Sweet Quotes That Help Me Grow Closer To Jesus…

• I will sing of Your mercy, that leads me through valleys of sorrow, to rivers of Joy…(“The Valley Song” by Jars of Clay)

• He comes down from the heights of absolute being into time/space, down into humanity.  He is like a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then gone w/ a splash, rushing down through warm water into black/cold, down through pressure into the death-like region of decay; then up, His lungs bursting til He breaks surface again, holding in His hand the dripping, precious thing He went down to recover.  US!  CS Lewis

• “God first wants our availability, then our mobility, and finally our ability” – Charles Price, Pastor People’s Church, Toronto.

• We don’t “study” (obey God) to get a good grade in life; Jesus aced the test for us who have trusted in Him!  We study (obey Jesus) to know Him, thank Him, & show others His greatness!

• When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fuji Islands, the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.”  To that Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.”

• “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done before” (C.S. Lewis, “Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer”).

• “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness” (anonymous). All for Jesus!!!

• The same God Who made 100 Billion galaxies by hand also made the gnat’s wing and the tips of your eyelashes…with His same hand!  God is amazing!!! (MJS3)

• “Yet to all [anyone, no matter what bad stuff we’ve done] who received [accepted, surrendered to, agreed with] Him [Jesus, not any “god” we want], to those [apparently not everyone will] who believed in His name [Jesus], He gave the right to become [because we are not yet] children of God’ (John 1:12 NIV).  Jesus desires us…what a blessing!

• Though broken and depleted currently, His grace, says He, sufficient is for me (MJS3).

• God is love…but love is not God (MJS3).

• Great thing to do before you die: really LIVE.  “I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and to have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV).

• The taste of heaven’s water will make the dehydration of earth totally worth every cotton-mouthed moment of it…(MJS3).

• “Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting” (anonymous).

• “Illness begins with I.  Wellness begins with WE.  Healing begins with HE!” (pastor Rick Warren).

• Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible” (Corrie ten Boom).

• The greatest secret of missionary effectiveness is the willingness to suffer and die.  It may be a death to popularity (by reliance on the Holy Spirit), or to racial and national prejudice (by identification with another culture), or to material comfort (by adopting a simpler life-style).  But the servant must suffer if he is to bring light to the nations, and the seed must die if it is to multiply” (John Stott).

• “Jesus began his church as a FAMILY!  It became an institution in Rome, a political tool in Europe & a business in America” (Pastor Rick Warren)

• “Surely the principles as well as the practice of Christianity are simple and lead not to meditation only, but to ACTION” (Letter from William Pit to his dear friend William Wilberforce, on WB’s contemplation of leaving politics to become a pastor.  WB would remain in politics and would eventually be the spearhead to abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire).

• “If you board the wrong train, it’s no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).

• “Genuine, wholesome laughter throughout our home is God’s footsteps among us” (MJS3).

• Just had a thought: the sweat we work up on earth in Jesus’ name will make the water of heaven taste that much sweeter.  Let’s Live for the LORD today!!! (MJS3)

• “Jesus drank the cup of wrath without mercy so we might drink the cup of mercy without wrath” (J.O. Sanders).

• “It is not by our claim of value [e.g. the talents/gifts God has given us], but by our absolute defeat of self [it’s all about Jesus, not me!!!] that the fame of Christ is spread abroad in this world” (Larry Windle, bracketed comments by M.J.).

• “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary” (Pastor Tony Evans).

• Jesus doesn’t just make bad people good…He makes dead people ALIVE! (anonymous).

• The inventor of super glue passed on to the next life two days ago.  Wow.  What will you be remembered for when your earthly time is over? (MJS3)

• “A girl has to get so lost in God that a guy has to seek Him to find her” (From Dannah Gresh’s FB Page.  Modern adaptation of an old C.S. Lewis quote.  Also credited to Maya Angelou).

• “No more complaining about where we are vs. where God ‘should’ lead us—let’s be faithful and thankful to Him where we are now and He will take care of everything according to His timing!” (MJS).

• “If the fear of death paralyzes us, we will never venture into the poor places, the violent…& dangerous places of the world – the places that are most lacking in the knowledge of the good news of Jesus Christ.  Without risk-takers with eternity in their hearts, who will reach the gangs of the cities, the impoverished, those dying of AIDS, the terrorists?” (Paul Borthwick).

• “Without the Way, there’s no going: without the Truth, there’s no knowing; without the Life, no living” (Thomas a Kempis).  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

• “Just one life.  This is all any of us has to offer.  How can it be used for the greatest glory of God and the greatest blessing to humans?  How can we be as useful as possible and as effective as possible as Christians?” (Michael Griffiths: Give up Your Small Ambitions, p10)

• Good Friday for humans – Bad Friday for God.  Oh, who can compare with Jesus, Who suffered for many people who couldn’t care less about Him…(MJS3)

• The global scope of following Christ always requires death in various ways.  Some will literally be asked to die (Jn. 12:24), while others will be asked to die to selfishness, materialism, consumerism & and all other enemies of the Jesus-exalting gospel.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s statement – “When Jesus calls a man, he bids him come and die” – urges us to take courage for the sake of Christ’s kingdom (Paul Borthwick).

• “Lord, here in Your Word I give myself, my family, & all I have to You.  I will follow Your will, even to China.  Open doors & I will tell the Chinese of Your great love.  When in need, supply for us; in sorrow, give us peace; in joy, send one to share w/.  Help me not to murmur/complain.  I love you Lord Jesus” (Tanna Collins-found in her Bible @ the scene of the plane crash in Tibet where her family died in 1994).

• Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love.  If I do not love a person, I am not moved to help him by proofs that he is in need; if I do love him, I wait for no proof of a special need to urge me to help him (Roland Allen).

• Sunshine! Glorious sunshine! The LORD gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, He gives gladness for mourning and peace for despair!!! (Isaiah 61:3)

• How do I know that God didn’t even break a sweat when creating both the universe and a gnat’s wings? Because the highest wealth of human ability is mere pennies in the coffers of God’s achievement…(MJS3)

• “Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting…” (anonymous).

• Do not gloat when your enemy fails; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn His wrath away from him (Proverbs 24:17 NIV).

• “The measure of a life, afterall, is not its duration, but its donation.  How much will you be missed?” (Peter Marshall).

• “The opposite of belief in God is not a belief in nothing; it is a belief in anything” (G.K. Chesterton).

• “Life is pitiful, death so similar, suffering and pain so common, yet I would not be anywhere else.  Do not wish me out of this or in any way seek to get me out, for I will not be got out while this trial is on.  These are my people, God has given them to me, and I will live or die with for Him and His glory” (Gladys Aylward, Missionary to China, 1902-1970).

• What a beautiful morning!  “The heavens are telling the glory of God!  And all creation is shouting for joy!  Come dance in the forest, come play in the fields…and SING, SING to the glory of the LORD!”

• “I believe in the sun even if it is not shining.  I believe in love even when I am alone.  I believe in God even when He is silent” (Author Unknown).

• We’re not seeing the scene getting brighter today.  We are seeing people getting used to the dark.  They call it broadmindedness.  They call it tolerance, and what it is is peaceful coexistence with evil; an effort to establish communion between light and darkness to be a friend of the world and a friend of God simultaneously…You think it’s your mind broadening but it’s just your conscience stretching” (Vance Havner).

• Many young people ask: How close to the precipice can I walk without going over?  But we should be asking how close to Jesus can we get, not how much sin can we enjoy and still be Christian.  Of course, the former doesn’t happen all of a sudden: we first endure, then pity, then embrace; that’s the way it goes.  In other words: “there was a time when sin shocked some of you people more than it does now” Vance Havner).

• “We are the salt of the earth, mind you, not the sugar.  Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste” (Vance Havner).

• “Plenty of church members are shaky about what they believe, while not many are shaken by what they believe” (Vance Havner).

• “Don’t you know we are immortal until our work is done?” (Ruth Thompson, missionary martyred in Vietnam in the mid 1960’s).

• “Example alone is never enough to tell the gospel.  Even Jesus had to use words & He was a perfect example!  Don’t wimp out in fear (Tweet by Rick Warren).  AMEN!!!

• “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36 NIV).  Seems pretty clear to me…

• No Ms. Diaz, marriage is not obsolete, but it does seem that commitment is dying.  We can no more blame the institution for the sins/failures of the members than we can say that pizza itself is gross because the school cafeteria makes rubbery pie.  Monogamous marriage is glorious, but we humans drag it through the mud and ridicule it 4 collecting dirt…It’s not the NBA’s/Naismith’s fault that Shaq can’t make free throws (MJS3).

• “Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work.  The second is only part of the first” (anonymous).

• “Christ-ones never suffer for nothing; but we do suffer.  In fact, we suffer for Someone.  Onward and upward, all for Jesus…” (MJS3).

• “The church today has grown and has resources unimaginable to the first Christians.  Nevertheless, the thought is no less absurd that we should be able to advance the kingdom one millimeter apart from God’s enabling power.  Jesus chose us & He could not have stated the importance of our total dependence on Him more clearly; ‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5b)” (Craig Ott).

• “Our adequate theology of heaven makes us run from hardships.  Not only do we fear death, but we also avoid the necessary “dying to self’ that comes with following Jesus.  We elude sacrifice, run from pain and suffering, and live for the quickest results at the minimum effort” (Paul Borthwick).

• “The biggest hindrance to the missionary task is self.  Self that refuses to die.  Self that refuses to sacrifice.  Self that refuses to give.  Self that refuses to go” (Thomas Hale-Missionary to Nepal).

• Throw off ALL that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles & let us run w/perserverance the race marked out 4 us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith, who 4 the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, & sat down @ the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that u will not grow weary & lose hear.  Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

• G.K. Chesterton: “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what he is behind him.”

• Napoleon once said, “it is a maxim in the military art that the army which remains in its entrenchment is beaten.  The non-missionary Church sins against its own best interest and is inviting defeat.  A stay-at-home Christianity is not real Christianity at all [and thus it is destined to whither and die]” (J. Ross Stevenson, 1902).

• If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it (MJS3).

• Prayer is not getting our will done from heaven, but getting God’s will done on earth.  It is not overcoming God’s reluctance but laying hold of God’s willingness (Richard C. Trench).

• “Suffering and success go together.  If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered; if you are suffering with succeeding, it is that others after you may succeed” (Edward Judson: son of Adoniram Judson speaking on the sufferings of his pioneer father).

• Your worst day in heaven will be better than your best day on earth (anonymous).  Stick with Jesus and don’t let go!

• “The Bible is a missionary book, the story of God reaching into human history to reconcile a fallen/rebellious humanity to Himself & to reestablish his reign over all creation.  God is missionary God-He sends His representatives and even His Son in this story of salvation, which will include persons of every race, nation, tribe & tongue.  It is God’s plan & He who receives all glory” (Craig Ott).

• “Won’t you look down upon me, Jesus, You gotta help me make a stand; just got to see me through another day.  My body’s achin’ and my time is at hand; just won’t make it any other way” (James Taylor, “Fire & Rain”).

• “Is caring for others ‘the gospel?”  Is that evangelism?  No, not w/out the spoken message of the gospel of Jesus.  The gospel message is what produces salvation.  Let’s not confuse this with merely meeting physical needs.  Caring for others represents the gospel, upholds the gospel, points to the gospel, is an implication of the gospel, but it is not the gospel, & it is not equal to the gospel” (J. Mack Stiles).

• Dear God, help my unbelief.  When I’m in pain, I forget that you care about me; that You’ve helped me through my trials; that You hold me in Your arms; that You feel my pain w/me; that You love me; that I am important to You.  Show me your presence – heal my hurting soul.  Thank You for staying w/me even in my unbelief!’ (Timothy Dailey).

• “Live to be forgotten, so Christ can be remembered” (D.E. Hoste, Former Director, China Inland Mission).  I’ve never heard of this man…exactly.

• Poem written by a Middle Schooler: “I look into Your face, I see my friend.  When I look at You, forsaken by man, I feel sore to my bones, forever to You in debt.  Thank You Jesus, I love You.  I love You so much.  I want to love You until the day that I die.  I will love You until the day that I die.  And forever after that.”  Wow…

• George Mueller – “The only way to learn strong faith is to endure great trials.”

• Devouring the 2008 book “as we forgive” by Larson.  Powerful, humbling, terrifying.  Others’ pain/suffering is stifling/overwhelming.  Jesus’ people must do ALL WE CAN, WHERE WE ARE in response.  Anything less is cruelty…

• Feel stuck in your situation?  Moses was way over-qualified to shepherd sheep for 40 YEARS but God had His reasons!  Do your best, don’t give up, and keep your eyes on Jesus! (MJS3)

• “Forgiveness isn’t usually a one-time act, but more commonly a lifetime commitment” (‘as we forgive’ by Catherine Claire Larson).

• W/listening begins healing; allow others 2 empty their hearts’ words.  It’s possible 2 listen another’s soul back into existence (Catherine de hueck Doherty).

• Assuming God is a myth since we can’t see Him is like an ant crawling over a human’s shoe thinking “No life on this hill!” (tweet by Pastor Rick Warren).

• “adversity, trial, pain and suffering introduce us to ourselves” (anonymous).

• Our souls are aimed at joy-we don’t hoard it but work to share it!  Joy-mystery-it can bloom anytime, even in suffering-even nailed 2 the Cross (buechner).

• If only we could simply remove evil people from us and destroy them…But good/evil mix in all of us (solzhentsyn); we are created from the former and deeply infected by the latter (mjs3).

•  “What a weak comfort is the praise of humans.  Upon such a frail ledge do we mortals build our happiness” (Frangipane, from a tweet by Mike Breaux).

• “Christ has made of death a narrow, sunlit strip between the companionship of yesterday & and the reunion of tomorrow” (William Jennings bryan).

• “Hudson Taylor said, “I would have never thought of going to China had I not believed that the Chinese were lost and needed Christ.’  William Booth said he would wish that his Salvation Army workers might spend “one night in hell’ in order to see the urgency of their evangelistic task” (Ajith Fernando).

• Care more than some think is wise.  Risk more than some think is safe.  Dream more than some think is practical.  Expect more than some think is possible.  I was called not to comfort or success but to obedience….There is no joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving him (Karen Watson, killed for loving Jesus, March 15, 2004).

• “A church that can’t worship must be entertained; and men who can’t lead a church to worship must provide entertainment.”  A. W. Tozer

• The nature of love is to do good & relieve need.  If, then, our neighbor has not surrendered to Jesus, we are to show love…by seeking to share with him/her the good news without which he/she will perish.  So, we find Paul warning and teaching “everyone” (Colossians 1:28).  Not merely because he was an apostle but because everyone was his neighbor.  (J.I. Paker).

• The great remaining mystery is neither the character of God nor the destiny of the lost.  The greatest mystery is y those who r charged with rescuing the lost have spent 2,000 years doing other things, even good things, but have failed 2 send and be sent until all have heard the liberating word of life in Christ Jesus.  The lost condition of humans breaks the Father’s heart.  What does it do to ours? (Robertson McQuilkin).

• Sometimes medicine says, “Shake well before using.”  That’s what God does w/His people.  He shakes ‘em well b4 they r usable (Vance Havner).

• The vision must be followed by the venture.  It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs (Vance Havner).

• “Changing the way you THINK is the root of repentence.  Changing what you DO is the fruit of repentence” (tweet by Rick Warren).

• After all this time of following Jesus I’m yet a work in progress, learning contentment from the LORD.  I still want what I don’t need and need what I don’t want…(MJS3)

• The scandal of missions is that many who claim to believe accepting Jesus is the only way to Heaven are doing little/nothing to Share the Good News.   Paul’s passion for this controlled life (Romans 9:1; 10:1; 15:18). If we believe people will spend eternity w/God only if they put their faith in Christ, then missions is our most urgent task (Stephen J. Strauss).

• “The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?  You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you” (Numbers 11:23 NIV).

• I believe Heaven will be a windy place…because its citizens will be forever exhaling. Finally…all our desires satisfied in Christ Jesus! (MJS3)

• “Worship-acknowledgement of the worth of God; So I can’t worship God and not care if any 1 else worships Him.  Worship births witness or else is hypocrisy.  We can’t acclaim God’s worth if we have no desire to proclaim it” (Chris Wright).

• Despite our efforts to keep Him out, God intrudes.  The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: “a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb”.  Jesus entered our world through a door marked, ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked “No Exit’ (Peter Larson).

• “Why are we so weak and impotent?  Why have we watched in our lifetime as the number of lost people has increased geometrically?  Are we not weak in impact for God because we are weak in time spent with God?” (Robert McQuilkin)

• Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – Enstein

• When personal protection, comfort, and safety are our highest priority, while shielding ourselves from danger we also insulate ourselves from God. A plant who builds a shelter to live perpetually in the shade will never get scorched but will still wither and die…

• Freedom is not found in autonomy (being in charge/making my own decisions); it is found in obedience 2 God (tedd tripp & psalm 119:44-45).

• 6 year old Jasmine’s bedtime prayer tonight: “Jesus, thank you for a wonderful day. Please give me a new faucet in my heart that pours clean water so I can be good. And thank you for the pilgrims coming to America so we can be free to pray to You. Amen.” Wow…

• Although proclamation alone cannot be seen as a full definition of the missionary task, the explicit statements of the Great Commission, the example of the apostles, and the logic of the gospel make proclamation fundamental. Mission that does not explicitly bring the good news of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ to the world through words cannot be considered biblical mission (Craig Ott).

• Urgency of the Task… “To stop or linger anywhere, even to repeat the rejected message of Jesus, so long as there are souls beyond that have never heard it, is at least unjust to those who are still in absolute darkness” (Arthur T. Pierson).

• “I am glad that you came, for the heart does not feel, what the eyes have not seen” (Jose Loachamin-Paster in Amaguana Ecuador).

• Jesus holds out His hand, telling us He will provide a bridge over any chasm if we will follow/trust Him. We hear His words, but such language sounds like those who have used us & left us exposed/alone. We pull back from Jesus. Many of us return to Vanity Fair & mortgage our heart for more of what is religiously/materially familiar. A few of us arouse our spirit and take a step toward the chasm? (Brent Curtis).

• Please show me the Biblical theology of fun, relaxation, safety, comfort & retirement; I can’t find it in God’s Book. What I c is a daily dying 2 self & living 4 Christ: teeth-gritting sacrifice, pursuing danger, embracing discomfort, real forgiveness, genuine apologies, fervent prayer, disgust at sin, “foolish” giving, unnatural boldness, faith-filled risk & living 4 eternity as if this world is temporary (MJS3).

• God Is Amazing (GIA) #1: When it’s hot, sweat forms on your exposed skin. Then a gentle breeze hits & it feels like natural air conditioning! SO GOOD!

• “Prayer is asking for rain. Faith is carrying an umbrella (even when the sun is shining!)” (anonymous).

• As a missionary in foreign lands, if you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion & avoid the people, you might better stay home. You are like a pebble thrown into water; you become wet on the surface but never part of the lake” (James A. Michener).

• “A cross is “I” crossed out. “Christ died for ALL so that those who live in Him would no longer live for themselves—2 Corinthians 5:15” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “Jesus is God’s answer to every human need. In this life we find demonstration; in his power, liberation; in his death, salvation” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “The bones of God’s greatest heroes lie in unmarked graves” (Tweet by author Neil Cole’s new book on LEADERSHIP).

• John Stott just graduated to heaven about 15 minutes ago. Followers of Jesus never say “goodbye”, just “see you soon!” (MJS3)

• “Humans are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better humans…What the church needs today is not more novel methods, but humans whom the Holy Ghost can use – humans mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not anoint plans, but humans – humans of prayer” (E.M. Bounds).

• “It is not great talents or great learning or great preachers that God wants, but humans great in holiness, great in faith, great in love, great in fidelity, great for God – humans always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit, by holy lives out of it. These can mold a generation for God” (E.M. Bounds).

• “A Christian should resemble a fruit tree with real fruit, not a Christmas tree with decorations tied on” (Rick Warren Favorites from #JohnStott#5).

• “A man who loves his wife will love her letters. If I truly love Jesus, I’ll love the Bible” (Rick Warren Favorites from #JohnStott#4).

• “Our sovereign (in-control), perfect God is always using imperfection (us!) to fulfill His perfect will” (Orin Kidd-Veteran missionary, Papau, Indonesia).

• We are the gloves, He is the Hand…We can do nothing apart from Him…but can do all things through Christ Jesus Who gives us strength! (MJS3)

• “Only God can change hearts. We must talk to God about humans before we talk to humans about God” (Steve Shadrach).

• “The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without (Him and His) purpose” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “It’s not politically correct anymore to say that someone is dead. Instead, they are simply terminally inconvenienced” (sermon by Pastor Erwin Lutzer).

• “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin.

• God delights in showing up when his people are in desperate need of Him, because that means no one else can steal His glory – Francis Chan (thanks V.A.!)

• “Sobering: UNICEF reports 26,500-30,000 children die each day due to poverty –18 children dying each minute, a child every 3 seconds” (from a tweet by Heart4theCity). So what will we do about this, people of God? This is happening on our watch!

• “Prayer is the real work of the ministry. Service (e.g. good works) is just gathering in the results of prayer” (S.D. Gordon).

• Persevere (don’t give up!) through difficult situations! Just as hiking boots often need to be broken in: they are uncomfortable at first but they often will conform to your feet and can become extremely useful for climbing mountains! (MJS3)

• Just as a person accustomed to eating junk food needs to learn to reach for fruits & veggies, so too do we need to learn to reach for Jesus in times of victory and defeat. He will teach us if we will let Him! (MJS3)

• “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” (anonymous)

• “If the last will truly be first, why are we always fighting to get to the front of the line?” (Tweet by Louie Giglio).

• “Living to know God, dying to make Him known” (Lecrae).

• “For my single friends: it’s better to be single & wish you were married than married & wish you were single J” (Tweet by Darren Whitehead).

• “Our taste for sermons can often be like my two year old’s: We often only want snacks & desserts every Sunday at church” (Tweet by Shane Farmer).

• “The sweat we work up on earth in Jesus’ name will make the water of heaven taste that much sweeter” (MJS3).

• God speaks…but He does not need to shout; His actions are loud enough, His identity too secure to be shaken by our rebellion. We may plug our ears but His Word pierces the stony shell of our hearts. The filibuster of God’s Truth cannot be stopped by any voted majority…(MJS3)

• “We actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God & hear more about all God has already done for us” (Kevin DeYoung).

• God creates…He takes nothing & ends w/something. He produces a masterpiece on a blank canvas & makes the canvas itself out of blankness! God dreams…and then delivers. (MJS3)

• “God wants to turn your test into a testimony; your mess into a life message” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “This world—and our own hearts—has forces that will seduce you to mediocrity” (Newark New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker).

• Holy One, help us to know You are real, to know how great You are, to know how much You’ve done for us, and to know how much we need You. I guess knowledge really is the key…(MJS3)

•  “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth…  He determined the times set for [humans] and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that humans would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.  For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Apostle Paul, Acts 17:24-28).

• I am His branch, a part of Him whose resources are limitless 4 the blessing of those around me [whose needs are plenty].  Roy Hession

• “Too err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, your overdoing it” (anonymous).

• “Anger is really disappointed hope” (Erica Jong).

• “How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it?” (Emporer Marcus Aurelius).

• “Anger blows out the lamp of the mind” (Robert Green Ingersoll).

• Christ- ones swim up/cross stream thru the world’s sin that is both inside and  outside of us; we are often unable 2 relax & go w/the flow.  So home and church MUST be a safe place where we can let our guard’s down (MJS3).

• Jesus tells us to expect trials b/c knowing this at least helps us brace for their impact.  When playing football I expect to be hit, so if I see a linebacker about to tackle me I can steady myself.  If the same linebacker slams into me from behind when I am comfortably reading a book the damage to my body will be far greater (MJS3).

• “The [Bible] tells us of no other people, no other message, no other power, no other movement that is the instrument of God’s choosing for fulfilling His purposes in this age as is the church” (Craig Ott).

• “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning” (Ecclesiastes 4:13 NIV).

• “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” –Winston Churchill

• At 3 years “Mommy I love you.” At 10 years “Mom whatever.” At 16 years “Mom you are so annoying.” At 18 years “Mom, I’m outta here.” At 25 years “Mom, you were right.” At 30 years “Mom, please help me with the kids.”  At 50 years “Mom, I don’t want to lose you.” At 70 years “Mom, I would give up anything to have you here with me.”  You only have one mom.  Love her today… (Laura Khoshaba).

• “We are too busy to pray, so we are too busy to have power.  We have much activity, but we accomplish little; many church services but few conversions; much machinery but few results” (R.A. Torrey).

• “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” –Einstein

• “When one has nothing, God becomes everything.” –Mama Maggie of Cairo

• “Treat the earth well.  It was not given to you by your parents.  It was loaned to you by your children’ (email from a friend).

• Weeds are garden killers-they produce nothing edible/nutritious & take nutrients for growth that are needed by other plants that do produce healthy fruit/veggies.  What are the weeds in your life?  What “good things in your life keep you from the great that God desires for you? (MJS3)

• “Mercy came runnin’, like a prisoner set free, I cast all my failure 2 the point of my knees.  The sin that I had carried, was all I could see…and when I could not reach Mercy, Mercy came runnin’ to me” (song “Mercy Came Runnin’” by Phillips, Craig & Dean).

• “It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China [or any other country].  With the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to [figure out] whether you have a special call to stay at home’ (Hudson Taylor).

• Planting local churches is central 2 [God’s plan] & is the command of Jesus.  God has chosen 2 work thru people: Israel b4 Jesus was born & Christ-followers ever since Pentecost.  Church planning is Jesus’ work-He said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).  Jesus’ death on the Cross & return to life were both 2 save humans from our sins & to [re-claim/free] us from all wickedness & purify 4 Himself a people that are His, eager to do good” (Titus 2:14)” (Craig Ott).

• Many of us want miracles.  We want to see Jesus knock people like Saul off their horses, turning them into Paul.  But Christ is showing us a different miracle, people like Timothy who had godly women like his Mom & Grandma pass their deep faith in the Lord down to Timothy slowly, over time.  We want to see the miracle of a vine growing up quickly overnight (Jonah), but we miss the equally amazing miracle of a redwood growing tall slowly over 3,000 years.  Selah…(MJS3)

• “Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is really living” (anonymous).

• Confession is not revealing the unknown to God; it’s agreeing w/His analysis of what He already knows (mjs3).

• Jesus didn’t die for ‘mistakers’; He died for sinners (mike woodruff).

• People commonly admit their sin by wholesale-‘we r all sinners’.  The truly repentant confess their sins by retail—individually/specifically (thomas brooks)

• “I am ready to burn out for God. I am ready to endure any hardship, if by any means I might save some.  The longing of my heart is to make known my glorious Redeemer to those who have never heard” (William Burns-Fellow missionary to China for 20 years with Hudson Taylor).

• Slight techtonic shifts under the ocean can produce devastating waves 4 thousands of miles. So too does God use our whispered cries/prayers 2 bring deep change around the world (MJS3).

• “Mission in the spirit of Jesus is about selfless love, a surrender of my rights and privileges in order to serve and identify with you for the sake of Jesus’ Good News” (Craig Ott).

• “Mission is not just about crossing the oceans, jungles and deserts, but also about crossing the streets of the world’s cities” (Ray Bakke).  ALL FOR JESUS!

• If a person sins b/c he doesn’t speak up 2 testify regarding something he has seen, he will be held responsible (Leviticus 5:1 NIV)-SPEAK UP and OUT against injustice, bullying, oppression, abuse, sin, etc! It’s not being a narc, it’s being brave…

• My dear friends-I love u so much & do want the very best 4 you! You bring me such  joy, you fill me with such pride! Don’t waver—stay on track, steady in God (Philippians 4:1-the Message).

• “Everybody has something that, if they lose it, they won’t even want to live life anymore. That is what you’re worshiping” (Tweet by Tim Keller).

• So thankful God has matured me much over the last 11 years. Yet I still think @ times that I deserve His love & forgiveness…more maturing needed I see! J (MJS3)

• “If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center of everything (we do), we will only jingle and jangle our way across the world, merely making a noise as we go” (William Wilberforce, born 1759).

• If you’ll clear the skeletons from your closet, the ghosts of your past will stop haunting you. Don’t repress it; confess it. (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• If we are truly praying for others, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray (Corrie Ten Boom).

• Worry is like a rocking chair; it’ll keep you busy but it gets you nowhere (anonymous).

• “The dangers that exist are real, but only illustrate the fact that men & women need Christ Jesus. The suffering/dying of missionaries advance God’s Kingdom as nothing else could; the blood of God’s people has ever been the seed/fuel of the advance of Jesus’ Good News” (David Sills).

• God’s Life Plan for you isn’t a map where you see every detail at once but a scroll you unroll little by little, trusting one step at a time (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “When I’m full of myself I’m empty of God” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• I awoke on 9/11: life was more precious, time shorter, evil horribly real & I was motivated 2 do all I could to ensure that goodness prevailed (Wes Stafford).

• The world’s changed—I feel it in the earth, smell it in the air. Much that once was is now lost—none now live who remember (Galadriel-lord of the rings).

• “The Gospel is not an old, old story, freshly told. It is a fire in the Spirit, fed by the flame of Immortal Love; and woe unto us, if through our negligence to stir up the Gift of God which is within us, that fire burns low” (Dr. R. Moffat Gautrey).

• “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (God, Isaiah 46:4, NIV).

• Keep pursuing Jesus, my friends; He has shown love for you more powerfully than any celebrity, boyfriend/girlfriend, sports team, friend, family member, or thrilling experience ever could. He is real, He is Who He claims to be, and I think most of us know that is true deep down if we are being honest. J (MJS3)

• “People who don’t believe in missions have not read the New Testament. Right from the beginning Jesus said the field is the world. The early church took Him at His word and went East, West, North and South” (Howard Edington).

•  “Never pity missionaries; envy them. They are where the real action is – where life and death, sin and grace, Heaven and Hell converge” (Robert C. Shannon).

• It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child (Picasso).

• “Deep communion (friendship, togetherness, relationship) and dear compassion is formed much more by shared pain than by shared pleasure.” Richard Rohr

• A lifetime of accumulated sinful pleasures will never equal the 1st moment of heaven’s eternal joy in Jesus Christ (mjs3).

• The fields of the world await those who are willing to be lonely for the sake of Christ. “[Jesus] came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). He came and His welcome was derision, His life suffering, and His throne the Cross. As He came, He expects us to go. So in overcoming hardship, we have the privilege of knowing Jesus and the power of His resurrection, but also knowing the deep friendship of His suffering.  Samuel M. Zwemer

• “We want intelligence, God wants obedience to Him.  We want confidence, God wants dependence on Him.  We want relevance, God wants reverence for Him” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• You don’t win the silver, you only lose the gold (8th grader andy zhang)

• Belief in God as Trinity is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  Without it we would have a creator God who is distant and impersonal, a Jesus who was merely a great historical figure, and a Spirit who would be thought of as only an arbitrary natural force.  Without belief in Trinity we have a deficient view of God, which in turn makes for a deficient presentation of the gospel.  (Anonymous)

• “Love never looks down…Love stoops down!”  (Tweet by Mike Hailey)

• “It is true that we may desire much more.  But let us use what we have, and God will give us more” (Adoniram Judson).

• THIS IS WHY I WEEP EVERY DAY: “One out of 5 women in Afghanistan die in child birth.  Senseless catastrophe.  In US about one out of 800” (Tweet by Gary Haugen).  We GOTTA do something about tragedies like this and thousands others.  Let’s not just be AmeriCANS, let’s be AmeriWILLs!!!

• “There are truly no closed countries to the gospel.  There are only places we are not prepared to stand for the gospel” (A Cape Town 2010 Address).

• “I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet, when Christ Jesus calls me home, I shall go w/gladness” (Adoniram Judson).

• “The fuller your cup is, the more you need to be balanced” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• May God’s fame by known everywhere that Jesus might see the reward of His sufferings: sinners praising & loving Him!  When our prayers seek God’s glory [fame/joy], it is God’s glory [fame/joy] to answer our prayers (C.H. Spurgeon).

• Lucifer was magnificently made, but he got enamored with his own magnificence.  We too must remember that God gets ALL the credit for our accomplishments.  The hose doesn’t make the water clean, it simply pours the water where it needs to go.  The glove doesn’t get the fame, the hand within it does.  We are the hose, He is the water; we are the glove, He is the Hand; we are the microphone, He is the Voice.

• Ceasing prayer, we cease to fight; Prayer makes the Christian armor bright, And Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees. (anonymous)

• Sign seen: “Mom’s Kitchen-Two Menu Options: 1. Take It 2. Or Leave It!” J

• Don’t fear tomorrow…God is already there! (anonymous)

• Faith is not knowing what the future holds…but knowing Who holds the future! J (anonymous)

• I am weeping from this song…Wow He loves us SO MUCH.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v-oyPBtExE4WO&feature-related

• When you are down to nothing, God is up to something! (anonymous)

• The atheist can’t find God for the same reason that a thief can’t find a policeman.  (Author Unknown)

• “While you’re on earth, it is not God’s goal to make everything around you right.  His goal is to make YOU right” (Tweet by Rick Warren).  God wants to transform us from caterpillars to butterflies; He wants to transform us from Matchbox toy cars into REAL FERRARIS! J (MJS3)

• “Science can tell us how to do many things, but it can not tell us what ought to be done” (Author Unknown).

• “Humans are certainly crazy.  We cannot make the smallest bug, but we make false gods to worship by the dozen” (Michel De Montaigne, Essays).

• If God gave me His omnipotence for 24 hours, I’d make many changes.  But if He gave me His wisdom 2, I’d leave things as they are (Monsabre).

• Merely having an open mind is nothing; the point of opening the mind, as w/the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid (GK Chesterton).

• God exists whether or not we believe.  Many lack faith not b/c it’s intellectually impossible but b/c it makes us accountable 2 God (Robert Laidlaw).

• The Christian life has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.  G.K. Chesterton

• The secret formula of the saints: When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord’s choicest wines. Samuel Rutherford

• Out of 100 people, one will read the Bible, the other 99 will read the Christian.  D.L. Moody

• “If God were small enough to be completely understood, He would not be big enough to be worshipped” (Evelyn Underhill).

• Some say goody-goodies live a sheltered life, but only those who resist sin know its strength.  Giving in to temptation after 5 minutes is much easier than resisting for 1 hour.  Bad people, then, have lived a sheltered life by always giving in (C.S. Lewis).

• “Insults are the last result of insecure people with a crumbling position trying to appear confident” (recent tweet by Rick Warren).

• How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource!  We go to Him b/c we have nowhere else to go.  And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven” (George Macdonald).

• “For when we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing, we worship anything” (G.K. Chesterton).

• A great many of those who ‘debunk’ traditional/biblical…values have in the background values of their own which they believe to be immune from the debunking process. C.S. Lewis

•  “Scientists are as prone to group-think and ideological rigidity as the rest of us.  Once a theory becomes scientific orthodoxy, those who question it are regarded as—what else?—heretics.  Just ask anyone who has doubts about global warming or whether an asteroid caused the dinosaurs extinction” (Chuck Colson).

• Practicing psychiatry without faith in God is like meeting a hungry man and giving him a toothpick.  Author Unknown

• “The greatest act of faith takes place when a person finally decides that he/she is not God” (Johann Wolfgang Goethe).

• Some are sad that thorns would infest roses, while others are amazed that God would bloom roses among thorns (anonymous).
• It’s not that God has a mission for his Church in the world, but that God has a church for his mission in the world.”  (Anonymous).

• “God will not love you more because you’re serving in cross-cultural ministry.  But you’ll grown to love God more because you’re serving in a cross-cultural ministry” (Debbie Palich).

• Parents: Real education is about stimulating a mind, not stuffing a memory (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• If you start to envy someone else’s things, silently pray “Thanks Lord that I don’t have their payments” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• Christian humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less (CS Lewis).

• Anger is one letter away from danger.  “The wise person says little and stays calm” Prov. 17:27 (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• Slow vine-ripened tomatoes taste better than ones picked green and gassed.  You miss the flavor every time you get in a hurry (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• The Bible I shallow enough 4 the youngest Christian to drink out of and deep enough 4 the strongest Christian to dive into! (anonymous)

• “God uses people who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him” (Hudson Taylor).

• We share Jesus w/others not just 2 get them out of hell/in 2 heaven but 2 get God out of heaven & in 2 them! Christ living in us brings God out where he can be seen/trusted in/loved (Ian Thomas). J

• “The best way out is always THROUGH” (Robert Frost).

• Sometimes I want to ask God why he allows poverty, famine & injustice in the world…But I’m afraid He may ask me the same question (anonymous).

• “All my desire was for the people of the world to surrender to the love of Jesus…I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls to Christ.  I declare, now I am dying, I would not have spent my life otherwise for the whole world” (David Brainerd at age 29, 1747).

• “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.  Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30 The Message).

• “It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.  The question is: what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau

• “I [Jesus] have been given say over everything on heaven and earth.  So go make apprentices to Me among people of every kind.  Submerge them in the reality of the Trinitarian God.  Lead them into doing everything I have told you to do.  No look!  I am with you every minute, until the job is completely done!” (Dalls Willard-Paraphrase of Matthew 28:18-20).

• The best way to be a good parent to your children is to be a good spouse (Tweet by Tim Keller).

• Before we go out and do what God has called us to do, we must first be the people He has created us to be.  Before strategy, activity, and analysis comes character.  Any serious worshipper of Jesus must be serious about displaying the fuit [characteristics] of the Holy Spirit and having a Jesus-like attitude in all areas of life (Nichols, Moreau & Corwin).

• Home is place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to. – John Edward Pearce

• “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see” (Neil Postman).

• Represent Jesus wherever you are-it makes little difference where we spend these fleeting years if they r spent 4 Him. There is nothing else worth living 4.  Elizabeth Freeman

• Only as the church fulfills her missionary obligation does she justify her existence.  Unknown

• “A wise old owl lived in an oak.  The more he saw the less he spoke.  The less he spoke the more he heard.  Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?” (Nursery Rhyme)

• “Solid, lasting missionary work is done on our knees” (James O. Fraser).

• “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess” (Martin Luther).

• “The Christian faith…is absolutely unique.  There is no faith like it. No other god like Him; no other Jesus; no other Cross; no other empty tomb; no other forgiveness; no other grace; no other heaven” (David Hesselgrave).

• “The Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ is not how people get to heaven.  The Gospel is how people get to God” (John Piper).

• “Churches that make an impact are more focused on putting boots on the streets than butts in the seats” (Miles McPherson). [e.g. directing people to LIVE OUT their faith in Jesus outside of the church building every day]

• “Contemplation is no excuse for a lack of action. Action is no excuse for a lack of contemplation. Both are essential” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• Life is like tennis: The best at serving are the winners.  (Tweet by Rick Warren)

• The best remedy for a sick church is to put it on a missionary diet.  David Livingstone

• “The call of Jesus is personal but not purely individual; Jesus invites us not to be only individual believers but rather a community of faith in Him.  It’s not that there are different churches in different places but that there is one church in many places” (Os Guiness).

• Sometimes silence is cowardice.  Other times it’s courageous.  Wisdom is knowing the difference.  (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• Any man or woman on this earth who is bored/turned off by worship is not ready for heaven. A.W. Tozer

•  The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have (anonymous).

• Where and how we serve Christ’s mission is not a question of what we think we deserve, but rather where/how God’s eternal purpose is best served.  We should not count it right to serve at any place or in any capacity, apart from the undeserved leading of God in our lives.  Anonymous

• Powerful song.  Let’s live out our faith in Jesus.  For real. Now. Today. Forever.  No more playin.  All for Him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v-Y5Svz6YFtkI

• The hills of today prepare us for the mountains of tomorrow.  Don’t ever give up on Jesus! J (MJS3)

• If there is no Caller, there are no callings – only work.  We are not primarily called to do something or go somewhere; we are called to know Someone (Os Guiness).

• This pretty much sums up my thinking: “The Lord will by my Judge someday.  I will give an account to Him of my life.  As He examines my choices, none will have 100% pure motivation; many will be unwise in the light of His holiness.  I hope I have been a good manager of my gifts/time.  But my confidence in the Judgement is not my good deeds. It’s in the perfection of Jesus that God has credited to me through faith in Christ & the punishment Jesus endured for me. & trust there will be in my life sufficient but imperfect fruits of love that reveal my friendship w/Jesus by faith was real” (John Piper).

• God has no phone but I still talk to Him, He has no facebook but I’m still friends with Him, He has no twitter but I still follow Him…J (LFHS Senior Ellie Revenaugh)

• The difference between stupidity and genius has its limits (Einstein). J

• A pessimist is someone who complains about the noise when opportunity knocks (oscar wilde).

• A vision without a task is a visionary.  A task without a vision makes drudgery.  A vision with a task makes a missionary. Samuel Chadwick (Earth: 1860-1932; Heaven: 1932-Eternity)

• “Preach like Christ was crucified yesterday, rose today & is coming tomorrow!” Luther

• In the name of Jesus, ask the Father to make you into everything He wants you to be—but for His glory and honor, not yours. Then, ‘let people feel the weight of who you are in Jesus, and let ‘em deal with it’ (Brent Curtiz and MJS3).

• Saving you cost Jesus His life. Following Jesus costs you your life. And then you get real life for eternity! (tweet by Rick Warren).

• GOOD doesn’t erase Guilt. Only GOD’S Grace does that. (tweet by Rick Warren)

• 16- I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. 17-Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18-And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide how long, how high, and how deep His love is. (Ephesians 3:16-18 NLT).

• “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss

• Jesus’ authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations to share His love with them. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us no other choice. John Stott

•  Boredom is having enough to live on but nothing to live for. (Tweet by Rick Warren)

• It’s wise to question the certainty of your beliefs. It’s foolish to NOT question the certainty of your doubts (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• Examine how you spend your time & money & you’ll discover who your god is (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV 1984).

• From my many years of experience I can unhesitatingly say that the cross bears those who bear the cross. Sadhu Sundar Singh

• In the Bible, gifts/talents are never really ours/for ourselves. Our gifts are ultimately God’s & we are only ‘stewards’ (caretakers/managers)…God is not so much finding US a place for OUR gifts but rather God has created us and our gifts for a place of His choosing. OS Guiness

• “Good leaders create followers. Great leaders create leaders” (Tweet by Rick Warren). This is why I think Syler Thomas is a great leader—God has been creating leaders through him for 14 years!

• “If you truly love someone, write their name in a circle not a heart; hearts can break but a circle goes on forever!” (8th grader Annie Hartman). J

• There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. (anonymous)

• The heaven’s are telling the glory of God! And all creation is shouting for joy! Come dance in the forest, come play in the fields, and sing, sing to the glory of the LORD!

• Have the courage to live under strain and pain to be part of a better story…larger story. Don’t wimp out by giving up! (Anonymous)

• “You can give without loving…but you cannot love without giving” (Tweet by Rick Warren).

• “When we only see demons within ourselves, we can only see demons within others; when we begin to see God within ourselves, we will start to see God in others” (Henri Nouwen).

• “Never do anything permanently stupid because you are temporarily upset” (Edgar Vann).