Want More Grace? Quotes, Books, & a PDF
Want more grace?
How much time do you have?
- Lots of time?
Read one of the 26 books recommended below. - Not much time?
Read a few paragraphs from each book. Click on the post titles to get there. - Only a little time?
Read one sentence below from each book. - No time?
to read later.
Whatever your situation, may you overflow with grace today.
Book Giveaway
It’s my 8-Year Blog Anniversary! I started here 8 years ago today.
Update: The Book Giveaway has a winner! Congratulations to Sharon at SharonSharingGod for winning Sheila Walsh’s, The Shelter of God’s Promises.
31 Quotes of Grace
1. If you want grace
“If you want God’s grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing.”
– Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods
2. Explain it or show it?
“I would far rather convey grace than explain it.”
– Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing about Grace?
3. The trouble with grace
“I love to give charity, but I don’t want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace.”
– Donald Miller, Blue like Jazz
4. Grace > circumstances
“The abundant grace of God far exceeds any circumstance we encounter.”
– Stephen Altrogge, The Greener Grass Conspiracy
5. Don’t assume the worst
“Refuse to assume the worst when your spouse does something out of the ordinary. Instead, start with the assumption of good intentions.”
– H. Norman Wright, What’s Next?
6. Stay where you are
“In the Incarnation, God said, ‘Stay where you are. I’ll come to you.’”
– Mike Glenn, The Gospel of Yes
7. Is your soul thirsty?
“God’s response to the thirsty soul is grace.”
– Andy Stanley, The Grace of God
8. Heaven into you
“God’s dream isn’t just to get you into heaven but to get heaven into you.”
– Max Lucado, Grace
9. Grace is like a roller coaster
“Grace is like a roller coaster; it makes us scream in terror and laugh uncontrollably at the same time.”
– Tullian Tchividjian, One Way Love
10. Who needs grace?
“So who needs grace? All of us, the saint as well as the sinner.”
– Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace
11. Grace always stoops
“Grace always stoops, to the point of being extravagant.”
– Leroy Garrett, What Must the Church of Christ Do to Be Saved
12. Even when I’m wrong
“Truth matters, but so does our attitude.”
– Joshua Harris, Humble Orthodoxy
13. The purpose of prayer is . . .
“The primary purpose of prayer is not to change circumstances; the primary purpose of prayer is to change us.”
– Mark Batterson, Draw the Circle
14. Jean Valjean, the Bishop, and grace in Les Misérables
“Is it true that I am to be released?”
“My friend,” resumed the Bishop, “before you go, here are your candlesticks. Take them.”
– Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
15. Own weakness to find strength
“Grace calls us to own weakness to find true strength.”
– Paul David Tripp, Lost in the Middle
16. He gives to us, not us to him
“Grace revolves around what He has given us, not what we give to Him.”
– Steve McVey, 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday
17. Save me from myself
“Jesus came to save me from myself. He came to save me from self-effort.”
– Emily Freeman, Grace for the Good Girl
18. Not in our strength
“God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness, not in what we perceive as our strength.”
– Sheila Walsh, The Shelter of God’s Promises
19. You can’t exhaust God’s grace
“‘Stop asking so much! My grace reservoir is running dry.’ Heaven knows no such words.”
– Max Lucado, Grace
20. Grace pays it all
“Grace is not a matter of God’s making up the difference, but of God’s providing all the ‘cost’ of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.”
– Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace
21. You’re not a pendulum, Christian
“The Christian is not one who swings like a spiritual pendulum, as if forgiven one moment and condemned the next. A Christian is one who is not now nor ever shall be condemned: no condemnation!”
– Sam Storms, One Thing
22. How to know if you’re self-righteous
“You’ll never know if self-righteousness is in your heart until something tragic happens to a fellow Christian that you know.”
– Frank Viola, From Eternity to Here
23. The gospel is good news about a person
“The gospel is good news about a person and what that person has done for us in our hopeless, helpless and hapless condition.”
– Carl Ketcherside, The Twisted Scriptures
24. If God sees no undesirables, me either
“Because God sees no undesirables, neither should we.”
– Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew
25. If you can buy it, it’s not grace
“Grace can neither be bought, earned, nor won by the creature. If it could be, it would cease to be grace.”
– Arthur Pink, The Attributes of God
26. Know God more, love God more
“As you come to know Him more, you will love Him more.”
– Steve McVey, Grace Walk
27. Do you dispense guilt or grace?
“Often, it seems, we’re perceived more as guilt dispensers than as grace dispensers.”
– Philip Yancey, Vanishing Grace
28. You can’t contain it
“He dispenses his goodness not with an eyedropper but with a fire hydrant.”
– Max Lucado, Grace
29. Words we long to hear
“Words we long to hear: I love you. I forgive you. Supper’s ready. Isn’t this the gospel?”
– Philip Yancey, Vanishing Grace
30. Jesus is the kingdom
“Jesus didn’t come to build a kingdom. He brought one with him. He is the kingdom.”
– Carl Medearis, Speaking of Jesus
31. Take grace too far?
“We can never go too far with grace because we can never go too far with Jesus.”
– Steve McVey, 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday
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PDF Download
How have you seen grace this week?
These excerpts are gathered from a previous 31 Days series.
Loved, loved reading these quotes on grace!
I listened to the podcast you did with Holly Barrett. I so enjoyed listening and getting to know you better!
And I loved hearing the podcast that YOU did with Holly. 🙂 It’s been so fun listening to those we typically only hear in our heads through their words. Glad you enjoyed the grace quotes! We can never get too much of grace.
Lisa I really enjoyed all of this and the work you put into it. Thanks for the download and all the suggestions.
Thanks, Debbie. It was fun to do and a blessing to re-read the quotes of grace again myself.
Thank you for sharing such beautiful quotes, Lisa. I don’t think I ever understood grace (even after many years as a Christian), until I finally sensed the lavishness of God’s forgiveness for my abortion. Though I had confessed it (over and over and over again) for eighteen interminable years, I never felt forgiven. But on a writers retreat. as I stood at water’s edge and saw the unending, unfathomable depths of the ocean, I finally sensed the infinitude–the magnitude of God’s lavish grace wash over me. The oceam has no end–and nor does God’s grace. Thank you for reminding us of this incredible truth. I can’t imagine blogging for eight years. I would need a ton of grace for that! 🙂 Congratulations!!!
Blessings,
Lynn
I appreciate you sharing that personal story, Lynn! It shows us how real that grace is. How intimate. It’s a living, breathing Father wanting his kids to know how much he truly loves them, no matter what. It took me many years to even be aware of grace, and then more years to really believe it. And now that I’m finally learning to be accepting of it, it’s the best yet.
Eight years flies by quicker than we realize. I’m sure you could do it too. 🙂
One of my favorite grace quotes: “He giveth more grace as the burdens grow greater…” Annie Flint
A beautiful addition here, Mary. Thanks for adding this quote of grace! It brings me comfort to know this truth.
First of all, Lisa, congratulations on your blog anniversary! I recently celebrated my 6th, and it’s amazing what God does in this wonderful world called Blog Land, isn’t it?!
I love, love, loved all these quotes about grace. I especially enjoyed the mention of Philip Yancey, as he’s one of my favorite authors. I have read, “What’s So Amazing About Grace” and “The Jesus I Never Knew,” and enjoyed them thoroughly. I remember the feeling that there was so much I didn’t know about the *real* Jesus, and His awesome gift of grace, and being overwhelmed at how wonder-full it all is. (I also enjoyed John Eldredge’s “Beautiful Outlaw.”
That’s the thing, after all – finding Jesus, and beginning to learn about grace. I’m not sure that our finite minds can ever fully understand it, but I’m so glad that He’s given us the gift of eternity to explore it!!
GOD BLESS!
I’m glad you enjoyed these grace quotes, too, Sharon. Philip Yancey’s writing is so enlightening, I agree. He’s one of my favorites. He helps me get grace and Jesus in a way I hadn’t understood before. Six years and eight years–that must mean we like this blogging thing, yes? 🙂 It is an amazing world! Glad we’re in it together.
Love the quotes on grace Lisa. One of the books on grace I liked the most was called “Messy Grace” by Caleb Kaltenbach. There are tons of thoughts about grace I underlined but it would take too many pages to write them all down. I recommend the book.
Oh yes, Messy Grace is another good one! I don’t think I had read that one yet when I first compiled this list. Thanks for reminding us of it. I definitely recommend it, too.
Thanks for all the beautiful inspiration, Lisa! I can never drink in too much goodness about God’s grace! It is so amazing and all encompassing. I’m thankful that I can lean hard into His grace and it empowers me to fulfill all He has called me to do. 🙂 Blessings! – Tasha (visiting from Moments of Hope)
Yes, his grace empowers us to fulfill what he calls us to do. Nice insight, Tasha. I’m so grateful we don’t have to depend on our own abilities and skills but can trust his grace to guide us and equip us to do whatever he calls us to do.
Hi Lisa. I love all these quotes! Thank you. 🙂 Also for the free download and the book giveaway. Blessings and hugs to you!
You’re welcome, Trudy! It was fun gathering the stuff together. I do love me some grace. 🙂
I love this set up of quotes. I’ve been an avid “quote collector” since I was a little girl. So inspirational 🙂 Visiting from #inspiredmemonday 🙂
My sister has also been an avid quote collector for years and years. I wish she would start a blog of just quotes! She has so much material to draw from. Thanks for stopping by, Angela.
Congratulations on 8 years of blogging! Thank you for dispensing grace in your posts. 🙂
I have no idea if I am going to do 31 Days this year or what subject I’d choose yet – it’s incubating in the back of my mind. We have family coming in this week and a couple of birthdays, so everything has been pushed to the back burner. 🙂
Times flies when we’re blogging, yes? I can’t believe we’ve been doing it this long.
I understand about your questioning 31 Days. Every year I think I’ll get a big headstart but it doesn’t usually happen like I plan. However, this year I may have my biggest start ever just because I know Jenna’s wedding will fall the first weekend of October and I know I won’t be blogging then. 🙂 So I’ve started a couple of posts already and even made a button today. Starting too early though means I have time to change my mind over and over.
I forgot to tell you HAPPY BLOG ANNIVERSARY! You go, Lisa!
This is so beautiful to read! And love your intro about time. You make me smile
Congrats on 8 years. wow. I think am a 7 so behind a little. I know blogging has been one of the best things for me as a writer and for making new friends like you. Thanks for all you do!
I feel the same, Jean. Blogging has been such a wonderful outlet for writing AND we get the added bonus of meeting new friends who are of like minds! So grateful God connected me to you.
The quotes are the best of the best.
I can’t even picture doing a 31 days project this year, but I will be cheering on all of my brave friends.
I’m sure I’ll need your cheers, Michele. It would probably be a good year for me to skip since my youngest is getting married the first weekend of October. But I have already started preparing a little so hopefully all will be well. 🙂
I love reading quotes and I love reading about God’s grace 🙂
I very much enjoyed reading your post today and you have an awesome giveaway. I have not read The Shelter of God’s Promises, the title is comforting, as there is no better place to be than in the Shelter of God’s Promises!
I bought The Shelter of God’s Promises after hearing Sheila Walsh speak at a women’s conference. She’s so inspiring. She really touches on so many of my own fears in this book and speaks God’s promises over them. Glad you enjoyed the grace quotes, Renee!
Love the quotes idea. Aren’t you a creative one? Your blog is a joy to visit, your words too. Visiting today via #intentionalTuesday
Thanks, Kristi. The quotes make me want to go back and read all the books again, but I know that will never happen. ha. If only we had unlimited time in a day…
Wow! I’m a grace girl and love reading, understanding and accepting grace in my own life. My journey is messy and muddled but grace is the gift that gets me through. Each quote was better than the one before it. I love that list. Thank you for sharing. Thank you also for the giveaway.
I just had the blessing of listening to your podcast recently with Holly and loved learning more about you and your heart for Jesus. Happy 8 year anniversary! Here’s to many more!
Thank you so much for all your sweet words, Mary. The podcast was fun to do, although I could barely stand to go back and listen to myself after it came out. ha.
I see so many places where God has brought me grace in my past, too. My lifelong struggle has been to trust that he will continue giving me grace in the future! In my head I don’t doubt it. But my emotions still find it almost too good to be true.
I love the Jean Valjean quote AND the one about when your spouse does something out of the ordinary. 🙂 I want a life marked by God’s grace and that includes extending it to others!
I love that story of Jean Valjean too. Such a beautiful metaphor of how God gives us far more than we deserve. Reading Les Miserables was an act of grace itself; it was so long and tedious at times! ha. But worth it to discover all the grace points in it. Hoping you’re having a blessed week, Betsy.
Happy Blogiversary! You are a champ, indeed. Somebody likes “grace!” I liked all the quotes especially when grace is compared to a roller coaster. So very true!
I do like grace, you’re right! 🙂 Once I found it, I never want to let it go. Glad you enjoyed the quotes, too.
Happy, happy blog celebrating. Congratulations on eight years of excellence. Your words are an encouragement to me and many others. I loved Steve McVey’s book, Grace Walk. I’m excited to know of some other great reads.
Thanks, Ginger. It’s been a fun eight years! I used to follow Steve McVey on Facebook but I realize that I haven’t heard anything from him in awhile so I’ll have to relook him up. His view on grace is always so encouraging to me; I’m glad to know you enjoyed his book too.
I have never heard of that book–it looks so very good! Thanks for a chance to win a copy! And thank you for ALL the encouragement you give on your blog!
I think you’d like this book, Susan. It’s so encouraging about the many promises that God makes to us! I love hearing those things over and over. 🙂
Happy 8th Anniversary, Lisa! I’m such a baby blogger at just four years. BTW, I did read Warriors Don’t Cry, so good and so disturbing. Thanks for sharing it.
Neither of us are teenagers yet in the blogging world, but maybe that’s a good thing. Who can imagine what’s to come? 🙂 I’m so glad you did get to read Warriors Don’t Cry! Even though it was disturbing. Truths we need to know and remember. Thanks, Kelly.
Lisa, what a wonderful collection of quotes on grace … love them all!
Congratulations on 8 years!!!
Thanks, Crystal! It’s been a fun eight years of writing. I don’t think I could have imagined this journey eight years ago.
Well, congratulations, Lisa! Eight years… To borrow a phrase from Meet Joe Black, “Doesn’t it go by in a blink…”
Glad I’ve got to be a part of your world for the last around six of them. It’s been good. Thanks for that.
You’ve been such an encouraging part of my blogging adventures, Floyd. So thankful for your companionship through these years. I’ve been blessed by your friendship.
Those are some amazing quotes. Congratulations on 8 years of blogging. I hit 8 years in July.
So we were moved at the same time. 🙂 I don’t think I imagined 8 years ago how this would have turned out, did you? It’s been a fun adventure! Congrats to you, too, Barbie.
Thank you for sharing these quotes! Looking forward to reading them, and maybe a few of the books. ?
Good! I wish I had time to go back and re-read each of the books. 🙂 But not going to happen, obviously. ha.
Happy Blogaversary! Just think of all the hearts you have touched in 8 years. So so SO many! And I love how you broke this down into different chunks of time. You took the pressure off those who are short on time by doing this ♥ And the PDF? Fantastic!
Thank you for joining me each week to share hope at #MomentsofHope!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Thanks, Lori It’s been such a blessing to add you to my list of blogging friends this year. You truly are a bringer of hope! I appreciate your faithfulness in hosting us each week and your attitude of light that you always shine.