> Embark on a year-long journey of spiritual reflection and growth with these handpicked words of wisdom from influential Christian figures throughout history. Rather than rushing through the list, savor each quote, taking a full week to truly ponder its depths. Explore how each saying resonates with the timeless truths of Scripture, and discover how its message can deepen your understanding of God and guide you on your own faith journey.
Week 1: God’s Unconditional Love
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”
Augustine of Hippo
- Description: Early Christian theologian and philosopher; Lived: 354-430 AD
- Source: Confessions
Week 2: The Power of Faith
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
C.S. Lewis
- Description: British writer and lay theologian; Lived: 1898-1963
- Source: “Is Theology Poetry?” essay
Week 3: God’s Sufficiency
“If God is all you have, you have all you need.”
John Chrysostom
- Description: Early Church Father known for his eloquence; Lived: c. 347-407 AD
- Source: Homilies
Week 4: Trusting God’s Plan
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
- Description: American civil rights leader and minister; Lived: 1929-1968
- Source: Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story
Week 5: God’s Empowering Grace
“God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”
Unknown (often attributed to various figures)
- Description: This popular quote speaks to God’s power to equip us.
- Source: Various
Week 6: Honesty in Our Walk with God
“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.'”
Billy Graham
- Description: American evangelist; Lived: 1918-2018
- Source: Just As I Am (autobiography)
Week 7: Finding Fulfillment in God
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
John Piper
- Description: American Reformed Baptist pastor and author; Lived: 1946-present
- Source: Desiring God
Week 8: Impact of Parenting
“Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise.”
Andy Stanley
- Description: American pastor and author; Lived: 1958-present
- Source: Various
Week 9: Seeing Potential in Challenges
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”
Charles R. Swindoll
- Description: American evangelical Christian pastor and author; Lived: 1934-present
- Source: Strengthening Your Grip
Week 10: God’s Protection and Provision
“The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
Billy Graham
- Description: American evangelist; Lived: 1918-2018
- Source: Various
Week 11: Trusting God’s Resources
“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.”
Hudson Taylor
- Description: British missionary to China; Lived: 1832-1905
- Source: Attributed
Week 12: God’s Sovereignty
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
King Solomon
- Description: King of Israel and author of Proverbs; Lived: c. 970-931 BC
- Source: Proverbs 16:9
Week 13: Surrendering to God’s Call
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot
- Description: Missionary to Ecuador; Lived: 1927-1956
- Source: Shadow of the Almighty
Week 14: The Worldwide Church
“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.”
John Stott
- Description: English Anglican cleric and theologian; Lived: 1921-2011
- Source: The Contemporary Christian
Week 15: Living Out Our Beliefs
“The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”
Søren Kierkegaard
- Description: Danish philosopher and theologian; Lived: 1813-1855
- Source: Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard
Week 16: God’s Use of Imperfect People
“God is looking for broken men who have judged themselves in the light of the cross of Christ.”
Watchman Nee
- Description: Chinese church leader and Christian teacher; Lived: 1903-1972
- Source: The Normal Christian Life
Week 17: Authentic Faith
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.”
Brennan Manning
- Description: American author and priest; Lived: 1934-2013
- Source: The Ragamuffin Gospel
Week 18: God’s Grace
“The Christian life is not about all the things we do for God—it’s about all that God does for us.”
Timothy Keller
- Description: American pastor, theologian, and Christian apologist; Lived: 1950-2023
- Source: The Reason for God
Week 19: Facing Life’s Challenges
“God doesn’t give us overcoming life; He gives us life as we overcome.”
Oswald Chambers
- Description: Scottish Baptist evangelist and teacher; Lived: 1874-1917
- Source: My Utmost for His Highest
Week 20: Importance of Scripture
“The soul can do without everything except the word of God, without which none at all of its wants are provided for.”
Martin Luther
- Description: German theologian and reformer; Lived: 1483-1546
- Source: On Christian Liberty
Week 21: God’s Relentless Love
“God is not a celestial prison warden jangling the keys on a bunch of lifers—he’s a shepherd seeking for sheep, a woman searching for coins, a father waiting for his son.”
Clarence Jordan
- Description: American farmer, biblical scholar, and activist; Lived: 1912-1969
- Source: Sermon on the Mount
Week 22: Christ’s Lordship Over All
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
Abraham Kuyper
- Description: Dutch theologian, politician, and journalist; Lived: 1837-1920
- Source: Sphere Sovereignty
Week 23: The Paradox of the Gospel
“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
Timothy Keller
- Description: American pastor, theologian, and Christian apologist; Lived: 1950-2023
- Source: The Meaning of Marriage
Week 24: Trusting God in Uncertainty
“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”
C.S. Lewis
- Description: British writer and lay theologian; Lived: 1898-1963
- Source: Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
Week 25: Living in the Moment
“The best way to prepare for the future is to take care of the present, because that is where you will spend the rest of your life.”
Charles Swindoll
- Description: American evangelical Christian pastor and author; Lived: 1934-present
- Source: Various
Week 26: The Security of Surrender
“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
Martin Luther
- Description: German theologian and reformer; Lived: 1483-1546
- Source: Table Talk
Week 27: God Speaking Through Suffering
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
C.S. Lewis
- Description: British writer and lay theologian; Lived: 1898-1963
- Source: The Problem of Pain
Week 28: Living to Our Full Potential in Christ
“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.”
Irenaeus
- Description: Early Church Father and bishop of Lugdunum; Lived: c. 130-c. 202 AD
- Source: Against Heresies
Week 29: Spiritual Warfare
“The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground.”
Warren W. Wiersbe
- Description: American pastor and Bible teacher; Lived: 1929-2019
- Source: Be Series Bible Commentaries
Week 30: God Knows Us Completely
“God is not disillusioned with us. He never had any illusions to begin with.”
Luis Palau
- Description: Argentinian-American evangelist; Lived: 1934-2021
- Source: God Is Relevant
Week 31: Excellence in Our Work
“The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”
Martin Luther
- Description: German theologian and reformer; Lived: 1483-1546
- Source: Table Talk
Week 32: The Foundation of a Strong Family
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”
Theodore Hesburgh
- Description: American Catholic priest, president of the University of Notre Dame; Lived: 1917-2015
- Source: God, Country, Notre Dame: The Autobiography of Theodore M. Hesburgh
Week 33: Making Love a Priority
“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.
Rick Warren
- Description: American evangelical Christian pastor and author; Lived: 1954-present
- Source: The Purpose Driven Life
Week 34: The Importance of Our Example
“You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.”
Bill Hybels
- Description: American evangelical Christian pastor, author, and innovator; Lived: 1951-present
- Source: Various
Week 35: Seeking What Truly Matters
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.
Francis Chan
- Description: American Christian teacher, preacher, and author; Lived: 1967-present
- Source: Crazy Love
Week 36: Daily Dependence on God
“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.”
C.S. Lewis
- Description: British writer and lay theologian; Lived: 1898-1963
- Source: Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
Week 37: Integrity
“Character is what you are in the dark.”
Dwight L. Moody
- Description: American evangelist and publisher; Lived: 1837-1899
- Source: Various
Week 38: Trusting God’s Call
“God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.”
Christine Caine
- Description: Australian activist, evangelist, and international speaker; Lived: 1966-present
- Source: Undaunted: Daring to do what God calls you to do
Week 39: Our Unique Value
“There is no one who is insignificant in the purpose of God.”
Alistair Begg
- Description: Scottish-American pastor and author; Lived: 1952-present
- Source: Made for His Pleasure
Week 40: God’s Power in Weakness
“God is not looking for extraordinary characters as His instruments, but He is looking for humble instruments through whom He can be honored throughout the ages.”
Dwight L. Moody
- Description: American evangelist and publisher; Lived: 1837-1899
- Source: The Overcoming Life
Week 41: Grace and Acceptance
“The church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners.”
Unknown (often attributed to various figures)
- Description: A powerful reminder of the church’s purpose
- Source: Various
Week 42: Being Open to God’s Leading
“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Description: German Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident; Lived: 1906-1945
- Source: Life Together
Week 43: The Challenge of Christian Living
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”
G.K. Chesterton
- Description: English writer, philosopher, and Christian apologist; Lived: 1874-1936
- Source: What’s Wrong with the World
Week 44: True Prayer
“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
Mother Teresa
- Description: Catholic nun and missionary; Lived: 1910-1997
- Source: In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers
Week 45: Trusting God’s Plan
“Have faith in God; He knows more than you do.”
Corrie ten Boom
- Description: Dutch watchmaker, author, and Holocaust survivor; Lived: 1892-1983
- Source: The Hiding Place
Week 46: God’s Transforming Power
“God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go.”
Tony Evans
- Description: American pastor, author, and speaker; Lived: 1946-present
- Source: Various
Week 47: Embracing God’s Design
“I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest and most precious thing in all thinking.”
George MacDonald
- Description: Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister; Lived: 1824–1905
- Source: An Anthology
Week 48: Finding Answers in God
“Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.”
Elisabeth Elliot
- Description: American Christian author and speaker; Lived: 1926–2015
- Source: Passion and Purity
Week 49: The Active Nature of Grace
“We are saved by grace, but grace is not a sofa. It is a force that pushes us off our seats to make disciples.”
Phillip Yancey
- Description: American author; Lived: 1949-present
- Source: What’s So Amazing About Grace?
Week 50: The Source of True Joy
“Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart when the King is in residence.”
Billy Graham
- Description: American evangelist; Lived: 1918-2018
- Source: Various
Week 51: God’s Refining Process
“God never uses anyone greatly until He tests them deeply.”
Unknown (often attributed to various figures)
- Description: This popular quote reminds us that trials are part of our growth.
- Source: Various
Week 52: Hope in God’s Faithfulness
“The future is as bright as the promises of God.”
Adoniram Judson
- Lived: 1788–1850
- Source: Attributed
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