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• Illustration: Bennett lists several common oxymorons, including: found missing, sanitary landfill, deafening silence, and short sermon.
• Jesus' Beatitudes are like oxymorons, in that they invert everything that the world thinks is right and sensible.
  - Illustration: Several of Jesus' teachings from other passages go against conventional wisdom, including: "Love your enemies" and "He who wants to save his life will lose it."

• Worldly wisdom blesses those that are successful, self-reliant, and self-confident.
• Jesus pronounced a blessing on those that are poor in spirit.
• Many people attempt to baptize the wisdom and philosophy of the world and make them work within the framework of Christianity—this is impossible.
• When we become Christians, our minds must be retrained into a totally new way of thinking.
  - Illustration: As a self-taught guitarist taking professional lessons for the first time, Bennett was forced to abandon all of his old habits and become totally retrained.

• Being poor in spirit means recognizing that we are lost, needy, and utterly dependent on God to live a full life and enter into the kingdom of heaven.
  - John 15:5
• · Christianity is a crutch for people who are weak and can't make it through life on their own.
  - Illustration: A crutch is not a negative thing when you have a broken ankle or a sprained knee. It's only seen as negative when you feel like you don't need it.