In October of 2012, Randy Alcorn was interviewed by Dr. John Akers at The Cove in Asheville, NC. John summarizes what Randy has been saying during the weekend by noting that grace and truth are combined in Jesus - he is the one who perfectly exemplifies both. Now he asks Randy to explain how we move from that to having Christ-like character ourselves. 

We all know that sometimes things can be difficult in churches. I’ve gone through it, and so have most of you. I experienced it when I was a pastor for fourteen years, and I’ve experienced it in the twenty-two years since.

I always enjoy J.I. Packer. I read this in his book Great Joy, and as I meditated on it, I thought of Colossians 1:29: "For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."

Acts 17:11 says that "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." We should come to God's Word with "great eagerness."