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If Today Were Your Last, Would You Do What You're Doing? Or Would You Love More, Give More, Forgive More?
-Max Lucado
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If Today Were Your

Max Lucado
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If Today Were Your Last, Would You Do What You're Doing? Or Would You Love More, Give More, Forgive More?

Understanding the Quote: "if today were your last, would you do what you're doing? or..."

This quote by Max Lucado reflects deeply on the theme of giving. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Giving, Today, Lasts, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Max Lucado interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Max Lucado

Max Lucado is celebrated for insightful thoughts on giving and today. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
Giving
Today
Lasts
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When You Read The Bible, It's As Though It Reads You.
I Think There Is, Not In The Sense That I Enjoy It, But That It's An Important Question. It's The Question, "does The Presence Of Pain Mean God Doesn't Care? Does God Not Love Me Anymore?" I Think That's A Very Common Connection We Tend To Make. I See That A Lot In My Own Life And In The Lives Of Others.
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What The New Mate, Sports Car, Or Unexpected Check Could Never Do, Christ Says, "i Can." You'll Love How He Achieves It. He Reconnects Your Soul With God.
Sports
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I Really Enjoyed Reading The Writings Of Fredrick Buechner, I Havent Read Anything By Him In Probably A Decade But About 20 Years Ago I Read Four Or Five Books Of His And It Helped Me.
Book
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Writing
I Think What Happens Is That We're So Busy As Pastors That We Never Get Around To Trying To Turn That Material Into A Book. It's A Shame Because There Is So Much Good Material Out There That Needs To Be Published.
Book
Thinking
Trying
Whether Or Not Storms Come, We Can Not Choose. But Where We Stare During A Storm, That We Can.
Storm
Staring
Can Not
We Enjoy The Fruit Of The First Coming But Anticipate The Glory Of The Second.
Fruit
Firsts
Glory
I Think A Story Is An Attention Grabber. I Think It's A Truth Conveyor. Those Are Two Great Features Of A Good Story.
Thinking
Two
Attention
A Woman's Heart Should Be So Hidden In God That A Man Has To Seek Him Just To Find Her.
Love
Inspirational
Powerful
In The Manger God Loves You; Through The Cross God Saves You. But Has He Taken You To His Home? Not Yet.
Love You
Taken
Home
History Is Not An Endless Succession Of Meaningless Circles But A Directed Movement Toward A Great Event.
Circles
Events
Movement
A Christian In His Surroundings Should Encourage Everyone To Be Better, Instead Of Being The One Who Stoops To Be Like Everyone Else.
Christian
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Should
God's Greatest Blessings Often Come Costumed As Disasters. Any Doubters Need To Do Nothing More Than Ascend The Hill Of Calvary.
God
Christian
Religious
Praise Is The Highest Occupation Of Any Being
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God Does Not Exist To Make A Big Deal Out Of Us. We Exist To Make A Big Deal Out Of Him. It's Not About You. It's Not About Me. It's All About Him.
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Deals
To Me That's Always A Little Satisfying - To Find An Underdeveloped Topic And Start Developing It.
Littles
Topics
Developing
How Can A Person Deal With Anxiety? You Might Try What One Fellow Did. He Worried So Much That He Decided To Hire Someone To Do His Worrying For Him. He Found A Man Who Agreed To Be His Hired Worrier For A Salary Of $200,000 Per Year. After The Man Accepted The Job, His First Question To His Boss Was, "where Are You Going To Get $200,000 Per Year?" To Which The Man Responded, "that's Your Worry.
Jobs
Men
Years
Does The Presence Of Pain Mean The Absence Of God? I Try To Help People See That God Uses Pain, That Pain Is One Of The Ways God Shapes Us Into The Kind Of Beings He Wants Us To Be For Eternity.
Pain
Mean
People
Truth Can Arrive Within The Story And Ride Latent - A Bit Incognito - Within A Story, And People Are More Prone To Receive It.
People
Stories
Latent
No Psychological Grid Works, Because If You Try To Place Every Personality In One Particular Grid Then You'd Need About 4 Billion Grids Because We Are All So Unique.
Unique
Personality
Trying
Waiting Is An Expectant Patience. It's A Patience That Says, "i Don't Know What God Is Going To Do, But I Know God Is Going To Do Something."
Waiting
Knowing God
Knows
Be Less About Protecting Any Type Of Identity Affiliated To A Country Or Even Ethnic Background. Be More About The Fact That We're Here For A Short Time And Heaven Is Going To Be A Rainbow Of People, Multiculture, Every Generation.
Country
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Rainbow
I Could Easily Go Through All My Books And Mark The Ones That Were Original, Mark The Ones That Were Adapted Or Pre-published That I've Found. I'm Guessing Though That Probably 75% Of Them Are Personal Events. I Just Love A Personal Story.
Book
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We Need To Remember That The First Disciples Were Ordinary Men Called To An Extraordinary Mission. Their Devotion To Jesus Outweighed- By Hair- Their Fears And Insecurities. As A Result God Change Them And Use Them To Accomplish Some Mind-boggling Things. Why Couldn't God - Why Wouldn't God Do The Same In Your Life?
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Hair
We Celebrate The First Advent To Whet Our Appetites For The Second. We Long For The Next Coming.
Long
Next
Firsts
The Wonder Of A Free-market Society Is That We Can All Do Our Best To Package Our Message In An Entertaining Fashion And Present It - And Then Everybody Votes With Their Footsteps.
Fashion
Messages
Vote
What Is This Love That Endures Decades, Passes On Sleep, And Resists Death To Give One Kiss? Call It Agape Love, A Love That Bears A Semblance Of God's.
Sleep
Kissing
Giving
Hiding Out With The Enemy Brings Only Temporary Relief.
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Relief
Hiding
You May Not Be Down To Your Final Heartbeat, But You May Be Down To Your Last Paycheck, Solution, Or Thimble Of Faith. Each Sunrise Seems To Bring Fresh Reasons For Fear.
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Sunrise
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I Think The Current Book [for Christian Apologetics] Is By Lee Strobel, Its Called A Case For Christ.
Christian
Book
Thinking
The Book On My Nightstand Right Now Isnt Anything That Inspired Me, But It Entertained Me. I Read A Book On Labor Day, It Was A Holiday, And I Have Three Daughters, And We All Went To The Shopping Mall And I Sat On The Bench And Read A Book While They Shopped, It Was Called The Greatest Golfer There Ever Was, It Was A Great Book, Easy To Read And Entertaining.
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The Promised Land, For Many People, Though, Is Something That's Far Off In The Future. People Are Saved, But They Don't Feel Victory. They Feel Like They're In A Wilderness And They're Wandering. And So This Book Of Joshua Gives Us A Picture Of How We Can Come Out Of The Wilderness In Our Own Spiritual Lives And Enter Into A Season Of Victory.
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God's Love Never Ceases. Never... God Doesn't Love Us Less If We Fail Or More If We Succeed. God's Love Never Ceases.
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God Meets Our Needs One Day At A Time.
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The Bible Is Full Of Stories Of Men And Women Who've Found Themselves In Frightening Situations But Who Chose To Look Up Rather Than Look Down - Look Up In Faith - And God Got Them Through It.
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God Wants No One To Leave Our Presence Empty Handed.
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Do You Understand What God Has Done? He Has Deposited A Christ Seed In You. As It Grows You Will Change. It's Not That Sin Has No More Presence In Your Life, But Rather That Sin Has No More Power Over Your Life.
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We Serve A Good God Who Oversees The Affairs Of Mankind.
Affair
Good God
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It's Not About Winning Or Losing, But Love And Respect.
Motivational
Respect
Winning
Focus On Giants - You Stumble. Focus On God - Giants Tumble.
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The Difference Between Mercy And Grace? Mercy Gave The Prodigal Son A Second Chance. Grace Gave Him A Feast.
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Live In Such A Way That You Would Not Have To Change Your Plans.
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You Know People Just Assume, 'well, All My Life I'll Be A Worrier.' That Doesn't Have To Be True. There's A Way To Drink From God's Presence So Much That Worry Begins To Dissipate.
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You See, It's One Thing To Accept Him As Lord, Another To Recognize Him As Savior - But It's Another Matter Entirely To Accept Him As Father.
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When You're Full Of Yourself, God Can't Fill You. But When You Empty Yourself, God Has A Useful Vessel.
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God Knows Just The Place Where You'll Be Placed. He Has A Barren Living Room In Desperate Need Of Warmth And Joy. A Corner Of The World Needs Some Color. He Selected You With That Place In Mind.
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God Would Rather Give Up His Son..than Give Up On Us
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Son
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Thats Usually What I Gravitate To, I Read The Perfect Storm, Then I Read Into Thin Air .
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Thinking
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A Nation Is Blessed When It Has Godly Leaders.
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Our Kids Were God's Kids First... We Tend To Forget This Fact, Regarding Our Children As "our" Children, As Though We Have The Final Say In Their Health And Welfare. We Don't. All People Are God's People, Including The Small People Who Sit At Our Tables.
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Religious
When You Teach On A Familiar Text, You're Capitalizing On Common Knowledge. When You Teach On An Unfamiliar Text, You're Having To Build A Bridge Of Understanding, And We Need To Do That As Well.
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You May Go Days Without Thinking Of God, But There's Never A Moment When He's Not Thinking Of You.
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Be A Child Again. Flirt. Giggle. Dip Your Cookies In Your Milk. Take A Nap. Say You're Sorry If You Hurt Someone. Chase A Butterfly. Be A Child Again.
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Hurt
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It's God's Job To Run The World. Sometimes We Accomplish More By Doing Less.
Running
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World
Who Was Jesus? God Saves.
Jesus
Jesus God
If Today Were Your Last, Would You Do What You're Doing? Or Would You Love More, Give More, Forgive More?
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I'm Right Now Wrapping Up The Sermon Series On Grace. I'd Like To Figure Out What This Next Series Will Be In January. To Do That, I'm Going To Come Up With Four Or Five Really Good Ideas - At Least That I Think Are Really Good Ideas - And If I Don't Sense God Really Highlighting One Of Those, I Will Go To The Elders Of Our Church And My Co-pastors.
Thinking
Ideas
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When Our Deepest Desire Is Not The Things Of God, Or A Favor From God, But God Himself, We Cross A Threshold.
Desire
Favors
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See Your Enemies, Not As God's Failures, But As God's Projects.
Enemy
Projects
All Of My Sermons Become Books. I've Been Accused Of Having No Unpublished Thought. I Encourage Pastors To Do That. I Think There Are So Many Great Sermons That Never Really Get Circulation.
Book
Thinking
Pastor
For Those Who Never Pray, Maybe Now You Will. For Those Of Us Who Attempt To Pray, Maybe We Can Pray More.
Praying
If You Are 8 Hours A Day In A Job You Hate, You're Not Going To Be A Very Good Spouse; It Can Contribute To Chemical Dependency, Financial Mismanagement.
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I Picked Up This Book Called Blue Mountain, Supposed To Be A Really Good Book On The Civil War.
War
Book
Blue
Sometimes I Wonder If We Don't See Christ's Love As Much In The People He Tolerated As In The Pain He Endured.
Pain
People
Sometimes
I Know What I'll Be Preaching In The Spring, What I'll Be Preaching In The Summer, And What I'll Be Preaching Next Fall.
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Let's Be The People Who Look At The Hurting Until We Hurt With Them. No Hurrying Past, Turning Away, Or Shifting Of Eyes. No Pretending Or Glossing Over. Let's Look At The Face Until We See The Person.
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Eye
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We Will Find Grace To Help Us When We Need It
Grace
Needs
Helping
When It Comes To Christ, You've Got To Do The Same. Call Him Crazy, Or Crown Him As King. Dismiss Him As A Fraud, Or Declare Him To Be God. Walk Away From Him, Or Bow Before Him, But Don't Play Games With Him.
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The Influence Of The Church Does Not Depend On The Church, It Depends On The Holy Spirit. And The Holy Spirit Will Never Lose Its Influence. He Is God And He Is Influencing Society.
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Our God Is Abundant In Love And Steadfast In Mercy. He Saves Us, Not Because We Trust In A Symbol, But Because We Trust In A Savior.
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Jesus Was Not Just Godly, Godlike, God Hungry, God Focused, Or God Worshipping. He Was God. Not Merely A Servant Of God, Instrument Of God, Or Friend Of God, But Jesus Was God.
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Godly
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My First Encounters With Faith Came About The Time I Was A Boy Scout, At About 14 Or 15. I Made The Logical Deduction That They Operate The Same Way; I Treated My Faith Like Earning A Merit Badge, And Everything About Christianity Was About Earning Merit Badges.
Boys
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I Get One Hour, Really 25 Minutes In A Sermon On A Weekend, To Combat All The Hours Of The Week That People Are Told You Are What You Have Through Billboards, Commercials, And Sitcoms, And So Forth.
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Hours
Peace Happens When People Pray. "cast All Your Anxiety On Him Because He Cares For You" Casting Is An Intentional Act To Relocate An Object. Let This "throwing" Be Your First Response To Bad News. As You Sense Anxiety Welling Up Inside You, Cast It In The Direction Of Christ. Do So Specifically And Immediately. Find A Promise Of God That Fits Your Problem, And Build Your Prayer Around It. These Prayers Of Faith Touch The Heart Of God And Activate The Angels Of Heaven. Miracles Are Set Into Motion. Your Answer May Not Come Overnight, But It Will Come. And You Will Overcome.
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Angel
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In Our Faith We Follow In Someone's Steps. In Our Faith We Leave Footprints To Guide Others. It's The Principle Of Discipleship
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Principles
Steps
Just When The Truth About Life Sinks In, His Truth Starts To Surface. He Takes Us By The Hand And Dares Us Not To Sweep The Facts Under The Rug But To Confront Them With Him At Our Side.
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Hands
Facts
What Causes Us To Think Of Prayer As The Last Option Rather Than The First? I Can Think Of Two Reasons: Feelings Of Independence And Feelings Of Insignificance.
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Thinking
Two
I Don't Have Any Desire To Retire In The Sense Of Not Doing Anything. As Long As The Lord Gives Me Strength I Want To Keep Writing And Keep Preaching.
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We May Forget Him, But God Will Never Forget Us. We're Forever On His Mind And In His Plans.
Forever
Mind
May
I Think You Could Say Every Pastor Is Writing This Book [ Max On Life]; For Many It Just Never Gets Published.
Book
Writing
Thinking
If You're Feeling Pain, Express That To The Lord. If You're Feeling Worried, Express Those Worries. One Passage That Gives Me Comfort Is In Psalms, Chapter 11, Verse 3, It Reads, "when All That Is Good Falls Apart, What Can Good People Do?" That's Really The Question Of The Day.
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Fall
People
Every Faith Has Its Story; Every Faith Has Its Roots.
Roots
Stories
I Would Love To Have A More Earnest Prayer Life! In My Life, Prayer Is The Single Most Difficult Discipline. I Love God And There's Something In Me That Would Rather Do Things For God Than Talk To God. I'm Not By Nature A Mystical, Devotional Person. I Like To Do Things. And So It's A Challenge For Me To Have A Faithful Prayer Life, But I Know God Loves Me And He's Not Mad At Me. He Just Wishes I Would Slow Down And Turn Things Over To Him. And That's What I Think You Achieve Through Prayer.
Prayer
Thinking
Discipline
How Grimy Did God Get When He Reached Down To Clean You Up? How Grimy Are You Willing To Get In Order To Be An 'imitator Of God'?
Order
Clean
Willing
The Idea Of A Spiritual Heart Transplant Is A Vivid Image To Me; Once You Have The Heart Of Somebody Else Inside You, Then That Heart Is There. Jesus' Heart Is Inside Me, And My Heart Is Gone. So If God Were To Place A Stethoscope Against My Chest, He Would Hear The Heart Of Jesus Christ Beating.
Spiritual
Jesus
Heart
Most Of My Sermons Are Inspirational, And I Believe People Need That Encouragement.
Encouragement
Believe
People
God Would Prefer We Have An Occasional Limp Than A Perpetual Strut.
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Perpetual
God Is God. He Knows What He Is Doing. When You Can’t Trace His Hand, Trust His Heart.
Heart
Hands
Knows
Be Kind To Yourself. God Thinks You're Worth His Kindness. And He's A Good Judge Of Character.
Kindness
Character
Thinking
I Think "creative Preaching" Is Redundant.
Thinking
Creative
Preaching
Let's Try To Present The Same Gospel But In A Fresh Fashion, Always Looking For A Better Way To Connect With The Audience.
Fashion
Trying
Way
God Comes On His Own Terms. He Comes When Commands Are Revered, Hearts Are Clean, And Confession Is Made.
Heart
Clean
Confession
Lower Your Expectations Of Earth. This Isn't Heaven, So Don't Expect It To Be.
Expectations
Heaven
Max
Worship Is The Thank You That Can't Be Silenced
Worship
God Is Able To Accomplish, Provide, Help, Save, Keep, Subdue... He Is Able To Do What You Can't. He Already Has A Plan. God's Not Bewildered. Go To Him.
Inspirational
God
Able
Nature Is God's Workshop. The Sky Is His Resume. The Universe Is His Calling Card. You Want To Know Who God Is? See What He Has Done.
God
Christian
Religious
We Will Never Be Cleansed Until We Confess We Are Dirty. And We Will Never Be Able To Wash The Feet Of Those Who Have Hurt Us Until We Allow Jesus, The One We Have Hurt, To Wash Ours.
Jesus
Hurt
Dirty
If God Had A Refrigerator, Your Picture Would Be On It. If He Had A Wallet, Your Photo Would Be In It. He Sends You Flowers Every Spring And A Sunrise Every Morning... Face It, Friend. He Is Crazy About You!
Inspirational
Uplifting
Morning
Listen Carefully To The Feedback Your Readers Give You. Dont Write Unless People Want You To Write, A Lot Of People Write Just Because They Want To Write.
Writing
People
Giving
I Think That The Holy Spirit Works Through The Pastors Of The Church. It Helps Me Avoid The Trap Of Writing To The Reading Market. It Helps Me Stay A Pastor First, Because They Have No Agenda; They Are Not Thinking: "this Would This Be A Good Book Someday." They're Thinking: "how This Will Help Bob And Suzy Who Are Going Through A Tough Marriage? What Series Can Encourage Them?" And So I Really Bow To Their Preference.
Book
Reading
Writing
The Apostle Paul Never Seemed To Exhaust The Topic Of Grace - What Makes Us Think We Can? He Just Kept Coming At It And Coming At It From Another Angle. That's The Thing About Grace. It's Like Springtime. You Can't Put It In A Single Sentence Definition, And You Can't Exhaust It.
Thinking
Grace
Definitions
I've Caught Myself A Time Or Two Adding Or Embellishing. I Don't Think That Pleases The Lord. I Don't Think He Needs My Dishonesty To Convey His Gospel.
Thinking
Two
Needs
What Makes A Christian A Christian Is Not Perfection But Forgiveness.
Christian
Perfection
Not Perfect
The Bible Is The Story Of Two Gardens: Eden And Gethsemane. In The First, Adam Took A Fall. In The Second, Jesus Took A Stand. In The First, God Sought Adam. In The Second, Jesus Sought God. In Eden, Adam Hid From God. In Gethsemane, Jesus Emerged From The Tomb. In Eden, Satan Led Adam To A Tree That Led To His Death. From Gethsemane, Jesus Went To A Tree That Led To Our Life.
Bible
Jesus
Fall
When You Keep The Porch Light On For The Prodigal Child, You Do What God Does Every Single Moment.
Children
Single Mom
Light
I Don't Have Any Desire To Retire In The Sense Of Not Doing Anything. Because As Long As The Lord Gives Me Strength I Want To Keep Writing And Keep Preaching. I Love What I Do.
Writing
Long
Giving
It's Against God's Nature To Remember Forgiven Sins
Remember
Sin
Forgiven
We're Also A Multi-site Church, So We Have Other Pastors On Other Campuses Who Want To Read The Message Before The Video Plays On The Weekend Services. So It Just Works Better For Me.
Weekend
Play
Church
God Will Restore His Planet And His Children To Their Garden Of Eden Splendor. It'll Be Perfect. Perfect In Grandeur. Perfect In Righteousness. Perfect In Harmony.
Children
Garden
Eden
No Person [should] Walk Out Into The World To Begin The Day Until He Or She Has Stood Beneath The Cross To Receive God’s Love.
World
Crosses
Should
God Will Use Your Mess For Good. We See A Perfect Mess; God Sees A Perfect Chance To Train, Test , And Teach.
Perfect
Use
Tests
We Live In The Most Multicultural, Multiracial, Multiethnic America Ever, And I Get The Sense That Because Of That Reality So Many Of Us Are Turning Nativist.
Reality
America
Multicultural
Grace Is The Voice That Calls Us To Change And Then Gives Us The Power To Pull It Off.
Inspirational
Voice
Giving
When We're In The Middle Of A Difficult Time, We Have To Speak Against That Lie That Says, "god Is Not Here." We Have To Draw Near To God.
Lying
Difficult Times
Speak
I Am Very Confident In Preaching.
Preaching
Forgiveness Is Unlocking The Door To Set Someone Free And Realising You Were The Prisoner!
Inspirational
Forgiveness
Doors
It's No Wonder, That God's Anxiety Therapy Includes A Large, Delightful Dollop Of Gratitude. The Anxious Heart Says, "lord, If Only I Had This, That, Or The Other, I'd Be Okay." The Grateful Heart Says, "oh, Look! You've Already Given Me This, That, And The Other. Thank You, God."
Gratitude
Grateful
Heart
To Accept Grace Is To Admit Failure, A Step We Are Hesitant To Take. We Opt To Impress God With How Good We Are Rather Than Confessing How Great He Is.
Spiritual
Grace
Steps
God Wants To Help You Find Your Way Home.
Home
Want
Way
Answer The Big Question Of Eternity, And The Little Questions Of Life Fall Into Perspective.
Wisdom
Fall
Perspective
Heaven Knows The Difference Between Sunday Morning And Wednesday Afternoon. God Longs To Speak As Clearly In The Workplace As He Does In The Sanctuary. He Longs To Be Worshiped When We Sit At The Dinner Table And Not Just When We Come To His Communion Table. You May Go Days Without Thinking Of Him, But There's Never A Moment When He's Not Thinking Of You.
Thinking Of You
Morning
Sunday
Seek First The Kingdom Of Wealth And You'll Worry Over Every Dollar. Seek First The Kingdom Of Health And You'll Sweat Every Blemish And Bump. Seek First The Kingdom Of Popularity, And You'll Relive Every Conflict. Seek First The Kingdom Of Safety, And You'll Jump At Every Crack Of The Twig. But Seek First His Kingdom And You Will Find It. On That, We Can Depend And Never Worry.
Sweat
Safety
Worry
There Is A Canyon Of Difference Between Doing Your Best To Glorify God And Doing Whatever It Takes To Glorify Yourself. The Quest For Excellence Is A Mark Of Maturity. The Quest For Power Is Childish.
Maturity
Differences
Excellence
Baptism Is The Initial Step Of A Faithful Heart.
Heart
Baptism
Faithful
One Person Told Me That Christians Believe In A King. We Believe In A King Jesus Who Oversees The Affairs Of Mankind. Maybe We're Reaching For An Earthly King.
Christian
Jesus
Kings
The Maker Of The Stars Would Rather Die For You Than Live Without You. And That Is A Fact. So If You Need To Brag, Brag About That.
Stars
Needs
Facts
One Of The Secrets In Life Is That We Really Lead A Better Life When We're Living For Others Than We Do When We're Living For Ourselves, And I Think That's The Way For Our Creator Intended For It To Be, Is That If We Can Live For Other People, We Really Leave This World In A Different Way.
Thinking
People
Secret
If God Had A Refrigerator, Your Picture Would Be On It.
Would Be
Refrigerators
Ifs
Who Are They To Give Stars Or Dots? They're Wemmicks Just Like You." Eli To Punchinello (p. 25)
Stars
Giving
Dots
Of All The Things You Must Earn In Life, God's Unending Affection Is Not One Of Them. You Have It.
Affection
Unending
He Loves Each One Of Us Like There Is Only One Of Us To Love (when God Whisper Your Name)
Names
The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding, Will Guard Your Hearts And Minds Through Christ Jesus . As We Do Our Part Rejoice In The Lord, Pursue A Gentle Spirit, Pray About Everything, And Cling To Gratitude, God Does His Part. He Bestows Upon Us The Peace Of God. Note, This Is Not A Peace From God. Our Father Gives Us The Very Peace Of God. He Downloads The Tranquility Of The Throne Room Into Our World, Resulting In An Inexplicable Calm. We Should Be Worried, But We Aren't. We Should Be Upset, But We're Comforted.
Gratitude
Jesus
Father
Give A Man Religion Without Reminding Him Of His Filth, And The Result Will Be Arrogance In A Three- Piece Suit.
Men
Giving
Arrogance
We Are Presumptuous Not When We Marvel At His Grace, But When We Reject It.
Grace
Rejects
Presumptuous
God Crowns Us. Most People Crown Their Christmas Trees With Either An Angel Or A Star. God Uses Both.
Stars
Angel
People
I Don't Think God Is A Gender. He Presents Himself As A Father But He Comes To Us With The Tenderness Of A Mother. In Some Of The Parables, He Is The Housewife Who Cleans The House Looking For The Lost Coin. So I Think We Can Miss The Point If We Get Too Concerned About The Gender Of God.
Mother
Father
Thinking
The Wizard [of Oz] Says Look Inside Yourself And Find Self. God Says Look Inside Yourself And Find [the Holy Spirit]. The First Will Get You To Kansas. The Latter Will Get You To Heaven. Take Your Pick.
Faith
God
Christian
Does God Care If I'm Sad? Look At The Tear-streaked Face Of Jesus As He Stands Near Lazarus's Tomb.
Jesus
Tears
Doe
No Person Is Too Hardened.
Hardened
Persons
A Split Second Is Nothing Compared To Twenty-four Hours. On God's Clock You're In The Middle Of Your Millisecond. Compared To Eternity, What Is Seventy, Eighty, Ninety Years?
God
Christian
Religious
The Duty Of The Branch Is To Cling To The Vine.
Vines
Branches
Duty
I Think There Is, Not In The Sense That I Enjoy It, But That It's An Important Question. It's The Question, "does The Presence Of Pain Mean God Doesn't Care? Does God Not Love Me Anymore?" I Think That's A Very Common Connection We Tend To Make.
Pain
Mean
Thinking
Want To Learn To Forgive? Then Consider How You've Been Forgiven.
God
Christian
Religious
The Claims Of Christ Are Always On Trial, And We Remain Under Oath! We Are His Witnesses For Truth.
Trials
Christ
Claims
When God Gives An Assignment, He Also Gives The Skill. Study Your Skills, Then, To Reveal Your Assignment.
Skills
Giving
Study
God Loves You Just The Way You Are, But He Refuses To Leave You That Way.
Love You
Way
God Love
We Have A Place Where We Can Take People When They Come To Us With Questions So We're Not Just Speaking Out Of Our Own Opinion. We're Really Speaking To Them Out Of An Authoritative Place, Not Because Of What We Discovered, But Because Of What God Says.
People
Opinion
Speaking Out
I Was About 21 When I Read That [mere Christianity], And My Faith Was Really Being Shaken During Those Days. Its A Great, Classic Book.
Book
Classic
Christianity
God Knows What It's Like To Be A Human. When I Talk To Him About Deadlines Or Long Lines Or Tough Times, He Understands. He's Been There. He's Been Here.
Long
Tough Times
Lines
God Is Faithful Even When His Children Are Not.
Children
Faithful
God Is Faithful
I Choose Faithfulness...today I Will Keep My Promises. My Debtors Will Not Regret Their Trust. My Associates Will Not Question My Word. My Wife Will Not Question My Love. And My Children Will Never Fear That They Father Will Not Come Home.
Children
Regret
Father
Give Your Problems To Christ Before Your Problems Get To You.
Giving
Problem
Christ
There's Something About Compassion That Causes Society To Say, 'we're Going To Take This Person Seriously.' Take Mother Teresa. She Was Confrontational On Abortion, But She Wasn't Rejected By Society.
Mother
Compassion
Abortion
Gods Given Us All Strengths And Gifts.
Given
If I Succeed, I Will Give Thanks. If I Fail, I Will Seek His Grace.
Giving
Grace
Succeed
Prayer Is The Hand Of Faith On The Door Knob Of Your Heart, Inviting Jesus To Enter.
Jesus
Prayer
Heart
God Is Kind, But He Is Not Soft. He Takes Us Firmly By The Hand And Leads Us Into A Radical Life Change.
Life Changing
Hands
Kind
The Wonders Of Nature Call To You. The Promises And Prophecies Of Scripture Speak To You. God Himself Reaches Out To You.
Promise
Scripture
Wonder
God's Delight Is Received Upon Surrender, Not Awarded Upon Conquest.
Delight
Surrender
Conquest
You're Special-not Because Of What You Have. You're Special Because Of Who You Are.
Special
Who You Are
Have You Been Called To Go Out On A Limb For God? You Can Bet It Won't Be Easy. Limb-climbing Has Never Been Easy. Ask Joseph. Or, Better Yet, Ask Jesus. He Knows Better Than Anyone The Cost Of Hanging On A Tree.
Jesus
Climbing
Tree
Most People Have Settled For A Wimpy Grace. It's Something That Doesn't Change Their Lives. There Is A Difference Between Grace And Mercy. Mercy Is The Decision Of God Not To Punish Us. But Grace Is The Decision Of God To Save And Bless Us.
Grace And Mercy
Differences
People
We're All Travelers, All Sojourners.
Sojourners
Traveler
Children Spell Love With Four Letters: T-i-m-e.
Children
Four
Letters
No One Can Pray And Worry At The Same Time. When We Worry, We Aren't Praying. When We Pray, We Aren't Worrying.
God
Christian
Religious
A Book Should Be A Garden That Fits In The Hands. Word-petals Of Color. Stems Of Strength. Roots Of Truth. Turn A Page And Turn The Seasons. Read The Sentence And Enjoy The Roses.
Book
Garden
Hands
We Just Need The Government To Be That Greenhouse That Permits Our Faith To Grow.
Government
Needs
Permit
Jesus Will Empty The Tombs And Melt The Winter Of Death.
Jesus
Winter
Empty
You Will Never Forgive Anyone More Than God Has Already Forgiven You.
Forgiveness
God
Faith
I'd Like To Think I'm Going Upriver In Talking About World-view Topics Rather Than Particular Political Or Controversial Topics.
Thinking
Views
Controversial Topics
Maybe You've Had The Experience Where Somebody's Asked You A Question And You Give An Answer, Then Later In The Day You Think, "oh, I Wish I'd Said That!" I Tend To Journal These Things And Put The Answers In Sermons.
Thinking
Giving
Wish
It Deeply Concerns Me That Somebody Who Knows Little Or Nothing About The Christian Faith Would Hear Mr. Trump Call Himself A Christian And Then Make A Decision Based On The Christian Faith, Based On His Behavior.
Christian
Decision
Littles
I Don't Like Hassles. But I Love Christmas Because It Reminds Us How "god Causes Everything To Work Together For The Good Of Those Who Love God" (rom. 8:28 Nlt).
Christmas Love
Working Together
Causes
Though We May Not Be Able To See His Purpose Or His Plan, The Lord Of Heaven Is On His Throne And In Firm Control Of The Universe And Our Lives.
Heaven
Thrones
Purpose
What To Change Your Life? Begin By Saying, "the Lord Is My Shepherd."
Change
Shepherds
Changing Your Life
It Works Well For Me To Go Ahead And Prepare The Sermon With A Chapter In Mind. What That Does Is To Force Me To Be Very Thrifty In My Language, Tighten Up My Words And Not Ramble So Much. It Puts Some Fiber In The Sermon.
Mind
Fiber
Doe
When You Are In The Final Days Of Your Life, What Will You Want? Will You Hug That College Degree In The Walnut Frame? Will You Ask To Be Carried To The Garage So You Can Sit In Your Car? Will You Find Comfort In Rereading Your Financial Statement? Of Course Not. What Will Matter Then Will Be People. If Relationships Will Matter Most Then, Shouldn't They Matter Most Now?
Inspirational
College
People
I Don't Get Asked A Lot Of Questions About Who Is The Best Political Candidate Or What My Position Is On What The Senate Is About To Do.
Political
Position
Candidates
God Sees Us With The Eyes Of A Father. He Sees Our Defects, Errors And Blemishes. But He Also Sees Our Value.
Father
Eye
Errors
Initially, When I First Became A Christian And Got Into Ministry, My Thought Was That God Existed To Make My Life Better And To Take Me To Heaven. Now I Realize That It Is Not About Me At All. It Is All About God And That He Did This To Display His Plan To Restore The Earth To The Garden Of Eden State.
Christian
Garden
Eden
I Choose Gentleness... Nothing Is Won By Force. I Choose To Be Gentle. If I Raise My Voice May It Be Only In Praise. If I Clench My Fist, May It Be Only In Prayer. If I Make A Demand, May It Be Only Of Myself.
Prayer
Voice
Self Control
Yesterday You Can't Alter, But Your Reaction To Yesterday You Can. The Past You Cannot Change, But Your Response To Your Past You Can.
Past
Yesterday
Reactions
Fear Creates A Form Of Spiritual Amnesia
Spiritual
Form
Amnesia
We Are Jesus Christ's; We Belong To Him. But Even More, We Are Increasingly Him. He Moves In And Commandeers Our Hands And Feet, Requisitions Our Minds And Tongues. We Sense His Rearranging: Debris Into The Divine, Pig's Ear Into Silk Purse. He Repurposes Bad Decisions And Squalid Choices. Little By Little, A New Image Emerges.
Jesus
Moving
Pigs
I'm First A Pastor And Then A Writer.
Firsts
Pastor
I Firmly Believe That The Purpose Of Life Is Not This Life. It Is To Equip Us, Whatever Our Role Is Going To Be In The Next Life. And Understanding God's Story Is Really Where I Find The Significance And Purpose In My Own Story.
Believe
Understanding God
Roles
He Came, Not As A Flash Of Light Or As An Unapproachable Conqueror, But As One Whose First Cries Were Heard By A Peasant Girl And A Sleepy Carpenter. God Tapped Humanity On Its Collective Shoulder, "pardon Me," He Said, And Eternity Interrupted Time, Divinity Interrupted Carnality, And Heaven Interrupted The Earth In The Form Of A Baby. Christianity Was Born In One Big Heavenly Interruption.
Christmas
Girl
Baby
Being Religious Without Knowing The Cross Is Like Owning A Mercedes With No Motor. Pretty Package, But Where Is Your Power?
Religious
Knowing
Crosses
If We Are To Be Just Like Jesus, We Must Have Regular Time Of Talking To God And Listening To His Word.
Jesus
Talking
Listening
I Don't Think I Have Ever Created An Entire Fiction Piece Or Followed A Historical Piece And Made That Into A Sermon.
Thinking
Historical
Fiction
God Will Use Whatever He Wants To Display His Glory. Heavens And Stars. History And Nations. People And Problems.
Stars
People
Heaven
One Phrase Summarizes The Horror Of Hell. "god Isn't There."
Phrases
Horror
Hell
Christianity Teaches Salvation By Grace Through Faith, Every Other Religion Teaches Salvation Through Works And Merit.
Grace
Merit
Christianity
What If You Woke Up This Morning And Had Only The Things You Thanked God For Yesterday?
Morning
Yesterday
What If
Gratitude Develops Faith. The Surest Path Out Of A Slump Is Marked By The Road Sign "thank You, God."
Christian
Gratitude
Thank You God
Actions In Heaven Begin When Someone Prays On Earth. What An Amazing Thought!
Heaven
Earth
Action
God Rewards Those Who Seek Him. Not Those Who Seek Doctrine Of Religion Or Systems Or Creeds. Many Settle For These Lesser Passions, But The Reward Goes To Those Who Settle For Nothing Less Than Jesus Himself. And What Is The Reward? What Awaits Those Who Seek Jesus? Nothing Short Of The Heart Of Jesus.
Jesus
Passion
Heart
We Get A Lot Of Unsolicited Manuscripts Here. Im Not Even A Publisher, But We Get Several A Week. I Dont Read Them, But I Do Glance Through Some Of Them, And Some People Dont Need To Be Writing, They Have Something Else.
Writing
People
Needs
To The Loved, A Word Of Affection Is A Morsel; But To The Love-starved, A Word Of Affection Can Be A Feast.
Affection
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