Jeremy

“We desperately want our western brothers and sisters in Christ to realize that the greatest enemy of our faith today is not communism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, or even Islam. Our greatest enemy is lostness. Lostness is the terrible enemy that Jesus commissioned His followers to vanquish with the battle strategy that He spelled out for them in Matthew 28:18–20. He was addressing this same enemy when He plainly clarified His purpose in coming: “I have come to seek and to save those who are lost.”
― Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected

“persecution is like the sun coming up in the east. It happens all the time. It’s the way things are. There is nothing unusual or unexpected about it. Persecution for our faith has always been—and probably always will be—a normal part of life.”
― Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected

“As far as you go, he believes in what he does, and in second chances. He loves people. I’d go so far as to say he loves you.” Loved me? “Why? I don’t follow the rules. Aren’t religious people into rules?” “Rules make people feel safe. But they can turn into judgments. Condemnation is easy, Vaughn. The harder choice is love, and it’s one my dad makes every day.”
― Stephanie Perkins, My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

“I believe we all serve someone in this life. For the first thirty-eight years of mine, I served myself. My conversion was not a highly emotional experience. It was a conscious, thought-out decision that changed my focus, my direction, my heart, my life.”
― Francine Rivers, Redeeming Love