Book quotes

Every day in October 2013 I’m sharing a few paragraphs from a favorite book of faith.

Below are excerpts of the excerpts. Click on the links to get the full quotes.

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Oct 31 – Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

“God’s love to us cannot fail any more than His love to Christ can fail.” – Jerry Bridges

Oct 30 – Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

“My desire is that My ‘sheep’ hear My voice continually, for I am the ever-present Shepherd.” – Sarah Young

Oct 29 – The Greener Grass Conspiracy by Stephen Altrogge

“The world would have us believe that our discontentment is a circumstances problem….Our problem isn’t a circumstances problem—it’s a worship problem.” – Stephen Altrogge

Oct 28 – Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants by Dr. Paul Brand

“I am convinced that the attitude we cultivate in advance may well determine how suffering will affect us when it does strike.” – Paul Brand

Oct 27 – The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith

“What we think about God—what we think God is like—will determine the relationship we have with God.” – James Bryan Smith

Oct 26 – Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” – C. S. Lewis

Oct 25 – Future Grace by John Piper

“Faith calls attention to grace and magnifies it, rather than nullifying it.” – John Piper

Oct 24 – Humility by Andrew Murray

“Water always fills first the lowest places. The lower, the emptier a man lies before God, the speedier and the fuller will be the inflow of the divine glory.” – Andrew Murray

Oct 23 – 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday by Steve McVey

“We don’t have two lives—a “spiritual” life here and a “regular” life there. Our life in Christ is one unified lifestyle, and it is who we are wherever we are.” – Steve McVey

Oct 22 – The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

“Which of us, then, does not offend frequently with our tongue? The real problem, however, is not our tongues but our hearts.” – Jerry Bridges

Oct 21 – The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight

“We don’t ask what the Bible says, we ask what God says to us in that Bible. The difference is a difference between paper and person.” – Scot McKnight

Oct 20 – One Thing by Sam Storms

“You need never fear feeling too good about God.” – Sam Storms

Oct 19 – The Resignation of Eve by Jim Henderson

“Some women have resigned from Christianity, some have resigned from God, but many have simply developed a more insidious form of resignation, the invisible resignation that people develop when they’ve given up hope.” – Jim Henderson

Oct 18 – Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian

“Christian growth, in other words, doesn’t happen by first behaving better, but by believing better—believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Christ has already secured for sinners.” – Tullian Tchividjian

Oct 17 – one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp

“How long does it take your soul to realize that your life is full? The slower the living, the greater the sense of fullness and satisfaction.” – Ann Voskamp

Oct 16 – Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“I am not asking whether you know things about Him but do you know God, are you enjoying God, is God the centre of your life, the soul of your being, the source of your greatest joy? He is meant to be.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Oct 15 – Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree

“I am suggesting that we rob God of praise by not pointing out his reflection in the people he has knit together in his image.” – Sam Crabtree

Oct 14 – The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

“We ought to be spiritual in every aspect of our lives because our world is the spiritual one. It is what we are suited to.”  Dallas Willard

Oct 13 – Recalling the Hope of Glory by Allen P. Ross

“There is no reason for individual congregations to change everything they have been doing; but there is every reason for all congregations to evaluate everything they are doing to see how they can do it better. And the test for this evaluation is how well the worship activities transform the lives of believers for service in this life and fit them for glory.” – Allen P. Ross

Oct 12 – Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

“She began to understand quite clearly that truth cannot be understood from books alone or by any written words, but only by personal growth and development in understanding, and that things written even in the Book of Books can be astonishingly misunderstood while one still lives on the low levels of spiritual experience and on the wrong side of the grave on the mountains.” – Hannah Hurnard

Oct 11 – By Grace Alone by Sinclair B. Ferguson

“Remember that you are not saved by increased levels of holiness, however desirable it is that you should reach them. …It is Christ who saves us—through faith. Your faith is a poor and crumbling thing, as is your spiritual service. Jesus Christ alone is qualified and able to save you because of what He has done.” – Sinclair B. Ferguson

Oct 10 – The Faith of Leap by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

“So the learners take one step out of their comfort zone, closer to the edge of chaos, and then another half step so they are “at risk” of real failure. If the liminal situation can be sustained, then real, lasting, paradigm-shifting learning will occur.” – Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch

Oct 9 – Mothering as a Spiritual Journey by Ann Tremaine Linthorst

“Personal, bodily separation from our children does not mean that we become separate from those so-precious qualities of childness that have blessed and enriched our awareness. …What we loved so dearly in and as our little children were qualities, not small bodies and immature minds. The qualities of playfulness, spontaneity, innocence, purity, and wonder are as true of Being today as when our children were little.” – Ann Tremaine Linthorst

Oct 8 – Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

“Here was the rub: one must be more zealous to please God than to avoid sin. One must sacrifice oneself utterly to God’s purposes, even to the point of possibly making moral mistakes. One’s obedience to God must be forward-oriented and zealous and free, and to be a mere moralist or pietist would make such a life impossible.” – Eric Metaxas

Oct 7 – A Praying Life by Paul Miller

“While I was speaking at a camp for children with disabilities, one of the volunteer workers felt falsely accused by a parent. After listening to her, I brightened up and told her, ‘Now you can serve Jesus instead of the parents.'” – Paul Miller

Oct 6 – Quit Going to Church by Bob Hostetler

“I pray for you to quit going to church and start being the church. I pray you will quit saying your prayers and make it a habit instead to keep company with God. I pray you will quit sharing your faith and share your life.” – Bob Hostetler

Oct 5 – Desiring God by John Piper

“We praise what we enjoy because the delight is incomplete until it is expressed in praise. If we were not allowed to speak of what we value, and celebrate what we love, and praise what we admire, our joy would not be full.” – John Piper

Oct 4 – The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

“Do not forget Him but think on Him often. Adore Him continually. Live and die with Him. This is the glorious work of a Christian; in a word, this is our profession. If we do not know it, we must learn it.” – Brother Lawrence

Oct 3 – Inside Out by Larry Crabb

“When hints of sadness creep into our soul, we must not flee into happy or distracting thoughts. Pondering the sadness until it becomes overwhelming can lead us to deep change in the direction of our being from self-preservation to grateful worship.” – Larry Crabb

Oct 2 – The Twisted Scriptures by W. Carl Ketcherside

“Being human, there is only one type of unity possible for us, and that is unity in diversity. If we do not accept this form of unity there is no other for us.” – Carl Ketcherside

Oct 1 – Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

“It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most free, alive, interesting.” – Richard Foster

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What’s one of your favorite books on faith?