Quotes from Jim Cymbala

You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. "You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night. "But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting.

There will be more Christlikeness in us only when we humble ourselves and say, 'God, I can't live the life you meant for me on my own. I don't have the love, wisdom, or power. But come, Holy Spirit, and pour it into me. Teach me what it means to walk in the Spirit.

We may have sound doctrine, but with little fellowship with the Lord, our hearts quickly grow cold.

Unbelief loves to paint the bleakest picture it can. It loves to get us mumbling to ourselves, I'm not going to make it. I just know this is going to turn out terrible. The future is bound to crash on me. Let me tell you that God, who began a good work in you, is not about to stop now. After sending his Son to die for your sins, after saving you at such incredible cost, why would he let you fail now?

But how can we effectively represent Christ, who in sacrificial love gave his life for others, if we don't deeply care about those he died for? And since "God is love" (1 John 4:8), doesn't it follow that the one great distinguishing characteristic of Christians everywhere should be a self-sacrificing love for people? Doctrine, apologetics, spiritual gifts, and prophecy charts are all great, but God is love. Without love, everything becomes meaningless (1 Cor. 13).

Whatever God approves of comes first. Whatever grieves him has to go.

Day after day goes by, and God keeps looking, looking....Doesn't anyone want to call out for his blessing? Upon whom can he pour his grace? Isn't anyone interested?

But the Bible teaches that we are always either drawing nearer to God or falling away. There is no holding pattern.

It must be important to God, for he tells us that "without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Holiness is not a list of dos and don'ts. Rather, it is Christlikeness.

What has become of standing unashamed for the gospel of Christ? No one is smarter than God. When he says to do his work in his way, we can be assured that he will produce his results for his glory. We don't need to get "creative" on him. God knows exactly what we need to do and expects us to trust and obey him in childlike simplicity.

Andrew Bonar wrote in his diary on December 13, 1880, "I long more and more to be filled with the Spirit, and to see my congregation moved and melted under the Word, as in great revival times, 'the place shaken where they are assembled together,' because the Lord has come in power.

Every time we open the Bible, let's stop and pray, whether for fifteen seconds or fifteen minutes, asking the Spirit to teach us. When I read the Bible, I want God to talk to my soul.