Sabbath, Worship & Church

Christian Quotes About The Sabbath, Worship & The Church…

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon — The morning is the gate of the day…

The morning is the gate of the day, and should be well guarded with prayer. It is one end of the thread on which the day’s actions are strung, and should be well knotted with devotion. If we felt more the majesty of life we should be more careful of its mornings. He who rushes from his bed to his business and without worship is as foolish as though he had not put on his clothes, or washed his face, and as unwise as thought he dashed into battle without arms or armor.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

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Unknown — As the minister stepped up to the pulpit…

As the minister stepped up to the pulpit he discovered to his chagrin that he had forgotten his sermon notes. As it was too late to send someone for them, he turned to the congregation and said, by way of apology, that this morning he should have to depend upon the Lord for what he might say, but that for the evening service, he would be better prepared.

Unknown

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Soren Kierkegaard — Every Sunday…

Every Sunday the ducks waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddle into the sanctuary and squat in their proper pews. The duck choir waddles in and takes its place, then the duck minister comes forward and opens the duck Bible. He reads to them: “Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fences can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds!” All the ducks shouted, “Amen!” And they all waddled home.
Soren Kierkegaard

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Tony Campolo — The story is told of a church…

The story is told of a church that secured a new preacher, and the word spread around town about how well he preached. The church members were abuzz about what an improvement he was over their former preacher, and how much more attention they gave to his sermons. When the town cynic asked what made this new preacher so much better than his predecessor, he was told, “The old preacher told us that we’re all sinners, and that if we didn’t repent, we’d burn in hell forever!” This cynic then asked, “And what does this new one say?” The answer was, “That we’re all sinners, and that if we don’t repent, we’ll burn in hell forever!” When the cynic responded that he didn’t see any difference between the two of them, he was told, “This new preacher says it with tears in his eyes.”
Tony Campolo

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The Little Book of Church Signs — A Bible That Is Falling Apart…

A Bible That Is Falling Apart Belongs To Someone Who Isn’t
If You Want To Hear God Laugh, Tell Him Your Plans
Lent Is Spring Training For Christians
Now Open Between Easter And Christmas
Lost And Found Inside
Salvation Guaranteed, Or Your Sins Cheerfully Refunded!
Come Early To Get A Seat In Back
Happy Hour: Sundays At 10 A.M.
You think it’s hot here?
If At First You Don’t Succeed, Read The Instructions (The Bible!)
Ask About Our Pray-As-You-Go Plan
Have a God day!
Prepare For Your Finals! Read The Bible!
God Is. Any Questions?
Same Owner For 2,000 Years
The Little Book of Church Signs

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Andrew Murray — The whole duty and blessedness of waiting on God…

The whole duty and blessedness of waiting on God has its root in this, that He is such a blessed Being, full, to overflowing, of goodness and power and life and joy, that we, however wretched, cannot for any time come into contact with Him, without that life and power secretly, silently, beginning to enter into us and blessing us.  God is Love!  God’s love is just His delight to impart Himself and His blessedness to His children.  Come, and however feeble you feel, just wait in His presence.  As a feeble invalid is brought out into the sunshine to let its warmth go through him, come with all that is dark and cold in you into the sunshine of God’s holy, omnipotent love, and sit and wait there, with the one thought:  Here I am, in the sunshine of His love.  As the sun does its work in the weak one who seeks its rays, God will do His work in you.
Andrew Murray

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Unknown — A man who lived some six miles from the house of worship…

A man who lived some six miles from the house of worship, complained to his pastor of the distance he had to go to attend public worship.  “Never mind,” said the minister, “remember every Sabbath you have the privilege of preaching a sermon six miles long- you preach the gospel to all the residents and people you pass.”
Unknown

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Tony Bland — The phone rang in the office of a Washington D.C. church…

The phone rang in the office of a Washington D.C. church.  The voice on the other end asked, “Will the President be in church Sunday morning?”  The pastor quickly replied, “That I cannot promise, but I do know Jesus Christ will be here and that should be sufficient incentive for a reasonably large attendance.”
Tony Bland

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Karl Barth — They crucified him with the criminals…

They crucified him with the criminals.  Do you know what this implies?  Don’t be too surprised if I tell you that this was the first Christian fellowship, the first certain, indissoluble, and indestructible Christian community.  Christian community is manifest wherever there is a group of people close to Jesus who are with him in such a way that they are directly and unambiguously affected by his promise and assurance.  These may hear that everything he is, he is for them, and everything he does, he does for them.  To live by this promise is to be a Christian community.
Karl Barth

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Paul Tournier — There is a loyalty which turns into Idolatry…

There is a loyalty which turns into idolatry.  The very thing which once freed us can turn into the very thing that enslaves us: a method of prayer, a technique of mediation, a way of expressing ourselves through art, music, writing or speaking, which was once the channel through which God reaches us, may have become the very thing which prevents our continued growth.  We may confuse the channels of God with God himself!!  This turns us into idolators of a certain system.  We become fixed and petrified.  It’s natural to thrill at each new level of growth and feel that we’ve arrived.  But God, the living God, keeps breaking our old molds; He constantly enlarges us, presenting new challenges and new sacraments.
Paul Tournier

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Robert Schoen — Setting aside a day of rest is difficult…

Setting aside a day of rest is difficult.  We are surrounded by too many things to do, too many places to go, and far too many distractions.  What would it be like if we could ignore these distractions and spend an entire day every week with our family and friends, and our spiritual thoughts?  An answer to this hypothetical question appears in the Talmud, which tells us that the world would be redeemed if everyone observed only two consecutive Sabbaths.
Robert Schoen

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Unknown — A story is told about Daniel Webster…

A story is told about Daniel Webster.  During his days in the city of Washington the great statesman attended worship regularly in a little rural church outside the city.  Some of his colleagues were disturbed about it.  They said it lacked prestige.  And they asked him why he attended a little church in the sticks when he would be welcome in the more fashionable churches in Washington.  Webster answered that when he attended church in Washington they preached to Daniel Webster, the statesman, but in the little church, they preached to Daniel Webster, the sinner.
Unknown

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P. T. Forsyth — The greatest element in life…

The greatest element in life is not what occupies most of its time, else sleep would stand high in the scale.  Nor is it what engrosses most of its thought, else money would be very high.  The two or three hours of worship and preaching weekly has perhaps been the greatest signal influence on English life.  Half an hour of prayer, morning or evening, every day, may be a greater element in shaping our course than all our conduct and all our thought.
P. T. Forsyth

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James Duff — A layman visited a great city church…

A layman visited a great city church during a business trip.  After the service, he congratulated the minister on his service and sermon.  “But,” said the manufacturer, “if you were my salesman, I’d discharge you.  You got my attention by your appearance, voice and manner; your prayer, reading and logical discourse aroused my interest; you warmed my heart with a desire for what you preached; and then- and then you stopped without asking me to do something about it.  In business the important thing is to get them to sign on the dotted line.”
James Duff 

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Robert Schuller — If you give God a thimble…

If you give God a thimble, perhaps He will choose to fill it. If you give God a five-gallon bucket, perhaps He will choose to fill that. If you give Him a fifty-gallon drum, perhaps He will choose to do something extraordinary and fill even that. If God chooses to do a miracle, you’d better be ready for it. Don’t buy a thimbleful of land. Buy a fifty-gallon drum.
(as told to Bill Hybels when visiting Robert Schuller to obtain his advice of the planning for Willow Creek church in Chicago)
Robert Schuller