Brian Houston Quotes
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There are three ways to learn from our mistakes: the easy way, the hard way, and the tragic way. The easy way is learning from other people’s mistakes. The hard way is learning from our own. And the tragic way is not learning from either.
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All of my life, in every season, You are still God. I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship. “Desert Song,” Hillsong...
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Don’t exclude others just because they disagree with you on many things. Such strife smells of and breeds disunity. Instead, allow the sweet aroma of the gospel to draw others to you and into the House of God, where they may also meet the One who saved you.
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Like Billy Graham said, "It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judgr, and my job to love." Our world is full of disagreement. But thank God that our loving acceptance of people doesn't have to be built on agreeing with them. Our loving acceptance of them is built on thr cross.
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The big life we long to live can so often be hijacked by setbacks or stumbles, unexpected bumps in the road. But if we spend our time looking to or dwelling on the past, we may never meet the God appointment waiting for us in the future.
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One of my favorite verses is from Proverbs 15:24: “The way of life winds upward for the wise.” Sadly, rather than winding upward, some people go on a steep decline, a downward spiral, because here’s what happens: Sin leads to guilt, guilt leads to shame, and ultimately shame leads to condemnation. Condemnation leads to death. If a building is condemned, that means it’s unfit for use. It’s disqualified. It’s only good for being pulled down.
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What frames the tone of your life? How often do you stretch beyond your comfort zone to reach out to people whom you are in disagreement with? The ability to enjoy a bug, spacious, openhearted life is directly proportional to your ability to love everyone, especially those who are different from you.
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When we allow our fears and insecurities to blind us momentarily, we’re often tempted to make the gate narrower than God does.
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If you’re living under the weight of guilt, of shame, of condemnation, you’re not flourishing. You’re not ruling and reigning. Scripture tells us the righteous can reign in life. You can rule and have dominion, but if you’re living in shame, you’re not ruling, but instead being ruled. Instead of having dominion, you’re being dominated—dominated by things that have no power or value in your life whatsoever. You can live thinking that you owe it to yourself to feel bad about things that have gone on before. And I’m not saying you should ever take your past sins lightly. What I am saying is that there’s real hope in Jesus. Your focus should be on following Christ, not on looking over your shoulder and regretting what you can’t change. Shame is a prison, but the door to your cell is open. Jesus calls you to follow him in the freedom of grace.
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It has amazed me in the past to see people lose their way when they allow their hairdresser, whose own world is a catastrophe, to become their counselor. Nothing against hairdressers, but the same can be said of unchurched colleagues and neighbors. Sharing your woes with people whose own lives don't line up with the will of God can lead to bad advice and poor choices. Look for the people in your life who love you and love God wnd clearly want what's best for you, with no agendas or strings attrached.
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Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad...
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The Christian message is a message of transformation, and we are all sinners saved by grace. Yes—God wants us to change, and God helps us to change, but like Billy Graham said, “It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge, and my job to love.
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Just as Jesus called out Peter as being of the devil for tempting him to take an easy way out, I believe such thoughts originate from the same place of fear. We can’t imagine how we’ll get through such a painful ordeal, so we want to take the first way out we see. We don’t want to have to suffer, uncertain of when—or if—we will come out the other side.
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If you want to live, love, and lead like Jesus, then there's no other place to live but in the faith lane. To discover his plan for your life, you will need to step into the great unknown, risking everything you have. If you get out of the boat and follow the sound of his voice, you will take steps you never thought possible.
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We cannot reduce people's whole lives into one sweeping, judgmental statement filled with condemnation. Jesus never did that.
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It isn't about singing a particular hymn or reciting a prayer – it's about a relationship with your Heavenly Father who loves and cares for you.
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If you want to love the way Jesus loved, if you want your life to be characterized by love in a way that reflects the heart of God to everyone you meet, then I recommend paying attention to how you respond to people who make you uncomfortable.
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There is nobody who doesn't deserve to walk into their local church and have others look them in the eye and understand that we are all in the same position. We are all sinful, flawed, selfish, imperfect people - saved only by the grace of God and the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Jesus himself was thr ultimate pioneer. He did what no one had ever done before or has done since: died for our sins and rose from the dead.
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A blessed life is one that understands that when God saves you, He has others in mind. I believe every Christian needs to know that they are not only saved, but are also called to live a life of purpose.
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Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world. If God wanted to condemn the world, he would have sent a condemner. But he wanted to save the world, so he sent us a Savior...
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If you want to live a big, spacious, abundant life like Jesus, especially when life gets difficult, then make the daily decision to believe God at his Word.
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Anxiety and worry work in opposition to inner peace. When you are worried or anxious about something, even something that must be faced and embraced as a process, you leave little room for God’s peace.
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Through the power of his grace, God can turn around the most devastating sin or failure in our lives.