In Search Of A Better Tomorrow

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Grace

“Grace is something not which I improve, but which improves, employs me, works on me”.

Charles Spurgeon

“Divine Sovereignty” sermon (1856)

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“Let people talk as they will about universal grace, it is all nonsense, there is no such thing, nor can there be. They may talk correctly of universal blessings, because we see that the natural gifts of God are scattered everywhere, more or less, and men may receive or reject them. It is no so, however with grace.”

Charles Spurgeon

“Divine Sovereignty” sermon (1856)

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“The new covenant, is not founded on works at all, it is a covenant of pure unmingled grace”.

Charles Spurgeon

“God in the Covenant” sermon (1856)

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“Unless you’re deeply aware of your sin, and of what an affront it is to God’s holiness, and of how impossible it is for Him to respond to sin with anything other than furious wrath – you’ll never appreciate grace, and it will never be amazing to you.”

C.J. Mahaney

Christ Our Mediator (2004)

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“For me, grace is never more amazing than when I’m looking intensely at the cross, and I believe the same will be true for every child of God”.

C.J. Mahaney

Christ our Mediator (2004)

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“Only those who see themselves as utterly destitute can fully appreciate the grace of God.”

Erwin Lutzer

Failure: The Back Door to Success (1975)

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“To accept grace is to admit failure, a step we are hesitant to take. We opt to impress God with how good we are rather than confessing how great He is”.

Max Lucado

In the Eye of the Storm (1991)

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“Human efforts that seek to impress God or persuade Him to overlook sin are insults to a God of grace.”

Franklin Graham

All for Jesus (2003)

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“Nowhere in Scripture do we find that loving Christ is the reason for forgiveness. True expression of love for Him flow as a spontaneous and unstoppable response to forgiveness. Acts of authentic love are a response to Christ’s amazing work of grace.”

Joseph Stowell

Why It’s Hard to Love Jesus (2003)

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“Preaching grace alone has left the sinner thinking lightly of sin.”

Ray Comfort

Hell’s Best Kept Secret  (1989)

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“For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.”

Augustine

Of the Spirit and the Letter (5^th century)

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“God singles out the humble soul to fill him to the brim with grace, when  the proud is sent away empty.”

Thomas Brooks

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)

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“By his holiness and grace, God extends a complete pardon for our sins – past, present, and future.”

Jonathan Campbell and Jennifer Campbell

The Way of Jesus (2005)

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“When a believer has been steeped in grace, all the umbers of his or her immediate society detect a refreshing fragrance.”

Christine Wood

Character Witness (2003)

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“Just as a team provides its athletes all they need to perform on the field, even so grace gives us all the provision to enable us to maximize our spiritual potential.”

Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans

Get In The Game (2006)

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“Grace is absolute, inflexible, all-encompassing”.

Philip Yancey

The Jesus I Never Knew (1995)

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“Why do we expect the best from a world steeped in pain? Continually we find ourselves blindsided by reality. Every new morning offers another chance to admit our inadequacy – once again for this new day, a chance to accept the bewildering ecstasy of God’s grace. Why is it so difficult to accept such a love when His Grace is the one gift that can penetrate the messy corners of our worlds?”

Bonnie Keen

God Loves Messy People (2002)

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“In their pride, the builders of Babel assumed they could work their way into God’s Presence and He would accept them on the basis of what they had done. They were wrong then, and they are still wrong today.”

Anne Graham Lotz

God’s Story (1997)

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“Grace is a supernatural mixture of patience, help, forgiveness, and sympathy, and it is the internal expression of what our God is like”.

Ed Young

From Bad Beginnings to Happy Endings (1994)

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“Blind as we are, we hinder God, and stop the current of His grace. But when He finds a soul penetrated with a lively faith, He pours into it His graces and favours plentifully.”

Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God (17^th century)

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“We know also that we can do all things with the grace of God, which He never refuses to them who ask it earnestly.”

Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God (17^th century)

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“Ah, how impious and ungrateful is the world, thus to condemn and persecute God’s ineffable grace!”

Martin Luther

Table Talk (16^th century)

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“God’s grace is just that – grace, unmerited favor. Nothing I will do can ever cause Him to love me more or less.”

David Hawkins

Prescription for Living Beyond (2006)

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“Moments of awe are moments when we are the most vulnerable to grace. Without those moments, we are vulnerable to everything else.”

Ken Gire

Reflections on Your Life (1998)

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“Grace is undeserved mercy”.

James Scudder

Your Secret to Spiritual Success (2002)

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“Living the Christian life in your own power nullifies the grace of God.”

Tony Evans

Theology You Can Count On (2008)

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“Free grace will fix those whom free will shook down into a gulf of misery.”

Thomas Boston

Human Nature in Its Fourfold State (1830)

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“Grace bestowed upon another is always grace imparted to you”.

Martin Bell

Street Singing and Preaching (1991)

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“You cannot receive grace if you think it’s a reward for something you have done.”

Paul and Nicole Johnson

Random Acts of Grace (1995)

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“But graciousness is withholding certain facts you know to be true, so as to leave your enemy’s reputation unscathed. Graciousness is shown by what you don’t say, even if what you could say would be true.”

R.T. Kendall

Total Forgiveness (2002)

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“I don’t think anything concerns me more than using grace as a tool to justify sin.”

 Charles Swindoll

“Trouble at Home” sermon (2009)

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“Oh friend, the great grace of God surpasses my conception and your conception, and I would have you think worthily of it!”

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19tth century)

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“Sound forth those words as with the archangel’s trumpet: “BY grace are ye saved.” What glad tidings for the undeserving!”

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19^th century)

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“Grace finds us in our poverty and presents us with the gift of an inheritance we didn’t deserve … the gift of grace.”

Patsy Clairmont and Traci Mullins

Extravagant Grace (2000)

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Greed

“Today some people think they’re “doing without” if they can’t afford to buy dessert.”

Martha Bolton

Growing Your Own Turtleneck (2005)

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“No matter how mature we become as Christ-followers, we are only a step away from yielding to the gravitational pull of greed.”

Gordon MacDonald

Secrets of the Generous Life (2002)

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Grief

“Grieving is the natural way we go about adjusting to loss. It’s the way we gradually come to know deep within ourselves – whether we like it or not – that the loss is real.”

Joan Guntzelman

God Knows You’re Grieving (2001)

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“We move toward healing when we choose to inch our foot out the door of our own grief and back into the day to day happenings of life.”

Joan Guntzelman

God Knows You’re Grieving (2001)

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“Christians sometimes think that we are not supposed to grieve, because our faith and theology provide us with confidence about heaven and eternal life. But while 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says we are not to grieve as those without hope, we grieve nevertheless. Those without hope grieves in one way; those with hope grieve in another. Either way, grief is universal and not to be avoided. It is a legitimate response to loss.”

Albert Hsu

Grieving a Suicide (2002)

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“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.”

C.S. Lewis

A Grief Observed (1961)

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“Grief is the emotional tool God placed in our hearts to enable us to release things we value”.

Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

Parenting Is Heart Work (2006)

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“We are a world in grief, and it is at once intolerable and a great opportunity. I’m pretty sure that it is only by experiencing that ocean of sadness in a naked and immediate way that we come to be healed.”

Anne Lamott

Traveling Mercies (1999)

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“Grief is woven throughout the tapestry of life.”

Zig Ziglar

Confessions of a Grieving Christian (1998)

 

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“The intensity of grief is directly related to the intensity of love.”

Zig Ziglar

Confessions of a Grieving Christian (1998)

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“Tears are liquid love”.

Faye Landrum

Acquainted with Grief (2006)

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Growth, Spiritual

“Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”

Corrie Ten Boom

The Hiding Place (1971)

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“Every disappointment is a trial of our faith . . a test that proves the genuineness of your relationship with your God and His Word.”

Kay Arthur

As Silver Refined (1998)

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“No matter what happens, beloved, no matter how disappointing it is, you must, in an act of the will, rejoice and pray and give thanks.”

Kay Arthur

As Silver Refined (1998)

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“Perils as well as privileges attend the higher Christian life. The nearer we come to God, the thicker the hosts of darkness in heavenly places.”

A.B. Simpson

Days of Heaven Upon Earth (1897)

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“Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi used to say, “Potential means you ain’t done nothing yet.” All of us have potential. God’s not done with any of us yet”.

Bill Glass

Champions For Life (2005)

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“Having accepted the Father’s will over our own, we are then ready to face our own Calvary.”

Charles Swindoll

The Darkness and the Dawn (2001)

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“If you are not growing in grace, becoming more and more holy, yielding yourselves up to the influence of the gospel, you are deceiving yourselves”.

Charles Finney

Lectures to Professing Christians (1837)

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“There is no standing at a stay, He that goes not forward in godliness, goes backward, and he that is not better, is worse; but even in temporal things too there is a liberty given us, nay there is a law, an obligation laid upon us, to endeavour by industry in a lawful calling, to mend and improve, to enlarge ourselves, and spread, even in worldly things.”

John Donne

“Sermon Preached at the Hague” (1619)

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“As we grow in our relationship with God, we should experience a revolutionary change in our attitudes toward people”.

Bill Hybels

Laws of the Heart (1985)

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“In intellectual honesty, we should be willing to study and explore the spiritual life with all the rigor and determination we would give to any field of research”.

Richard Foster

Celebration of Discipline (1978)

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“We are sometimes guilty of confining becoming a Christian to accepting by faith what was accomplished for us in the remote past. In all of this we prove to minimize what the resurrected Jesus wants to do to us and with us now through the ministry of the Holy Spirit”.

Tony Campolo

How to be Pentecostal Without Speaking in Tongues (1991)

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“God expects us to grow spiritually. The end result is His responsibility. Our job is to cooperate with the process”.

Rory Noland

The Heart Of the Artist (1999)

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“Nothing will change in your life without knowledge of God’s Word”.

Joyce Meyer

When, God, When? (1994)

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“At different seasons of life, we will be growing in different areas. I try to see where God is at work in my life, and where he is at work in the lives of my friends, and then I pray for and encourage growth in those particular areas.”

Alice Fryling

Disciplemakers’ Handbook (1989)

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“Literal instruction is when we learn the truths contained in the word by rote, and talk one after another of Divine things. But spiritual illumination is when these things are revealed to us by the Spirit of God.”

Thomas Manton

One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm (17^th century)

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“Let go of as many expectations as possible. . . instead, ask God to make any necessary changes.”

Stormie Omartian

The Power Of a Praying Wife (1997)

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“At a certain point in the spiritual journey, God will draw a person from the beginning stage to a more advanced stage . . . Such souls will likely experience what is called “the dark night of the soul.” The “dark night” is when those persons lose all the pleasure that they once experienced in their devotional life. This happens because God wants to purify them and move them on to greater heights.”

John of the Cross (16^th century) quoted in Selected Writings

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“God perceives the imperfections within us, and because of his love for us, urges us to grow up. His love is not content to leave us in our weakness, and for this reason he takes us into a dark night. He weans us from all of the pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness.”

John of the Cross (16^th century) quoted in Selected Writings

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“Through the dark night pride become humility, greed becomes simplicity, wrath becomes contentment, luxury becomes peace, gluttony becomes moderation, envy becomes joy, and sloth become strength”.

John of the Cross (16^th century) quoted in Selected Writings

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“How dangerous it is for our salvation, how unworthy of God and of ourselves, how pernicious even for the peace of our hearts, to want always to stay where we are! Our whole life was only given us to advance us by great strides toward our heavenly country.”

Francois Fenelon

Christian Perfection (17^th century)

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“Do not be content with a static Christian life. Determine rather to grow in faith and love, in knowledge and holiness.”

John Stott

Christian Basics (1991)

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“We are born spiritually just as we were born physically, with everything complete and intact. We do not add arms or legs or organs as we mature physically. These grow and develop, but they are not added. Likewise when we are born spiritually, we are underdeveloped but complete. We need spiritual food and exercise in order to grow, but we do not need and we will not be given additional spiritual parts.”

John MacArthur

1 Corinthians (1984)

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“Far too often when we examine our heart, through either neglect or poor decisions, we find that it isn’t in a growing mode.”

Jim and Cathy Burns

Closer (2009)

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“It’s not too late to become who God created you to be.”

Kerry and Chris Shook

One Month to Live (2008)

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“Telling others about Christ is never a condition of salvation; it should be a result of salvation as we grow in His grace.”

R. Larry Moyer

21 Things God Never Said (2004)

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“There is little appeal in becoming “spiritual vampires,” sucking on the blood of Christ for forgiveness while being barely alive spiritually.”

Keith Meyer

Whole Life Transformation (2010)

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“If our lives were gardens – and gardens in Scripture are often euphemisms for the soul – here we would look for brambles and briars, pests and parasites. Here we would deadhead, plucking off faded blooms to preserve energy for new blossoms”.

Jane Rubietta

Between Two Gardens (2001)

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“Our being must precede our doing and consuming if we are to grow up into all the fullness of Christ”.

Jane Rubietta

Resting Place (2005)

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“Spiritual anorexia (not taking in the food we need) and spiritual bulimia (not letting ourselves digest it after we have received it, however large the quantities) will keep us from real spiritual health and progress.”

J.I. Packer

J.I. Packer Answers Questions for Today (2001)

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“Nothing in the spiritual life originates from us. It all originates with God.”

Ruth Haley Barton

Sacred Rhythms (2006)

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“We cannot use shortcuts when it comes to understanding spiritual truth, building Christian character, or building the local church”.

Warren Wiersbe

God Isn’t In a Hurry (1994)

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Guidance

“I have often heard, that it is safer to hear and to take counsel, than to give it”.

Thomas a Kempis

The Imitation of Christ (15^th century)

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“The true and living God, the One who lives from eternity to eternity, desires more than anything that we humble ourselves and make Him our personal, one-and-only God. When we do that, He comes to us and lives within us, gives us direction, and teaches us His ultimate truth.”

Tony Evans

God Cannot Be Trusted (And Five Other Lies of Satan) (2005)

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“Because of the Holy Spirit’s witness and illumination, you never have to be alone in your decisions – but this is true only as long as you’re seeking the mind of God and wanting to do His will.”

Tony Evans

The Fire That Ignites (2003)

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“It takes a lot of wisdom, a lot of mistakes, and a lot of prayer to figure out when to listen and when to offer advice.”

Susan Alexander Yates

And Then I Had Teenagers (2001)

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“A friend gives you good and timely advice. They know what to say at the right time, and it can save you embarrassment and heartache. The advice can be trusted because you know they are looking out for your best interest.”

Paul Jehle

Dating vs Courtship (1993)

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“When you know a great deal, the temptation to share it by force is strong. Resist! Except when invited to lecture, and in actual emergencies”.

Suzette Haden Elgin

The Grandmother Principles (1998)

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“If I have done anything in my life, it has been easy because the Master has gone before”.

Mary Slessor

Mary Slessor of Calabar (1917)

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“Be guided, only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right when we put all the rest away, and do everything in remembrance of Him . . . There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain!”

Charles Dickens

Little Dorrit (1857)

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“Those that make their own bosoms their ornacle, God is disengaged from being their guide they need him not; but the snares they run into will soon show them how much they need him.”

Thomas Manton

One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm (17 century)

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“Self-help is an oxymoron.”

Henry Cloud

Concede Central (2006)

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Guilt

“The Bible tells us that we have been washed clean from a guilty conscience to serve the living God. God does not want you to be engaged in morbid introspection all your life long. He wants you to enter joyously into His service as a full-fledged member of His holy family”.

Pat Robertson

Six Steps to Spiritual Revival (2002)

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“The only real way to lose the guilt is by asking Christ for forgiveness. He’s the only One who can let you off the hook. The good news is He can and will erase your wrong every time. You can start fresh, just as if it never happened. So if you feel guilty about some of the things you’ve done, bring them to Him. He’ll always forgive you”.

Claire and Curt Cloninger

E-mail from God for Teens (1999)

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“The ultimate remedy for living beyond guilt and shame is abiding in the protective love of Christ. All of our earthly maladies find respite in Him”.

David Hawkins

Prescription for Living Beyond (2006)

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“Confession is a first step toward change”.

Andy Stanley

It Came From Within! (2001)

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“As long as you are carrying a secret, as long as you are trying to ease your conscience by telling God how sorry you are, you are setting yourself up to repeat the past.”

Andy Stanley

It Came From Within! (2001)

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“God will wipe off the guilt of your defects by the virtue of that precious blood which has been shed for your reparation.”

Stephen Charnock

Discourse on the Cleaning Virtue of Christ’s Blood (17^th century)

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“When true Christians are in an ill frame, guilt lies on the conscience; which will bring fear, and so prevent the peace and joy of an assured hope.”

Jonathan Edwards

A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (18^th century)

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“In spite of our “enlightened society” our “new morality”, and our “psychological maturity”, our era continues to be plagued by guilt”.

Bruce Narramore

Guilt and Freedom (1974)

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Habits

“Motivation can fade. Habits prevail”.

Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz

God Is in the Small Stuff (1998)

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“Generally, there is one desire or one habit that keeps us from enjoying and tasting the fullness of God.”

Ravi Zacharias

“Is There Not a Cost?” sermon (2008)

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“There must be no dallying with an attachment which is incompatible with the Love of God”.

Francis de Sales

Introduction to the Devout Life (17^th century)

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“How do you break a habit? The same way you developed it. One incident at a time, five minutes at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time.”

Lisa Bevere

Be Angry But Don’t Blow It! (2000)

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“Nagging abut the bad habit may drive the habit underground, but it doesn’t fix anything.”

Dave Meurer

God Spousekeeping (2004)

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“Don’t just eliminate a particular habit and fail to replace it with something of value.”

James Scudder

Your Secret to Spiritual Success (2002)

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“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always gotten.”

David Hawkins

Breaking Everyday Addictions (2008)

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“When you say no to one habit, you also have to say yes to a healthier new habit.”

David Hazard

Reducing Stress (2002)

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“The only way to kill a habit is to starve it to death. Starving a bad habit can be painful, but not as painful as letting it rule over you.”

Shannon Ethridge

Every Woman’s Battle (2003)

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“No man can make a habit in a moment or break it in a moment. It is a matter of development, of growth. But at any moment man may begin to make or begin to break any habit”.

William George Jordan

The Kingship of Self-Control (1898)

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Happiness

“It is true that He desire our happiness, but that is neither the chief end of his work, not an end to be compared with that of his glory.”

Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon

Spiritual Progress (17^th century)

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“Thou should also know that the more a man sets himself to be receptive of divine influence, the happier he is; who most sets himself so, is the happiest.”

Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart’s Sermons (14^th century)

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“There is no danger of developing eyestrain from looking on the bright side of things, so why not try it?”

Joyce Meyer

Approval Addiction (2005)

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“When the dream planted in our heart is one that God has planted there, a strange happiness flows into us. At that moment all of the spiritual resources of the universe are released to help us.”

Catherine Marshall

Beyond Ourselves (1961)

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“Happiness consists in finding out precisely what the “one thing necessary” may be, in our lives, and in gladly relinquishing all the rest. For then, by a divine paradox, we find the everything else is given us together with the one thing we needed”.

Thomas Merton

No Man Is An Island (1955)

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“One reason so many people are unhappy is that, though they are busy pursuing happiness, they aren’t all that sure what happiness is.”

Stuart Briscoe

What Works When Life Doesn’t (2004)

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“Happiness doesn’t come to those who sit around waiting until life gets better. Happiness comes to those who grab hold of its proffered hand in order to rise up and conquer their struggles.”

Mike Mason

Champagne for the Soul (2003)

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“It takes wiliness to be happy. When cornered, we have to look at all the options and find a way out. We have to know how to outwit the heebie-jeebies, how to think faster than our blackest thought… often to be joyful we must go down – down through the noise of racing thoughts, down through the swirling chaos of circumstances, down through the deceptive appearances of life, down into the still waters and green pastures at the heart’s core.”

Mike Mason

Champagne for the Soul (2003)

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Hardships

“God is more concerned with our condition than our comfort, and He will allow things to become uncomfortable in our lives to expose our true condition. He would rather have us temporarily uncomfortable than eternally tormented”.

Lisa Bevere

Be Angry But Don’t Blow It! (2000)

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“A crisis can blindside you, sabotaging your life, or it can provide a magical opportunity to pursue adventures and dreams never imagined.”

Mary Ann Froehlich

When You’re Facing The Empty Nest (2005)

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“If we had our way, probably none of us would ever choose hard times. Yet the hard experiences usually mold us into people of strength and character.”

Thomas Jones

Single Again Handbook (1993)

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“No one can pilgrim to heaven without bearing the toils and hardships of the pilgrimage.”

The Lutheran Witness (1885)

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“Crisis crushes. And in crushing, it often refines and purifies.”

Charles Swindoll

Encourage Me (1982)

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Harmony

“Is there any way to restore harmony to the world? It can be done only by someone coming in from eternity and stopping the false note in its wild flight”.

Fulton Sheen

Life Of Christ (1958)

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“My heart and mind were created to work in harmony together. Never has an individual been called upon to commit intellectual suicide in trusting Christ as Savior and Lord”.

Josh McDowell

More Than a Carpenter (1977)

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Hatred

“A bond of hatred is just as strong as a bond of love. It just hurts more.”

John Splinter

The Complete Divorce Recovery Handbook (1992)

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“In hatred, everybody loses”.

David Augsburger

70 x 7: The Freedom of Forgiveness (1970)

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“Hidden hatred can sour a likable lady into a suspicious carper, a warm, understanding man into a caustic cynic”.

David Augsburger

70 x 7: The Freedom of Forgiveness (1970)

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Healing

“You don’t know how the Lord will redeem your life from the pit, but you must trust that He will. Like the little boy who offered the loaves and fish to the disciples without knowing how Jesus would use them, offer your circumstances to the Lord. He knows how to transform the worst of circumstances into miraculous healing”.

Brendan O’Rourke and DeEtte Sauer

Hope of a Homecoming (2003)

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“I am not a faith healer because I’ve never healed anyone. It’s just the mercy of God”.

Kathryn Kuhlman

Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)

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“No, I do not know why all are not healed physically, but all can be healed spiritually, and that’s the greatest miracle any human being can know”.

Kathryn Kuhlman

Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)

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“Our Heavenly Healer often has to hurt us in order to heal us. We sometimes fail to recognize His mighty love in this, yet we are firmly held always in the Everlasting Arms.”

Elisabeth Elliot

Secure in the Everlasting Arms (2002)

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“There are no short cuts to grief work. Healing takes time”.

John Splinter

The Complete Divorce Recovery Handbook (1992)

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“Reorient yourself to new circumstances. Let it hurt for a while. It will get better. Take your time. Heal slowly, from the inside out. Learn (or relearn) how to tap the amazing love and healing of Jesus Christ”.

John Splinter

The Complete Divorce Recovery Handbook (1992)

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“Truth with love brings healing”.

David Augsburger

Caring Enough to Confront (2009)

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“Bridges can be built across the most troubled waters when Christ is the motivator.”

Howard Hendricks

Heaven Help the Home (1973)

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“Because of covenant, wounds need not leave scars. They can become imprints for the expression of His grace if only you will take God at His word – a word that cannot be broken and that will never be changed.”

Kay Arthur

Our Covenant God (1999)

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“Appropriating faith is not believing that God can but that He will. Those who claim to believe in healing but say one word in favor of it and ten words against it, cannot produce faith for healing.”

F.F. Bosworth

Christ the Healer (1924)

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“Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals places His hand on the gaping wounds of our hearts and transforms the wounds into beautiful scars. Healing . . . it’s what He does. Telling others about His healing power in our lives . . . it’s what He longs for us to do.  That’s how others will recognize His Son.”

Sharon Jaynes

Your Scars are Beautiful to God (2006)

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“There is a difference between being forgiven of a sin and being healed of a sin. Forgiveness is what takes place in God’s heart. Healing is what happens in yours.”

Joe Beam

Getting Past Guilt (2003)

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Health

“As we practice the work of forgiveness, we discover more and more that forgiveness and healing are one”.

Agnes Sanford

The Healing Light (1947)

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“Man frequently applies a remedy to the outward body, whilst the disease lies at the heart”.

Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon

Spiritual Progress (17^th century)

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“It’s the Lord who heals and He can use any method He chooses.”

Jon Courson

Application Commentary (2005)

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“Cultivating a healthy spirit requires devoting time each day to the spiritual disciplines of Scripture memory, Bible reading, and praying.”

Donna Partow

Becoming The Woman God Wants Me To Be (2008)

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“I wish you could convince yourself that God is often (in some sense) nearer to us and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health.”

Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God (17^th century)

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“Next to the office of him who ministers to men’s souls, there is none really more useful and honorable than that of him who ministers to the soul’s frail tabernacle – the body. “

J.C. Ryle

The Upper Room (19^th century)

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Heaven

“Absent from flesh! Then rise, my soul,

Where feet nor wings could never climb,

Beyond the heav’ns where planets roll,

Measuring the cares and joys of time.”

Isaac Watts

“Absent from Flesh! O Blissful Thought!” hymn (18^th century)

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“What is heaven, but to be with God, to dwell with him, to realize that God is mine, and I am his?”

Charles Spurgeon

“God in the Covenant” sermon (1856)

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“Talk of princes, and kings, and potentates: Their inheritance is but a pitiful foot of land, across which the bird’s wing can soon direct its flight; but the broad acres of the Christian cannot be measured by eternity. He is rich, without a limit to his wealth. He is blessed, without a boundary to his bliss.”

Charles Spurgeon

“The Fatherhood of God” sermon (1858)

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“Jesus is what makes heaven heaven.”

Jon Courson

Application Commentary (2003)

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“Cemeteries interrupt the finest families. Retirement finds the best employees. Age withers the strongest bodies. With life comes change. But with change comes the reassuring appreciation of heaven’s permanence.”

Max Lucado

It’s Not About Me (2004)

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 “Our way to heaven lies through the wilderness of this world.”

Matthew Henry

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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“Each is embittered to us, that heaven may be endeared.”

Matthew Henry

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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“I do not know how near it may be to us; it may be that some of us will be ushered very soon into the presence of the King. One gaze at Him will be enough to reward us for all we have had to bear. Yes, there is peace for the past, grace for the present, and glory for the future.”

D.L. Moody

Twelve Select Sermons (1846)

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“Had Christ remained on earth, sight would have taken the place of faith. In Heaven, there will be no faith, because His followers will see; there will be no hope, because they will possess; but there will be love, for love endureth forever!”

Fulton Sheen

Life of Christ (1958)

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“If one Indian ruler could prepare something as breathstakingly beautiful as the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife of just fourteen years, what must God be preparing as a home where He will live forever and ever with His people whom He loves?”

Anne Graham Lotz

Heaven: My Father’s House (2002)

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“Make no mistake about it! Heaven is a home populated by the Lord and his loved ones who have made the deliberate choice to be there.”

Anne Graham Lotz

Heaven: My Father’s House (2002)

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“Based on your choices you have made,  if you were to die today, would you be inside or outside of Heaven’s gates?”

Anne Graham Lotz

Heaven: My Father’s House (2002)

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“Like a child who suddenly stops sobbing when he is clasped in the arms of his mother, such will be the grip of heaven upon our souls.”

Ravi Zacharias

Recapture the Wonder (2003)

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“Heaven is as near tour souls,  as this world is to our bodies; and we are created, we are redeemed, to have our conversation in it.”

William Law

The Spirit of Prayer (1750)

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“If this world is all we have and there’s no hope for a world to come, we’re doomed to lives of misery.”

Tullian Tchividjian

Do I Know God? (2007)

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“So that if in this life we would enjoy the peace of paradise, we must accustom ourselves to a familiar, humble, affectionate conversation with Him”.

Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God (17^th century)

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“From the  glimpses of heaven given us by Jesus, we know that whatever else heaven is, it’s full of Joy.”

Ken Gire

Reflections on Your Life (1998)

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“Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself.”

C.S. Lewis

The Great Divorce (1946)

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“None will walk the celestial pavement of heaven but those washed in the blood.”

D.L. Moody

Wondrous Love (1876)

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“If you don’t enter the kingdom of heaven by God’s way, you cannot enter at all.”

D.L. Moody

Weighed and Wanting (19^th century)

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“I want to know one thing – the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore”.

John Wesley

Sermons on Several Occasions (18^th century)

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“When he came to expel Adam out of his forfeited paradise, he assures him of one that should open the gates of the heavenly paradise to him.”

Stephen Charnock

Discourse of God’s being the Author of Reconciliation (17^th century)

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“He told us – and it is only because we are so accustomed to it that we do not wonder more at the magnificence of the conception – that when our place in this world should know us no more there would be another place ready for us.”

Henry Drummond

“Why Christ Must Depart” sermon (19^th century)

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“He that has long been on the road to Heaven finds that there was good reason why it was promised that his shoes should be iron and brass, for the road is rough.”

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19^th century)

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“It will amaze the universe to see us enter the pearly gate, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19^th century)

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“Again I charge you, MEET ME IN HEAVEN.”

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19^th century)

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“We have a glorious future awaiting us beyond death’s door.”

Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort

Life’s Emergency Handbook (2002)

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“The society of heaven will be select. No one who studies Scripture can doubt that.”

D.L. Moody

Heaven (1881)

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“There are a good many kinds of aristocracy in this world, but the aristocracy of heaven will be holiness.”

D.L. Moody

Heaven (1881)

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Hell

“O brethren, above all things shun hypocrisy. If ye mean to be damned, make up your minds to it, and be damned like honest men; but do not, I beseech you, pretend to go to heaven while all the time you are going to hell”.

Charles Spurgeon

“God, the All-Seeing One” sermon (1858)

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“The urgency of the gospel is utterly lost when the preacher denies the reality or severity of everlasting punishment.”

John MacArthur

Ashamed of the Gospel (1993)

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“Some people seem to be under the delusion that hell has evaporated, or at least that all intelligent people have stopped believing in it.”

D. James Kennedy

Why I Believe (1980)

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“The main reason we believe in hell is because Jesus Christ declares that it is so.”

D.  James Kennedy

Why I Believe (1980)

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“A lot of people talk about hell, use it to tell others where to go, but do not want to be confronted with the thought that it might be their destination”.

Billy Graham

Facing Death and the Life After (1987)

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“Men are not sent to hell because of being murderers or liars, they are sent to hell because they are unrighteous”.

David Jeremiah

Escape the Coming Night (1990)

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“While the Lord is well-pleased in saving sinners through the righteousness of Christ, he will also glorify his justice, by punishing all proud despisers.”

Matthew Henry

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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“Sinners don’t flee from the wrath to come because they don’t believer there is a wrath to come.”

Ray Comfort

Hell’s Best Kept Secret (1989)

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“Hell is out of fashion today, but it is not out of business! Just because we don’t like the idea of hell doesn’t mean that it does not exist. Many people say they don’t believe in hell, so hell can’t exist. But remember: it doesn’t matter what we believe; it matters what is true.”

Mark Cahill

One Heartbeat Away (2005)

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“The unconverted walk over the pit of hell on a rotten bridge.”

Johnathan Edwards

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)

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“Natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell.”

Johnathan Edwards

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)

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“There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.”

Johnathan Edwards

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)

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“One phrase summarizes the horror of hell. “God isn’t there.””

Max Lucado

Just Like Jesus (1998)

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“When one asked, where God was before heaven was created? St. Augustine answered: He was in himself. When another asked me the same question, I said: He was building hell for such idle, presumptuous, fluttering and inquisitive spirits as you.”

Martin Luther

Table Talk (16^th century)

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“The same conscience there is in men of a future judgment, bears witness also of the truth of future punishments.”

Thomas Boston

Human Nature in Its Fourfold State (1830)

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“As the saints in heaven are advanced to the highest pitch of happiness, so the damned in hell arrive at the height of misery.”

Thomas Boston

Human Nature in Its Fourfold State (1830)

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“Men are punished by God for their sins often visibly, always secretly, either in this life or after death”.

Augustine

The City of God (5^th century)

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“It is He who gave to this intellectual nature free-will of such a kind, that if he wished to forsake God his blessedness, misery should forthwith result”.

Augustine

The City of God (5^th century)

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“The Hell of the Bible is horrible beyond description, and the hypotheses of this hour cannot exceed it.”

William Elbert Munsey

Eternal Retribution (1951)

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“Without him, we are combustible matter before a consuming fire, and cannot approach to the throne of God with any success.”

Stephen Charnock

Discourse on the Cleaning Virtue of Christ’s Blood (17^th century)

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“Hell is as real to those who die without Christ as heaven is to the child of God.”

Charles Swindoll

“Visiting the Real Twilight Zone” sermon (1985)

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“What if God withdraw his patience and sustenation, and let you drop into hell while you are quarrelling with his word? Will you then believe that there is no hell?”

Richard Baxter

A Call to the Unconverted, to Turn and Live (17^th century)

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“There is something so shocking in the consideration of eternal torments, and seemingly such as infinite disproportion between an endless duration of pain, and short life spent in pleasure, that men (some at least of them) can scarcely be brought to confess it as an article of their faith, that an eternity of misery awaits the wicked in a future state.”

George Whitefield (18^th century) quoted in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

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“That the torments reserved for the wicked hereafter, are eternal”.

George Whitefield (18^th century) quoted in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

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“There cannot be one argument urged, why God should reward his saints with everlasting happiness, which will not equally prove that he ought to punish sinners with eternal misery.”

George Whitefield (18^th century) quoted in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

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“Hell is God’s tribute to the freedom he gave each of us to choose whom we would serve, it is a recognition that our decisions have a significance that extends far down the reaches of foreverness.”

James Sire

The Universe Next Door (1976)

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“Philosophically there must be a hell. That is the name for the place where God is not; for the place where they will gather together who insist on leaving God out. God out! There can be no worse hell than that! God away! Man held back by no restraints!”

Samuel Gordon

Quiet Talks on Prayer (1904)

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“Every man plots how he may escape damnation.”

Jonathan Edwards

“Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” sermon (1741)

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Heresy

“There is as much danger from false brethren, as from open enemies”.

Matthew Henry

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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“When false teaching goes unchallenged, it breads more confusion and draws still more shallow and insincere people into the fold.”

John MacArthur

The Truth War (2007)

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“It is better to be divided by Truth than be united by error.”

Adrian Rogers

Unmasking False Prophets (2007)

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“It is wrong to tell a lie. Even worse, to teach a lie. But my friend, it is monstrous to teach a lie about God. There is no greater crime than to be a false prophet or to be a false teacher. God does not take it lightly.”

Adrian Rogers

Unmasking False Prophets (2007)

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“Some people tell us it does not many any difference what a man believes if he is only sincere. One church is just as good as another if your are only sincere. I do not believe any greater delusion ever came out of the pit of hell than that”.

D.L. Moody

Wondrous Love (1876)

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Holidays

“Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be in working or in waiting, another year with Thee.”

Frances Ridley Havergal

“Another Year is Dawning” hymn (1874)

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“You set the course for the entire year by what you do with those first few days of each New Year.”

Jentezen Franklin

Fasting (2008)

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“I am not a step before me as I tread on another year;

But I’ve left the Past in God’s keeping – the Future

His mercy shall clear;

And what looks dark in the distance may brighten as I draw near.”

Mary Gardiner Brainard

“Not Knowing” poem (19^th century)

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Holiness

“We must wear our piety, not as some holiday garment, but as our everyday dress.”

Charles Spurgeon

“Faith Versus Sight” sermon (1866)

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“Holiness and usefulness go hand in hand”.

Elizabeth Prentiss

More Love to Thee: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss (1882)

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“We are called to live lives that more fully reflect God’s character. Holiness is our responsibility and our destiny. It is God’s work in us, work to which we are called as co-laborers. What a blessing that is!”

Mark Dever

Twelve Challenges Churches Face (2008)

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“You can’t get holy in a hurry.”

Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz

God Is in the Small Stuff (1998)

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“For who does not know, that it is better to be pure and holy, than to talk about purity and holiness?”

William Law

A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1729)

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“Nothing is pressed more earnestly in the Scriptures, than to walk as becomes those called to Christ’s kingdom and glory.”

Matthew Henry

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)

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“Holiness is not some nebulous thing. It’s a series of right choices.”

Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stocker, and Mike Yorkey

Every Man’s Battle (2000)

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“We cannot make ourselves holy. We can become holy only through the power of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through a pure and clean life, we reveal to our world the reality of holy God in our lives.”

Henry and Tom Blackaby

The Man God uses (1999)

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“Although God will grant Christlikeness to us when Jesus returns, until then He intends for us to grow toward Christlikeness. We aren’t merely to wait for holiness, we’re to pursue it. “

Donald Whitney

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (1991)

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“It’s dangerous to assume that because a man is drawn to holiness in his study that he is thereby a holy man. I am sure that the reason that I have a deep hunger to learn of the holiness of God is precisely because I am not holy.”

R.C. Sproul

The Holiness of God (20^th century)

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“Because God is holy, He cannot look on sin with indifference.”

Josh and Sean McDowell

Evidence for the Resurrection  (2009)

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“If you seek holiness of life, I encourage you to make a good friend of the Sermon on the Mount.”

Richard Foster

Streams of Living Water (1998)

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“A true saint greatly delights in holiness; it is a most beautiful thing in his eyes; and God’s work, in savingly renewing and making holy and happy, a poor, and before perishing soul, appears to him a most glorious work.”

Jonathan Edwards

A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (18^th century)

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“He that would truly work for God must follow after holiness.”

Andrew Murray

Working for God (1901)

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“God promises that if we pursue holiness, happiness will come.”

J.I. Packer

J.I. Packer Answers Questions for Today (2001)

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Holy Spirit

General (Holy Spirit)

“God has given His people what we need to fill up when we run low. It’s the incredible gift of Himself, dwelling inside us. It’s the person of God we call the Holy Spirit.”

Jill Briscoe

A Little Pot of Oil (2003)

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“You may have no family, no food, no clothes, no future, no spouse, no health, or no children, yet be rich beyond your wildest dreams because you have the Holy Spirit in your life.”

Jill Briscoe

A Little Pot of Oil (2003)

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“We must wear our piety, not as some holiday garment, but as our everyday dress.

Jesus knows we need power to live and make courageous choices. He sent the Holy Spirit to inhabit the lives of true believers for the purpose of empowering us, guiding us, and teaching how to live for God.”

Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Pressure Proof Your Marriage (2003)

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“Being filled and led by the Spirit may take you places you never planned; but the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”

Neil Anderson

Victory Over the Darkness (1990)

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“Walking by the Spirit in relationship, not regimentation.”

Neil Anderson

Victory Over the Darkness (1990)

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“You cannot convince the Holy Spirit to do what He doesn’t want to do, and He always wants to do the Father’s will.”

Henry and Mel Blackaby

What’s So Spiritual About Your Gifts? (2004)

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“The Holy Spirit is the One who is poured out upon you like a healing balm – to sooth, to calm, and to comfort. He is the One who renews your strength, revives your spirit, refills your cup, restores your strength, and refreshes your spirit.”

Roy Lessin

Today Is Your Best Day (2006)

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“The Holy Spirit of the living God is engaging all God’s people with a renewing, reviving call to open to the glory of His grace in Holy Spirit fullness. The objective of this experience is not to introduce us to a glib, giddy kind of “charismania” but to equip, prepare, and fortify us against the spirits of darkness, deception, and destruction.”

Jack Hayford

Glory On Your House (1991)

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“The Holy Spirit’s power cannot be harnessed. His power cannot be used to accomplish anything other than the Father’s will. He is not a candy dispenser. He is not a vending machine. He is not a genie waiting for someone to rub His lamp the right way. He is holy God.”

Charles Stanley

The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life (1992)

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“I have learned to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. I cannot use the Holy Spirit; He only uses me.”

Kathryn Kuhlman

Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)

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“When God knocks, open the door and open your heart to the Holy Spirit.”

Susan McCarthy Peabody

Alphabet Soup for Christian Living  (2007)

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“Our blessed Saviour Christ himself preaches that the Holy Ghost is everlasting and Almighty God.”

Martin Luther

Table Talk (16^th century)

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“The Holy Spirit always upsets the status quo.”

 Tony Campolo

How to Be Pentecostal without Speaking in Tongues (1991)

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“The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods but through men.”

E.M. Bounds

Power Through Prayer (1906)

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“We need words to make ourselves intelligible to other people but not to the Spirit.”

Jean-Nicholas Grou

How to Pray (18^th century)

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Gifts of Holy Spirit

“If we seek the gifts of the Spirit and not the Holy Spirit Himself, we’ll always focus on self. We must learn to understand that there are no gifts apart from an intimate relationship with the Spirit”.

Henry and Mel Blackaby

What’s So Spiritual About Your Gifts? (2004)

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“The Holy Spirit gives boldness. We don’t even have to ask Him for it. It just comes with the Holy Spirit.”

Kathryn Kuhlman

Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)

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“You can never be “good enough” on your own to please God. Only the Holy Spirit has what it takes to give us what it takes to please God: His essential goodness reproduced in us.”

Lloyd John Ogilvie

The Magnificent Vision (1980)

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“When the believer does not know that Christ is living in him, does not know the Spirit and power of God working in him, there may be much earnestness and diligence, with little that lasts for eternity.”

Andrew Murray

Working for God (1901)

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Living in the Holy Spirit

“To live according to the Spirit means first of all to think in alignment with what the Spirit is thinking. It’s to think in terms of what God says about everything, not what you’re saying or thinking yourself or what anybody else says about you.”

Tony Evans

The Fire That Ignites (2003)

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“How do you know when you’re walking in the Spirit? You know it when you’re living a life of prayer, because prayer is the proof of dependence on the Spirit.”

Tony Evans

The Fire That Ignites (2003)

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“Those who have the gale of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep.”

 Brother Lawrence

 The Practice of the Presence of God (17^th century)

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“For we must hear the Word, and then afterwards the Holy Ghost works in our hearts; he works in the hearts of whom he will, and how he will, but never without the Word.”

Martin Luther

Table Talk (16^th century)

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“Allow yourself to be led by the Spirit of God. That  Spirit will unerringly conduct you to the end purpose for which your soul was created . . . the enjoyment of God.”

Jeanne Guyon

Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (1685)

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“No relationship, marriage, or family will ever be all that God intended unless its members are experiencing God at work in their lives through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit”.

Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Moments Together (2004)

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“Without a complete dependence upon the Holy Spirit we can only fail.”

A.W. Tozer

Whatever Happened to Worship? (20^th century)

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“The Holy Spirit never enters a man and lets him live like the world. You can be sure of that.”

A.W. Tozer

“Who Is the Holy Spirit?” sermon (20^th century)

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“God permits troubles to beset His children, but He also refreshes them. He grants them respite when the heart is still and the soul joyous, and you will agree with me that such moments of the secret joy of the Spirit are far more precious than the highest pleasures this world can offer.”

The Lutheran Witness (1885)

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Role of Holy Spirit

“The Holy Spirit’s job is to make God’s presence evident and perceptible in this world, and He does that most noticeably through the church.”

Tony Evans

The Fire That Ignites (2003)

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“If the Christian life is simply a matter of doing our best, there was no need for God to send the Holy Spirit to help us.”

Charles Stanley

The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life (1992)

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“The Holy Spirit guides the believer in the way of wisdom. To refuse to live wisely is to ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit.”

Charles Stanley

The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life (1992)

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“The Holy Spirit is heaven’s matchmaker. He brings us to Christ.”

Colin Smith

Unlocking the Bible Story (2002)

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“Fire converts wood into its own likeness, and the stronger the wind blows, the greater grows the fire. Now by the fire understand love, and by the wind the Holy Spirit.”

Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart’s Sermons (14^th century)

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“It is a ministry of the Holy Spirit to drive the deadness of our souls away and to banish the apathy that infects most other people.”

Tony Campolo

How To Be Pentecostal Without Speaking In Tongues (1991)

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“We must understand that the Holy Spirit lives in us to empower us to succeed at whatever God calls us to do.”

T.D. Jakes

Intimacy with God (2000)

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“The Spirit of God is a holy spirit and His work is to make free from the power of sin and death”.

Andrew Murray

Master’s Indwelling (1895)

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“The Holy Spirit can cast out the evil spirit of the fear of man. He can make the coward brave”.

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19^th century)

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“A man may easier seer without eyes, speak without tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.”

John Owen

Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers (1656)

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“Most of us don’t really know the deep thoughts and intentions of our own hearts; therefore we must rely upon the Spirit of God to try, to prove and to reveal that which is within us”.

Jane Hamon

Dreams and Visions (2000)

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“The stirring of spiritual desire indicates that God’s Spirit is already at work within us, drawing us to Himself”.

Ruth Haley Barton

Sacred Rhythms (2006)

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Home

“Righteousness must not only be found in our pulpits, but in our homes. The home is the church in miniature.”

Steve Farrar

Point Man (1990)

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“Seeing home as sacred space motivates us to invest our time and energy here.”

Kathy Coffey

God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride (2002)

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“Home is the arena for our most influential work”.

Kathy Coffey

God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride (2002)

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“It is essential to see that home is the place where we most often participate in God’s holiness, and bring God’s compassion and creativity to our most intimate world.”

Kathy Coffey

God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride (2002)

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“When we build a house, we add paint and paper to the walls. When we build a home, we use family photos.”

Al Hartley

It Takes a Family (1996)

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“There is no place like home when the people who live there make “building one another’ their highest priority.”

Gordon MacDonald

There’s No Place Like Home (1990)

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“There’s no place like home if those in charge care passionately for the moral and spiritual “messages” that are allowed in the door.”

Gordon MacDonald

There’s No Place Like Home (1990)

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“The Christian home must blossom in a field of weeds.”

Howard Hendricks

Heaven Help the Home (1973)

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“The primary purpose of a home is to reflect and to distribute the love of Christ. Anything that usurps that is idolatrous.”

Ravi Zacharias

Jesus Among Other Gods (2000)

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“A truly Christian home is a place where sinners live; but it is also a place where the members of that home admit that fact and understand the problem, know what to do about it, and as a result grow by grace”.

Jay Adams

Christian Living in the Home (1972)

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“Home is the most important place for a man to be affirmed. If a man knows that his wife believes in him, he is empowered to do better in every area of his life. A mand tends to think of life as a competition and a battle, and he can energetically duke it out if he can come home to someone who supports him unconditionally, who will wipe his brow and tell him he can do it.”

Shaunti Feldhahn

For Women Only (2004)

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Honesty

“Scrupulous truthfulness should always characterize everyone who stands up to proclaim the truth of God.”

Charles Spurgeon

Autobiography (1897)

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“Honesty, or dishonesty, is shown in every little act of life.”

Mabel Hale

Beautiful Girlhood (1922)

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“Sometimes, we withhold the truth because we’re afraid our honesty will hurt someone’s feelings. But we pay a high price when we hold things in, particularly when we know we’ve been dishonest on some level. We don’t need ulcers and all kinds of other problems that result from a disturbed conscience. We certainly don’t need to “tell all”, especially if it would be unkind to do so, but dishonesty is never right.”

Dan Seaborn

26 Words That Will Improve The Way You Do Family (2002)

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“Many of us mistakenly believe that God doesn’t want us to be honest about our lives. We think that He will be upset with us if we tell Him how we really feel. But the Scriptures tell us that God does not want us to be superficial in our relationship with Him, with others,  or in our own lives.”

Robert McGee

The Search for Significance (1998)

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“Honesty is like a flu shot. It may give you a short, sharp pai but it keeps you healthier in the long run.”

Willard Harley Jr.

His Needs, Her Needs for Parents (2003)

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“Truthfulness is much more than the absence of lies. It is genuine communication of minds and hearts. Real truthfulness reflects the character of God, who is always exactly what He says he is, and who speaks painful but joyful truth, never any small talk to our hearts. Think of Jesus: ever kind, but relentlessly truthful.”

Tim Stafford

Never Mind the Joneses (2004)

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“To be really truthful, we have to do more than stop lying. Really, most of the work is positively learning how to speak the whole truth in love. However, truthfulness has to begin with a process of purification. Insincerity, lies, and deception create such a hall of mirrors that truth, when someone speaks it, hardly registers.”

Tim Stafford

Never Mind the Joneses (2004)

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“Always meet with God as a God who desires truth in the inward parts. In al your confession of sin, in all your religion, in your whole existence let truth in the inward parts be your desire, as it is the desire of God.”

Andrew Murray

Have Mercy Upon Me (1896)

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Honor

““Honor all”. The application of this command could significantly shatter hell’s viselike grip on individuals and cultures and drastically affect how future generations view Christ and His claims.”

Fawn Parish

Honor: What Love Looks Like (1999)

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“When honor is unleashed, it can reveal the heart of God to hardened individuals and to whole cultures, opening them up to their intended destiny of eternal intimacy with God.”

Fawn Parish

Honor: What Love Looks Like (1999)

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“If the primary reason that we honor God is our profit, then we will discover there are many occasions where honoring him offers no apparent benefit. In those moments, we will turn from his ways unless what motivates us is a desire to honor God for his grace rather than a seeking after our own benefit.”

Bryan Chapell

Holiness by Grace (2001)

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“True honor is not the honor that one claims for oneself, but rather it is the honor that is conferred on one by others.”

J. Dwight Pentecost

The Parables of Jesus (1982)

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Hope

“All My Hope on God is Founded.”

Joachim Neander hymn title (17^th century)

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“What is there, what can there be, to make life worthwhile, apart from the Christian Hope?”

Henry H. Hailey

Pocket Bible Handbook (1948)

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“Hope sees a crown in reserve, mansions in readiness, and Jesus himself preparing a place for us, and by the rapturous sight she sustains the soul under the sorrows of the hour.”

Charles Spurgeon

“The Holy Spirit’s Intercession” sermon (1880)

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“Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”

C.S. Lewis

Mere Christianity (1952)

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“Given the choice of viewing life through the rose-colored glasses of hope rather than the dark blinders of sadness, anger, and worry, wouldn’t it be fare better to assume you’ll find a foothold amid the chaos? After all, even if you go under, won’t you have enjoyed the swim all the more if you sustain hope until the end rather than sinking into despair?”

Susan Vaughn

Half Empty, Half Full (2000)

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“To lose hope has the same effect on our heart as it would be to stop breathing.”

Brent Curtis

The Sacred Romance (1997)

---

“Keep dreaming the dream that God has put into your heart”.

Jentezen Franklin

Believe That You Can (2008)

---

“At the bottom of the pit is not apathy, not hopelessness, not despair. At the bottom of the pit is the rule of God!”

Martin Bell

Street Singing and Preaching (1991)

---

“It is not most hopeful for men that a Man is now on the throne of the universe?”

Charles Spurgeon

All of Grace (19^th century)

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“If the Christian hope be not founded upon reason and truth, but must be given up as fabulous and mere delusion, we are left without hope, and we must sink into the most gloomy darkness and despair.”

Samuel Hopkins

“The Reason of the Hope of a Christian” sermon (1803)

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“In Jesus Christ, God experienced the greatest depths of pain. Therefore, though Christianity does not provide the reason for each experience of pain, it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair.”

Timothy Keller

The Reason For God (2008)

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“Hope is like a magnet that draws you toward your goal.”

H. Norman Wright

Freedom From the Grip Of Fear (1989)

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“Hope lives even when the body is dying.”

Bill Kemp and Diane Kemp Arnett

Going Home (2005)

---

Hospitality

“When we are willing to open our homes, our kitchens, our living rooms, and most of all our hearts to others, God can make exciting things happen.”

Rachael Crabb and Raeann Hart

The Personal Touch (1990)

---

“The emphasis in our practice of hospitality should be on how we give of ourselves to minister to others – not on how we perform to entertain others.”

Rachael Crabb and Raeann Hart

The Personal Touch (1990)

---

“Hospitality is the social staff of life, a starting point for discourse and interaction.”

Thea Jarvis

Everyday Hospitality (2007)

---

“Ideally, hospitality is the outward expression of an inner attitude, a virtue that erupts from the heart, spilling out toward others.”

Thea Jarvis

Everyday Hospitality (2007)

---

“Hospitality is contagious.”

Thea Jarvis

Everyday Hospitality (2007)

---

Humanity

“Man, but a particle of Thy creation . . .”

Augustine

Confessions (4^th century)

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“The world is a sort of macrocosm of which man is a microcosm, and what is true of the nations of the world is true of individuals.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Cross (1986)

---

“I have no sympathy with the doctrine of universal brotherhood and universal fatherhood; I don’t believe one word of it. If a  man lives in the flesh and serves the flesh, he is a child of the devil. That is pretty strong language, but it is what Christ said.”

D.L. Moody

“The Eighth Chapter of Romans” sermon (19^th century)

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“If the human race in its present state moved into the New Jerusalem today, it would be hell by tomorrow.”

Vance Havner

Jesus Only (1946)

---

“Humanism places mankind at the center of all things and makes him the measure of all things.”

Bill Bright and John Damoose

Red Sky in the Morning (1998)

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“And thus ever, by day and night, under the sun and under the stars, climbing the dusty hills and toiling along the weary plains, journeying by land and journeying by sea, coming and going so strangely, to meet and to act and react on one another, move all we restless travelers through the pilgrimage of life.”

Charles Dickens

Little Dorrit (1857)

---

“Each and every person has the same measure of value to God.”

Scott Hinkle

Recapturing the Primary Purpose (2005)

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“He was made of the dust of the ground, a very unlikely thing to make man of; but the same infinite power that made the world of nothing made made man, its masterpiece, of next to nothing. He was not made of gold-dust, powder of pearl, or diamond dust, but common dust, dust of the ground. Our fabric is earthly, and the fashioning of it like that of an earthen vessel. What have we then to be proud of?”

Matthew Henry

Commentary of the Whole Bible (1706)

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“God raised Jesus from the dead to the end that we should be clear – once and for all – that there is nothing more important than being human. Our lives have eternal significance. And no one – absolutely no one – is expendable.”

Martin Bell

The Way of the Wolf (1968)

---

“We are not only undeserving, but ill-deserving.”

Thomas Manton

One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm (17^th century)

---

“The highest angel has nothing of its own that it can offer unto God, no more light, love, purity, perfection, and glorious hallelujahs, that spring from itself, or its own powers, than the poorest creature upon earth.”

William Law

An Humble, Affectionate, and Earnest Address (1761)

---

“If man is made for God, why is he not happy except in God? If man is made for God, why is he so opposed to God?”

Blaise Pascal

Pensees (17^th century)

---

“You are more evil than you have ever feared, and more loved than you have ever hoped”.

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

Death By Love (2008)

---

“Minor shades of moral difference fade away before the one radical division of mankind into children of light and children of darkness.”

Alexander Balmain Bruce

Apologetics, or Christianity Defensively Stated (1892)

---

“All men are either sons of God or sons of the devil.”

Alexander Balmain Bruce

Apologetics, or Christianity Defensively Stated (1892)

---

 “If you have a narrow view of people, go places you have never gone, meet the kind of  people you do not know, and do things you have not done before”.

John Maxwell

Winning With People (2004)

---

Human Nature

“The problem with a living sacrifice, is that it can crawl off the altar, and we often do that.”

Rick Warrren

The Purpose-Driven Life  (2002)

---

“Our inner “self” doesn’t want to dump God entirely, just keep Him at a comfortable distance.”

Charles Swindoll

Improving Your Serve (1981)

---

“When it comes to accepting the truth about ourselves, things have not changed much since Adam first blamed Eve.”

Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Boundaries Face to Face (2003)

---

“Between the frailty of our bodies and the limitations of our minds, we humans have ample proof that we are not gods.”

Jeff Walling

Until I Return  (2000)

---

“It seems to be a law of man’s intelligent nature that when accused of wrong, either by his conscience or by any other agent, he must either confess or justify.”

Charles Finney

“The Sinner’s Excuses Answered” sermon (19^th century)

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“There are no other principles, which human nature is under the influence of, that will ever make men conscientious, but one of these two, fear or love.”

Jonathan Edwards

A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (18^th century)

---

“It is not the design of Christ to take away our humanity, but to sanctify it.”

Kim Thomas

Living In the Sacred Now (2001)

---

“When a man fails in life he usually says, “I am as God made me.” When he succeeds he proudly proclaims himself a “self-made man.””

William George Jordan

The Kingship of Self-Control (1898)

---

Humility

“Jesus comes to little ones.”

Charles Spurgeon

“The Incarnation and Birth of Christ” sermon (1855)

---

“Be content to walk your weary way, through the fields of poverty, or up the hills of affliction; by-and-bye ye shall reign with Christ, for he has ‘made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever.””

Charles Spurgeon

Christ Exalted” sermon (1856)

---

“Catch [a man] at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, “By Jove! I’m being humble,” and almost immediately pride – pride at his own humility – will appear.”

C.S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters (1941)

---

“As sinfully and culturally defined, pursuing greatness looks like this: Individuals motivated by self-interest, self-indulgence, and a false sense of self-sufficiency pursue selfish ambition for the purpose of self-glorification. Contrast that with the pursuit of true greatness as biblically defined: Serving others for the glory of God. This is the genuine expression of humility; this is true greatness as the Savior defined it.”

C.J. Mahaney

Humility: True Greatness (2005)

---

“It takes a lot of humility to cry aloud to God in our distress. And humility before the living God is precisely what we need.”

Bill Gothard

The Power of Crying Out (2002)

---

“A humble person is not one who thinks little of himself, hangs his head, and says, “I’m nothing.” Rather, he is one who depends wholly on the Lord for everything, in every circumstance.”

David Wilkerson

Revival on Broadway! (1996)

---

“Humility retires itself from the public gaze.”

E.M. Bounds

The Essentials of Prayer (19^th century)

---

“The preoccupation with self is the enemy of humility.”

Franklin Graham

All For Jesus (2003)

---

“Cost what it may, and in spite of my fears and speculations, I desire to become lowly and a fool, still more despicable in my own eyes than in those of the wise in their own conceit.”

Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon

Spiritual Progress (17^th century)

---

“True humility consists in a deep view of our utter unworthiness, and in an absolute abandonment to God, without the slightest doubt that He will do the greatest things in us.”

Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon

Spiritual Progress (17^th century)

---

“The truly humble soul is not surprised at its defects or failings, and the more miserable it beholds itself, the more it abandons itself to God, and presses for a more intimate alliance with Him, seeing the need it has or his aid”.

Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon

Spiritual Progress (17^th century)

---

“Humility gladly submits to God’s rightful place as Lord. It produces a right spirit toward others and a grateful sense of submission to God’s providing work on our behalf.”

Joseph Stowell

Tongue in Check (1983)

---

“Oh, how few be these who are low in their own eyes! The number of souls that are high in the esteem of God, and low in their own esteem, are very few.”

Thomas Brooks

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)

---

“Humility is both a grace, and a vessel to receive grace. There is none who sees so much need of grace as humble souls.”

Thomas Brooks

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)

---

“An humble soul that lies low, oh what sights of God hath he! What glory doth he behold, when the proud soul sees nothing!”

Thomas Brooks

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)

---

“Here is a wonder! God is on high; and yet the higher a man lifts up himself, the farther he is from God; and the lower a man humbles himself, the nearer he is to God”.

Thomas Brooks

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)

---

“An humble soul is like a violet, that by its fragrant smell draws the eye and the hearts of others to him.”

Thomas Brooks

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)

---

“Pride closes the door to spiritual growth, but humility opens the door of your life to more of God’s grace. Pause for a moment to ponder this promise and let it sink in. God gives grace to the humble.”

Colin Smith

Ten Keys to Unlock the Christian Life (2005)

---

“When we’ve had a disagreement, we can show true character by walking into the room and apologizing honestly and humbly. Pride is not a virtue. Humility is. Pride can cost us valuable relationships, but humility costs us only pride. Men of character know how to apologize and how to forgive.”

Bill McCartney

4^th and Goal (2002)

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“The truly godly person never forgets that he was at one time an object of God’s holy and just wrath. He never forgets that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and he feel along with Paul that he is himself the worst of sinners.”

Jerry Bridges

The Practice of Godliness (1996)

---

“If we are humble enough to accept someone’s input, we can avoid stumbling along while we don’t know what we don’t know.”

Bill McCartney

Blind Spots (2003)

---

“Humility does demand that we carefully weigh the opinions of thoughtful men; we should refrain from depending solely on our own intellect.”

Jeff Baldwin

Thinking Biblically (2005)

---

“Let us then also pray for those who have fallen into any sin, that meekness and humility may be given to them, so that they may submit, not unto us, but to the will of God. For in this way they shall secure a fruitful and perfect remembrance from us.”

Clement

The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (1^st century)

---

“The humiliation leads to a greater glory. “

C.S. Lewis

The Weight of Glory (1949)

---

“When man humbles himself, God cannot restrain His mercy; He must come down and pour His grace into the humble man, and He gives Himself most of all, and all at once, to the least of all.”

Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart’s Sermons (14^th century)

---

“When unadorned, adorned the most.”

Brother Lawrence

The Practice of the Presence of God (17^th century)

---

“Work on your humility. Come to terms with the fact that your skills are God given You can only do what He equips you to do.”

Stan Toler

Minute Motivators for Men (2004)

---

“Don’t put yourself on a pedestal. Appreciate the worth of others. Let others know that you have confidence in them.”

Stan Toler

Minute Motivators for Men (2004)

---

“Have we the humility to thank our Father for the gift of pain?”

Elisabeth Elliot

Secure in the Everlasting Arms (2002)

---

“He that can humble himself earnestly before God in Christ, has already won”.

Martin Luther

Table Talk (16^th century)

---

“There are many willing to preach to thousands, but are not willing to take their beside one soul, and lead that soul to the blessed Jesus.”

D.L. Moody

The Faithful Saying (1877)

---

“It is a genuine act of humility to realize that we can learn from others who have gone before us.”

Richard Foster

Streams of Living Water (1998)

---

“Be humble, talk little, think and pray much.”

George Whitefield

Memoirs of Rev. George Whitefield (1741)

---

“Humility – to put a seal upon your lips and forget what you have done.”

Henry Drummond

The Greatest Thing in the World (1874)

---

“Let us remember, how great have been our advantages, and how little we have profited by them: and on the other hand, how many disadvantages others have had, and how little they are behind us after all.”

George Edward Jelf

The Secret Trials of the Christian Life (19^th century)

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“What we call our strong points will become the source of our most alarming weakness, if they are not tempered and sanctified by the increasing humility and ever-active faith, which are among the chief characteristics of a Christian.”

George Edward Jelf

The Secret Trials of the Christian Life (19^th century)

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“The most eminent saints have been of low stature in their own eyes; like the sun at the zenith, they showed least when they were at the highest.”

Thomas Watson and Samuel Lee

The Bible and the Closet (1842)

---

“You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees.”

Max Lucado

The Applause of Heaven (1990)

---

“A posture of humility will serve you better than an in-your-face swagger”.

Alan Dowd

“Speaking Creatively” article (2009)

---

“One can so easily become too great to be used by God. One can never be too small for His service.”

Corrie ten Boom

Not Good IF Detached (1957)

---

“Humility is one of the great marks of a crucified man”.

Andrew Murray

Master’s Indwelling (1895)

---

“Man is to be humbled to the dust by the thought of the glory of God as seen in the visible creation.”

F.C. Cook

Bible Commentary (19^th century)

---

“Christ’s people have frequently to humble themselves.”

John Dawson

The Saviour in the Workshop (1868)

---

“Humility is taught by hardship in the face of obedience. Humility is tested by the choices we make”.

Tim Burns

Forged in the Fire (2003)

---

“We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners.”

Thomas Merton

Contemplative Prayer (1969)

---

“No one that is not of a contrite and humble spirit will dwell with God in His high and holy place.”

D.L. Moody

Heaven (1881)

---

“When we are humble enough to allow God to fill us with His love, a miracle happens.”

Kim Moore and Pam Mellskog

A Patchwork Heart (2002)

---

“Faith, whether in God or in people, can only happen in utter humility.”

Mike Mason

Practicing the Presence of People (1999)

---

“There are three great motivations to humility: it becomes us as creatures; it becomes us as sinners; and it becomes us as saints.”

Andrew Murray

Humility (1896)

---

“Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with; it is the root of all, because it alone assumes the right attitude before God and allows Him as God to do all”.

Andrew Murray

Humility (1896)

---

“The way of ascending is humility; the way of descending is pride”.

Benedict of Nursia

The Rule of St. Benedict (6^th century)

---

“No matter where we are – whether doing the work of God, or in the garden, or on a journey – we should adopt the posture of reverence, ever mindful of who we are. Our attitude should be that of the publican in the Gospel who said, with his eyes fixed on the ground, “Lord, I am a sinner and I am not worthy to lift my eyes up to heaven.””

Benedict of Nursia

The Rule of St. Benedict (6^th century)

---

Humor

“That I have written in a semi-humorous vein needs no apology, since thereby sound moral teaching has gained a hearing from at least three hundred thousand persons. There is no particular virtue in being seriously unreadable”.

Charles Spurgeon

John Ploughman’s Talk (19^th century)

---

“People who live above their circumstances usually possess a well-developed sense of humor, because in the final analysis that’s what gets them through.”

Charles Swindoll

Laugh Again (1995)

---

“Humor gives us power. We often cannot control situations or events, but we can control our response. Instead of discouragement or despair, we can claim power.”

Anne Bryan Smollin

Tickle Your Soul (1999)

---

“When it comes to last words, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. As a writer, I know I’m going to keeping wanting to do a rewrite.”

Martha Bolton                                                         

Didn’t My Skin Used To Fit? (2000)

---

“A sense of humor helps us through many sticky problems.”

Dennis Gibson

The Sandwich Years (1991)

---

Hunger, Spiritual

“Today, as you hunger after His bread, remember that God is seeking the hungry, as you long for living waters, remember that He invites the thirsty to drink; as you seek His presence, remember that He bids you to draw near; as you commit to walk in His ways, remember that He is always on the alert, looking for those who are totally committed to Him.”

Roy Lessin

Today Is Your Best Day (2006)

---

“Spiritually is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection.”

Michael Yaconelli

Messy Spirituality (2002)

---

“The way of the spiritual life begins when we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives. Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God’s being present in the mess of our unfixedness.”

Michael Yaconelli

Messy Spirituality (2002)

---

“Collectively and individually, we are crying for the solace of reconnection with God.”

Sue Patton Thoele

Heart Centered Marriage (1996)

---

“Whether we feast through silence, through stillness, through meditation or contemplation, God longs to feed us.”

Jane Rubietta

Resting Place (2005)

Bruce Wilkinson

You Were Born For This – Bruce Wilkinson – Special Message

Enlarging Your Coast – Bruce Wilkinson

Dr. Bruce Wilkinson: The Power of Forgiveness with Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk | 7/24/2020

70X7 Session 6: How God Can Forgive Anyone for Anything? | Bruce Wilkinson

70X7 Session 7: What Happens When You Don’t Forgive Yourself | Bruce Wilkinson

70X7 Session 8: Steps to Forgive Yourself | Bruce Wilkinson

Barre SDA Sermons “Stating The Obvious” Pastor Bruce Wilkinson 11-21-20

Jesus Wants To Reward You – Bruce Wilkinson – Truth Matters Snippets

The 7 Laws of the Learner 1 The Learner 1

The 7 Laws of the Learner 1 The Learner 2

Nicole Unice

God With Us | Part 1 – In The Valley with Nicole Unice

Five Minute Devotional – Ephesians 6

Five Minute Sermon on Ephesians 3

Five Minute Sermon – Ephesians 5

The Way | Giving Back | Nicole Unice

How to Understand the Bible

The Alive Method: Psalm 119

Why Do You Hear God? — Hearing God Pt. 1

Uniting Our Physical and Spiritual Lives | Sermon by Nicole Unice

How to Build Healthy Relationships | Sermon by Pastor Nicole Unice

Elizabeth George

A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

Gracious Habits – Elizabeth George

Imitators of God – Elizabeth George

Elizabeth George | The Punishment She Deserves: A Lynley Novel

Elizabeth George: Mom in 3D

A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

A Wife After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

Vince Miller

Vince Miller – Defeating Repetitive Sin

Tests of Men with Real Conviction | James 1 — A Bible Study & Teaching for Men

Vince Miller – The Mentoring Mandate

The Conviction of Scripture

Accountability | The 20 Minute Bible Study

Purpose | The 20-Minute Bible Study

Fatherless | Vince Miller | 6.16.19

Developing A Vision For Men’s Ministry In The Church

When to Stand Up and When to Stand Down | Ephesians 6

Two Imperatives For Men Who Lead | 1 Peter 5 | Bible Study for Men

Max Lucado

Anxious for Nothing Session 1 Rejoice in the Lord Always

Anxious for Nothing Session 2

Anxious for Nothing Session 3

Anxious for Nothing Session 4

Anxious for Nothing Session 5

Margaret Feinberg

Pursuing God’s Love Group Bible Study by Margaret Feinberg

Fight Back with Joy with Margaret Feinberg Part 1

Margaret Feinberg on “Defiant Joy”

Fight Back with Joy with Margaret Feinberg, Part 2

Margaret Feinberg: Rejoice When It Makes No Sense (James Robison / LIFE Today)

Tony Evans

Time to Grow Up – Divine Reset | Tony Evans Sermon

Victory Because of the Cross | Sermon by Tony Evans

Trusting God | A Sermon by Tony Evans

Trusting God in a Storm – Tony Evans Sermon

Unapologetic – Divine Reset | Tony Evans Sermon

The Protection of Prayer | Tony Evans Sermon

The Purpose of Prayer | Tony Evans Sermon

Encountering the Power of God | Tony Evans Sermon

Reversing Anxiety Consequences | Tony Evans Sermon

Reversing Irreversible Consequences | Tony Evans Sermon

Anita Keagy

The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 4 | Setting Your Heart | Anita Keagy

The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 1 | Seeking God First | Anita Keagy

The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 5 | Natural Rewards | Anita Keagy

The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 3 | Key Principles: Part 2 | Anita Keagy

The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 2 | Key Principles: Part 1 | Anita Keagy

Tabor College Chapel 2020.3.11 – Anita Keagy

Sean McDowell

Sean McDowell: Apologetics and the Next Generation

Did John the Apostle Actually Die As A Martyr?

Special Message – Passing on Your Faith to the next Generation – Sean McDowell

Learn Where You Came From with Sean McDowell

Sean McDowell talks on Morality Based on Truth, Momentum Youth Conference 2019

Sean McDowell On Defending the Bible, Momentum Youth Conference 2019

The 3 Myths of Pornography – Sean McDowell Speaking at Momentum Youth Conference

The Apostle Paul Died A Martyr. Here’s The Evidence.

Sean McDowell: The Case for Marriage

J.D. Greear

J.D. Greear – You Will Do Well to Pay Attention – 2 Peter 1:12-21

JD Greear – Fearing Jesus Leads to Trusting Jesus – Mark 4:35-41

How Ordinary People Change the World | Pastor J.D. Greear

Easter with J.D. Greear | Official Trailer | RightNow Media 2021

J.D. Greear – Not God Enough – Job 38-42

J.D. Greear – When the Strong Become Weak – Judges 14

J.D. Greear – Worth It – Colossians 1:24–29

Dr. J.D. Greear – OBU Chapel Message – Oct. 21, 2020

J.D. Greear – God as Trinity – GO Conference 2019

J.D. Greear: Work and the Great Commission

Eric Mason

Decisions, Planning & The Will of God | Dr. Eric Mason

UNDEFEATED | Fighting Discouragement | Dr. Eric Mason

God & Politics | Dr. Eric Mason

Breaking Free from Strongholds | Dr. Eric Mason | James River Church

Lord, I Need Some Peace | Dr.Eric Mason

Overcoming Sexual Strongholds – February 28th, 2021

CANCEL CULTURE | A Biblical Case for Reparations | Dr.Eric Mason

ORDER IN THE CHURCH | How to Remain Healthy in a Dysfunctional Environment | Dr. Eric Mason

The Soul Checkup | Dr. Eric Mason

Eric Mason – Seeing Through the Lens of the End – Revelation 7:9-14

Kyle Idleman

Complacent to Committed | UNLEASHED | Kyle Idleman

Faith or Fear | THIS IS WHERE IT’S AT–A STUDY OF ROMANS | Kyle Idleman

Overthinking to Overcoming | NO MATTER WHAT COMES THROUGH THOSE DOORS | Kyle Idleman

Picked Up and Never Put Down | BE THE BRANCH | Kyle Idleman

Your Self | OVERCOME: WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK? | Kyle Idleman

12 Stones | STRENGTH AND COURAGE | Kyle Idleman | 03.21.21

Broken to Be Whole | THE INSIDE-OUT WAY OF JESUS | Kyle Idleman

Two Against Ten | STRENGTH AND COURAGE | Kyle Idleman | 03.07.21

One Day At A Time | One At A Time | Kyle Idleman

Matt Chandler

A Good Death – Easter Service – Sermons – Matt Chandler

Revelation: Introduction – Week 1 – Sermons – Matt Chandler

Revelation: Victory in Doubt – Week 2 – Sermons – Matt Chandler

A Foundation of Prayer – Sermons – Matt Chandler

Sermons – Matt Chandler – Love and Knowledge of Self

Sermons – Matt Chandler – A Home in Jesus

Sermons – Matt Chandler – Biblically Serious

Revelation: Cosmic Battle – Week 6 – Sermons – Matt Chandler

Revelation: Earthly Battle – Week 7 – Sermons – Matt Chandler

 

Hyperlinks to YouTube Videos of My Favorite Inspirational Christian and Country Songs.

Songs

Addison Road – “This little Light of Mine” with lyrics

The Afters – Well Done (Lyric Video)

The River, by Garth Brooks – 7/26/20

Garth Brooks: The Change (Lyrics) HD

GARTH BROOKS | STANDING OUTSIDE THE FIRE

Brandon Heath – The One, with Lyrics

Britt Nicole Be The Change (Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – All You’ve Ever Wanted (Official Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – East to West (Official Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – Voice of Truth (Official Lyric Video)

Who Am I – Casting Crowns (w/ lyrics)

Casting Crowns – The Well (w/ Lyrics)

Casting Crowns – Lifesong (Lyrics)

Praise You in this Storm – Casting Crowns – Lyrics

Casting Crowns-Does Anybody Hear Her? (With Lyrics)

Casting Crowns – Only Jesus (Official Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – Just Be Held (Official Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – This Is Now (Official Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – Dream for You (Official Lyric Video)

Casting Crowns – The Very Next Thing (Official Lyric Video)

“One Step Away”- Casting Crowns (Lyrics)

Casting Crowns – Oh My Soul (Official Lyric Video)

What If I Gave Everything – Casting Crowns – with Lyrics

Chris Tomlin – Whom Shall I Fear [God Of Angel Armies] (Lyric Video)

Chris Tomlin – I Will Follow

Reckless Love (Official Lyric Video)

Masterpiece – [Lyric Video] Danny Gokey

See A Victory (Lyrics) – Elevation Worship

God of the Impossible by Everfound (Lyric Video)

Fireflight – Rise Above(Lyrics)

Fireflight- Unbreakable [Lyrics]

Brand New Day by Fireflight w/ Lyrics

For King & Country // God Only Knows Lyric Video

for KING & COUNTRY – Burn the Ships (lyrics)

Fight On, Fighter (Lyric Video) | for KING & COUNTRY

for KING & COUNTRY – Control Lyric Video

Proof of Your love (Lyrics) ~ For King & Country [Monologue]

Shoulders – For King & Country (Lyrics)

for KING & COUNTRY – TOGETHER (Official Lyric Video)

He Knows My Name (Lyrics) Francesca Battistelli

Hannah Kerr “Warrior” Official Lyric Video

God is Still God-Heather Williams (Lyrics)

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United lyrics

Hope Darst – Peace Be Still (Official Lyric Video)

Faithful God – I AM THEY (Lyrics)

Scars – I Am They (lyric video)

Jaci Velasquez – Give Them Jesus Official Lyric Video

Remind Me Who I Am (Lyrics) – Jason Gray

Jason Gray – With Every Act Of Love (Lyric Video)

Jeremy Camp – Same Power (Lyric Video)

Healer | Kari Jobe

Blessings – Laura Story (with lyrics)

How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle with lyrics

Rescue (Lyric Video) – Lauren Daigle

Lauren Daigle – You Say (Lyrics)

Lauren Daigle ~ Remember (Lyrics)

Michael W. Smith – Waymaker ft. Vanessa Campagna & Madelyn Berry

Mandisa – Overcomer (Official Lyric Video)

Matthew West – Broken Things (Lyric Video)

Matthew West – Dream Again (Lyric Video)

Matthew West You Are Known (Lyric Video

Matthew West – Hello, My Name Is (Lyrics)

Matthew West – The God Who Stays (Lyric Video)

Matthew West – Forgiveness (Lyrics)

Unchangeable by Matthew West (lyric video)

Wonderfully Made (Lyrics) – Matthew West

Matthew West – Restored (Lyrics)

Matthew West – Grace Wins (Lyric Video)

Matthew West – Mended (Official Lyric Video)

MercyMe-Almost Home (lyric video)

MercyMe – Flawless (with Lyrics)

Passion – There’s Nothing That Our God Can’t Do (Lyric Video/Live) ft. Kristian Stanfill

Phil Wickham – Battle Belongs (Official Lyric Video)

Third Day Cry out to Jesus w Lyrics

Thomas Rhett (feat.Reba, Keith Urban, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin) – Be a Light (with lyrics)(2020)

Hyperlinks to Youtube videos, related to various therapy topics, that you can watch and possibly learn and improve yourself.

Therapy Topics

7 Techniques to Stop Worry and Rumination |#PaigePradko, #StopWorry, #StopRumination

Stop INTRUSIVE Thoughts: Pure O OCD #PaigePradko, #PureO, #OCDwithPaige

10 Ways to Maximize Exposure Therapy #PaigePradko, #OCDwithPaige, #ExposureTherapy

Accepting Anxiety-How to Calm Anxiety |CALM Series #PaigePradko,#CalmSeriesforAnxiety,#AcceptAnxiety

OCD – Pure O – Obsessive Intrusive Thoughts #PaigePradko, #PureO, #OCDwithPaige

How to STOP Obsessive PURE O Rumination #PaigePradko, #PureOOCD,

Two Things You Can Do To Stop Ruminating

How to Deal with Negative Emotions – Distress Tolerance

How To Tell If You’re Depressed

8 Signs Someone is Secretly Depressed

7 Signs Of Depression & Symptoms You Must Know | BetterHelp

3 Symptoms Of Anxiety You Should Never Ignore | BetterHelp

Turn off Anxiety in your Nervous System: Four Ways to Turn on the Parasympathetic Response

Stress Release (Fast)- Anxiety Reduction Technique (Anxiety Skills #19)

7 Simple Tips To Reduce Your STRESS Right Now

Managing Stress – Brainsmart – BBC

5 Signs And Symptoms Of Anxiety & Panic Attacks

5 Action Steps for Health Anxiety | Part 2 #PaigePradko, #HealthAnxiety, #OCDwithPaige

Death Anxiety an Existential Crisis | Learn to Love Your Life | #PaigePradko, #DeathAnxiety

7 Techniques to Overcome Social Anxiety | #PaigePradko, #SocialAnxiety, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

How to Liberate Yourself from Social Anxiety | Vanessa Van Edwards on Impact Theory

7 Questions to Stop Anxiety – Checking the Facts CALM-Logic #CBT, #PaigePradko,#CalmSeriesforAnxiety

BPD and Catastrophizing – Irrational Thinking

How to Stop Catastrophizing (in 5 Simple Steps!)

How To Stop Catastrophizing About The Future

6 Simple Ways To Reduce Anxiety

How to Stop Catastrophizing |CALM Series-Logic #PaigePradko,#CALMSeriesforAnxiety,#WorstCaseScenario

How to Calm Anxiety | Intro: CALM Series for Treating Anxiety #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

CBT: When to Use It |Cognitive Behavior Therapy|CALM-Logic #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety, #CBT

SquareBreathing to Calm Down Anxiety | CALM Series-Calm the Body #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

Calming Mantras & Phrases for Anxiety | CALM-Accepting Anxiety #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

Stop Anxiety by Changing Negative Thoughts | CALM-Logic #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety, #CBT

Negative Self Talk | Learning to Mold Your Inner Critic #PaigePradko, #NegativeSelfTalk, #SelfTalk

Perfectionism:Problems & Cures | CALM Series:Logic #PaigePradko,#CalmSeriesforAnxiety,#Perfectionism

Breathing Techniques to Calm Anxiety | CALM Series-Calm the Body #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

Visualizations to Calm Anxiety | CALM Series | Accepting Anxiety #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

Progressive Muscle Relaxation | The CALM Series: Calm the Body #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

How to Stop a Panic Attack #PaigePradko, #PanicAttack, #StopPanic

Mindfulness Techniques to Calm Anxiety | CALM-Accepting Anxiety #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety

Emotional Triggers and Trauma Part ONE #PaigePradko, #EmotionalTriggers, #HealingTrauma

Accepting Anxiety-How to Calm Anxiety |CALM Series #PaigePradko,#CalmSeriesforAnxiety,#AcceptAnxiety

What NOT to Do if You Have Anxiety! #PaigePradko, #CalmSeriesforAnxiety, #TreatmentforAnxiety

What are Cognitive Distortions?

Identifying Cognitive distortions

How to Stop Cognitive Distortions: Bad Thoughts and Poison Minds

10 Cognitive Distortions That Cause Anxiety – Learn these to stop anxiety at the source

5 Steps to Eliminate Cognitive Distortions (Best cognitive distortions treatment)

(found at “gotquestions.org”).

On the left side of this page are questions about God and human life that are predominant in society today. If you find a topic that interests you, please click on the corresponding hyperlink to go to that website to read about the particular subject. Enjoy reading!

Question

Why should I trust God even when I don’t understand who He is or what He is doing?

Do you trust God?

On what basis can God declare us not guilty?

Why does God sometimes work in mysterious ways?

Why is pride a sin?

What is Habakkuk syndrome?

Is speeding a sin?

What does the Bible say about suicide?

Is looking at pornography a sin?

What happens after death?

Friendly fire — Why do Christians attack each other?

Is the Bible trustworthy?

Shouldn’t Christians be able to overcome depression, even clinical depression, through the power of the Holy Spirit?

Can a true Christian depart from the faith? What is the meaning of “they went out from us” in 1 John 2:19?

How would the discovery of alien life impact the Christian faith?

Are Christians under the Old Covenant?

How should I respond when a prominent Christian falls into grievous sin?

What does the Bible say about tithing?

Can salvation be lost?

What does it mean to do something in Jesus’ name?

Why Government is Not the Answer

Is there a correct political persuasion for Christians?

Should a Christian get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Why do many Christians seem so prone to believe in conspiracy theories?

What does the Bible say about women pastors?

What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

What does the Bible say about tattoos?

Masturbation – is it a sin according to the Bible?

Is once saved, always saved biblical?

What does the Bible say about interracial marriage?

Who was Cain’s wife?

What does the Bible say about suicide?

Do pets go to Heaven?

What is the gift of speaking in tongues?

What does the Bible say about dinosaurs?

What is the importance of Christian baptism?

What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol?

Is gambling a sin?

What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?

What does the Bible say about sex before marriage?

Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?

What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Anxiety and Worry subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Anxiety And Worry Bible Verses

 

 

Deuteronomy 31:6

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid

and do not panic before them. For the LORD your

God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither

fail you nor abandon you.

 

 

Psalm 86:7

I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,

and you will answer me.

 

 

Psalm 139:23-24 

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.

 

 

Proverbs 15:15

For the despondent, every day brings trouble;

for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

 

 

Matthew 6:27

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

 

 

Matthew 6:31-33

So don’t worry about these things, saying,

‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What

will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts

of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows

all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above

all else, and live righteously, and he

will give you everything you need.

 

 

Matthew 6:34

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow

will bring its own worries.

Today’s trouble is enough for today.

 

 

Mark 4:18-19

The seed that fell among the thorns represents

others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly

the message is crowded out by the worries of this

life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other

things, so no fruit is produced.

 

 

Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray

about everything. Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.  Then

you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds

anything we can understand. His peace will guard

your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

 

1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries and cares to God,

for he cares about you.

Below are Bible Verses on the Contentment subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

Contentment Bible Verses

Psalm 16:6

The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

What a wonderful inheritance!

Psalm 17:15 

Because I am righteous, I will see you.

When I awake, I will see you face to

face and be satisfied.

Psalm 84:10 

A single day in your courts

is better than a thousand anywhere else!

I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God

than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

Psalm 92:4-5

You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!

I sing for joy because of what you have done.

 O LORD, what great works you do!

And how deep are your thoughts.

Psalm 107:8-9

Let them praise the LORD for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

 For he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

Proverbs 14:30

A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;

jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

John 6:35 

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes

to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes

in me will never be thirsty.

Philippians 4:10-11 

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about

me again. I know you have always been concerned

for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned

how to be content with whatever I have.

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply

all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been

given to us in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 

After all, we brought nothing with us when we came

into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when

we leave it.  So if we have enough food and

clothing, let us be content.

Hebrews 13:5-6

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what

you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.

I will never abandon you.”

So we can say with confidence,

“The LORD is my helper,

so I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?”

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Depression subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Depression Bible Verses

 

Deuteronomy 31:8 

Do not be afraid or discouraged,

for the LORD will personally go ahead of you.

He will be with you; he will neither

fail you nor abandon you.

 

Psalm 3:3 

But you, O LORD, are a shield around me;

you are my glory, the one

who holds my head high.

 

Psalm 34:15-17

The eyes of the LORD watch over

those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

But the LORD turns his face

against those who do evil;

he will erase their memory from the earth.

The LORD hears his people when they

call to him for help.

He rescues them from all their troubles.

 

Psalm 40:1-3 

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,

and he turned to me and heard my cry.

 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

They will put their trust in the LORD.

 

Psalm 42:5

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and

 

Psalm 42:6-11 

my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon,

the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging

tides sweep over me.

But each day the LORD pours

his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

 “O God my rock,” I cry,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

 Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

 

Psalm 77:1-2

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.

Oh, that God would listen to me!

 When I was in deep trouble,

I searched for the Lord.

All night long I prayed, with

hands lifted toward heaven,

but my soul was not comforted.

 

Psalm 91:14-16

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them.

 I will reward them with a long life

and give them my salvation.”

 

Isaiah 54:4 

Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.

Don’t be afraid; there is

no more disgrace for you.

You will no longer remember

the shame of your youth

and the sorrows of widowhood.

 

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light

shine for all to see.

For the glory of the LORD

rises to shine on you.

 

2 Corinthians 7:6 

But God, who encourages those who

are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

 

1 Peter 5:6-7 

So humble yourselves under the mighty

power of God, and at the right time he will

lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and

cares to God, for he cares about you.

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Determination subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Determination Bible Verses

 

Isaiah 40:31

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

 

 

1 Corinthians 2:2 

For I decided that while I was with you I would

forget everything except Jesus Christ,

the one who was crucified.

 

 

Colossians 3:2

Think about the things of heaven,

not the things of earth.

 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 

Make it your goal to live a quiet life,

minding your own business and working with

your hands, just as we instructed you before.

 Then people who are not believers will

respect the way you live, and you will

not need to depend on others.

 

 

1 Timothy 6:11-14 

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from

all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly

life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly

to the eternal life to which God has called you,

which you have declared so well before many

witnesses. And I charge you before God, who

gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave

a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 

that you obey this command without wavering.

Then no one can find fault with you from now

until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

 

 

1 Peter 5:9

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your

faith. Remember that your family of believers

all over the world is going through the

same kind of suffering you are.

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Loneliness subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Loneliness Bible Verses

 

Genesis 28:15

I am with you and will watch over you wherever

you go, and I will bring you back to this land.

I will not leave you until I have done what

I have promised you.

 

 

 

1 Samuel 12:22 

For the sake of his great name the LORD will not

reject his people, because the LORD was pleased

to make you his own.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 25:16

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 27:10

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the LORD will hold me close.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,

always ready to help in times of trouble.

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 41:10 

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

 

 

 

 

Matthew 28:20

Teach these new disciples to obey all the

commands I have given you. And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

 

 

 

 

John 14:18

No, I will not abandon you as

orphans—I will come to you.

 

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 6:18

And I will be your Father,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the LORD Almighty.

 

 

 

 

Hebrews 13:5

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you

have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Peace subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Peace Bible Verses

 

Job 22:21

Submit to God, and you will have peace;

then things will go well for you.

 

 

 

Psalm 85:8-11

I listen carefully to what God the

LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to

his faithful people. But let them not return

to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is

near to those who fear him, so our land will

be filled with his glory.  Unfailing love and

truth have met together. Righteousness and

peace have kissed! Truth springs up from

the earth, and righteousness smiles

down from heaven.

 

 

 

Proverbs 16:7

When people’s lives please the LORD,

even their enemies are at peace with them.

 

 

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

 

 

 

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains may move

and the hills disappear,

but even then my faithful love for you will

remain. My covenant of blessing will

never be broken,” says the LORD,

who has mercy on you.

 

 

 

Isaiah 58:8

Then your salvation will come like the dawn,

and your wounds will quickly heal.

Your godliness will lead you forward,

and the glory of the LORD will protect you

from behind.

 

 

 

John 14:27

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind

and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world

cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

 

 

 

Philippians 4:7

Then you will experience God’s peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand. His

peace will guard your hearts and minds

as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

\Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his

peace at all times and in every situation.

The Lord be with you all.

 

 

 

Hebrews 12:14

Work at living in peace with everyone,

and work at living a holy life, for those who are

not holy will not see the Lord.

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Power subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT).

Power Bible Verses

 

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

 

 

 

Luke 10:19

Look, I have given you authority over all the

power of the enemy, and you can walk among

snakes and scorpions and crush them.

Nothing will injure you.

 

 

 

Acts 1:8 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit

comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses,

telling people about me everywhere—in

Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth.

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 15:57 

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and

death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

It is God who enables us, along with you,

to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,

 and he has identified us as his own by placing

the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment

that guarantees everything he has promised us.

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.

My power works best in weakness.”

So now I am glad to boast about my

weaknesses, so that the power of

Christ can work through me.

 

 

 

Ephesians 1:17-19

asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight

so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so

that you can understand the confident hope he has

given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich

and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will

understand the incredible greatness of God’s power

for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power.

 

 

 

Ephesians 3:16

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources

he will empower you with inner strength

through his Spirit.

 

 

 

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and

timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Prayer subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT).

 

Prayer Bible Verses

 

Job 22:27 

You will pray to him, and he will hear you,

and you will fulfill your vows to him.

 

Psalm 34:4 

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

 

Psalm 34:15 

The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

 

Psalm 38:15

For I am waiting for you, O LORD.

You must answer for me, O Lord my God.

 

Psalm 145:18-19 

The LORD is close to all who call on him,

yes, to all who call on him in truth.

 He grants the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

 

Proverbs 15:29

The LORD is far from the wicked,

but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

 

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the LORD while you can find him.

Call on him now while he is near.

 

Matthew 7:7-8 

“Keep on asking, and you will receive

what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find.

Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks,

finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door

will be opened.

 

Matthew 18:19

I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on

earth concerning anything you ask, my

Father in heaven will do it for you.

 

John 16:24 

You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my

name, and you will receive, and you

will have abundant joy.

 

Romans 8:26

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.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 

Never stop praying.

 

Hebrews 4:16

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious

God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will

find grace to help us when we need it most.

Below are Bible Verses on the Prosperity, Finances, & Giving subject, translated in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

Prosperity, Finances, & Giving Bible Verses

 

Deuteronomy 8:18

Remember the LORD your God. He is the

one who gives you power to be successful,

in order to fulfill the covenant he

confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

 

Deuteronomy 28:8-11 

“The LORD will guarantee a blessing on

everything you do and will fill your storehouses

with grain. The LORD your God will bless

you in the land he is giving you.

“If you obey the commands of the LORD

 your God and walk in his ways, the LORD

will establish you as his holy people

as he swore he would do. Then all the

nations of the world will see that you are a

people claimed by the LORD, and they

will stand in awe of you.

 “The LORD will give you prosperity in the

land he swore to your ancestors to give you,

blessing you with many children,

numerous livestock, and abundant crops.

 

 

Psalm 1:3

They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

 

 

Psalm 34:10 

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

 

Malachi 3:10

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there

will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,”

says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I

will open the windows of heaven for you.

I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have

enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

 

 

Matthew 6:3-4

But when you give to someone in need,

don’t let your left hand know what your

right hand is doing.  Give your gifts in

private, and your Father, who sees

everything, will reward you.

 

 

Matthew 6:19-21

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth,

where moths eat them and rust destroys

them, and where thieves break in and steal.

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and

rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires

of your heart will also be.

 

Luke 6:38 

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will

return to you in full—pressed down,

shaken together to make room for more,

running over, and poured into your lap.

The amount you give will determine the

amount you get back.

 

Acts 10:5

Now send some men to Joppa, and

summon a man named Simon Peter.

 

 

Romans 13:8

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation

to love one another. If you love your neighbor,

you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

 

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a

few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who

plants generously will get a generous crop.

You must each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

 

 

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will

supply all your needs from his glorious riches,

which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

 

 

3 John 2

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and

that you are as healthy in body as you

are strong in spirit.

 

 

Psalm 1:3

They are like trees planted along

the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

 

 

 

Psalm 34:10

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

 

 

Malachi 3:10 

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so

there will be enough food in my Temple.

If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,

“I will open the windows of heaven for you.

I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have

enough room to take it in!

Try it! Put me to the test!

 

 

Matthew 6:3-4 

But when you give to someone in need,

don’t let your left hand know what your right

hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and

your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

 

 

Matthew 6:19-21 

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth,

where moths eat them and rust destroys them,

and where thieves break in and steal. 

Store your treasures in heaven, where

moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves

do not break in and steal. Wherever your

treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

 

 

Luke 6:38 

Give, and you will receive. Your gift

will return to you in full—pressed down,

shaken together to make room for more,

running over, and poured into your lap.

The amount you give will determine

the amount you get back.

 

 

Acts 10:5 

Now send some men to Joppa, and

summon a man named Simon Peter.

 

 

 

Romans 13:8 

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your

obligation to love one another. If you

love your neighbor, you will fulfill the

requirements of God’s law.

 

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few

seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants

generously will get a generous crop. You must

each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got a movie idea: mental illness recovery story.

Trying to brainstorm an idea for your next film project? What about a faith-based, mental illness / child abuse recovery story?

With the recent mass killings in this nation, mental illness is popular in the news today as many killers have a mental illness. For the safety of Americans, and for the mental health of the mentally ill, violent or not, I strongly believe an inspirational mental illness-related movie could be both greatly needed and in high demand, to address mental illness issues. Thus, I suggest a mental illness movie, possibly faith-based, should be produced.

This video includes my personal mental illness / child abuse recovery story which may generate ideas for a movie. If a screenwriter chooses not to use any of my story, that’s fine. What’s more important is that a quality, faith-based, mental illness movie transforms lives. However, watching my video and viewing my below website, may present ideas for writers. 

The objective of this page is to give ideas for faith-based screenwriters to create a faith-based screenplay that gives glory to God and helps people, not for me to get glory. I don’t seek any credit for anything made, I just want to give an opportunity for my story to be used to help people as much as possible. I don’t care if my story is used at all, I just want to give ideas for potential faith-based screenwriters can use to create their own personal work. I do think, though, focusing upon the mental illness sector is important, and also using themes discussed in the video. What is most important is the potentially lives that faith-based screenplays can transform.

If any is interested in reading more of my story, please read chapters 1-20 of this website.

Below are Bible verses on the Stress topic, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT).

Stress Bible Verses

Psalm 37:5 
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
    Trust him, and he will help you.
 

Psalm 39:6 
We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
 

Psalm 127:2 
It is useless for you to work so hard
    from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
    for God gives rest to his loved ones.
 

Isaiah 40:29 
He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
 

Matthew 6:25-33 
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life

—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough

clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body

more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or

harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father

feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than

they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the

field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their

clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as

beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for

wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire

tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you

have so little faith?

^“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will

we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These

things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your

heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the

Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and

he will give you everything you need.

Mark 4:19 
but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the

worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire

for other things, so no fruit is produced.

Luke 12:27 
“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or

make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory

was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

Luke 21:34 
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing

and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life.

Don’t let that day catch you unaware,

1 Corinthians 7:32 
 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An

unmarried man can spend his time doing the

Lord’s work and thinking how to please him.

Philippians 1:10 
 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that

you may live pure and blameless lives

until the day of Christ’s return

Philippians 4:6 
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:8-9 
 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and

right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about

things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting

into practice all you learned and received from me—everything

you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God

of peace will be with you.

1 Peter 5:7 
Give all your worries and cares to

God, for he cares about you.

Miscellaneous Christian site, with links related to dealing with addictions; ten lies the world would like to beleve, and sermons by a Nazarene preacher, Phil Stout,

 

http://livingontheedge.org/christian-living/how-can-i-overcome-an-addiction

http://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/10-lies-of-the-world-you-should-watch-out-for.html

http://www.jaxnazchurch.com/sermons/

Time Alone With God daily devotional

Matthew  7:1-5

Judging Others
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Consider: Christians often get uneasy with Jesus’ command, “Do not judge” (7:2). They fear the wrong kind of tolerance. They’re afraid that we will abandon the call to live a holy life if we don’t clearly label some acts as sinful. After all, how can we live, raise Christian children and grow in grace if we don’t judge what is right and what is wrong? So we need to understand what Jesus meant by the word “judge.”

In the original language of the New Testament, the word for “judge” here is the same word that Jesus used in John 3:17, which is usually translated “condemn”—“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” That gives us some insight into what Jesus meant when he commanded, “Do not judge.” Of course we will judge some actions to be right and some to be wrong. But Jesus is pretty clear that we are not to stand as condemners of any person.

Now, at this point, many Christians fall back on the old aphorism, “We hate the sin, but love the sinner.” I think we need to be careful with that one. While it is literally true, to most people that does not feel like a loving embrace. It still feels judgmental.

So, how are we to approach this whole issue of discerning and judging what is right and what is wrong? Jesus made it very clear. We spend more time on our own sins than on the sins of others. As Christians, we should be more concerned with how we can be more loving than how we can straighten out some other person.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (7:3-5)

When I am fully aware of my need for grace, I am empowered to give grace to others. When I realize my lack of love, I pray for help rather than focusing on your lack in some other area. This humility empowers me to love like Jesus, who did not come “into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world” (John 3:17).

Pray: Ask the Lord to help you with any planks that may be blocking your vision and your love. Praise him that he lovingly purifies us if we humbly come to him. Then ask him to help you plant the grace he’s given you in the lives of others.

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IN SEARCH OF A BETTER TOMORROW

Mental Illness Recovery Story, Chapter 6

“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

Robert Green Ingersoll

Great Lakes

 

As the plane headed toward Chicago, I felt both excited and fearful about the idea of training to become a machinist mate / electrical mechanical Navy worker. “Am I going to finally succeed in life, or will I find another way to screw things up again?” Like a fool, I again set myself for defeat in the school, as I put enormous pressure on my abilities to learn the material. Fearing rejection from another potential abuser, like a teeter-totter, my confidence wildly fluctuated, as I experienced the ups and downs of manic-depression as well as obsessive-compulsive behaviors, including getting bogged down in details, when studying. Believing in the lie “Self-worth equals performance plus what other people think of me” seemed to trigger my unstable emotions and behaviors, as I obsessed daily of freedom. I wrongly thought if I proved myself competent, I would be loved – not just by others, but also, myself.

 

Even though getting good grades was extremely difficult and immensely draining for me, I started off okay. Unfortunately, as the training approached the point where the majority of  students fail, I became even more intensely anxious and unconfident. “If I just tried harder and harder, I will succeed. And if I succeed, I will be great. And If I am great, I would be loved, and then I would be happy”, was my daily thought pattern. So I placed enormous pressure on my efforts to succeed, which only intensified my mental illness.

 

After a while, the fear of failure made life become real overwhelming to me as I started feel emotionally sick and weak.  One day, I got so frail and scared that I decided to approach my instructor. Petty Officer 1^st class Davis, for support.  Unfortunately, before I started talking with Davis, Petty Officer 1^st class Konkol reprimanded for leaning my back against the wall. Agitated and frustrated, I told Konkol I didn’t do it. Being physically weary, I unintentionally leaned against the wall as I started talking to Davis. The next thing I know, Konkol charged me with insubordination, and I was getting chewed out by him and then sent to a senior chief for discipline.

 

As I was being questioned by the senior chief officer, Konkol, who was also present, told the officer “I deliberately chose to be insubordinate and lean against the wall.” I denied it and the next thing I know, “I was charged for lying to a senior chief officer”, which I denied also. In my mind, I didn’t anything wrong.  But Konkol and senior chief did as the senior officer threatened to “send me to captain’s mast”, a serious Navy punishment.

 

Exiting the senior chief’s office, I walked the hallway in hopelessness and confusion as Konkol started berating me again. I remember him telling me “I was a piece of crap (expletive) and the type to get an entire Navy crew killed”. He also told me “he was going to do whatever it took to get me out of the military before it happens.” As he continued to chew me out for a short time, shame, pain, frustration, and mania ran wild in my mind, as I was being verbally and emotionally abused by “a new stepdad abuser”.  Listening to those damning words, I had to work hard to resist the emotional breakdown that was erupting inside of me.

.

 

After he left me alone, I immediately went to the bathroom to heavily release the negative emotions I felt. I was crying so hard, that when I looked into the mirror, I saw my face red and in tears. “Why God, why? . . . I didn’t do anything wrong!  . . . .Why do I have to go through this, all the time! . . . . Why doesn’t anyone love me?  . . . Don’t you love me, God?” Those were the main thoughts of my crying to God.

 

In anger and in frustration, I screamed out loud: “I am going to kill him”, as I felt the pains of all who rejected and abused me, as well as the incident of Kelly Cook.  Even though my mind was losing control, I had no intention to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, an officer, walking by, heard me say the words, and then next thing I know, I was being charged for “threatening to kill an officer.

 

I remember answering questions to some sort of military psychologist, and waiting for a couple of days to see what will happen to me next. They gave me a choice: “Stay in the Navy and appeal my disciplinary consequence and live an entire military career doing crappy job” or “sign a paper for me to be released out of the military with honorable discharge, and be disallowed to join any military branch my entire life.” So I chose to “get out of the Navy”.

 

Even though I was now free from the Navy, I wasn’t free from the emotional baggage it gave me. The shame, guilt, anger, and frustrations involved with again being rejected for making a mistake I didn’t mean to commit, hurt me considerably. The Navy was just another participant who didn’t want me around. This only worsened my obsessions of “don’t make a mistake”. In spite of all this, God never did let go of me.

 

I guess Konkol was right when he said “he was going to do whatever it took for me to get out of the Navy”. Imagine the destruction someone with a mental illness may have on a nuclear reactor of a submarine, etc. Back then, I was just a nineteen year old, mentally-unstable kid still unaware of his disability; in spite of the fact my discharge papers stated “other personality / psychological disorders” for reason of discharge. To me, though, it was just another cruel joke by an unsympathetic military branch.

 

My Recovery Story

 

Prologue 1:  Climbing Life Mountains

Prologue 2: The Devil Says: “Jesus Doesn’t Care”

Prologue 3: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Chapter 1:  “When fear is excessive, it can make a man despair”. 

Chapter 2: “Life is to be entered upon with courage.”

Chapter 3: “The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.”

Chapter 4:  “Courage is the fear that said its prayers.”

Chapter 5:  “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear”.

Chapter 6:  “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

Chapter 7:  “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

Chapter 8:  “Often the test of courage is not to die but to live”.

Chapter 9:  “We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.”

Chapter 10:  “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Chapter 11:  “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.

 

Chapter 12:  “In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest”.

Chapter 13:  “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”

Chapter 14: “Goodwill & Allied Chucker”

Chapter 15:  “Camping Trip”

Chapter 16:  “Celibacy Struggles”

Chapter 17:  “Hospital Visits”

Chapter 18: “Visits With Dad”

Chapter 19: “Courage is to confront what can be imagined.”

Chapter 20: “My Projects”

Chapter 21: “Life in Recovery”

Chapter 22: “More Stories Of Mine”

Chapter 23: “Spiritual Warfare”

Chapter 24: “We Can All Be Heroes”

Chapter 25: “Closing Thoughts”

 

 

Hyperlinks

Spiritual Warfare Article

Thoughts create emotions which influence our perceptions of future thoughts. These perceptions, thoughts, and emotions influence our decisions, actions, and behaviors – which often either imprison or set us free. Thoughts don’t destroy us – it’s how we label and acts upon what we think. Thus, to be free, we must know the difference between truth and falsehoods.

For example, one summer night, driving home from a Rhett Walker Band concert, at Spring Arbor University, my mind was being bombard by “intrusive thoughts” telling me “I am no good and unloved”, triggered by my associating college students at SAU with my past experiences of being rejected at Tris-State University. As the spiritual battle between believing I was good based upon the opionons of past people to I am special creation of God, anxiety incited. Past hurts got recalled, and the emotional responses and perceptions incited. As you play the game, the devil (just like Jesus being tempted in wilderness) waited for my weakness, frailities, and vulnerabilities to get attacked, and all of a sudden, when nearing a time where it is critical for you to drive under control and car, you experience intrusive thoughts, of killing self through reckless driving.

In life, we all face troubles, fears, unworthiness, frailties, and temptations to give up. We are human and imperfect, which makes us vulnerable and weak. However, there is hope, if we can only know the difference between truth and lies:
Truth # 1: We have an enemy to face.

Especially, in the midst of our troubles, we are constantly in a spiritual battle versus the devil, “a roaring lion” who uses lies and fear in hopes of devouring people (1 Peter 5:8). To destroy us, Satan tries to create strongholds in us by exerting pressure upon our fears, frailties, sufferings, and painful memories. His deceit works to impair our decision making by influencing what perceptions we “label” of situations and of circumstances. He also likes to make potential misfortune seem more threatening and more likely to occur than in reality, hopes to arouse negative emotions to intolerable levels, lie about what threshold of suffering we can endure and that there is no escape route through the struggle, and finally, make us believe God is not in control. “If you feel so overwhelmed, engulfed, and inundated by your problems and difficulties that you want to give up, stop, and think. It may be the Enemy at work.” (Pedro Okoro, see above).

“Spiritual warfare is very real. There is a furious, fierce, and ferocious battle raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of evil.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ

Truth # 2: Satan knows our weaknesses: fear, low self-esteem, and our tendencies to sin.

In the garden of Eden, man learned to sin, which had separated every man from God, until the cross (for believers). Feelings and fears of inadequacy and shame, false perceptions that our Father in Heaven will not always love and accept us, hatred and selfishness, and life trials and sufferings have since then tyrannized man, as we are controlled by our tendencies to do evil. The devil knows all this. So he implants thoughts that incite fear, self-rejection, and low self-esteems as he tempts us to make bad, often sinful decisions. Please read the follow quotes:

“Many Christians… find themselves defeated by the most psychological weapon that Satan uses against them. This weapon has the effectiveness of a deadly missile. Its name? Low self-esteem. Satan’s greatest psychological weapon is a gut level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy, and low self-worth This feeling shackles many Christians, in spite of wonderful spiritual experiences and knowledge of God’s Word. Although they understand their position as sons and daughters of God, they are tied up in knots, bound by a terrible feeling inferiority, and chained to a deep sense of worthlessness.”
― David A. Seamands, Healing For Damaged Emotions

“Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, “Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody.” … [My dark side says,] I am no good… I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

Worthlessness, self-rejection, and fear – Satan knows our weaknesses and frailties. When we sin, we feel these experiences as Satan the Accuser and Father of lies, likes to “rub salt into our wounds.” Or, he may use the rejecting and hurtful words / actions of those around us, to do the same. He may put trials in our lives to deceitfully make us “believe God doesn’t love us”, or that “God won’t deliver us through the trial”, which could also lead us to doubt God’s unconditional love of us. The point is, Satan knows we are powerless when we feel discouraged, unconfident, and separated from God. Bob Sorge, author of Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth, reinforces these points: “The nature of the enemy’s warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God’s deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God’s resurrection power.”

Satan will continue to attack our vulnerabilities until we prove to him they are no longer a weakness. Pedro Okoro said, in Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ: “The devil doesn’t really have any new schemes, ideas, or initiatives. He keeps on recycling and reusing the same temptations, adorning them in different attires.” So how we defeat the enemy?

Truth #3: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Pedro Okoro, same book, says “To effectively combat the devil, you need to pray”. Unfortunately, he also writes, “If you do not pray, you easily become a prey.” Faith in prayer is the secret to unleashing God’s power in our times of need, as we ask the Creator of the heavens and earth in trust to help win the victory over the Enemy. 1 John 5:14-15 says, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.” “ John 14:13, John 15:7, and John 16:24 also reinforce that bible truth:

“And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13).
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. “ (John 15:7)
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full” (John 16:24).
“As a believer, you have the authority to tell the devil what to do in the name of Jesus”
― (Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ). However, when we sin, we lose fellowship to Christ and His power source until we repent. Thus, many times, in life, we are often weak because of our sins. Thus, Satan tries to lead us away from Christ through temptations to sins, and once he does, he tries to make us doubt God’s love and willingness to help us in our times of need. Deceptions, temptations to sin, and accusations are the tricks of the devil.

Faith and prayer frees us, doubt and fear imprisons. As Pedro Okoro says, “Knowledge comes by revelation through the study of the Scriptures.” This means, in order to have faith, which requires believing in the truth of God’s scriptures, we must daily study God’s Word, so we will have the “knowledge” background to know the difference between God’s Word and Satanic lies. (For example, by studying the Bible, you can learn truths like Romans 8:38-41, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

When facing life struggles, know the difference between Satan’s lies and Biblical Truths, as well as fact from truth. Pedro Okoro expounds on this statement:

“There is a difference between the fact and the truth. The fact is what you may be experiencing at any particular point in time in your life, the day-to-day reality of life, the struggles, the challenges, the issues and the problems that you face on a daily basis. On the other hand, the truth is what God’s Word says about the particular situation you are going through or the challenges you currently face…God expects you to confess and proclaim the truth of His Word, not the fact of your daily struggles!”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ
tags: inspirational-quotes, spiritual-warfare

”Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.” (See Ephesians 6).

“In this battle, there is no room for turning back. You have to be on the offensive. You have to keep attacking the Enemy; and on account of this, your back is left bare. You cannot afford to turn back once you have put your hand to the plow and agreed to follow Jesus! To do otherwise is to leave yourself open to the Enemy’s attack.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”, Jesus said in John 16:33. People need something and someone to believe in; what they need, is to see Christ in us. God has a giant-sized purpose for both you and me. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”(Norman Vincent Peale).

Every human is faced with a personal Goliath which only the Trinity can conquer. When life giants, storms, and mountains get into our path, we must realize that, even though seemingly equipped with “five stones and a sling”, we will always have God on our side, who will never leave nor forsake us. If you let Him, He will make you into a spiritual giant that dwarfs your troubles. And the whole world will know that there “is a God in this world.”

“Spiritual giants are only willing, available and thirsty spiritual babies who paid the price for the prize, who waged a war for the victims to become victors, just like the courageous Davids that kill the big Goliaths” ( Ikechukwu Joseph, Strategic Spiritual Warfare). Are you willing to surrender your life to God’s dream for you, not matter the cost, and trust Him daily as He delivers you through one trial after another? Freedom happens when we place our lives into His hands!

“Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won where the way leads to the cross.”
― Megan McKenna, The New Stations of the Cross: The Way of the Cross According to Scripture

“In spiritual warfare, faith is the currency that releases your prayer. It is the instrument (or weapon, if you like) that activates and sets loose the answers to your prayers.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ

“Just as you cannot stop a bird from flying over your head, in the same way you cannot stop the devil from dropping ideas into your mind. However, in the same way that you can stop a bird from building a nest on your head, you can stop the Enemy’s suggestions from wandering without restriction and taking root in your mind.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ