"Love is not an affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." - C. S. Lewis

"Love is service rather than sentiment." - John R. W. Stott

"Whatever is devoid of love is of no account in the sight of God." - John Calvin

"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." - Amy Carmichael

"Not tongues nor faith nor prophecy nor knowledge nor martyrdom nor philanthropy, but love is the Christian's mark of distinction." - Vance Havner

"Love should be the silver thread that runs through all your conduct." - J. C. Ryle

"You never so touch the ocean of God's love as when you forgive and love your enemies." - Corrie Ten Boom

"Christian love is not the victim of our emotions but the servant of our will." - John R. W. Stott

Love

The following is from Rev. Walter Erdman, William Borden's traveling companion for his trip around the world at 16 yrs of age. These were his words after hearing of the passing of William.

"I have been thinking more and more, since the news came, that the length of time God permits us to stay here is not related to a certain amount of work He wants us to do, so much as to a certain closeness of relationship to Himself He wants us to attain. Some of us who are less useful, perhaps, are allowed to live on longer that we may learn more and be perfected in understanding."

The next quote is on stewardship from Rev. Samuel Zwemer, whom Borden first heard at a missionary convention when he was 18.

"Who is there to-night who can always see the shadow of the Cross falling upon his banking account?Who is there who has the mark of the nails and the print of his spear in the plans and life, his love and devotion and daily program of intercession? Who is there who has heard the word of Jesus and is quietly, obediently, every day, as He told you and me, taking up his cross to follow Him?"

William Borden

"Mankind has succeeded quite well in reducing God to a pitiful nothing! The God of the modern context is no God at all. He is simply a glorified chairman of the board, a kind of big businessman dealing in souls. The God portrayed in much of our church life today commands very little respect." - A. W. Tozer

God

"The church is afflicted by dry rot. This is best explained when the psychology of nonexpectation takes over and spiritual rigidity sets in, which is an inability to visualize anything better, a lack of desire for improvement.

There are many who respond by arguing, "I know lots of evangelical churches that would like to grow, and they do their best to get the crowds in. They want to grow and have contests to make their Sunday school larger." That is true, but they are trying to get people to come and share their rut. They want people to help them celebrate the rote and finally join in the rot. Because the Holy Spirit is not given a chance to work in our services, nobody is repenting, nobody is seeking God, nobody is spending a day in quiet waiting on God with open Bible seeking to mend his or her ways. Nobody is doing it--we just want more people. But more people for what? More people to come and repeat our dead services without feeling, without meaning, without wonder, without surprise? More people to join us in the bondage to the rote? For the most part, spiritual rigidity that cannot bend is too weak to know just how weak it is." - A. W. Tozer

Church Growth