“Christ offers you what you cannot earn and what the physical creation can never offer: the all-surpassing glory of knowing Him. This is the world’s best prize. This is the universe’s best meal. This is the only thing that will give life meaning and fill you with lasting joy.”
–Paul David Tripp, A Quest For More: Living For Something Bigger than You (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2008), 121.
“God Wins Every Time” by John Piper
“We need to ponder the superiority of God as our great reward over all that the world has to offer. If we don’t, we will love the world like everyone else and live like everyone else… Everything the world has to offer, God is better and more abiding. There is no comparison. God wins every time.”
John Piper-from his devotional “Better Than Money, Sex, and Power”
“God is Better” by Francis Chan
I have one reason why you should walk away from that temptation right now. One reason:
GOD IS BETTER.
Francis Chan-from his sermon “When Sin Looks More Enjoyable Than God”
“Jesus is our Rachel” by Tim Keller
“What you need to drive out an old passion, is a new passion, a greater passion. What you need is an over-mastering positive passion. [...] Just as Rachel was Jacob’s over-mastering passion, the passion of his life, Jesus is our “Rachel”. To the degree, that you see Jesus on the cross, losing absolutely everything for you, He will become a beauty to you, He will become so beautiful in your eyes that you’ll be able to change these things that control you now, they’ll lose their power.
Do you know how to work on your heart like that? It’s only by rejoicing in and resting in what Jesus Christ has done for you. Then you can replace your idols. And if you really want to change and want to pound the Gospel more deeply into your heart – Jesus Christ must become your over-mastering positive passion.”
― Timothy Keller, Gospel in Life: Grace Changes Everything
“Much Forgiven” by J.C. Ryle
“A sense of having our sins forgiven is the mainspring and life-blood of love to Christ. . . . Would the Pharisee know why this woman showed so much love? It was because she felt much forgiven. Would he know why he himself had shown his guest so little love? It was because he felt under no obligation, had no consciousness of having obtained forgiveness, had no sense of debt to Christ. . . . The only way to make men holy is to teach and preach free and full forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The secret of being holy ourselves is to know and feel that Christ has pardoned our sins.”
J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, on Luke 7:36-50.
“What of It?” by Martin Luther
“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!”
― Martin Luther
“Forget About His Will for Your Life” by Francis Chan
I think a lot of us need to forget about “God’s will for my life.” God cares more about our response to His Spirit’s leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today’s decisions. It is easy to use the phrase “God’s will for my life” as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It’s much less demanding to think about God’s will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes.
Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit