Unutterable Trust

Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.
      -- Oswald Chambers

Leaving the Carpentry Shop

[Jesus] left because of you. He laid his security down with his hammer. ... Since he could bear your sins more easily than he could bear the thought of your hopelessness, he chose to leave. It wasn't easy. Leaving the carpentry shop never has been.

      -- Max Lucado

Facts

The historical facts around Christ's life are both outward and clear. Certainly the theological truths that define Jesus are sure. Yet the realities of faith are always a matter of the heart. The fullness of his great love defies definition, and yet the open glory of his salvation spills over the edges of our most private selves.

      -- Calvin Miller

Forgiveness

The ultimate proof of total forgiveness takes place when we sincerely petition the Father to let those who have hurt us off the hook -- even if they have hurt not only us, but also those close to us.
-- R. T. Kendall

Purity

Why is purity such a struggle? Why is it so difficult to order our lives in a way that allows Christ to shine through us? ... We destroy purity by equating it with legalism and forgetting that it is first and foremost a work of the heart. Reducing it to a set of rules trivializes the purpose of purity and creates a veneer of purity without the genuine, underlying character.

-- David Edwards

Kindness

God's touch in our lives is kind ... Romans 2:4 says that it's God's KINDNESS -- not his power or justice -- that leads us to repentance. ... And because of this kindness, we want to be closer to him.

      -- Amy Nappa

Encouragement

Real encouragement occurs when words are spoken from a heart of love to another's recognized fear.

      -- Larry Crabb

Treasures

Character

When purity is reduced to legalism, our hearts are no longer free; they are focused more on maintaining rituals and customs than on living out a genuine character change.

      -- David Edwards

Cheer Up!

On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,
“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!
For the LORD your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

--Zephaniah 3:16-17

The Future

The ministry of the Spirit of God strengthens us, too, for the task that He knows lies ahead of us. We cannot survive or complete this task using our own abilities. Like Peter and the apostles, we need God's empowerment. We may not know what lies ahead, but we do know that God is preparing us for the future He has prepared for us.

-- David Edwards