GREAT QUOTES FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY
Chuck Hill, D.Min.
Words have power. Used well, they motivate, influence, inspire, guide, and sustain us—especially in ministry. A timely quote can speak to the heart, clarify vision, or stir courage in the face of challenge. This collection of great quotes is designed to encourage and equip those who lead, serve, and shepherd others.
Let these words be both a reminder and a resource as you carry out your calling with purpose and passion.
Christ-Centered Focus
Too often we stare at people and glance at Jesus. We would be better to stare at Jesus and glance at people. – Jim Bradford
Jesus cannot simply be liked, you either kill Him or crown Him in your life. – Timothy Keller
Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet. – Thomas Watson
Let us measure ourselves by our Master, and not by our fellow-servants: then pride will be impossible. – Charles H. Spurgeon
We ought not confuse God’s mercy with His approval. – Jason Wing
The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become. – Henry Martyn
Priority of Prayer
We are powerless when we are prayerless. – Thom Rainer
Prayer trumps panic…every time. – Unknown
Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? – Corrie Ten Boom
God delights in answering our impossible prayers. – Bob Goff
He who kneels the most, stands the best. – Dwight L. Moody
Pray and read, read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from men. – John Bunyan
Power of the Word
The less time you spend with truth, the easier it is to believe lies. – Lecrae
We tend to say, “The church grew.” Acts tends to say, “The Word spread.” … Preach the Word and let God take care of the size of your church. – Matt Smethurst
Preaching the Word
True preaching will always prioritize substance over style. – H.B. Charles Jr.
The secret of preaching is not the preacher’s eloquence, but the truth and relevance of the biblical message. Our responsibility is to unearth the timeless truths of Scripture and proclaim them with clarity and conviction to our contemporary world.” – John Stott
A desire to preach without a burden to study is a desire to perform. – H.B. Charles Jr.
The best way to revive a church is to build a fire in the pulpit. – D. L. Moody
No pastor lives up to what he preaches. If he does he is preaching too low. – John Piper
The task of understanding and interpreting the Bible is a never-ending journey, requiring not only intellectual rigor but also a willingness to be continually challenged and transformed by its message. Our goal is not just to master the text, but to be mastered by it, allowing it to shape our lives and our communities. – N. T. Wright
The pulpit does not determine a preacher’s Holy Spirit filling but it does have a way of revealing it. – Cory Knopf
Preaching is truth through personality. – Phillips Brooks
Other men may preach the gospel better than I, but no man can preach a better gospel. – George Whitefield
If people leave worship saying, ‘What an amazing preacher!’ we have failed. Instead we must long for them to say, ‘What a great God, and what a privilege it is to meet him in his Word, as we have just done.’ A good teacher clears the way, declares the way, and then gets out of the way. – Allister Begg
A desire to preach without a burden to study is a desire to perform. – H.B. Charles Jr.
The goal of preaching is not to impress people with the preacher but to impact people with the gospel. – Steven Lawson
Ministry Leadership & Soul Care
People don’t need a flashy church, they need a healthy church! – Dr. Eric Mason
Our failures are never big enough to interrupt God’s plans for us. – Dave Harvey
Use your ministry to build people, not people to build your ministry. – Jacquelyn K. Heasley
The goal of the pastor is not to get people to show up but to get people to grow up. – John Maxwell
Our busyness can keep us from God’s business. – David Starry
Every man is as close to God as he wants to be. – A.W. Tozer
Missions & Evangelism
Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor. – Charles Spurgeon
Every Christian a missionary; every non-Christian a mission-field. – Winkie Pratney
You have one business on earth—to save souls. – John Wesley
The Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time. – Carl F.H. Henry
The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. – Hudson Taylor
Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God. – William Carey
Seasons of Waiting & Trust
Faith is always hardest in the waiting. – Unknown
A waiting season is never a wasted season. – Craig Groeschel
You don’t need to know where you’re going if you know God is leading. – Toby McKeehan
There are three stages in the work of God: Impossible; Difficult; Done. – Hudson Taylor
Never let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God. – Craig Groeschel
God is never late, and rarely early. He is always exactly right on time—His time. – Elisabeth Elliot
Stewardship & Simplicity
If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one. – Mother Teresa
When it comes to our stuff we confuse temporal stewardship with eternal ownership. – Corky Calhoun
The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory. – Ben Franklin
Live simply so that others may simply live. – Elizabeth Ann Seton
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. – Amy Carmichael
The world asks, “What does a man own?” Christ asks, “How does he use it?” – Andrew Murray
Family & Legacy
Having a godly marriage isn’t as much about finding the right person as becoming the right person. – Craig Groeschel
Your positive impact on the generations to come will be directly related to the ministry you have in that little place called home. – Jim George
Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work. – C.S. Lewis (attributed)
The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things, but rather a legacy of character and faith. – Billy Graham
What your children need most is for you to love God passionately and live for Him radically. – David Platt
Train up a child in the way he should go—but be sure you go that way yourself. – Charles Spurgeon
Worship
Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline…
We are to worship in spite of feelings. – Elisabeth Elliot
We are perishing for lack of wonder, not for lack of wonders. – G.K. Chesterton
Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. – Oswald Chambers
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. – John Piper
The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. – Billy Graham
Discipline in worship forms the habits of the heart, shaping us more into Christ’s likeness. – Eugene Peterson
Spiritual Formation & Growth
Our weakness is a vessel designed specifically to be filled with God’s strength. – Charles H. Spurgeon
The vinedresser prunes the branch not to multiply hurt but to multiply fruit. – Gunner Gundersen
The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement… – Billy Graham
Spiritual growth occurs in a real relationship with God, not a checklist of behaviors. – John Ortberg
Sanctification is not a work we do for God. It is a work God does in us by His Spirit. – Jerry Bridges
God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. – Max Lucado
Sanctification is not a work we do for God. It is a work God does in us by His Spirit. – Jerry Bridges
Eternal Perspective
Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that doesn’t really matter. – Francis Chan
Saying, “Preach the Gospel, use words if necessary” is like saying, “Feed the hungry, use food if necessary.” – Ligon Duncan
From the telescope to the microscope, God’s creation is declaring his glory. – Jon Bloom
No one will be remembered for what they just planned to do. – Bob Goff
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last. – C.T. Studd
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. – C.S. Lewis