Stephen Altrogge Quotes & Sayings

Our goal isn't contentment in and of itself. We're not after a mystical state of Zen. Our goal is to be content for the glory and honor of God. — Stephen Altrogge

We need God to give us a holy obsession with bringing him glory and increasing his reputation. I can't manufacture love for God on my own. I love my life too much. I count my life as too precious. I need God to help me love his honor above everything else. — Stephen Altrogge

But, if we want our churches to thrive and our devotional lives to flourish, we absolutely must let God be God. We cannot settle for warm, fuzzy, "feel good movie of the year" versions of God. We cannot settle for a God who exists only to meet our needs and make us happy. We cannot settle for a God who is boring and irrelevant. We cannot settle for a God of our own imagination. We must know the ferocious, untamable God. We must let God out of the boxes we have created. We must come face to face with God as he really is, with all his sharp edges and blazing glory and heart-rending beauty. We must encounter the God who makes mountains melt like wax and the angels cover their eyes and the rivers leap for joy. If we are going to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we must truly know God. We must know him as he truly is, not as we imagine him to be. We must come to grips with the God who has revealed himself in scripture. — Stephen Altrogge

Does God love me? Yes, absolutely. But he doesn't exist for me. — Stephen Altrogge

Hypocrisy is saying we believe something, then living as if we didn't. Hypocrisy is preaching and not practicing. It says do as I say not as I do. It's insincerity wearing a mask of sincerity. — Stephen Altrogge

God didn't save his son one stroke of misery. He won't withhold any good thing from you. — Stephen Altrogge

When someone says "just saying" what they really mean is, "You would be a colossal idiot to not take my advice." (on Facebook) — Stephen Altrogge

Given the right set of circumstances, people could be happy everywhere and all the time. And these people actually do exist. In beer commercials. — Stephen Altrogge

Our hearts are raging idol factories. — Stephen Altrogge

Mom was getting really worked up, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. As I'm sure you know, it's a really, really bad sign when your mom starts crying. It can't get much worse than that. Mom tears are one of the most powerful forces in the universe. — Stephen Altrogge

This book is not the memoir of a contented man. It's not the poignant reflections of a white-haired guru who has finally figured out the secret to contentment. It's more like sweaty, bloody, hastily scribbled notes from a battlefield. I'm still struggling to escape the sinister fingers on this conspiracy. I'm still waging war against the discontentment that rages in my life. I can see contentment in the distance, like a hazy oasis, but I have to pick my way through a minefield to get there. I'm not the contented man God wants me to be, but I'm fighting to get there. I'm writing this book the hope that you'll join me in the fight. — Stephen Altrogge

Was a hardcore homeschooler, K-12, baby. I was homeschooled before it was cool to be homeschooled. And you know what? I hardly remember anything from high school. I did all the Advanced Placement classes and SAT prep classes. I was a good student in high school, but I don't remember much. I also hardly remember anything from college, and I graduated at the top of my class. But I do remember my parents' devotion to the Lord. — Stephen Altrogge

The carpet was so thick I could have made carpet angels. — Stephen Altrogge

To settle for anything less than a true, glorious, exalted vision of God is utterly stupid and utterly sinful. — Stephen Altrogge

I would even go so far as to say that the idea of a soul mate is harmful. If you go into marriage expecting your spouse to satisfy your every need and complement you perfectly, you will be sorely disappointed. If you expect your spouse to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul, you are in for a massive let down. Marriage is a covenant between two, imperfect, very flawed, sinful people. You're not perfect and your spouse isn't perfect, so don't expect your marriage to be perfect. — Stephen Altrogge

Let me be absolutely clear: Tumnus was an idiot. He was absolutely NOT a spy for the White Witch. That dude couldn't have spied on a blind unicorn. He was a deadbeat who spent most of his time sitting on street corners, playing his pan flute, and panhandling for change. He was on the Narnia version of welfare, and he told the White Witch about Lucy in the hopes of getting some kind of handout. — Stephen Altrogge

We always have reason to rejoice and never have reason to complain. — Stephen Altrogge

It's not like we're at a community college and God is at an Ivy League school. It's like we're at a community college and God comprehends all the mysteries and mechanics of the entire universe. We don't even operate in the same stratosphere as God. — Stephen Altrogge

The counsel and care of others, while helpful and necessary, is not the ultimate solution. Jesus is the one who gives strength and contentment in the midst of suffering. Cling tightly to Jesus, who already has you in his invincible grip. — Stephen Altrogge

To gain new ideas we must constantly be exposing ourselves to the treasures of the world. We need to keep our eyes and our minds open. Remember, the creativity of God is everywhere. We simply need to see it, and then let that spark new ideas. — Stephen Altrogge

God doesn't promise you health, wealth and an attractive spouse ... but he does promise to satisfy you and there's a massive difference. — Stephen Altrogge

The people who say, "Preach the gospel, and use words if necessary," seem to forget that the very essence of the gospel is words. They might as well say, "Feed the poor, and use food if necessary," or, "Pay the bills, and use money if necessary." The gospel is primarily a message which must be communicated with words. It is good news which must be believed. The good news is that God sent Jesus to live and die in the place of sinners. People cannot embrace the good news if they don't first hear the good news. Feeding the poor is a good thing, but it isn't the same thing as proclaiming the message of the gospel. Caring for the homeless is a noble thing to do, but it isn't preaching the gospel. Preach the gospel, and use words, always. — Stephen Altrogge

I don't know the end from the beginning, but I know the One who has already written the end and the beginning, and I know he is trustworthy. — Stephen Altrogge