“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:5-11

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Maryanne Williamson

[Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech]

“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.” - Philippians 1:29-30

“I write this with all reverence: God Himself can not deliver a person who is not in trouble. Therefore, it is to some advantage to be in distress, because God can then deliver you. Even Jesus Christ, the Healer of me, cannot heal a person who is not sick. Therefore, sickness is not an adversity for us, but rather an advantageous opportunity for Christ to heal us. The point is, my reader, your adversity may prove your advantage by offering the occasion for the display of divine grace.” - Charles Spurgeon

“What heartbreak we must bring to God when we continue to disbelieve His love. What more could He have said? What more could He have done? Believe even when you do not feel. Know even when you do not see. He gave the life of His Son to demonstrate His love. The time has come to believe.” - Beth Moore

“Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.” - Bruce Cockburn

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Psalm 139:23-24

“I take back the stolen ground by simply being in relationship with me Father. His holy genes are now part of my inheritance from Him. I must simply stand and be who He says I am.” - Dennis Jernigan (on becoming free from sin)

“Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God.”- Mrs. Charles Cowman

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long,. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” - Romans 7:15-20

Nice to know I am not the only one!

I can totally see kids saying, “No Mom, it wasn’t me who stole the cookies, it was the sin! Punish the sin, not me!” But if my kid said that and quoted the verse, I might have to give them some bonus points.

“Under conviction of worldliness, many well-meaning persons have simply transferred their huge egos from the world to the church. Beware of spiritual ambition. We are most useful to God when poured free of self and full of Christ” - Beth Moore

Wow. The enemy is sneaky.

“Each area of our lives that is controlled by sin is an aspect of our soul under deception…Consequently, the more truthful one becomes with himself and God, the more He is delivered from the “deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:13), allowing righteousness to come forth.” - Francis Frangipane

“Then I heard the Lord asking,
“Whom should I send as a messenger to this people?
Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.””
- Isaiah 6:8

“The giant step in the walk of faith is the one we take when we decide God no longer is a part of our lives. He is our life.” - Beth Moore

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” - Romans 8:26-28

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge God in all your ways, and He will direct your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

Easier said than done. I am so glad He is patient!

“The Spirit forced me to acknowledge that subconsciously I did not really believe that an African could be as good a Christian as I was, or could know the Lord Jesus or understand the Bible as I did. My caring had in it an element of condescension, of superiority, of paternalism.” - Helen Roseveare

I have spent so much of this last year discovering and [with God's tremendous help] eradicating biases I never even knew I had. It scares me a bit to think of what else may be lurking deep inside my heart. I am greatly to have a Saviour who takes that ugliness and makes me pure.

“I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a counselee say, “Oh, I confessed that sin a year ago- a thousand times.” First, that is 999 times too many. Second, each subsequent time that sin is confessed, rather than the confession bringing relief, it only reinforces the false belief that it has not been forgiven. Double, or re-confession, only deepens the false belief that we have not been forgiven” - Dr. Chuck Lynch

So, So True

"A pastor friend of mine said, "Our problem is that we no longer have martyrs. We only have celebrities." Most of the time, when I see Christian superstars like Jerry Falwell or Al Sharpton, I feel like I'm watching professional wrestling. There's a lot of shouting and sweating, but the people seem too superhuman, and I'm not convinced all the moves are real. And as with any sports event, there are tons of spectators, desperately in need of exercise, who sit back and watch a handful of people who could really use a little break, or maybe a massage." - Shane Claiborne

LOL. He kills me.

But seriously, this begs the question of whether or not we want our faith to be represented by a few "superstars." Is their message one we are satisfied with backing? Are we content to let them speak for us all? Or do we want our own voices heard? It seems most are willing to sit back and take the path of least resistance. As for me, I want my voice to be heard, and for it to share the true message of saving grace.

“…She did not live the life of a frail person. On the contrary, for the sake of the Gospel, she was a pioneer in a land whose climate has broken the health of many who went out stronger than she.” - Noel Piper on Lilias Trotter ("Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God")

“…Whoever wants to be a leader among you must first be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:26-28

“It’s not that people don’t believe in God; it’s that they don’t think He believes in them” - paraphrased from Louie Giglio

Do you use quotation marks around a paraphrase? How come I was never taught about this???

“Only Jesus would be crazy enough to suggest that if you want to become the greatest, you should become the least. Only Jesus would declare God's blessing on the po0r rather than on the rich and would insist that it's not enough to just love your friends. I just began to wonder if anybody still believed Jesus meant those things he said." — Shane Claiborne

“We learned why God has given us His name as I AM (Exodus 3:14). His grace always proved itself sufficient in the moment of need, but never before the necessary time…As I anticipated suffering in my imagination and thought of what these cruel soldiers would do next, I quivered with fear…But when the moment came for action…He filled me with a peace and an assurance about what to do that amazed me and often defeated the immediate tactics of the enemy.” -Helen Roseveare

I was blessed to be able to read this book after I borrowed it from a fellow missionary. I HIGHLY recommend it- these women were vessels for God's glory.

“I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all of my past life had been but a preparation for this life and this trial” - Winston Churchill

It is amazing to me how God uses everything, even the seemingly insignificant things, to prepare us for something in the future. This is the very definition of efficient!

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:11-13

“Baptizing in the Spirit and baptizing in water is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” - John Piper

This quote has been especially thought-provoking in the context of our setting- there are many here who believe baptism with water is equal to salvation.

“And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” - John 17: 14

“O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.” - Psalm 8: 1-2

“I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.” - Jeremiah 10:23-24