“Vocation is the place at which one responds to the call of Christ and thus lives responsibly. The task given to me by my vocation is thus limited; but my responsibility to the call of Jesus Christ knows no bounds.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Truth About Peter, the Truth About Us (John 18:12-27)
“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
The World Will Hate You (John 15:18-16:4a
“An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.”
— Proverbs 29:27
Love One Another: Lay Down Your Life (John 15:12-17)
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
—Leviticus 19:18
The Link Between Joy and Obedience (John 15:1-11)
“The faith that… is able to warm itself at the fire of God’s love, instead of having to steal love and self-acceptance from other sources, is actually the root of holiness.”
—Richard Lovelace
The Good Vinedresser (John 15:1-11)
“[S]eeing [Christ] to be called man, we are bold to call him sister and brother. Now the soul which may say of herself, that she is the sister of God, ought to have her heart assured.”
—Marguerite de Navarre
Abide in Jesus, the Son will Set You Free (John 8:31-38)
“‘Learning’ virtue—becoming virtuous—is more like practicing scales on the piano than learning music theory: the goal is, in a sense, for your fingers to learn the scales so they can then play ‘naturally,’ as it were. Learning here isn’t just information acquisition; it’s more like inscribing something into the very fiber of your being.”
—James K.A. Smith, You Are What You Love