Home > Work > The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together
1 " if there is a God of the universe (and there is), and this God of the universe loved you and wanted to be in relationship with you (and he does), wouldn’t it be stupid not to talk to him? "
― Jared C. Wilson , The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together
2 " Jesus wasn’t blowing smoke. His major contribution to the world was not a set of aphorisms. He was born in a turdy barn, grew up in a dirty world, got baptized in a muddy river. He put his hands on the oozing wounds of lepers, he let whores brush his hair and soldiers pull it out. He went to dinner with dirtbags, both religious and irreligious. His closest friends were a collection of crude fishermen and cultural traitors. He felt the spittle of the Pharisees on his face and the metal hooks of the jailer’s whip in the flesh of his back. He got sweaty and dirty and bloody—and he took all of the sin and mess of the world onto himself, onto the cross to which he was nailed naked. "
3 " There is more security, in fact, with Christ in the middle of a stormy sea than without Christ in the warm stillness of our bathtub. "
4 " If anything, we should be astounded they let us into the community. Given what we know of ourselves, given that we are the worst sinners we know, it is a staggeringly arrogant thing to begrudge any other repentant follower of Jesus a place at the dance. If the bar was low enough to allow our entry, what advantage is there to raising it? "
5 " The gospel is a family meal. It is meant to be enjoyed regularly and intentionally in the presence of others and for the benefit of others. "
6 " In short, I am a riddle to myself; a heap of inconsistence. John Newton1 My "
7 " American Christians don’t want to experience community. Or, at least, they want other things more. "
8 " There is virtually no part of Jesus’s life and ministry that isn’t vastly misunderstood. "
9 " When we withdraw from the life of Christian community and try to practice the kingdom rhythms alone, we actually quench the Spirit who gifts the church to follow Jesus as a body and defy Jesus’s prayer that we all be one. "
10 " Many, many people—including many church people—have this asinine idea that Jesus showed up on earth two thousand years ago and loosened everything up. You know, like everything was so boring and traditional and legalistic or whatever, and then God sent Jesus Christ to “Keep Jerusalem Weird” or something, like he’s formed some hippie commune for people with “Coexist” bumper stickers on their cars. "
11 " When our vision is constantly occupied by small things, we are tempted to yawn more at the glory of God. "
12 " Submitting to your leaders means repenting of the impulse to “yes, but” everything they say, especially if what they say isn’t sinful. In matters of differences of opinion, it means being circumspect in how we voice our own. It means remembering that playing the “devil’s advocate” is not a good thing. The devil doesn’t need any advocates in the church! "
13 " the vision for the church that a pastor wants can get in the way of their ministry to the church God has actually given them, and because the wish dream church is an idol, it prevents them from actually loving their church well. "
14 " You introduce the truth of Romans 8 to every corner of the room, every dark place in your heart, as often as you can, as much as you can, as fiercely as you can. "
15 " Every other religion in the world has man in the gutter trying to figure out how to get to heaven; only Christianity has heaven coming down to the gutter. "
16 " We are parched. We are starving. We are thirsty and hungry for the glory of Jesus. "
17 " Let them come with their words, then. Let the devil come with his barrage of lies, even his truths-turned-lies. I rebuke him. I confound him. I may be in the ditch of Romans 7 but I throw Romans 8 at his sniveling little face. "
18 " YOU CANNOT GET POWER TO OBEY THE LAW FROM THE LAW ITSELF!!! POWER TO CHANGE CAN ONLY COME FROM THE GLORY OF CHRIST!!! "
19 " so I hold on to the gospel. I pour some gospel into my soul. I am good to go another day. I might be crawling through that day or I might be balled up in my bed, unwilling to charge the Valley of Elah that is my life, but the smile of God is over me continually. Day and night his steadfast love sustains me. "
20 " We’re summoning the wind, calling down the fire, pleading for rainfall. (I begin to wonder if I’m worshiping God or reciting some kind of medieval weather report.) I’m telling God what I want, what I need (what I loooong for, ooooohh). But what I really need is to rehearse what he’s already done for me, what he’s already done in Christ that has satisfied my desires, met my needs, and answered my longings. In the rush to emotional outburst, I miss affectionate remembering. "
