It may well be a sign of the decadence of the Church and the failure of Christianity that gifts have to be coaxed out of people, and that often they will not give at all unless they get something for their money in the way of entertainment or of goods. Giving which is real giving has a certain recklessness in it.
William BarclayTo repent means to realize that the kind of life we are living is wrong and that we must adopt a completely new set of values. To that end, it involves two things. It involves sorrow for what we have been and it involves the resolve that by the grace of God we will be changed.
William BarclayFaith is not only commitment to the promises of Christ; it is also commitment to his demands.
William BarclayThere is only one way to bring peace to the heart, joy to the mind, and beauty to the life; it is to accept and do the will of God.
William Barclay