How many of us know that, because Christ is risen, we are therefore alive "unto God" and not unto ourselves? How many of us dare not use our time, or money, or talents as we would, because we realize they are the Lord's, not ours? How many of us have such a strong sense that we belong to Another that we dare not squander a shilling of our money, or an hour of our time, or any of our mental or physical powers?

You know, God gave me a gift to do other things besides play the game of basketball.

That Mary had chosen to do the best thing, and that it would not be taken from her." Martha spoke as matter-of-factly as she would about the weather. "I saw then that there are many ways to serve our Lord. Some like you and I do it through action. Others like Mary do it through reverence.

As God's children, we are not to be observers; we're to participate actively in the Lord's work. Spectators sit and watch, but we are called to use our spiritual gifts and serve continually.

Crystal clear roles characterize high performance teams. Every team member is clear about his or her particular role as well as those of the other team members.

It is almost impossible in the thought climate of today's Western world to appreciate just how utterly unnecessary it was for Paul to say explicitly, in the world in which he lived, that Christians should fast, be alone, study, give, and so forth as regular disciplines for the spiritual life.

If I'm a pastor, the trinitarian fellowship is my first team. My ultimate loyalty is to that fellowship. My primary identity is as a part of that fellowship. My understanding of how I am doing in life comes out of that trinitarian fellowship. No other team is allowed to determine my identity or evaluate my performance beyond that one.

The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.

Victories are easy and cheap. The only victories worth anything are those achieved through hard work and dedication.

All the great organizations in the world, all have a sense of why that organization does what it does.

I want to be someone capable of seeing the unseen faces, of seeing those who do not seek fame or glory, who silently fulfil the role life has given them. I want to be able to do this because the most important things, those that shape our existence, are precisely the ones that never show their faces.

I'm convinced God calls each of us to use whatever talents, skills, and gifts he endows us with to draw others toward him. To me, the differentiation of spiritual gifts implies that each Christian will "evangelize" (convey the good news to others) in a different but nonetheless productive way. In this context, every Christian is gifted for evangelism, but each Christian's manner of expressing that gift will be unique.