Chip Ingram Quotes & Sayings

God's plan for you, whether you're married, single, or about to be married, unless He gives you the gift of singleness, is to be in a warm, loving marriage relationship, characterized by open communication, a lot of hard work, deep commitment, setting boundaries, and doing it God's way. — Chip Ingram

God always has and always will look for men and women who say to Him, 'I trust you so much, I'm all in. I want your way not mine. I am willing to live by faith!' — Chip Ingram

Love is not a feeling; it's giving someone what he or she needs most when it is least deserved. That's how God loved me, and I choose to stick with the program. — Chip Ingram

Unfortunately, most Christians do not understand the battle they are fighting, the enemy that they face, or the means God has provided to overcome the temptations and deception of this present world system. — Chip Ingram

Total commitment is about being wise and smart, not necessarily being noble or virtuous. It's not so much about self-denial but about logic and common sense. It's not so much about what you lose; it's about what you gain. — Chip Ingram

The cross is the greatest example of humility and devotion in the universe. Jesus put your needs ahead of His own. He considered you more valuable than Himself. — Chip Ingram

The existence of the devil is so clearly taught in the Bible that to doubt it is to doubt the Bible itself. — Chip Ingram

Unfortunately, this unexpected, internal condition has often been called "falling in love." This reaction to attraction, which we could also describe as a "chemically induced crush," is actually infatuation. Who among us has not walked into a room, made eye contact with a complete stranger, and felt an instant, unexpected rush of emotion and attraction? Who hasn't had that sudden impulse to look again? Why these moments happen and what exactly triggers them - who knows? But the feelings are definitely a temporary condition. The attraction is neither irresistible nor dependable. You can easily experience infatuation with people who would turn out to be relational nightmares. That's why it is so dangerous — Chip Ingram

Remember that you are not called to produce successful, upwardly mobile, highly educated, athletically talented machines ... Givi ng your children great opportunities is good; it is not, however, the goal of parenting. Christlikeness is. Above all, seek to raise children who look and act a lot like Jesus. — Chip Ingram

The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes total pleasure in the happiness of His people.1 — Chip Ingram

Annoying mishaps always seem to cluster around times of spiritual fruitfulness. That's not exactly coincidence. — Chip Ingram

Hopeless situations are never hopeless to God. — Chip Ingram

If I could sum up what the Bible teaches about giving in one statement, it would be this: Generous living produces emotional happiness. — Chip Ingram

Nothing breaks down barriers and preconceived ideas about 'Christians and Christianity' more than when we treat people the way Jesus treated His enemies. — Chip Ingram

Interestingly, there has been significant research done with people experiencing what we call infatuation. When we have this experience we could call falling into infatuation (or falling into romantic interest), chemicals are secreted in the brain, causing light-headedness, dizziness, and a flood of emotions that we can't explain. Certain people trigger that kind of response in us. We are almost instantly drawn to them. — Chip Ingram

Character is always more caught than taught. — Chip Ingram

To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly. — Chip Ingram

Perceptions are not reality. How you perceive your life, your value, and your destiny doesn't give you the whole picture. You may be seeing yourself and your significance dimly. But your self-perception determines in large measure the way your life will go ... It is vital that those deep questions at the core of your being are answered with truth. Dim or mistaken perceptions that aren't in keeping with reality must be challenged and corrected by the light of God's Word. — Chip Ingram

God gives us the ingredients for our daily bread, but he expects us to do the baking! — Chip Ingram

Some of the dumbest things we do are done out of anger and bitterness when someone has wronged us. — Chip Ingram

There is a time to take a stand and there is a time to take your leave. — Chip Ingram

Love says, "I'm with you, let's deal with it. — Chip Ingram

Research indicates that once an uncommitted couple gets involved in sexual intercourse, the relationship usually begins to end. They have reached the superficial end of the physical aspects of the relationship, and they have no particularly compelling reason to explore its depths. — Chip Ingram

Let's help people get on board with what God wants to give them, but what we don't want is the process. Everyone wants the product. — Chip Ingram

The ancient path of communion with God is knowing what He's really like. And prayer is simply keeping company with God. — Chip Ingram

As we get close to God, he is going to reveal things in our life that aren't pretty. We'll see the patterns of bitterness, anger, manipulation, and hurt that have cycled in our relationships. — Chip Ingram

Christians are like teabags, you don't really know what they're like until you put them in hot water. — Chip Ingram

I know for me, going back the person I've bad-mouthed or lied to is absolutely humiliating! But isn't it interesting that "humiliating" has the same root word as "humility"? Part of humility is taking responsibility for my sin and asking forgiveness even when it doesn't feel good. God wants to heal and restore your relationships, but it's not easy. — Chip Ingram

That's why it is so dangerous to use infatuation as a sign to pursue a relationship. If you and I don't know the difference between infatuation and love, we are destined to make some of the dumbest and most regrettable decisions we'll ever make. These bad decisions come with heavy and painful price tags. So you see, it's imperative in this tricky business of "falling in love" that we take the time to clearly define what we mean by the word "love." The investment will pay off handsomely. We can actually learn how to avoid future relational baggage and how to recognize authentic love relationships when we clarify two crucial issues: (1) what love is, and (2) what the difference is between love and infatuation. — Chip Ingram

If you attempt to build intimacy with a person before you've done the hard work of becoming a whole and healthy person, every relationship will be an attempt to complete the hole in your heart and the lack of what you don't have. That relationship will end in disaster.[1] — Chip Ingram

Love sticks around even when it has a lot to put up with. — Chip Ingram

Walking in love means giving the other person what he or she needs the most when it is least deserved, because that's exactly how God has treated you. — Chip Ingram

If we want to see God as he longs for us to see him, we must look at Jesus very closely. — Chip Ingram

We need to love people with our deeds AND our words because sharing the Good News is a process, not just an event. — Chip Ingram

Love is giving someone what they need most, when they deserve it least, at great personal cost to yourself. — Chip Ingram

As you spend time in God's Word and understand his love, the Holy Spirit will create new desires within you to love and serve others like never before. — Chip Ingram

What most of us do not realize is that we are being transformed in our thinking all the time - either by the world's value system or by the truth of God's Word. — Chip Ingram

Many Christians 'stall out' in the faith when the call to total commitment is received or viewed as something too high or too hard to acquire ... or they have never been taught that total commitment is Christ's demand for all His followers. — Chip Ingram

Generosity isn't an act. It's a way of life. — Chip Ingram

If you simplify your life, quit chasing the wind, and be quiet before Him, He'll show up. — Chip Ingram

What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.1 — Chip Ingram

But the second half of the message has been sorely neglected: the part about God's dream that you become a precious and cherished son or daughter living in deep union with Him. — Chip Ingram

Pray when you feel like praying," somebody has said. "Pray when you don't feel like praying. Pray until you do feel like praying. — Chip Ingram

Slow me down, Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory. Teach me the art of taking minute vacations - of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to smile at a child, to read a few lines from a good book. Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values, that I may grow toward my greater destiny. Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward to the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well. — Chip Ingram

Our violent, narcissistic, noncommittal, "me first" culture is simply the logical and predictable expression of "truth" as a relative, subjective, unverifiable concept. — Chip Ingram