Desiring to be great is not a sin. It is motivation that determines ambition’s character. Our Lord never taught against the urge to high achievement, but He did expose and condemn unworthy motivation…Ambition that centers on the glory of God and welfare of the church is a mighty force for good.
-J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership
For too many years we felt like the fear of the Lord was a bad thing, and we didn’t realize that this is the very thing that would lead us to life. Without the fear of the Lord you’re not going to understand why you should follow Jesus. Without a proper understanding of the fear of the Lord we wouldn’t understand the power that’s available to us through the Holy Spirit.
God wants you to fear Him because that’s going to lead you to a life that you’ve never had. It’s a better life. It’s a secure life. It’s a life that we were created for.
-Francis Chan, “BASIC. Fear God”
It is His grace that constantly provides us with life, guidance, comfort, strength, and anything else we need. We owe all our usefulness and goodness to His grace.
-Charles Spurgeon, Look Unto Me: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon
If you desire to reach something higher than an ordinary, lowly existence, look to the Rock who is higher than you and gaze with eyes of faith through the window of persistent prayer. Once you unlock the window on your side of heaven, you will find it unlocked on the other side as well.
-Charles Spurgeon, Look Unto Me: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon
Nowadays, there are millions of people on this earth who call themselves followers of Jesus, but their lives look nothing like his. And they’re not obeying the things that He called them to do. And yet in their hearts, they’re convinced they’re followers…
…In the Church we’ve done this weird thing where we go “The rules to ‘Follow Jesus’ are different than the rules to ‘Follow the Leader.’ See, in ‘Follow Jesus,’ we don’t actually have to do what He does, we just do it in our heart.”
-Francis Chan, “BASIC. Follow Jesus”
See, these words that we give without action behind it, that was never acceptable to Jesus. He says, “It’s pretty simple. When I say, ‘Follow me,’ you follow me. You do what I do. And when I ask you to do something, you just obey.”
-Francis Chan, “BASIC. Follow Jesus”
Hope…does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next
-CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.
-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest via www.utmost.org
Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people.
-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest via www.utmost.org
Most people spend their lives trying to make their heart’s fondest dreams come true. Isn’t that what life is all about, “the pursuit of happiness”? We search endlessly for ways to acquire the things we desire, and we are willing to sacrifice much to achieve them. We never imagine that getting our heart’s deepest desires might be the worst thing that can ever happen to us.
-Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
Driven 