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Churches can become places of cynicism, resistance, and pessimism.

John Ortberg

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John Ortberg
Age: 67
Born: 1957
Born: May 5
Author
Psychologist
Theologian
Rockford
Illinois
Places
Church
Become
Pessimism
Cynicism
Churches
Resistance

More quotes by John Ortberg

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Skeptics would rather, even at their own expense, appear to be right than take the risk of trusting.
John Ortberg
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If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the world generally discards.
John Ortberg
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Joylessness may be the sin most readily tolerated by the church.
John Ortberg
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The reason our souls hunger so is that the life we could be living so far exceeds our strangest dreams.
John Ortberg
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Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.
John Ortberg
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If ever there were a true just as I am church, if ever there were a community where everybody could bring all their baggage and brokenness with them without neat and tidy happy endings quite yet, if ever there was a group where everyone was loved and no one pretended - we could not make enough room inside the building.
John Ortberg
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One of the great illusions of our time is that hurrying will buy us more time.
John Ortberg
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To become grateful, I must learn that I can handle disappointment and delayed gratification with grace and perseverance. This is why practices such as fasting and simplicity are such powerful tools for transformation. The experience of frustration and disappointment is irreplaceable in the development of a grateful heart.
John Ortberg
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The soul seeks God with its whole being. Because it is desperate to be whole, the soul is God-smitten and God-crazy and God-obsessed. My mind may be obsessed with idols my will may be enslaved to habits my body may be consumed with appetites. But my soul will never find rest until it rests in God.
John Ortberg
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Having faith does not mean never having doubts or questions. It does mean remaining obedient.
John Ortberg
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Prudence is not hesitation, procrastination, or moderation. It is not driving in the middle of the road. It is not the way of ambivalence, indecision, or safety.
John Ortberg
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If you want to do the work of God, pay attention to people. Notice them. Especially the people nobody else notices.
John Ortberg
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If we do not become changed from the inside-out - if we don't morph - we will be tempted to find external methods to satisfy our need to feel that we're different from those outside the faith. If we cannot be transformed, we will settle for being informed or conformed.
John Ortberg
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Spiritual formation is for everyone. Just as there is an 'outer you' that is being formed and shaped all the time, like it or not, by accident or on purpose, so there is an 'inner you.' You have a spirit. And it's constantly being shaped and tugged at: by what you hear and watch and say and read and think and experience.
John Ortberg
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We who preach have one tool. We are people of the book.
John Ortberg
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The goal of prayer is to live all of my life and speak all of my words in the joyful awareness of the presence of God. Prayer becomes real when we grasp the reality and goodness of God's constant presence with 'the real me.' Jesus lived his everyday life in conscious awareness of his Father.
John Ortberg
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We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?
John Ortberg
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The most frequent promise in the Bible is ‘I will be with you.’
John Ortberg
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Too often we argue about Christianity instead of marveling at Jesus.
John Ortberg
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Over and over in the Bible, it is fear that threatens to keep people from trusting and obeying God.
John Ortberg