230 Quotes by Charles R. Swindoll

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

Choose to view life through God's eyes. This will not be easy because it doesn't come naturally to us. We cannot do this on our own. We have to allow God to elevate our vantage point. Start by reading His Word, the Bible...Pray and ask God to transform your thinking. Let Him do what you cannot. Ask Him to give you an eternal, divine perspective.

Today is unique! It has never occurred and it will never be repeated. At midnight it will end, quietly, suddenly, totally. Forever. But the hours between now and then are opportunities with eternal possibilities.

Grace has to be the loveliest word in the English language. It embodies almost every attractive quality we hope to find in others. Grace is a gift of the humble to the humiliated. Grace acknowledges the ugliness of sin by choosing to see beyond it. Grace accepts a person as someone worthy of kindness despite whatever grime or hard-shell casing keeps him or her separated from the rest of the world. Grace is a gift of tender mercy when it makes the least sense.

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to do and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Don't get older; get better: Live realistically. Give generously. Adapt willingly. Trust fearlessly. Rejoice daily.

Prayer is an investment. The time you dedicate to prayer isn't lost; it will return dividends far greater than what a few moments spent on a task ever could. If we fail to cultivate this discipline, prayer winds up being our last resort rather than our first response.

Allow me to offer a simple definition of wisdom. Wisdom is looking at life from God's point of view.

ELEVATE

Free Resource: Over 1000 smart goal ideas to inspire your life

Get Your Guide for FREE

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position.

Anything under God's control is never out of control.

Honesty has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it. No ulterior motives. No hidden meanings. An absence of hypocrisy, duplicity, political games, and verbal superficiality. As honesty and real integrity characterize our lives, there will be no need to manipulate others.

Times may be hard and people may be demanding, but never forget that life is special. Every single day is a special day. God is at work in you!

Worry is assuming responsibilities that you cannot handle. They truth is, they are responsibilities that God never intended for you to handle, because they are His.

Dream big, don't let anybody or anything break your wishbone. Stay strong, full of faith, and courageous... keep that backbone straight. And along the way, don't forget to laugh and enjoy the journey.

The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.

Your call will become clear as as your mind is transformed by the reading of Scripture and the internal work of God's Spirit. The Lord never hides His will from us. In time, as you obey the call first to follow, your destiny will unfold before you. The difficulty will lie in keeping other concerns from diverting your attention.

ELEVATE

Free Resource: A step-by-step process for healthier social media use

Get Your Guide for FREE

Encouragement is awesome. Think about it. It has the capacity to lift a man's or a woman's shoulders. To breathe fresh air into the fading embers of a smoldering dream. To actually change the course of another human being's day, week, or life.

People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

We aren't just thrown on this earth like dice tossed across a table. We are lovingly placed here for a purpose

Every one of us can blame somebody for something that has happened in our lives. But don't waste your time. What we need most is a steady stream of love flowing among us. Love that quickly forgives, willingly overlooks, and refuses to take offense.

Refuse to let your situation determine your attitude.

When you accept the fact that sometimes seasons are dry and times are hard and that God is in control of both, you will discover a sense of divine refuge, because the hope then is in God and not in yourself.

The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we choose to express. It is not a gift delivered to our door each morning, nor does it come through the window. And it is certain that our circumstances are not the things that make us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never laugh again.

Make a plan now to keep a daily appointment with God. The enemy is going to tell you to set it aside, but you must carve out the time. If you're too busy to meet with the Lord, friend, then you are simply too busy

Cultivate your own capabilities, your own style. Appreciate the members of your family for who they are, even though their outlook or style may be miles different from yours. Rabbits don't fly. Eagles don't swim. Ducks look funny trying to climb. Squirrels don't have feathers. Stop comparing. There's plenty of room in the forest.

A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven.

Fortunately, God made all varieties of people with a wide variety of interests and abilities. He has called people of every race and color who have been hurt by life in every manner imaginable. Even the scars of past abuse and injury can be the means of bringing healing to another. What wonderful opportunities to make disciples!

Vision is the ability to see God’s presence, to perceive God’s power, to focus on God’s plan in spite of the obstacles.

We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

Battles are won in the trenches, in the grit and grime of courageous determination; they are won day by day in the arena of life.

Walk by faith! Stop the plague of worry. Relax! Learn to say, "Lord, this is Your battle."

The stronger the winds, the deeper the roots, and the longer the winds, the more beautiful the tree.

Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hopes. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

Authentic men aren't afraid to show affection, release their feelings, hug their children, cry when they're sad, admit it when they're wrong, and ask for help when they need it.

God never asked us to meet life's pressures and demands on our own terms or by relying upon our own strength. Nor did He demands that we win His favor by assembling an impressive portfolio of good deeds. Instead, He invites us to enter His rest.

The more impossible the situation, the greater God accomplishes His work.

The past is over, forget it. The future holds hope, reach for it.

The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

In place of our exhaustion and spiritual fatigue, God will give us rest. All He asks is that we come to Him...that we spend a while thinking about Him, meditating on Him, talking to Him, listening in silence, occupying ourselves with Him - totally and thoroughly lost in the hiding place of His presence.

Encourage one another. Many times a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept people on their feet.

We continually encounter hardships. People disappoint us. We disappoint ourselves. But God is constant and compassionate. We are not alone. He cares. Against all reason, the transcendent God loves us so much that He has committed Himself to us.

People who soar, are those who refuse to sit back and wish things would change

Consistency: It's the jewel worth wearing; It's the anchor worth weighing; It's the thread worth weaving; It's a battle worth winning.

I'm here today to warn you: I want you to watch out for the adversary. Guard yourself from any spirit of entitlement. Restrain any and all subtle temptation to gain attention or to find ways to promote yourself.

God is a specialist at making something useful and beautiful out of something broken and confused.

Patience is a bitter plant that produces sweet fruit.

We really shouldn't look like a church.' I've heard that so much I want to vomit. 'Why?' I ask. 'Do you want your bank to look like a bank? Do you want your doctor's office to look like a doctor's office, or would you prefer your doctor to dress like a clown?'

I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun.

Laughter is the most beautiful and beneficial therapy God ever granted humanity.

God often does His best work in us when He catches us by surprise and introduces a change that is completely against our own desire.

Faith does not change my circumstances; faith changes me. Faith may not bring in the tuition check when I need it, but faith will give me what it takes to hang on.

The size of a challenge should never be measured by what we have to offer. It will never be enough. Furthermore, provision is God's responsibility, not ours. We are merely called to commit what we have - even if it's no more than a sack lunch.

Love has been called the most effective motivational force in all the world. When love is at work in us, it is remarkable how giving and forgiving, understanding and tolerant we can be.

One of the worst things you can give to your people is someone you're not.

It'll make all the difference in the world."

Hope is like an anchor. Our hope in Christ stabilizes us in the storms of life, but unlike an anchor, it does not hold us back.

Focusing intently on Christ naturally results in a lifestyle of increasingly greater selflessness. And it has another benefit. Gazing on Christ gives us greater ability to look past life's trials and remain calm in the midst of what others would call chaos.

No, the thing that makes for greatness is determination, persisting in the right direction over the long haul, following your dream, staying at the task.

Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood.

Oh, how horrible our sins look when they are committed by someone else.

Nothing speaks louder or more powerfully than a life of integrity

God doesn't work on our timetable. He has a plan that He will execute perfectly and for the highest, greatest good of all, and for His ultimate glory.

If you want to stop an argument, close your mouth.

Envy is one of the great enemies of active spirituality. It keeps us from loving our neighbors, from functioning with others in community, and from affirming people's unique worth. It also steals contentment from the heart. Is there anything or anyone you are envious of?

[God] is able to take your life, with all of the heartache, all of the pain, all of the regret, all of the missed opportunities, and use you for His glory.

God's heavenly plan doesn't always make earthly sense.

God has somehow placed into Christian's insides a special something, that extra inner reservoir of power that is more than a match for the stuff life throws at us.

Faith is like lighting the torch that passes from one person to the next. You can't light the torch of another if yours isn't burning.

The lens of fear magnifies the size of uncertainty.

Let`s choose each day and every day to keep an attitude of faith and joy and belief and compassion.

Of all the things God created, I am often most grateful He created laughter.

To be used of God. Is there anything more encouraging, more fulfilling? Perhaps not, but there is something more basic: to meet with God. To linger in His presence, to shut out the noise of the city and, in quietness, give Him the praise He deserves. Before we engage ourselves in His work, let's meet Him in His Word... in prayer... in worship.

You won't find God at the Seminary and you won't find wisdom in the halls of intellectualism.

If you only knew what God had to take me through to get me to the place where he could use me to be a blessing to other people, I doubt whether you would be willing to pay the price.

The world has changed and it's going to keep changing, but God never changes; so we are safe when we cling to Him.

From the tiny birds of the air and from the fragile lilies of the field, we learn the same truth, which is so important for those who desire to live a life of simple faith: God takes care of His own. He knows our needs. He anticipates our crises. He is moved by our weaknesses. He stands ready to come to our rescue. And at just the right moment, He steps in and proves Himself as our faithful heavenly Father.

While God is not the author of evil and He never prompts or condones sin, nothing occurs without His sovereign oversight. Others may choose to do evil deeds and God's people may suffer in the short term, but He will transform the evil intentions of evil people into opportunities for the enrichment of those in His care.

Do you want to be wise? Choose wise friends

We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.

On tough days, you gotta have heart. Don't quit, whatever you do. Persevere.

The habit of always putting off an experience until you can afford it, or until the time is right, or until you know how to do it is one of the greatest burglars of joy. Be deliberate, but once you've made up your mind -jump in.

One of the marks of maturity is the ability to disagree without becoming disagreeable

Don't expect wisdom to come into your life like great chunks of rock on a conveyor belt. Wisdom comes privately from God as a byproduct of right decisions, godly reactions, and the application of spiritual principles to daily circumstances.

The secret to responsible trust is acceptance. Acceptance is taking from God's hand absolutely anything He gives, looking into His face in trust and thanksgiving, knowing that the confinement of the hedge we're in is good and for His glory. Even though what we're enduring may be painful, it's good simply because God Himself has allowed it.

The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don't worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry...He's risen!

And when God steps in, His working is like the difference between a skyscraper and a star.

If the pace and the push, the noise and the crowds are getting to you, it's time to stop the nonsense and find a place of solace to refresh your spirit

Adversity is a good test of our resiliency, our ability to cope, to stand back up, to recover from misfortune. Adversity is a painful pedagogue.

We can't solve modern problems by going back in time. Retreating to the safety of the familiar is an understandable response, but God has called us to a life of faith. And faith requires us to face the unknown while trusting Him completely.

No marriage is "too dead" for the Lord to restore.

The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.

We are often so caught up in our activities that we tend to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.

Jesus kept it simple. The lesson wasn't complicated. 'I speak; you believe My word; your son will be fine.' We complicate what God has made simple by seeing the world through human eyes. We want to see in order to believe and presume that our limitations are His.

Nothing is so common as unsuccessful men with talent. They lack only determination.

Focus on your marriage. Because that's the nucleus of the home, whatever you do to restore its health and strength will naturally restore what's broken among the other relationships. If you have no children yet, this will make a comfortable nest for them to begin life well. If you have children, the changes you make in your marriage will affect the rest of the household more quickly and dramatically than you think.

When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic.

You may be going through a trial so overwhelming that it's borderline unbearable. You want to see the end of the tunnel. Which is only natural, because once we see that little speck of light, we feel we can make it through to the finish. But God's tunnels are often twisting, too complex and dark to see the light for many days. In such settings He says, "In that dark, twisting, seemingly endless period of time, trust Me. Stop running scared! Stop fearing!"

You see, when we talk about perfect trust, we're talking about what gives us roots, character, the stability to handle the hard times. Trusting God doesn't alter our circumstances. Perfect trust in Him changes us.

Sometimes we are to guard our heart...protect it from invasion and keep things safe and secure. Sometimes we should give our heart... let certain qualities out and release them to others

Do you need strength? Peace? Wisdom? Direction? Discipline? Ask for it! God will hear you.

God will never adjust His agenda to fit ours. He will not speed up His pace to catch up with ours; we need to slow our pace in order to recover our walk with Him. God will not scream and shout over the noisy clamor; He expects us to seek quietness, where His still small voice can be heard again.

Humility - the discipline of putting others ahead of self, the choice to value others above self - is, at its core, a matter of faith.

Friends make life a lot more fun.

I let people see the cracks in my life. We can't be phony. We've got to keep it real.

It is easy for Christians to have the false impression that once we have established a relationship with Christ, which we believe sets us right with God, the problems of life will somehow scoot away or they will slowly be removed from our lives.

One of the problems with worry is that it keeps you from enjoying what you have.

There is no counsel like God's counsel. No comfort like His comfort. No wisdom more profound than the wisdom of the Scriptures.

When God is involved, anything can happen. Be open. Stay that way. God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations out of broken chords.

A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living.

Have you ever studied Jesus's approach to talking with people? He didn't always fill the space with answers for them. Let's learn to do that with our fellow learners. Let's give them room to think and answer for themselves.

It's the nature of the beast within us to keep going back to the familiar rather than to strap on faith and face the future.

I know of no realm of life that can provide more companionship in a lonely world or greater feelings of security and purpose in chaotic times than the close ties of a family.

Two words will help you cope when you run low on hope: accept and trust.

It helps me if I remember that God is in charge of my day - not I.

God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to take so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us Himself. That is all. And that is enough.

God never calls His people to accomplish anything without promising to supply their every need.

You want to mess up the minds of your children? Here's how - guaranteed! Rear them in a legalistic, tight context of external religion, where performance is more important than reality. Fake your faith. Sneak around and pretend your spirituality. Train your children to do the same. Embrace a long list of do's and don'ts publicly but hypocritically practice them privately.

The beautiful thing about this adventure called faith is that we can count on Him never to lead us astray.

Because God gave you your makeup and superintended every moment of your past, including all the hardship, pain, and struggles, He wants to use your words in a unique manner. No one else can speak through your vocal cords, and, equally important, no one else has your story.

Let your life yield a sweet, winsome melody that this old world needs so desperately. Yes you can if you will.

Deep, contended joy comes from a place of complete security and confidence [in God] - even in the midst of trial.

You will find a common dichotomy in life. Those who don't have vision or determination, and refuse to dream the impossible, are always in the majority.

I know of nothing more valuable, when it comes to the all-important virtue of authenticity, than simply being who you are.

Don't seek more days in your life but more life in your days.

Christlikeness is a journey, not a destination. The joy is in the journey.

This tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis of all human mental illness

Jesus has prepared the way and has made following our destiny possible, whereas we are helpless by ourselves. We can find and fulfill our purpose by responding to the clear, simple call of Jesus Christ: "Follow Me." He is the doorway to fulfilling our destiny, where our divine design and God-ordained purpose live in perfect harmony.

When you have a sense of calling, whether it's to be a musician, soloist, artist, in one of the technical fields, or a plumber, there is something deep and enriching when you realize it isn't just a casual choice, it's a divine calling. It's not limited to vocational Christian service by any means.

There can be no more reliable authority on earth than God's Word, the Bible. This timeless, trustworthy source of truth holds the key that unlocks life's mysteries. It alone provides us with the shelter we need in times of storm.

Strength comes from choosing to fully trust, pray, and praise. Our circumstances may not change, but in the process we change.

I have tried and I cannot find, either in scripture or in history, a strong-willed individual whom God used greatly until He allowed them to be hurt deeply.

All he asks is that we trust Him, that we stand before Him in integrity and faith. God is just waiting for us to trust Him.

Confidence brings joy when we let God be God.

Man is the only animal that when you pat him on the head, his head swells up.

No one is immune to temptation. Not even a hero. Not even a nobody. Not even people like you and me. Lust is never very far away. And just when you least expect it, there it is again.

You can choose to be a drag and a burden, or an inspiration and encouragement.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you. we are in charge of our attitudes.

My order of priorities reflects the level of my commitment to Christ. Whoever or whatever is in first place, if it isn't the Lord Jesus, is in the wrong place.

You know one of the most encouraging things about faith? It pleases God.

It's a delightful thing to receive a good word just at your time of need. Encourage someone today.

The beautiful thing about encouragement is that anybody can do it.

We shouldn't deny the pain of what happens in our lives. We should just refuse to focus only on the valleys.

When the Lord makes it clear you're to follow Him in this new direction, focus fully on Him and refuse to be distracted by comparisons with others.

The Promised Land was a tangible representation of God's ultimate desire for His people, but they failed to comprehend His gift for at least three reasons: It was unconditionally promised, it was outrageously generous, and it was absolutely free. None of those make sense in the world as we know it.

We are in charge of our attitudes.

I don't have to explain or defend the will of God. My job is simply to obey it.

God's timing is always on time.

It's not enough merely to believe there is a God. You must believe in the God who is there.

It is in lonely solitude that God delivers His best thoughts, and the mind needs to be still and quiet to receive them.

Trusting God doesn't alter our circumstances. Perfect trust in Him changes us.

Good listeners believe they can learn something from everyone.

When we arrive at dilemmas in life and we are unable to decipher the right direction to go, if we hope to maintain our confidence in the process, we must (repeat must) allow the Lord to be our Guide, our Strength, our Wisdom - our all!

It takes faith to find personal significance in your relationship with God rather than how much money you earn, how beautiful you look, how many toys you own, how many trophies you collect, or how much territory you conquer and control.

"Do not lean on your own understanding." That means don't bring in the crutches and lean on them, those crutches that you have designed and made to handle such situations. Stay away from them. Don't lean on them; lean on God.

Stand still... and refuse to retreat. Look at it as God looks at it and draw upon His power to hold up under the blast.

We want a crowd to make us feel important and liked. But why is getting a crowd our focus? Jesus never suggested that crowds were the goal. He never addresses getting your church to grow. Never.

The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune.

As far back as I can remember, my mother would have me down by the bed at night with her, praying. I can still hear her voice calling my name to God and telling him that she wanted me to follow him in whatever he called me to do.

When you are giving people the gospel, you are giving them something to believe, and you have to set the stage for that. You don't just drive up and dump the truck and drive off.

If you allow it, [suffering] can be the means by which God brings you His greatest blessings.

Acceptance is taking from God's hand absolutely anything He gives, looking into His face in trust and thanksgiving.

Believing in grace is one thing. Living it is another.

People are far more important than rigid rules and demanding expectations.

Things will happen that seem to be totally contradictory, but these are God's arrangements. It was a wonderful day when I finally realized I don't have to explained or defend the will of God. My job is simply to obey it.

It's the most exciting thing to watch God work when I've asked him about something, to listen to him and watch him work. It's like this friendship, and it just grows and grows and grows and grows.

Like sin itself, Satan appeals to the senses. He originated and perfected the art of disguising evil as good.

When you suffer and lose, that does not mean you are being disobedient to God. In fact, it might mean you're right in the center of His will. The path of obedience is often marked by times of suffering and loss.

One essential ingredient for being an original in the day of copies is courageous vision.

God's forgiveness extends to the worst offenders and to anyone who wishes to receive it-not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

I'm not against screens, or new songs, or innovation. I just don't like the gimmicks. I want to know when worship is over that that leader's sole purpose was to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as bank tellers need a thorough knowledge of legitimate currency in order to spot counterfeit bills, so Christians need a thorough knowledge of the Bible in order to spot bogus religious teachings. How grounded are you in the Scriptures? How deep are your theological roots? How capable are you of detecting false teachings?

People who are close to God cultivate a personal intimacy with Him like a good gardener cultivates beautiful flowers.

God also allows suffering so that we might learn what it means to depend on Him, not on our own strength and resources.

Vision encompasses vast vistas outside the realm of the predictable, the safe, the expected.

Allowing anger to seethe on the back burner will lead to a very large lid blowing off a very hot pot.

God alone is perfectly and consistently just. We forget; God remembers. We see an action; God sees a motive. This qualifies Him as the best recordkeeper and judge.

What sets Christian spiritual activity apart from all other religions is that they have knowledge of Christ as their goal; not moral perfection (although you will become more moral), not tranquility (although your life will be remarkably more peaceful). And because of the grace you have in Christ, the disciplines will do nothing to make you more accepted by the Father. You cannot be more accepted than you already are in Christ, since He has already done it all for you!

Home is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered out the single most influential force in our earthly existence. No price tag can adequately reflect its value.

It has come to the time where the most dangerous place to be in America is not the inner city, where gangs threaten innocent lives, or in angry prisons, where only the fit survive, but in the womb of a mother who is being told that if she doesn't really want the baby, an abortion is the solution.

The happiest people I know are the ones who have learned how to hold everything loosely and have given the worrisome, stress-filled, fearful details of their lives into God's keeping.

Real integrity stays in place whether the test in adversity or prosperity.

If you want to be a person with a large vision, you must cultivate the habit of doing the little things well.

How important is the heart! It is there that character is formed. It alone holds the secrets of true success. It's treasures are priceless - but they can be stolen.

No pressure is greater than God's power.

Leaders need to cultivate two things: a righteous heart and a rhinoceros skin.

Another problem with worry is that it makes you forget your worth. Worry makes you feel worthless, forgotten, and unimportant.

If God's people are to be living examples of one thing, that thing ought to be - it must be - compassion.

Tell yourself right now and throughout today, that it's okay to draw away from the maddening crowd. Jesus did; so can you.

Life...as God intended it enables us to live above the drag of fear, superstition, shame, pessimism, guilt, anxiety, worry, and all the negativity that keeps people from seizing each day as a gift from Him.

If I had my life to live over, I'd have spent more hours in worship.

Don't be afraid of outgiving God. It is impossible to do that.

If we want the advantages of love, then we must be willing to take the risks of love. And that requires vulnerability. Of course, we can refuse this path and trod another one devoid of openness. But the toll on such a road is extremely high.

Grace releases and affirms. It doesn't smother. Grace values the dignity of individuals. It doesn't destroy. Grace supports and encourages. It isn't jealous or suspicious.

A story without context is like a diamond without a mounting. The stone may be beautiful lying loose on a table, but when it is carefully mounted in the right setting it can dazzle you with its brilliance and sparkling beauty.

Jesus' plan called for action, and how He expressed it predicted its success. He didn't say "you 'might' be my witnesses," or "you 'could' be my witnesses," or even "you 'should' be my witnesses." He said "you 'WILL' be my witnesses.

People who inspire others are those who see invisible bridges at the end of dead-end streets

Go God's way! His is the most reliable route to follow when life gets complicated. It will have its tough moments, but you will never regret it.

Know yourself, like yourself, be yourself.

For there to be true maturity, people must be given room to grow, which includes room to fail.

Worry and faith just don't mix.

Choose to view life through God's eyes.

Please, put aside all excuses and ask yourself, "What should I be doing?" Yes, you alone can make a difference. The question is, will you?

The longer I live the more I believe that the greatest enemy of a victorious Christian life is passivity.

Thanksgiving is a time of quiet reflection; an annual reminder that God has, again, been ever so faithful. The solid and simple things of life are brought into clear focus.

Who can ever measure the benefit of a mother's inspiration?

We want the safety of yesterday even though we know it's not where God would have us.

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

A "godly" person is one who ceases to be self-centered in order to become God-centered.

Pride leaves no room for grace.

When Christ becomes our central focus, contentment replaces our anxiety as well as our fears and insecurities.

God is a specialist when the anguish is deep. His ability to heal the soul is profound...but only to those who rely on His wounded Son will experience relief.

Worry erases the promises of God from your mind.

Give us an intense distaste for things that displease You and a renewed pleasure in things that bring You honor and magnify Your truth.

If you are having difficulty loving or relating to an individual, take him to God. Bother the Lord with this person. Don't you be bothered with him - leave him at the throne.

What is God looking for? He is looking for men and women whose hearts are completely His - completely.

There is only one you. God wanted you to be you. Don't you dare change just because you're outnumbered!

The Lord delights to surprise us with His goodness, if only we will unlock the door of obedience with the key of faith - which He has given - and then push it open and walk through.

Servants must be big people. Big enough to go on, remembering the right and forgetting the wrong.

If God awarded us medals, as they do in the Olympics, love would win the gold, joy the silver, and peace the bronze.

When God's in it, the job gets done.

When a church is spending more of its budget on media than shepherding, something is out of whack. We have gotten things twisted around.

It is a pity that many Christians have the TV schedule better memorized than a single chapter for God's precious Word.

Wouldn't you like to contribute to an event that is part of Christ's own prediction, "I will build my church"?

If you never get criticized, chances are you aren't getting anything done.

Think first. Talk less. Start today.

Joy springs from a life lived with eternity's values in view.

More often than not, when something looks like it's the absolute end, it is really the beginning.

Our minds can be kept free of anxiety as we dump the load of our cares on the Lord in prayer.

If our perfect Lord is gracious enough to take our worst, and ugliest, our most boring, our least successful, and forgive them, burying them in the depths of the sea, then it's high time we give each other a break.