Tim Baker

“We have adopted a vision of tomorrow that cannot affirm a Christian’s work in the world outside the church. Instead, the message of the church being absorbed by many young people, both explicitly and implicitly, is that ministry is the only labor that really matters in light of eternity. It is a vision that tells young people most of their interests, occupations, and pursuits do not matter to God. It is a vision that says real significance can only be found by contributing time and treasure to the institutional church’s work. Young people are not buying it anymore. The fault is not to be found in a generation that won’t commit to the church, but in a church that cannot affirm this generation’s commitments because of its vision of the future.”
― Skye Jethani, Futureville: Discover Your Purpose for Today by Reimagining Tomorrow

“Investing our lives in treasure that will not be destroyed means determining what we believe to be eternal, what will endure. Again, our vision of the future shapes our actions in the present.”
― Skye Jethani, Futureville: Discover Your Purpose for Today by Reimagining Tomorrow

“Since seminary tends to academize the faith, making it a world of ideas to be mastered (I will write about this at length later in this book), it is quite easy for students to buy into the belief that biblical maturity is about the precision of theological knowledge and the completeness of their biblical literacy. So seminary graduates, who are Bible and theology experts, tend to think of themselves as being mature. But it must be said that maturity is not merely something you do with your mind (although that is an important element of spiritual maturity). No, maturity is about how you live your life. It is possible to be theologically astute and be very immature. It is possible to be biblically literate and be in need of significant spiritual growth.”
― Paul David Tripp, Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry

“I am only trying to call attention to a fact; the fact that this year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people. There”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity