Surrounded by the self-sufficiency of American culture...

"Surrounded by the self-sufficiency of American culture, we can convince ourselves that we have with it takes to achieve something great. In our churches we mimic our culture, planning and programming, organizing and strategizing, creating and innovating--all in an effort that will show what we can accomplish in our own ability. As Adams said, we can 'attain to the fullest stature of which [we] are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what [we] are.' But there is another way.

It is the way of Christ. Instead of asserting ourselves, we crucify ourselves. Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only he can accomplish. Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God. Instead of dependence on ourselves, we express radical desperation for the power of his spirit . . . "

--David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream