A truth that’s told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.
~ William Blake
Reflect, Resonate, Reevaluate, Respond
The primary barrier to displaying the beauty of Jesus in our churches comes from the way we re-insert ourselves into that sacred center that belongs to him alone. Exalting ourselves diminishes his visibility. That is why cultivating a gospel culture requires a profound, moment-by-moment ‘unselfing’ by every one of us. It is personally costly, even painful.
~ Ray Ortlund, pastor and author
The test of Christian character should be that a man is a joy-bearing agent to the world.
~ Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887, American clergyman
In those moments of un-naming when we have lost ourselves, we must remember to return to our past redemptions to find God’s mark of glory on our abandonment, betrayal, and shame. We wrongly believe that we will be happy if we can escape the past. But without our past we are hollow and plastic beings who have only common names and conventional stories. When we enter into our story at the point we lost our name, we are most likely to hear the whisper of our new name.
~ Dan B. Allender from To Be Told: God Invites You to Coauthor Your Future
It’s not only more blessed to give than to receive, it’s also a whole lot easier.
~ Frederick Buechner, 1926-2022, American author
God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself.
~ Dietrich Bonhöffer, 1906-1945, German Lutheran pastor
True giving is participating, participating in the life and work of the donee, participating in one’s universe as a sympathizing member. No one can participate without giving first. Giving is essential for a meaningful existence.… All communication begins with giving, offering.
~ Jan van Baal, 1909-1992, Dutch anthropologist