Discipleship Quotes

 “Rutledge continues, “He who congratulates himself on having done enough is precisely the one who has not. He who thinks himself safe is in the greatest danger. The man who trembles to think of himself before the judgment seat is closer to the kingdom of heaven than the one who complacently assumes he is on the side of the angels . . . There is no human merit anywhere to bail us out.”13” - Scott Sauls

“It is no use to say that we are born 2000 years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts."

-Dorothy Day

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As Mother Teresa said, ‘God does not call me to be successful; he calls me to be faithful

ABOVE ALL, LOVE
It's easy to become angry and indignant over world events, but much more difficult to live with the tension of desiring change while simultaneously loving everyone involved. Followers of Christ are called to live in that tension, loving the very people they work against.
 
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:44 (CSB)

“Faith is depending on God when you’re living in the unknown, and somehow the LORD lets us hit rock bottom so we can experience that He is the Rock at the bottom…The best thing we can do is to love God and enjoy this short life with the people we love.” - Jonathan Evans, Excerpt, Divine Disruption

It is a terrible misunderstanding of the Gospel to think that it offers us salvation while relieving us of responsibility for the life of the world, for the sin and sorrow and pain with which our human life and that of our fellow men and women are so deeply interwoven.

--Newbigin

When people are right with God, they are apt to be hard on themselves & easy on other people. But when they are not right with God, they are easy on themselves & hard on others. 

~John Newton

The most powerful story in the world is the one you tell yourself. Shane Parrish

"Faith is living without scheming." - Warren Wiersbe

“God has foremost called me to be loved, to be receptive to his love, and to find my rest in his love. He has called me to remember that because of Jesus, I already have a name. I will be remembered and celebrated and sung over even after I am long gone, because he is my God and I am his person. He is my Father and I am his son. And on that day into eternity, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.”

Excerpt From

Beautiful People Don't Just Happen

Scott Sauls.

You will never meet, talk to, walk with, or work beside a human being who has not been purposefully knit together by the hands of our Father. Never. We are all one race, and in that race, all are image bearers. There are no exceptions. Diane Langberg

As a young minister I aspired to do "great" things for God.

But after years of watching friends burn out, fizzle out, and fall away from Jesus, my ambitions have been refined.

Today, I just want to grow in my love for God and make it Home to see Him.

Lord Jesus, hold me fast. - Garret Kell

“Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and a flat denial of the gospel of grace.” Brennan Manning

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Our goal is to keep the big things big and the small things small. It's not that politicians and political parties aren't important; they're just not God-of-the-Universe important. Stay focused on eternity; it changes everything.
 
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." 
Colossians 3:2-4 (CSB)

“Some believe that the biggest problems in the world are other people and broken systems (where indeed, problems do exist) but take no issue with themselves. ”

Scott Sauls

"If it is foolish to believe what we find in Scripture, we will remain fools to the end."

— Charles Spurgeon

"God is way less concerned about our mistakes than we are; He sees who we're becoming rather than dwelling on who we've been." - Bob Goff (stolen from the one and only Mr. Bob Bednar)

Your intelligence, your education, or your family background do not determine the holiness of your life. Everything you need to live a victorious, joyful, and abundant life is found in the Holy Spirit who resides within you. #ExperiencingGod

"Our up-look determines our out-look." - Doug Shada

"Like everyone, I want to be liked.But I wont deny God's unpopular moral standards as I fear His disapproval more than yours." - Rick Warren

“where your darkest secrets and vilest motives lie—and he does not reject you. If the most trusted person in your life told you that all these things are true, would you believe it? Would it change things for you?

Would it change you?”

“the most “disabled” among us are the ones who lack self-awareness and experience no guilt. At least those who admit their guilt know there is a better version of themselves to wish for and become.”

Beautiful People Don't Just Happen

Scott Sauls

If there is no God, then there is no higher law. And if there is no higher law, there is no basis for moral outrage about anything. All that’s left is your feelings versus the feelings of those who disagree with you. Who’s to say who is right? Scott Sauls

“According to Nietzsche, we do good not for the sake of the good itself but rather for the sake of being noticed and applauded and of gaining more power. Our best virtues, Nietzsche said, are less about serving others and more about securing a reward for ourselves. ”

“we miss out on the best things because we prefer the lesser things. We miss out on the wondrous things because we prefer the humdrum things. We miss out on the adventure because we prefer the safe, contained, controllable things. Gazing at beauty is its own reward. Looking away from beauty is its own punishment.”

“Who has time for God when there are people to please, politicians to criticize, addictions to feed, holes to dig ourselves out of, and pandemics to navigate? Who has use for God when the life he gives us turns out to be unstable and wretched?”

Excerpt From

Beautiful People Don't Just Happen

Scott Sauls

. If you are a Christian, you will never be accepted by the world. So don’t even try! Endeavor to please your Lord, who is in Heaven. Grant Castleberry

 Chuck Swindoll - The Bible doesn’t varnish over the rough realities of life with a thick coat of empty cliches  God’s Word meets the truth of unbudging troubles head- on  I think of Job’s description of life’s hardships:  “How frail is humanity!  How short is life, how full of trouble!  We blossom like a flower then wither.  Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear” (Job 13:—2).  These aren’t t the words of some jaded cynic who just can’t see the bright side of life. These words express the deep reality of suffering in a fallen world by a man who experiences more hardship and loss than you and I ever will. P7

Luke 19 by Barnabas Piper Jesus dared to associate with a notorious sinner. Even in the first century, people didn't want to distinguish between association and endorsement. But let's notice that Jesus doesn't bring up Zacchaeus’ sins. He doesn't have to. Zacchaeus knows he's a sinner. Zacchaeus knows that Jesus knows he's a sinner. Zacchaeus knows that everybody else knows that he's a sinner. But here's what Zacchaeus doesn't know until Jesus calls him down from that tree: he doesn't know that God is a seeking savior.

This is the defining moment in Zacchaeus’ life. The moment that his great searching meets an even greater seeker. And notice, especially in verse five, Jesus says, “I must stay at your house today.” This word “must” carries with it a deep sense of burden and responsibility that is the heart of God for the world. Deep within the heart of the great shepherd of souls is a burden for those who are wandering for what they know not.