Richard Stearns Quotes & Sayings

We must move beyond an anemic view of our faith as something only personal and private, with no public dimension, and instead see it as the source of power that can change the world. — Richard Stearns

What has God given you? Moses had a stick, David had a slingshot, and Paul had a pen. Mother
Teresa possessed a love for the poor; Billy Graham, a gift for preaching; and Joni Eareckson
Tada, a disability. What did they have in common? A willingness to let God use whatever they
had, even when it didn't seem very useful. If you will assess what you have to offer in terms
of your time, your treasure, and your talents, you will have a better understanding of how you
might uniquely serve. — Richard Stearns

What if there are children who will suffer somehow because I failed to obey God? What if my cowardice costs even one child somewhere in the world his or her life? — Richard Stearns

I believe that this could very well be looked back on as the sin of our generation ... I believe that our children and their children, 40 or 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa? — Richard Stearns

The idea behind The Hole in Our Gospel is quite simple. It's basically the belief that being a Christian, or a follower of Jesus Christ, requires much more than just having a personal and transforming relationship with God. It also entails a public and transforming relationship with the world. — Richard Stearns

And when we go to church, read our Bibles, have our quiet times, and go to Christian conferences, we too can build some impressive spiritual muscles, but unless we use those spiritual muscles to change our lives, build the church, love our neighbors, and care for the sick and the poor, we ... are just posers. Let us not take God's truth for granted. — Richard Stearns

God's love was intended to be demonstrated, not dictated. — Richard Stearns

But I want to be clear that this does not mean we are saved by piling up enough good works to satisfy God. No, it means that any authentic and genuine commitment to Christ will be accompanied by demonstrable evidence of a transformed life. — Richard Stearns

For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved. (RESV - Richard E. Stearns Version) — Richard Stearns

Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything — Richard Stearns

God never asks us to give what we do not have ... But he cannot use what we will not give. — Richard Stearns

One of the sure signs that we have been co-opted by our culture is that, like frogs in the proverbial kettle, we have grown comfortable with things that should shock us and mobilize us to action. We no longer feel the heat of outrage against things that anger God. We have so embraced the American dream that we can no longer see or feel the world's nightmare of poverty, suffering, and hopelessness. — Richard Stearns

Even a small match
lit in a place of total
darkness gives off a
blinding light. — Richard Stearns

Can you imagine the impact on our own culture if American Christians began using their riches as if they belonged to God? — Richard Stearns

it also signified the coming of God's kingdom on earth. This — Richard Stearns

It's not what you believe that counts; it's what you believe enough to do. — Richard Stearns

God,unashamedly and extremely LOVES the Poor but their Poverty,He HATES!

If this is not so,I believe there wouldn't have been a provision/exchange made by Jesus Christ,who though was rich,but for the sake of the love He has for the Poor, He became poor that through His poverty,the poor might become rich- 2Cor8:9.

DO NOT LOVE WHAT GOD HATES and HATE WHAT HE LOVES! — Richard Stearns

A church that's lost it's voice for justice is a church that's lost it's relevance in the world. — Richard Stearns

What if we actually demonstrated God's love for the world instead of just talking about it? — Richard Stearns

We have not been promised rescue from this world; we have been commanded to go and take back this world. The Great Commission is Jesus' call to storm the gates of hell and to liberate his children, establishing his kingdom. — Richard Stearns

To even be Christians, we must first believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That in itself is no small idea. If it is true, it changes everything because if Christ is God, then all that he said and did is deeply significant to how we live our lives. So we believe. But God expects more. — Richard Stearns

To be a disciple means forsaking everything to follow Jesus, unconditionally, putting our lives completely in His hands. When we say that we want to be His disciple, yet attach a list of conditions, Jesus refuses to accept our terms. His terms involve unconditional surrender. — Richard Stearns

If we truly love God, we will express it by loving our neighbors, and when we truly love our neighbors, it expresses our love for God. — Richard Stearns

is a misunderstanding we often have — Richard Stearns

Love always requires tangible expression. It needs hands and feet. — Richard Stearns

Every act of kindness, each moment spent in prayer, and every expression of love in the name of Christ pierces the heart of the enemy and sends him into retreat. These are the gentle weapons of the kingdom. — Richard Stearns

The beautiful simplicity of our faith is that it distills down to the exact same bottom line for both the brilliant theologian and the five-year-old child: love God and love each other - period. — Richard Stearns

Saint Francis of Assisi understood the power of faith put into action to change the human heart, for it was he who said, "Preach the gospel always; when necessary use words." We had not yet spoken a word in their language, but the village elders had already "heard" the gospel. — Richard Stearns