God commands us to listen and hear him
We see that there are not two commandments, but three. Shema, Listen, is an imperative too.
“What’s in it for me?”
The test of greatness is not, “What can I get out of this?” but rather, “What service can I give?”
Disciples of Christ
If we are really disciples of Christ we cannot think that our lives and our work are just about us or our group – family, friends or colleagues.
Amos’ strong social justice message
Amos exhorted the people to repent, to return to God, and to obey the divine word. If they did this, they would be saved. If they did not, then Israel could expect divine judgement.
Faith is the door into human hearts
Failure and human weakness actually give God scope to act out his own purposes in our lives.