#disciples

The first thing that stuck in the minds of the disciples was not the empty tomb, but rather the empty grave clothes - undisturbed in form and position. ↗

— Josh McDowell

#disciples #empty #first #first thing #form

We need to shed our unearthly and nonsocial and idealistic and romantic and uber-spiritual visions of kingdom and get back to what Jesus meant. By kingdom, Jesus means: God's Dream Society on earth, spreading out from the land of Israel to encompass the whole world. ↗

— Scot McKnight

#discipleship #hope #inspirational #justice #religion

Whenever the names of the disciples are enumerated in the New Testament, St. Peter's stands at their head. ↗

— John Strachan

#enumerated #head #names #new #new testament

Jesus, Willard says, “does not call us to do what he did, but to be as he was, permeated with love. Then the doing of what he did and said becomes the natural expression of who we are in him. ↗

— Dallas Willard

#life

If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ. When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation. ↗

— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

#christ #christianity #discipleship #discipline #fasting

Those who are not true leaders will just affirm people at their own immature level. ↗

— Richard Rohr

#discipleship #leadership #leadership

Many pastors have been reduced to secular "mentors" and "coaches" in exchange for authentic disciplers of men. ↗

— John Paul Warren

#john-paul-warren #leadershio #mentors #men

God is not preparing you for anything; obedience is its own end in the purpose of God; be faithful to Him. ↗

— Oswald Chambers

#faith

When Jesus calls his disciples 'brothers' and 'friends', he is contradicting general Jewish usage and breaking through into a new concept of brotherhood which is not tribal, but open to any person. ↗

— David Kirk

#breaking #brotherhood #brothers #calls #concept

God in His sovereign goodness often uses the painful and at times debilitating injury of a spear thrower to make us readier for His service. ... One thing you discover about spear throwers is that though it’s not necessary for them to be good, it’s essential for them to appear good. ↗

— Erwin W. Lutzer

#hypocrisy #submission #forgiveness