Paul's solution to the charismatic excess of the Corinthian church began with him praying that they would be MORE charismatic, not less. -David Sliker

The most precious believers I have ever met do not strut, they limp. Beautifully, joyfully, gloriously, victoriously - they limp. -Billy Humphrey

Mission is born in the world when worship and prayer is alive in the church. -David Perkins

May our many little and big decisions testify that nothing can satisfy but Jesus. -Deborah Hiebert

"The basic trouble with the church today is her unworthy concept of God - Our religion is weak because our God is weak" -A.W.Tozer

"Thankfulness is preventative medicine from both worry and anxiety-related illness." -Mike Bickle

John came fasting. Jesus came feasting. One you called a demon. The other a glutton. You stumble over the truth not the form. -John Piper

The incurable heart-wound for the second coming of Jesus comes primarily by deeply encountering Him in His first coming. -Joshua Hawkins

The Jews searched the Scriptures meticulously (John 5:39), but did not have His word abiding in them (John 5:38). Perplexingly paradoxical. Takeaway: Searching the Scriptures can be an academic exercise; having His word abiding in you requires a relational knowing. -Bob Sorge

Don't settle for less, run the race to win. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Don't slow down in your race to love and obey Jesus. Slow other things down to run to win this race. It's the race that truly matters. -Wes Martin

“Christ was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed”- Augustine

Holiness is the door you can open (Rev. 1:10), Glory is the door that only He can open (Rev. 4:1). Establish yourself in Holiness and you are positioned for Glory. -Bob Sorge

There's only one thing more important than knowing God. That's Him knowing you. "Depart from me. I never knew you." Matt. 7:23 -Bill Johnson

“When you cry to God for justice, He responds not only because He loves you, but also because He loves justice.” -Bob Sorge

The humility of Jesus is a subject that is endlessly fascinating and provoking. He loves to take the lowest place of least privilege! There would be no good news for humanity apart from Christ's transcendent humility in drawing so near to us in our time of greatest need. -David Sliker

Instant, deep friendship with someone isn't possible. It takes time, words, joy, and pain. So it is with the Lord Jesus. -Joshua Hawkins

The ultimate goal of our devotion to the life of Jesus during Advent and at all times is to see clearly enough to evoke the response of love and worship that He is worthy of. We will be touched, encouraged, and transformed as we look upon Him, but we turn our eyes toward the accounts of His birth chiefly for His sake. The only reasonable response to the astonishing mystery of the Incarnation is to laud the One who came so near. To treat the narratives of His entrance into the world as a common, familiar thing does not befit the glory of who He is and what He did. The primary challenge of Advent, therefore, is not for us to realize what we are missing out on by not celebrating it but to realize how wrong it is that a host of things seem more appealing to our attention than pondering the tale of how God took on flesh. Advent does not need a marketing campaign to bolster its prominence by convincing busy American Christians of all the ways they would benefit if they would just slow down and meditate on Jesus as a baby. Our thinking needs to move in the opposite direction. If we go to Bethlehem looking only for something that will apply to us or give our emotions a lift, it likely we will find little more than the sound of another baby crying. Yet if, like the wise men, we are seeking a King to worship then surely our journey will not be in vain. -Stephen Venable

One of the values in reading the Old Testament is to remind us: Though God seem slow and distant, he will come and judge. -John Piper

"Those who are the most heavenly minded are the most earthly good." -Mike Bickle

The worth of man to Christ is partially expressed through the high dignity in function He grants to us as His Bride. -David Sliker

Jesus Christ, you are the center of the universe You will bring heaven and earth together Father, He will make your name to be remembered every generation will be singing praise -Justin Rizzo

Christmas is a time for joy and peace but also for sobriety and trembling. The Incarnation shows how serious the LORD is about His coming Day. -Joshua Hawkins

"Our problem is that we go from toy to toy rather than from glory to glory." -AW Tozer

"If we are striving to earn God's love, that is bad; if we are striving to love God, that is good." -Mike Bickle

Our joy in this evil age will only be its fullest when we eagerly long for its source, Jesus of Nazareth. Joyful mourning! What a tension. -Joshua Hawkins

God delights in our response of love to Him because even weak love is real love. -Mike Bickle

The universe roars its witness: “There is so much out there that you have no idea even exists.” The same is true for God’s throne room. Just because you haven’t seen it, don’t make the grave mistake of thinking it doesn’t exist. -Bob Sorge

The same breath that calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee will shout and slay the wicked at the end of the age. How glorious is Jesus? -Joshua Hawkins

"Avoid a sugar-coated gospel. Seek the gospel that rips up, wounds and even kills, for that's the gospel that makes alive again." -Spurgeon

If you can learn how to handle appearing wrong when you're not, you'll not have to be wrong to learn how to handle appearing wrong. -Bill Johnson

If you can learn how to handle appearing wrong when you're not, you'll not have to be wrong to learn how to handle appearing wrong. -Bill Johnson

If you can learn how to handle appearing wrong when you're not, you'll not have to be wrong to learn how to handle appearing wrong. -Bill Johnson

Jesus as a life coach that simply loves and accepts has no lasting power to keep a heart enthralled. Preachers, talk about all He is. -Joshua Hawkins

It's the discovery of Jesus that makes us love Him more and more. -Misty Edwards

Nothing manmade on earth gets to heaven, except for one thing: the wound marks in Jesus’ body. (Rev 5.6) -Bob Sorge

In the world rejoicing comes out of joy. In the kingdom joy comes out of rejoicing. -Bill Johnson

Romans 3-8 show us the Gospel of Grace. Matthew 5-7 show us how we are to respond to the Gospel of Grace. -Mike Bickle

"Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" Luke 8:25 More than Messiah, He was also their Maker. -Stephen Venable

"The greatest prophetic voice in your life is you; confessing God's truth over your life." -Wes Martin

God enjoys you; this truth will radically change your life. -Mike Bickle

Steph will be giving a short testimony (20 minutes or so) at the Garage ministry on December 7th. Come and hear that Jesus is good.

"Fighting the fight of faith" simply boils down to believing that Jesus is more valuable than anything else this age offers. -Joshua Hawkins

Philip Mantofa (a 40-year-old pastor in Indonesia) was asked the distinction between Christians in the east and west. His answer: Christians in the west line up to be blessed by Christ; in the east they line up to suffer for Christ. -Bob Sorge

The Church exists to draw men into Christ. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, sermons... are simply a waste of time. -CS Lewis

"The glory of the gospel is that the Man we are running to and after is knowable." -David Sliker

"We don't fast to change God, we fast to change us." -Allen Hood

We must guard ourselves from the danger of adopting a version of Christianity where Jesus Christ is not central and supreme in all things. -Wayne Simien Jr.

To follow Jesus, you must be willing to be misunderstood by others, especially by religious folks. -Rick Warren

Soldiers raise hands in surrender. Children raise hands to be picked up by their father. Christians raise hands in worship for both reasons. -Mark Driscoll

The rhythm of the book of Acts: Prayer, preaching, power, persecution, prayer. Prayer, preaching, power, persecution, prayer. -Dalton Thomas

"Jesus had much to say about money, because money has much to say about our love for Jesus." -Mike Bickle

There's no such thing as an Old Testament view of God. There's the correct view or the incorrect view. The view of God in the Old Testament and New Testament are the same. -Stuart Greaves

"We don't fast to change God, we fast to change us." -Allen Hood

The ecclesiological firewalls between theological education, missions training, and interior formation need to be torn down. -Dalton Thomas

“God is the source of all pleasure in the universe! Happiness comes from no other source.” -Mike Bickle

“His first coming was without external pomp or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could abide its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem with him were stirred at the news of the wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for him, showed the fallacy of their professions by rejecting him when he came. His life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and few enough could abide the process. But what will his second advent be? What sinner can endure to think of it? “He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” When in his humiliation he did but say to the soldiers, “I am he,” they fell backward; what will be the terror of his enemies when he shall more fully reveal himself as the “I am?” His death shook earth and darkened heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendour of that day in which as the living Saviour, he shall summon the quick and dead before him? O that the terrors of the Lord would persuade men to forsake their sins and kiss the Son lest he be angry! Though a lamb, he is yet the lion of the tribe of Judah, rending the prey in pieces; and though he breaks not the bruised reed, yet will he break his enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. None of his foes shall bear up before the tempest of his wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of his indignation; but his beloved blood washed people look for his appearing with joy, and hope to abide it without fear: to them he sits as a refiner even now, and when he has tried them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves this morning and make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no dark forebodings in our mind. O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found of him sincere and without rebuke in the day of his appearing.” -Spurgeon

It's far more rewarding to live before the eyes of One who sees deep into my heart than one who only sees the outside. - Joshua Hawkins

Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. (John 15:5) -Joshua Hawkins

I don't think we grasp at all how much fun the age to come is going to be, and how glorious it will be to search Him out and know Him more. The joy of eternal life, the unfolding of the knowledge of God, is our portion from the new birth through today, into the endless ages. -David Sliker

"At the end of the day, global missions is about the worship of this spectacular Jesus." -David Mathis

Nothing will ever surpass the abasement and humiliation that Jesus voluntarily chose. In it he plainly said "God is a servant!" (Phil 2:5-11) -Joshua Hawkins

“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts.” – A.W. Tozer 

God’s revelation to and interaction with all of creation is expressed in His Son. God will go to piercing depths to clarify Himself. The eternal Son became Jesus of Nazareth and what the Father had always so enjoyed, now men and women could enjoy also. -Allen Hood

If Jesus had not offered Himself on the cross, the sacrifices of the Old Testament would have done nothing for the Jews. -Mike Bickle

The only true God was satisfied completely with the sacrifice of Jesus. We must not try to earn His favor; we have it forever! - Mike Bickle

Measure God's love not by how much you "feel it", but by how much of Himself He has given you to know and enjoy. The goal is Him, not you. -Joshua Hawkins

I'm teaching at the garage on Jesus's reputation on Friday Nov 9th for any interested parties... 

God wanted the people to confess not only their own iniquity, but also the iniquity of their fathers. Leviticus 26:40. Why? He was addressing generational pride. Eastern cultures highly honor ancestors, to the point of dignifying their iniquities. True repentance recognizes that I have inherited sinful ways from my fathers and I need to be redeemed from them. -Bob Sorge

We will never understand grace if we do not understand the depth of our continual rebellion against God. -Mike Bickle

Justification - I have been saved. Sanctification - I am being saved. Glorification - I will be saved. -Mike Bickle

The day we are born again we are as secure in God’s courts as we will be 1,000,000 years into the resurrection. -Miker Bickle

The greatest gift you give your wife Is loving God above her life. -John Piper

Eager longing for the second coming of Jesus is one evidence of God's grace operating in the life of a believer (Titus 2:11-13). -Joshua Hawkins