Scotty Burford > Scotty's Quotes

“Do let me entreat you to say nothing that can be taken hold of by those anxious to foment trouble between ourselves and any foreign power, or who delight in giving the impression that as a nation we are walking about with a chip on our shoulder. We are too big a people to be able to be careless in what we say.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
― Albert Einstein

“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
― C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“Suspicion often creates what it suspects.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“How do you tell a Communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”
― Ronald Reagan

“When we come together in love as a church family from different backgrounds, race, and social status, it is a powerful witness to the world. 14 You are not the Body of Christ on your own. You need others to express that. Together, not separated, we are his Body. 15”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“A church family will help keep you from backsliding. None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin. 22 God knows this, so he has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track. The Bible says, “Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” 23 “Mind your own business” is not a Christian phrase. We are called and commanded to be involved in each other’s lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship. James tells us, “If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back.” 24”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“he began to cure sick people by only laying his hand upon them; for God had given him power to heal the sick, and to give sight to the blind, and to do many wonderful and solemn things of which I shall tell you more bye and bye, and which are called “The Miracles’” of Christ. I wish you would remember that word, because I shall use it again, and I should like you to know that it means something which is very wonderful and which could not be done without God’s leave and assistance.”
― Charles Dickens, The Life of Our Lord

“Never be proud or unkind, my dears, to any poor man, woman, or child. If they are bad, think that they would have been better, if they had had kind friends, and good homes, and had been better taught. So, always try to make them better by kind persuading words; and always try to teach them and relieve them if you can. And when people speak ill of the Poor and Miserable, think how Jesus Christ went among them and taught them, and thought them worthy of his care. And always pity them yourselves, and think as well of them as you can.”
― Charles Dickens, The Life of Our Lord

“A church family will help keep you from backsliding. None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin. 22 God knows this, so he has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track. The Bible says, “Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” 23 “Mind your own business” is not a Christian phrase. We are called and commanded to be involved in each other’s lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship. James tells us, “If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“As God forgives this woman so much sin, she will love Him, I hope, the more.” And he said to her, “God forgives you!” The company who were present wondered that Jesus Christ had power to forgive sins, but God had given it to Him. And the woman thanking Him for all his mercy, went away. We learn from this, this we must always forgive those who have done us any harm, when they come to us and say they are truly sorry for it. Even if they do not come and say so, we must still forgive them, and never hate them or be unkind to them, if we would hope that God will forgive us.”
― Charles Dickens, The Life of Our Lord

“Our Saviour loved the child, and loved all children. Yes, and all the world. No one ever loved all people so well and so truly as He did.”
― Charles Dickens, The Life of Our Lord

“Refuse to listen to gossip. Gossip is passing on information when you are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. You know spreading gossip is wrong, but you should not listen to it, either, if you want to protect your church. Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes you just as guilty of the crime.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“In the evening, before setting out to the Ferry, he gave his final charge, in which he said, among other things:—“And now, gentlemen, let me impress this one thing upon your minds. You all know how dear life is to you, and how dear your life is to your friends. And in remembering that, consider that the lives of others are as dear to them as yours are to you. Do not, therefore, take the life ‘of any one, if you can possibly avoid it; but if it is necessary to take life in order to save your own, then make sure work of it.”
― Osbourne P. Anderson, A Voice From Harper's Ferry

“While we were absent from the Ferry, the train of cars for Baltimore arrived, and was detained. A colored man named Haywood, employed upon it, went from the Wager House up to the entrance to the bridge, where the train stood, to assist with the baggage. He was ordered to stop by the sentinels stationed at the bridge, which he refused to do, but turned to go in an opposite direction, when he was fired upon, and received a mortal wound. Had he stood when ordered, he would not have been harmed. No one knew at the time whether he was white or colored, but his movements were such as to justify the sentinels in shooting him, as he would not stop when commanded. The first firing happened at that time, and the only firing, until after daylight on Monday morning.”
― Osbourne P. Anderson, A Voice From Harper's Ferry

“First, you receive God’s Word when you listen and accept it with an open, receptive attitude. The parable of the sower illustrates how our receptiveness determines whether or not God’s Word takes root in our lives and bears fruit. Jesus identified three unreceptive attitudes — a closed mind (hard soil), a superficial mind (shallow soil), and a distracted mind (soil with weeds) — and then he said, “Consider carefully how you listen.” 13 Anytime you feel you are not learning anything from a sermon or a Bible teacher, you should check your attitude, especially for pride, because God can speak through even the most boring teacher when you are humble and receptive.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate. Worry is focused thinking on something negative. Meditation is doing the same thing, only focusing on God’s Word instead of your problem.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“God uses problems to draw you closer to himself. The Bible says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.” 3 Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days — when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re out of options, when the pain is great — and you turn to God alone. It is during suffering that we learn to pray our most authentic, heartfelt, honest-to-God prayers. When we’re in pain, we don’t have the energy for superficial prayers.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“You will never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“Everything that happens to a child of God is Father-filtered, and he intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“Regardless of the cause, none of your problems could happen without God’s permission. Everything that happens to a child of God is Father-filtered, and he intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“according to his purpose”: What is that purpose? It is that we “become like his Son.” Everything God allows to happen in your life is permitted for that purpose!”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you. Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“Corrie ten Boom, who suffered in a Nazi death camp, explained the power of focus: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest!”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you’re tempted to express the exact opposite quality! Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“Refuse to be intimidated. Many Christians are frightened and demoralized by tempting thoughts, feeling guilty that they aren’t “beyond” temptation. They feel ashamed just for being tempted. This is a misunderstanding of maturity. You will never outgrow temptation. In one sense you can consider temptation a compliment. Satan does not have to tempt those who are already doing his evil will; they are already his. Temptation is a sign that Satan hates you, not a sign of weakness or worldliness.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, yet he never sinned. 9 Temptation only becomes a sin when you give in to it. Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” You can’t keep the Devil from suggesting thoughts, but you can choose not to dwell or act on them.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

“The party at the rifle factory fought desperately till the last, from their perch on the rock. Slave and free, black and white, carried out the special injunction of the brave old Captain, to make sure work of it.”
― Osbourne P. Anderson, A Voice From Harper's Ferry

“He was brave—none could doubt that, and life was invested with charms for him, which his new relation as a man of family tended to intensify; and charity suggests that the hope of escaping his merciless persecutors, and of being spared to his friends and associates in reform, rather than treachery to the cause he had espoused, furnishes the explanation of his peculiar sayings.”
― Osbourne P. Anderson, A Voice From Harper's Ferry