\u2026 <\/em>(Luke 15:20). The parable of the lost (or, mistakenly, \u201cprodigal\u201d) son.<\/a> The father has no thought of judgment toward the son, only welcome\u2026and he can\u2019t wait to get started.<\/p>\n 7. \u2026your life is hidden with Christ in God <\/em>(Col 3:3). Intimacy (union) with God is the present reality and hoped for goal of the Christian life.<\/p>\n 8. \u2026there is no longer Jew or Gentile\u2026slave or free\u2026male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus<\/em> (Gal 3:28). What humans use to divide between each other for power and control\u2014ethnicity, economy, gender\u2014mean nothing to God.<\/p>\n 9. Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? <\/em>(John 8:10). Whereas our tendency is to punish and exact holy retribution, Jesus<\/a> shows us that God\u2019s default mode is to forgive and encourage us to move on and begin anew.<\/p>\n 10. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth\u2026<\/em> on either side of the river is the tree of life\u2026 <\/em>Rev 21:1; 22:2). The entire biblical story is summed up. The Bible ends where it begins; creation is restored. Everything else in between, God\u2019s story as a whole from Abraham to Christ, is about how God makes that happen.<\/p>\n