Quotes from Scott Sauls and Steve Brown

Last week, I finished A Scandalous Freedom by Steve Brown and Befriend by Scott Sauls.  Here are some quotes from the final chapters of the books:

the difference between Christians and pagans when both fail is that pagans blame luck and Christians blame God.

the law of God provides a schematic for the way the world works...God explains how certain things will hurt you and certain things will help you...The law of God, as revealed in the Bible, is the best way to live...The law is the tutor that brings you to Christ.

one major reason Christians don't obey is they obsess over their obedience...When you obsess over anything but him--and that includes being free--you can lose it.

You take the first step, God will take the second step, and by the time you get to the third step, you will know that it was God who took the first step.

Every human bears the image of God.

This is what the scribes and Pharisees were know for doing. They demanded that people keep God's law--don't commit adultery, don't murder, and so on--but they would not life a finger to help share the burden.

Speaking of his church, Sauls writes, "Being conservative in their theology--believing every word of Scripture to be right and true--our people are liberal in their loving.

many of us are living materially full lives and yet are spiritually, emotionally, and relationally running on empty.

But government is not, and was never meant to be, the answer to all the world's problems.

When we lose our intimacy with God, God isn't the one who has moved away. We are.

Mary's enjoyment of Jesus is precisely what energizes her zeal to serve. For when you are face-to-face with Love himself, you become more loving. When you are face-to-face with Kindness himself, you become more kind. When you are face-to-face with Generosity himself, you become more generous. When you are face-to-face with Hospitality himself, you become more hospitable. It's how Jesus works. He rubs off on us. While Martha is busy trying to be like Jesus, Mary spends her energy being with him. And in being with him, Mary becomes like him.