QUOTES FOR REFLECTION

“Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.”

~Albert Camus (1913-1960), French journalist and philosopher

“Man cannot endure his own littleness unless he can translate it into meaningfulness on the largest possible level.”

~Ernest Becker (1924-1974), in The Denial of Death

“…over the past few decades, people have lost a sense of their own sinfulness. Children are raised amid a chorus of applause. Politics has become less about institutional restraint and more about giving voters whatever they want at that second. Joe DiMaggio didn’t ostentatiously admire his own home runs, but now athletes routinely celebrate themselves as part of the self-branding process.”

~David Brooks in The New York Times

“‘You are enough’ is a message that enslaves people…. It burdens them with the obligation of being the source of their own joy, contentment, and peace.”

“You are not enough, but when your trust is placed in Jesus, his enough-ness is transferred to you.”

~Alisa Childers, singer, songwriter, and author

“The true penitent, though he dreads punishment, much more dreads sin…”

~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

“Modern secularism (which insists on keeping faith private) and modern pietism (which keeps Jesus safely contained in the hearts of individual believers) are usually assumed to be adversaries. But this feud is ultimately a battle between brothers. They share conceptual DNA with Marcion and the Gnostics.”

~Ken Myers, contemporary Christian thinker

“It is not a question of whether we worship, but what we worship.”

“We are what we love. And love takes practice.”

~James K. A. Smith, Canadian-born contemporary philosopher

“The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is the vision of God.”

~Irenaeus (c.130-c.202), early Christian leader in Against Heresies

SERMON PASSAGE

selected passages

John 1 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 3 (ESV)

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

John 17 (ESV) – The Words of Jesus

22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them…. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Colossians 3 (NASB95)

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.