Pastors and missionaries (need) to know God and to find in him a Treasure more satisfying than any other person or thing or relationship or experience or accomplishment in the world.

Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.

People don't enjoy salt. They enjoy what is salted. We are the salt of the earth. We do not exist for ourselves.

If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.

You don't give God authority over your life. He has it, totally.

Satan's aim is to destroy our joy and trust and delight in God, and to make God look worthless in the world's eyes. Everytime someone forsakes God for the world, gets angry at God when part of the world is taken away from them, they highlight the world as valuable... and everytime someone stays with God, when the world is taken away, and praises God, they highlight the value and glory of God.

Humble us, O God, under your mighty hand, and let us rise, not as professionals, but as witnesses and partakers of the sufferings of Christ.