You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.
My yoke is easy, and my burden light.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you, said the rapist.
If any want to become my followers," Jesus says. Following him is not something that is self-evident, even among the disciples. No one can be forced, no one can be expected to follow him. ... "If any want to follow me, they must deny themselves ... and take up their cross.
The Christian life is a life that consists of following Jesus.
Those who aren't following Jesus aren't his followers. Its that simple. Followers follow, and those who don't follow aren't followers. To follow Jesus means to follow Jesus into a society where justice rules, where love shapes everything. To follow Jesus means to take up his dream and work for it.
If following Jesus Christ doesn't cost you anything, it's because you've bought into 'American Christianity.'
Thy way, not mine, O Lord, however dark it be; lead me by thine own hand; choose out the path for me.
Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable.
If you have the smile of God what does it matter if you have the frown of men?
God's part is to put forth power; our part is to put forth faith.
Nobody can do as much damage to the church of God as the man who is within its walls, but not within its life.
Most of all, God has blessed us by giving us the privilege of knowing Him and walking with Him every day. He did this by sending His Son into the world to die for our sins.
Accept the risen Jesus into your life. Even if you have been far away, take a small step towards Him. He awaits you with open arms.
The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics, and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death so that we may also share their crowns of glory.
A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy till it is doing something for Jesus Christ.
So I cast my lot with Him-not the one who claimed wisdom, Confucius; or the one who claimed enlightenment, Buddha; or the one who claimed to be a prophet, Muhammad, but with the one who claimed to be God in human flesh. The one who declared, 'Before Abraham was born, I am'-and proved it.
It is rare to find an established community of Christians that encourages radical expressions of following Jesus. The natural conservatism of institutions is deeply rooted in the desire to survive, and that desire colors and limits the way they read the Bible and how they see God functioning in the world.
Even on the cross He did not hide Himself from sight; rather, He made all creation witness to the presence of its Maker.
or simply:
