Max's Notes - tulmax.com

Interesting Quotes

Interesting quotes from books I am reading and from other places.

"Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."

"Hope is not a sedative; it is a shot of adrenaline, a blood transfusion. Like an anchor, our hope in Christ stabilizes us in the storms of life; but unlike an anchor, our hope moves us forward, it does not hold us back." - Warren Wiersbe

"By God's mercy Peter became a fearless and outspoken servant of his risen Lord, eventually dying for his faith. God changed this man, and he can change you, too, into a rock-solid witness for Christ!"

Bruce B. Barton, Mark Fackler, Linda K Taylor, Dave Veerman, Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude, Editor: Grant Osborne, Philip Comfort. Copyright 1995 The Livingstone Corporation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois. p. 6.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day." - Abraham Lincoln

from The Presidential Prayer Team: February 2009

"Almighty God: We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection: that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large.

And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.

Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." - George Washington

God Bless America: Prayers & Reflections For Our Country (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999) p. 18.

"While just government protects all in their religious rites, true religion affords government its surest support." - George Washington
. . .
"I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely." - Christopher Columbus

God Bless America: Prayers & Reflections For Our Country (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999) p. 111.

"The moment I - as a pastor - stop growing, this church will stop growing. You must always be developing and growing and becoming what God wants you to be. Learning to be a leader takes a lifetime." - Rick Warren
From Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox Issue #307

"Concentration and Composure
Philippians 2:1-11
. . .
Byron Nelson says every great player has learned two C's - concentration and composure. Concentration is the ability to block things that might interfere with your focus on the shot. Interference might come from within your mind or from the surroundings - people, noises, movement. . . . Composure is "accepting what comes along and not letting it bother you." It is dealing with distractions so they do not affect your shot. Nelson admits, "That's difficult enough in everyday living, I know. It's particularly hard on the golf course, because we all feel we should play a little better than we really do."
Byron has hit on two keys to life and golf. Concentration and composure are qualities of a person who is steady and focused. . . . It helps in golf; it is essential for a life focused on Christ."

By: Jim Sheard with Scott Lehman, The Master's Grip: Lessons for Winning in Life and Golf (Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006) p. 78.

"You were made for a mission.
God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him. This assignment is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers, and your mission is your service to unbelievers.

. . .

Nothing else you do will ever matter as much as helping people establish an eternal relationship with God.

. . .

"Save one more for Jesus!" I intend for that to be the theme of the rest of my life. I invite you to consider it as a focus for your life, too, because nothing will make a greater difference for eternity."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 281, 284, 287-288.

"Servants think more about others than about themselves. . . . When we stop focusing on our own needs, we become aware of the needs around us. . . .

Servants think about their work, not what others are doing. They don't compare, criticize, or compete with other servants or ministries. They're too busy doing the work God has given them. . . . There's no place for petty jealousy between servants. When you're busy serving, you don't have time to be critical. . . . If you serve like Jesus, you can expect to be criticized. . . . Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others say. . . . When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best.

. . .

The closer you get to Jesus the less you need to promote yourself."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 265, 268-269, 270.

"We serve God by serving others.

. . .

Jesus . . . measured greatness in terms of service, not status.

. . .

Real servants make themselves available to serve. . . . If you only serve when it's convenient for you, you're not a real servant. Real servants do what's needed, even when it's inconvenient. . . . Servants see interruptions as divine appointments for ministry and are happy for the opportunity to practice serving.

Real servants pay attention to needs. Servants are always on the lookout for ways to help others. . . . John Wesley . . . moto was "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can." That is greatness. . . .

Real servants do their best with what they have. Servants don't make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. . . .

Real servants do every task with equal dedication. . . . The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is, does it need to be done? . . . No task is beneath you when you have a servant's heart. . . .

Real servants are faithful to their ministry. Servants finish their tasks, fulfill their responsibilities, keep their promises, and complete their commitments. . . . They are trustworthy and dependable. . . .

Real servants maintain a low profile. Servants don't promote or call attention to themselves. . . . The most significant service is often the service that is unseen."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 257 - 263.

"God has a place in his church where your specialties can shine and you can make a difference. It's up to you to find that place. . . . No one else can play your role, because they don't have the unique shape that God has given you.

. . .

Mimicking someone else's ministry never works. You can learn from the example of others, but you must filter what you learn through your own shape."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 243. 245-246.

"Each of us was uniquely designed, or "shaped," to do certain things.

. . .

SHAPE
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience

. . .

He has prepared you for the purpose of serving him. Using your shape is the secret of both fruitfulness and fulfillment in ministry. You will be most effective when you use your spiritual gifts and abilities in the area of your heart's desire, and in a way that best expresses your personality and experiences. The better the fit, the more successful you will be."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 234, 236, 248.

"You were put on earth to make a contribution.

. . .

Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we're more interested in "serve us" than service. We say, "I'm looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me," not "I'm looking for a place to serve and be a blessing." We expect others to serve us, not vice versa. But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, "Who's going to meet my needs?" and starts asking, "Whose needs can I meet?" Do you ever ask that question?"

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 227, 231.

"Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ. . . . Christlikeness is your eventual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime.

. . .

There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: You must practice them - and that takes time!

. . .

Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 219, 221, 222.

"There is always a way out.

. . . God has promised never to allow more on you than he puts within you to handle it. . . . However, you must do your part too by practicing four biblical keys to defeating temptation.

* Refocus your attention on something else. . . . The battle for sin is won or lost in your mind. . . . To reduce temptation, keep your mind occupied with God's Word and other good thoughts. You defeat bad thoughts by thinking of something better. . . .

* Reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group. . . . You need the help of other people. Some temptations are only overcome with the heop of a partner who prays for you, encourages you, and holds you accountable. . . .

* Resist the Devil. . . . You must use the Word of God as your weapon against Satan. . . . memorizing Scripture is absolutely essential to defeating temptation. . . .

* Realize your vulnerability. . . . Given the right circumstances, any of us are capable of any sin. We must never let down our guard and think we're beyond temptation. Don't carelessly place yourself in tempting situations. Avoid them."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 209 - 215.

"It is your job to protect the unity of your church. . . . God deeply desires that we experience oneness and harmony with each other. Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ's Body.

. . .

Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.

. . .

Be realistic in your expectations. . . . Other believers will disappoint you and let you down, but that's no excuse to stop fellowshiping with them. . . . We must remember that the church is made up of real sinners, including ourselves. . . . Divorcing your church at the first sign of disappointment or disillusionment is a mark of immaturity.

. . .

Choose to encourage rather than criticize. . . . It's the Devil's job to blame, complain, and criticize members of God's family. Anytime we do the same, we're being duped into doing Satan's work for him.

. . .

Refuse to listen to gossip.

. . .

Practice God's method for conflict resolution.

. . .

Support your pastor and leaders. There are no perfect leaders, but God gives leaders the responsibility and authority to maintain the unity of the church.

. . .

What are you doing personally to make your church family more warm and loving?"

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 160 - 167.

"Relationships are always worth restoring. Because life is all about learning how to love, God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict. . . . our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturity.

. . .

Peacemaking is not avoiding conflict. Running from a problem, pretending it doesn't exist, or being afraid to talk about it is actually cowardice. . . . Peacemaking is also not appeasement. Always giving in, acting like a doormat, and allowing others to always run over you is not what Jesus had in mind. He refused to back down on many issues, standing his ground in the face of evil opposition.

. . .

Reconciliation focuses on the relationship, while resolution focuses on the problem. When we focus on reconciliation, the problem loses significance and often becomes irrelevant. We can reestablish a relationship even when we are unable to resolve our differences. . . . God expects unity, not uniformity, and we can walk arm-in arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 152, 153, 158.

"Community requires commitment.

. . .

Cultivating community takes honesty. . . . Sometimes this means caring enough to lovingly confront one who is sinning or is being tempted to sin. . . . Real fellowship, whether in a marriage, a friendship, or your church, depends on frankness. In fact, the tunnel of conflict is the passageway to intimacy in any relationship. . . . Frankness is not a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. It is not rudeness. . . . Thoughtless words leave lasting wounds. God tells us to speak to each other in the church as loving family members.

. . .

Cultivating community takes humility. . . . Pride builds walls between people; humility builds bridges. . . . Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.

. . .

Cultivating community takes courtesy. Courtesy is respecting our differences, being considerate of each other's feelings, and being patient with people who irritate us.

. . .

Cultivating community takes confidentiality. . . . Gossip always causes hurt and divisions, and it destroys fellowship.

. . .

Cultivating community takes frequency. . . . regular contact. . . . Relationships take time."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 145 - 150.

"Life is meant to be shared. God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship. . . . Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other "one another" commands found in the New Testament.

When it comes to fellowship, size matters: Smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but you can't fellowship with one. Once a group becomes larger than about ten people, someone stops participating - usually the quietest person - and a few people will dominate the group. . . . Every Christians needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether it is a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study.

. . .

There are different levels of fellowship, . . . . The simplest . . . fellowship of sharing and the fellowship of studying God's Word together. A deeper level is the fellowship of serving, as when we minister together . . . . The deepest, most intense level is the fellowship of suffering, where we enter into each other's pain and grief and carry each other's burdens.

. . .

You can't have fellowship without forgiveness. . . . bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. . . . it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship. . . . God's mercy to us is the motivation for showing mercy to others. . . . Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior. Forgiveness must be immediate. . . . Trust must be rebuilt over time."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 138 - 139, 141, 142-143.

"You are called to belong, not just believe.

. . .

While your relationship to Christ is personal, God never intends it to be private. . . . Following Christ includes belonging, not just believing. We are members of his Body - the church.

. . .

The church is a body, not a building; an organism, not an organization.

. . .

The first symptom of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services and other gatherings of believers. Whenever we become careless about fellowship everything else begins to slide, too.

. . .

The person who say, "I don't need the church," is either arrogant or ignorant.

. . .

As members of Christ's body, we are his hand, his feet, his eyes, and his heart. He works through us in the world.

. . .

The difference between being a church attender and a church member is commitment. Attenders are spectators from the sidelines; members get involved in the ministry. Attenders are consumers; members are contributors. Attenders want the benefits of a church without sharing the responsibility.

. . .

The Christian life is more than jut commitment to Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians. . . . You become a Christian by committing yourself to Christ, but you become a church member by committing yourself to a specific group of believers. The first decision brings salvation; the second brings fellowship."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 130 - 137.

"As we issue Christ's appeal, one of the most severe obstacles is the assumption that our hearers understand what we are seeking to articulate and asking them to do. . . . Many of them don't! So we must make it plain. . . . I want those hearers to know exactly what I am asking them to do, to know why I am asking them to do it, to know how I am asking them to respond, and to know what they can expect to happen when they do. No surprises! I try to make the appeal as plain as possible and assume nothing."

By O. S. Hawkins, Drawing The Net: 30 Practical Principles for Leading Others to Christ Publicly and Personally (Dallas, Texas: Annuity Board, 2002), pp. 21-23.

"And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

By C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle, The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 7, (C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd, 1956, 1984)(This edition: New York, New York: Harper Trophy, a Division of Harper Collins Publishers, 1994), p. 228.

"We Christians have the tendencies to forget about the power of prayer. . . . We don't a have a clue what we are doing when we are praying. We are asking God to do what is impossible for us to do. . . . We focus on ourselves so much. We focus on ourselves in prayer. We often focus on ourselves in worship. When, if we focus on God, who He is, and whether He does anything for us or not, on who He is, and why we should worship Him, why we should pray to Him, why we should believe He can do all these things. Then our focus is in the right place, and I think consequently our energy is in the right place. We are encouraged because we get our eyes off of ourselves and our deficiencies, and get our eyes on Him and His abilities."

By Woodrow Kroll, Back To The Bible: Never Give Up / Start Over, (Lincoln, Nebraska: Back To The Bible, 2006), radio broadcast on December 29, 2006. www.backtothebible.org
Copyright � 2006 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc. (Back to the Bible) Lincoln, Nebraska, USA Used by permission. All rights reserved http://www.backtothebible.org/

"When I am thinking about drawing the net . . . I want people . . . who are positive, persistent, patient, and passionate. . . . Jesus knew that a genuine fisherman is always positive, always looking for an answer in every problem instead of a problem in every answer. He also recognized that a real fisherman is persistent. He never gives up! He keeps on going. He is also patient, doesn't panic under pressure, and is willing to try different methods. And finally, Jesus was well aware that a real fisherman is passionate. He always hates to lose one.

. . .

Net fishermen . . . mend their nets (live in love and unity with each other), wash their nets (live lifestyles that are clean before God), cast their nets (that is, they share their faith), and ... draw their nets ... (they extend the gospel invitation). Drawing the net is what the Christian does when, after presenting the message of salvation, he calls for a decision."

By O. S. Hawkins, Drawing The Net: 30 Practical Principles for Leading Others to Christ Publicly and Personally (Dallas, Texas: Annuity Board, 2002), pp. 14, 16.

"Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: love God and love people. . . . The point of life is learning to love - God and people.

. . .

God, whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people - because that's what life is all about. I don't want to waste this day.

. . .

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

. . .

Love means giving up - yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or time for the benefit of someone else.

. . .

The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 125, 126, 127, & 128.

"Do you realize that around your life today there are probably lost people whose mothers or fathers are praying that God will put a Christian alongside them? And you are that person.

. . .

The whole purpose of the cross was that all men everywhere would have the opportunity to her the good news of what God has provided, and we are the bearers of that gospel. He's depending on you and me.

. . .

This intensity means that when you're trying to lead others to faith in Christ, you help them fully understand what they're doing. You help them understand the significance of their sin. You help them know that the wages of sin is death, an eternal separation from God, and death which is inevitable if they don't accept God's only provision. And then comes the good news: God, because He loved you and doesn't want you to experience that death, now calls you to repent of your sin, to have faith in what God has done and now offers you salvation through Jesus Christ."

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), from Chapter 18, The Path of Witness and Ministry, pp. 166, 167, 170.

"You were formed for God's family.

. . .

When we place our faith in Christ, God becomes our Father, we become his children, other believers become our brothers and sisters, and the church becomes our spiritual family.

. . .

Baptism: Identifying with God's Family
. . .
Why is baptism so important? . . . Baptism declares your faith, shares Christ's burial and resurrection, symbolizes your death to your old life, and announces your new life in Christ. It is also a celebration of your inclusion in God's family. Your baptism is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. . . . Baptism doesn't make you a member of God's family; only faith in Christ does that. Baptism shows you are a part of God's family."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 117, 118, 120.

"God is real, no matter how you feel.

It is easy to worship God when things are going great in your life . . . . But circumstances are not always pleasant. How do you worship God then? What do you do when God seems a million miles away?

The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving him when he seems distant.

. . .

The most common mistake Christians make in worship today is seeking an experience rather than seeking God. They look for a feeling, and if it happens, they conclude that they have worshiped. Wrong! In fact, God often removes our feelings so we won't depend on them. Seeking a feeling, even the feeling of closeness to Christ, is not worship.

. . .

How do you praise God when you don't understand what's happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they're full of tears? . . .

Tell God exactly how you feel. . . .
Focus on who God is - his unchanging nature. . . .
Trust God to keep his promises. . . .
Remember what God has already done for you.

If God never did anything else for you, he would still deserve you continual praise for the rest of you life because of what Jesus did for you on the cross. God's Son died for you! This is the greatest reason for worship."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 107, 109, 110-112.

"The Bible says we're like sheep, and since that's true, is it not important that we keep following our Shepherd faithfully.

Our constant natural tendency is to wander, to grow slack and lose our diligence and discipline and seriousness, and I believer this kind of carelessness and casualness are among the greatest failures of God's people today. We find it so easy to get distracted as we follow the latest fads or the latest celebrities or the latest events, and forget to follow the Shepherd.

. . .

The cross shows us how to die to the world's hold upon us, and it opens up our understanding for walking the path of discipleship, for a lifetime of following our Savior and Shepherd."

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), from Chapter 17, The Path of Discipleship, pp. 155, 156.

"God wants all of you.

God doesn't want a part of your life. He asks for all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. God is not interested in halfhearted commitment, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time and money. He desires your full devotion, not little bits of your life."

. . .

"We cannot just create our own comfortable or politically correct image of God and worship it. That is idolatry. Worship must be based on the truth of Scripture, not our opinions about God."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 100, 101.

"God always acts in your best interest, even when it is painful and you don't understand it.

. . .

Every time you trust God's wisdom and do whatever he says, even when you don't understand it, you deepen your friendship with God. . . . Jesus made it clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy with God.

. . .

Because we have been forgiven and set free, we obey out of love - and our obedience brings great joy!"

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 94, 95

"Later I spoke with another missionary who had been in . . . , where the rebels caught and beat him and stole his vehicle and his belongings. The beating brought him lasting physical suffering, but when I asked him to tell me about this, he answered, "I counted the cost before I ever went to . . . . I told Him ahead of time that I knew the dangers, but as long as He went with me, that was enough." He expressed his gratefulness that though so many others had been killed, his life was spared.

I asked if he resented the treatment he'd received at the hand of the rebels. "Oh, no," he answered. "They treated my Lord that way." I was reminded again of our Savior's words in Matthew 10:24 -- "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master."

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), from Chapter 16, The Path of Surrender, pp. 138-139.

"When Jesus tells you to take up your cross, He isn't talking about simply resigning yourself to unavoidable circumstances, to some physical handicap you can't avoid and have no choice about. He's calling you instead to a dynamic choice you must make about the Father's will and His ways. These things will only be a part of your life if you choose them in obedience."
. . .
"The cross for Jesus was that ultimate purpose of God to bring salvation to our world; the cross in your life will be a choice to turn over everything in your life to God, to let God's ultimate purpose come to pass in your life, whatever this requires from you. For every believer, the cross is the sign and symbol for obediently carrying out the will of God."
. . .
"But ultimately, the key to your life is not what's on your heart, but what's on His heart."
. . .
"Obedience is obedience, and anything less than obedience is disobedience."

"You can't love God unless you know him, and you can't know him without knowing his Word. . . . While you cannot spend all day studying the Bible, you can think about it throughout the day, recalling verses you have read or memorized and mulling them over in your mind.
. . .
When you think about a problem over and over in your mind that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), p. 90.

"Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.

This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus your Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit. What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants your life -- all of it. Ninety-five percent is not enough.

. . .

Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience. You say "yes, Lord" to whatever he asks of you. To say "no, Lord" is to speak a contradiction. You can't call Jesus your Lord when you refuse to obey him. . . . Surrendered people obey God's word, even if it doesn't make sense."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), pp.78, 80.

"Partial obedience is disobedience."

The complete quote:

"Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I'll attend church but I won't tithe. I'll read my Bible but won't forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience.

Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully, with enthusiasm."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), p.72.

"Sin has a way of deadening a person to the possibility of enjoying life's true blessings.

Sin robs you of life.

But the cross of Christ has power to destroy that deadening influence and to restore you to the fullness of life God intends for you, so that you see and hear and experience all that's there for you as a child of God.

The salvation of God carries that dimension for all of us. He wants lead you into things you've never before seen or heard or experienced, through the power of being freed from sin to live fully in the center of His will."

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), from Chapter 15, Freedom From Sin, p. 120.

"Bring pleasure to God is called "worship."
. . .
Worship is far more than music. . . . Worship has nothing to do with the style or volume or speed of a song. God loves all kinds of music because he invented it all -- fast and slow, loud and soft, old and new. You probably don't like it all, but God does! If it is offered to God in spirit and truth, it is an act of worship. . . . Frankly, the music style you like best says more about you -- your background and personality -- than it does about God. . . .
. . .
Worship is not for your benefit. . . . We worship for God's benefit. When we worship, our goal is to bring pleasure to God, not ourselves. . . . It's for God. . . . Our motive is to bring glory and pleasure to our Creator. . . .
. . .
Worship is not a part of your life: it is your life. . . . Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. . . . This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship -- doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus. . . . This is what real worship is all about -- falling in love with Jesus."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), p.64-67.

"Putting requires trusting. . . . gather good information to help you decide on the correct line and speed, and trust that information. . . . Trust is a well-informed, unwavering commitment to something or someone. You can become well informed about Christ through studying the Bible. The you can approach life without hesitation, knowing your trust is in the Lord.

Swing Thought: See your line clearly and trust your knowledge. Follow through to the target."

By: Jim Sheard with Scott Lehman, The Master's Grip: Lessons for Winning in Life and Golf (Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006) p. 66.

"We are commanded to recognize his glory, honor his glory, declare his glory, praise his glory, reflect his glory, and live for his glory."
Rick Warren

The complete quote:

"It's all for him.

The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. It is the reason for everything that exists, including you. God made it all for his glory. Without God's glory, there would be nothing.

What is the glory of God? It is who God is. It is the essence of his nature, the weight of his importance, the radiance of his splendor, the demonstration of his power, and the atmosphere of his presence. God's glory is the expression of his goodness and all his other intrinsic, eternal qualities.

. . .

God's inherent glory is what he possesses because he is God. It is his nature. We cannot add anything to this glory, just as it would be impossible for us to make the sun shine brighter. But we are commanded to recognize his glory, honor his glory, declare his glory, praise his glory, reflect his glory, and live for his glory. Why? Because God deserves it! We owe him every honor we can possibly give.

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), p.53-54.

"The whole meaning of salvation is that God deals radically with our sin!"
Henry Blackaby

The complete quote:

"Considering the deadly seriousness of our sin brings us once again to the foot of the cross. In the cross, God dealt with all that sin has done, all that sin can do, and all that sin really is.

The death of Jesus was for your sin. That's why I can get nervous when I hear people say they've accepted Christ into their heart and will now go to heaven, but make no reference to their sin. And it's why I'm so concerned when I see tracts and evangelism methods that don't mention repentance of sin. Impossible! The whole meaning of salvation is that God deals radically with our sin!

I'm afraid there are many who've never truly turned from their sin, yet believe they are saved. But if they have never dealt with sin in their lives, if they have never repented and turned away from their sin, salvation is impossible.

In salvation, a man or woman is delivered out of the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of God's dear Son. The change is so radical that Scripture speaks of it as becoming a new creation - the old is gone, and everything becomes new. So my question for those who say they're new believers is this: Have you been radically born from above by letting the Father deal with your sin in His Son Jesus, where He laid that sin upon Him on the cross? Have you believed what God says about this, and fully exchanged the sin in your life for they righteousness of Christ?"

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), from Chapter 14, Your Sin and The Cross of Christ, pp 109-110.

"Life on earth is a temporary assignment.

The Bible is full of metaphors that teach about the brief, temporary, transient nature of life on earth. Life is described as a mist, a fast runner, a breath, and a wisp of smoke. . . .

To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is on a temporary residence. You won't be here long, so don't get too attached. Ask God to help you see life on earth as he sees it."

By Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), p.47.

"Swing Thought: Sometimes it is the little things that count most if you want to be influential in your home, neighborhood, or work group. Read the situation carefully and take a kind and gentle approach."

By: Jim Sheard with Scott Lehman, The Master's Grip: Lessons for Winning in Life and Golf (Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006) p. 63.

"God wasn't playing games with sin when He allowed His Son to be crucified. Sin is as bad as God tells us it is, with eternal consequences every bit as horrible as God describes them. We must never forget: Sin is so serious to the mind of God that He was willing to take His only Son - who knew no sin and lived in perfect holiness - and to make Him to be sin for us.

Roman crucifixion was the most cruel form of physical death mankind has ever devised, and Jesus had to endure that. But this was not the greatest tragedy of the cross. The greatest tragedy of it is what God did when He laid all the sin of the world on His Sin. By this means, God dealt thoroughly and radically with sin so His justice and His holiness would be upheld. All that would be required to deal with sin fell upon His Son in an indescribably dreadful blow."

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), from Chapter 13, What Our Sin Really Is, pp 96-97.

Swing Thought: "In golf I want fairways, greens, and putts. In life I want to know Him and to make Him known."

"The purpose of the Christian walk is to 'To Know Him and To Make Him Know.'" 'To Know Him' means increasing in knowledge of Christ as revealed in the Bible. 'To Make Him Know' means to share this message so others will come 'To Know Him.' In addition to number of strokes, one of the most straightforward practices in golf is to count 'fairways, greens, and putts' to indicate how well a person played a round. 'Fairways' is the number of tee shots the player drove into the fairway. 'Greens' is the number of greens hit in regulation, such as on the green in two or more under par. 'Putts' is the number of putts in a round."

By: Jim Sheard with Scott Lehman, The Master's Grip: Lessons for Winning in Life and Golf (Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006) p. 62.

"Sin in a believer's life is what keeps that individual from practicing and experiencing God's will. That's why you must make a radical commitment in your heart and mind to constantly and vigilantly deal with sin in your life."
. . .
"Jesus said, "He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38). . . . He's telling us that for you and me to even think of following Him in a worthy manner, the cross must be central in our life - which means dealing with sin must be central in our life."

By: Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross: Your Greatest Opportunity for Victory Over Sin (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 2005), Chapter 12, Take Up Your Cross, pp 92-93.