Radical by David Platt

The following quotes come from Pastor David Platt's book. Please check out the website links following the quotes. God bless you as we press on together. -James

Do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following him? p162

I can imagine the looks on the disciples' faces when the next words came out of Jesus' mouth: "I am sending you out like sheep among the wolves." Sheep are among the most helpless of all domesticated animals. They are also some of the most senseless. Harmless noises can send them into a frenzy, and when they face danger, they have no defense mechanism. All they can do is run, and unfortunately they are slow. As a result, the dumbest thing a sheep can do is to wander into a pack of wolves. So why in the world was Jesus, the good shepherd, the great Shepherd, telling his sheep to hang out with wolves? p164

To everyone wanting a safe, untroubled, comfortable life free from danger, stay away from Jesus. The danger in our lives will always increase in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ. p167

"Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time for waiting is past!...Should such men as we fear? Before the whole world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God,...and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ." - C. T. Studd p178

Real success is found in radical sacrifice. Ultimate satisfaction is not found in making much of ourselves but in making much of God. The purpose of our lives transcends the country and culture in which we live. Meaning is found in community, not individualism; joy is found in generosity, not materialism; and truth is found in Christ, not universalism. Ultimately, Jesus is a reward worth risking everything to know, experience, and enjoy. p183

Here's the experiment: use one year of your life to radically alter the remainder of your life. The challenge is for one year, and it involves five components. I dare you to:
1) pray for the entire world
2) read through the entire Word
3) sacrifice your money for a specific purpose
4) spend your time in another context
5) commit your life to a multiplying community
I believe - no, I know - that if you stick to these challenges for a whole year, you will find yourself coming alive like never before. You will know the incomparable thrill of being a part of what God is up to where you live and around the world. You will be ready to shed forever the unworthy parts of the American dream and hold on to the beautiful and lasting dream that God has designed for you. p186

If we are going to accomplish the global purpose of God, it will not be primarily through giving our money, as important as that is. It will happen through giving ourselves. This is what the gospel represents, and it's what the gospel requires. p198

You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it's there. You and I stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for our stewardship of the time, the resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, I am convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American dream. We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world. Instead we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship. Are you ready to live for this dream? Let's not waver any longer. p216-17.

LINK: Radical Book Website

LINK: Radical Promo Video

LINK: Radical Book & Bible Study Video

LINK: The Church @ Brook Hills Website

LINK: The Radical Experiment Website