“A true life of prayer is about gazing. . . . Prayer finds its perfected from when sons and daughters stop and stare at the glorious grace to be found in the Father’s eyes. So prayer is communion, and communion arises from friendship. and — now hear this startling claim from Christian theology — God […]
Christians fulfill important callings in every place they reside, being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) through witness, service, and friendship. . . . These can seem insignificant and even bothersome, but wherever God places you, He also calls you. These are often the most life-impacting callings we have.”- Rev. Jeffrey Leininger “Let you light shine […]
“But God made us for friendship — with Himself first and then with others. So when these two kinds of friendship are missing or lacking, a void is left in our hearts that nothing but love from God and others can fill.”- Bob Merritt Then [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard […]
“We cannot make friendship and love happen. They come, when they come at all, as gifts. But we can make space for them.”- John Ortberg “And if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”- 1 Corinthians 13:2 (ESV) In Chapter 18(“Winning Alone is Called Losing”) of […]
“There’s just something deep in the human soul that says, ‘I need to have my place at the table.”- John Ortberg In the Introduction (“Table for One”) of I’d Like you More If You Were More Like Me, John Ortberg states when he thinks of love, he thinks of a table. Of Swedish descent, Pastor […]
“Yet as human friends who understood this pain (barrenness) diminished, I found an understanding friend in God, the kind of friend who made me want deeper friendship. More reaching. I wanted to be a friend to God.”- Sara Hagerty “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what His […]
“But I’ve learned that the morning is for Him to hold – to hold me.”- Sara Hagerty “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to you, and I will look up.”- Psalm 5:3 (NKJV) Sara Hagerty continues Chapter 8 of Unseen with the first two […]
“If meeting needs is my primary focus, I’ve missed a foundational step: friendship with the King. To meet any need, I first have to hear God’s whisper about that need.”- Sara Hagerty “For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”- Matthew 26:19 (NKJV) In Chapter 8 (“The Needs […]
Bill Hybels continues Chapter 7 of Simplify by encouraging you to take an assessment of your friendship circles. This assessment is vital to simplifying your relational world. It’s being a good steward of your life and taking a realistic look at the natural influence of others on you. In Proverbs 6:16-20, Solomon lists seven character […]
“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”- Proverbs 13:20 In Chapter 7 (“From Isolated to Connected: Deepening Your Relational Circles”) of Simplify, Bill Hybels begins by asking: “Beyond your family, how many friends would show up at your funeral?” Throughout Bill’s years in the pastoral ministry, he has […]