Here are some random thoughts on the gospel from Sunday's sermon and its application to some recent internal wrestlings: I wonder if our idols are not so much the things themselves but the security they bring. But if I place anything above God, I'm demeaning Him by considering His worth less than whatever comes from His hand. It's convicting to realize how much I make God out to be like man. We give and take away in a fit of pique, motivated by our selfishness. He gives and takes away motivated by divine and perfect love, not indulgent pandering. He wants to give us the best thing possible - Himself. We are impatient and wonder when the other person will finally "get it". God is long-suffering, patient, and fully confident that He will complete His work in us. There is forgiveness for sin, even besetting sins. It's not based on my finally figuring it out and never succumbing to this sin again. It's based on the fact that Jesus died for the specific s...