Quotes from Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

Whenever a society, church, movement, family, or individual loses sight of the centrality of the gospel of grace, a different religion will always fill the void. Something will hold the gravitational center; there will always be a polestar around which we will orbit.

Given the conflicting messages we receive about what it takes to be "good enough," it's not surprising that Christians are as plagued by depression and anxiety as the general population.

We need the gospel of grace and the grace of the gospel. Children can't use the law any more than we can, because they will respond to it the same way we do. They'll ignore it or bend it or obey it outwardly for selfish purposes, but this one thing is certain: they won't obey it from the heart, because they can't. That's why Jesus had to die.

The outward transformation of our feelings and actions is accomplished through the inner transformation of our mind.

I know this is more than I need, and that I'm harming myself by having it, but I love the pleasure of this experience more than I love the pleasure of doing what pleases the Lord, so I'm just going to go ahead and satiate myself.

Emmaus-Damascus road experience?

True obedience must be fueled by love, and love occurs only in hearts that have been warmed by the knowledge of God's love for lawbreakers like us.

The Bible was not written to give us specific answers to daily questions. It does provide general guidelines about life, but its primary message is about salvation by faith, Jesus, and the gospel.

Calvin wrote, "The Word is the instrument by which the Lord dispenses the illumination of His Spirit to believers.

Bible reading is meant to clothe you in faith so that when either blessing or adversity (or the boringly mundane) confront you, you'll be enabled to face them with courage and humility, remembering the story of how you've been loved throughout the ages. We don't read the Bible to earn God's blessing. We read it because his blessing is already ours.

We don't have to try to justify ourselves anymore. We don't have to try to make Him smile. He is already smiling.