We have control over our prayer life, our relationship with Jesus.
Francis ChanRead
It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.
Interpretation
The quote warns against the dangers of complacency and materialism that can overshadow spiritual truth.
Francis Chan highlights that the greatest threat to the gospel message is not outright disbelief or alternative beliefs, but rather a comfortable, selfish lifestyle that prioritizes luxury and superficial faith. This sense of prosperity can lead individuals to become indifferent to deeper spiritual truths, resulting in a hollow experience of faith.
In practice
During a sermon about the importance of genuine faith, this quote could serve as a powerful reminder.
We have control over our prayer life, our relationship with Jesus.
A disciple is a disciple maker.
Don't fall into the trap of studying the Bible without doing what it says.
Our God listens to us. Our God is a living God. He's not a block of wood you made up that's not going to answer you. My God listens to me. He answers me.
...I don't have to worry about not meeting His expectations. God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine.
People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.
Even if you walk exactly the same route each time - as with a sonnet - the events along the route cannot be imagined to be the same from day to day, as the poet's health, sight, his anticipations, moods, fears, thoughts cannot be the same.
It always amazes me to think that every house on every street is full of so many stories; so many triumphs and tragedies, and all we see are yards and driveways.
The disc, being flat, has no real horizon. Any adventurous sailor who got funny ideas from staring at eggs and oranges for too long and set out for the antipodes soon learned that the reason why distant ships sometimes looked as though they were disappearing over the edge of the world was that they were disappearing over the edge of the world.
Much faith will yield unto us here our heaven, but any faith, if true, will yield us heaven hereafter.
Life is a great sunrise. I do not see why death should not be an even greater one.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.