Ryan Clegg

“The church is not an audience to be entertained; it is an army to be empowered. The large crowd will not change the world; the mobilized force of Spirit-filled believers will.”
― J.D. Greear, Gaining By Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send

“Saying, “Preach the gospel; if necessary use words,” is like me saying, “Tell me your phone number; if necessary, use digits.” Apart from digits, there is no phone number. Apart from words, there is no gospel.”
― J.D. Greear, Gaining By Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send

“So, each one represents Devotion according to his liking and imagination. He who is in the habit of fasting thinks that because he fasts he is very devout, even though his heart is filled with hatred; and while fasting he will not dare to sip wine or even water, but neither will he refrain from drinking the blood of his neighbor by means of gossip or slander. Another considers himself devout because of the very great number of prayers he recites every day, even though soon after this he speaks words that are annoying, arrogant, and hurtful to those in his house and to his neighbors. Another very gladly takes alms from his purse to give to the poor but cannot take any gentleness from his heart to forgive his enemies. Yet another will forgive his enemies but will not pay what he owes unless legally forced to do so. All such persons are generally looked upon as devout, whereas in fact they are not.”
― St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life

“Luther believed that every believer must discover how he or she is gifted by God to develop his world, because this is in large part how followers of Christ fulfill their callings. Thus, if God has given you “secular” skills — in business, banking, painting, landscaping, medicine, art, law, or the like — understand that there is nothing second-class about them. God uses your vocation to care for his world through you. As you work, you are being used by God in his original mission.”
― J.D. Greear, Gaining By Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send