Messed Up Men of the Bible Quotes

“Men are a compilation of every experience and relationship they have ever lived through. Some experiences have bettered your man while others have battered him. The man standing before you is the result of a lifetime of surviving.”
― Dave Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“God is the burden crusher and the freedom fighter. He has the power to change lives.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“Control seems preferable to what we typically think of as its opposite--chaos. But I want to suggest that the opposite of control is not chaos. It is trust, and trust is far preferable to control. We want to control because we fear the outcome of letting God be in control. We fear we won't be taken care of, won't have what we need, or will be taken advantage of. But trying to be in control is futile, because in reality there is very little that we can control.”
― Dave Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“We all struggle. Even when writing this chapter, my husband and I began a discussion, that turned into a disagreement, that turned into...well, you know. We weren't quick that day in God's ways, and we weren't slow either. "Quick to listen"--nope, didn't get there. "Slow to speak"--nope, not there either. "Slow to get angry"--strike three, and we parted ways like the Red Sea. I like that we always come back together to sort through those moments. The only way we can do that is to remind ourselves of what God's Word teaches, and cultivate the fruits of the Spirit that help us live in a Christlike manner with one another.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“Praise God for people who step with us, not on us”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“How many times do we take credit for the work of our own hands, believing we are working harder and smarter than everyone else, and that somehow we deserve the success we have achieved? Like Nebuchadnezzar, I have basked in my own success and declared my perceived value with only a mere hat-tip to the Creator of it all. I've been full of myself, full of my pride. And like King Nebuchadnezzar, I have stood on the brink of disaster without a worry in the world. "While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you'" (Daniel 4:31). The word sovereignty here means the ability to rule the kingdom. The verse is startling. While the boastful words are still in the kings mouth, God takes Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom away from him. In an instant . Wow! Most of my failures have taken some time for the consequences to kick in, but I wonder if there was an instant, while the words were still in my mouth, when the Father determined--at that very moment--so strip me of my kingdom. Perhaps you have witnessed (or experienced) a similar kingdom-stripping.”
― Dave Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“When fathers struggle with being authentic, they leave muddy footprints on little girls' hearts.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“The truth is, love does not allow mistakes to go unchallenged. To the contrary, the Bible instructs us to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). To speak the truth in love is to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Speaking the truth in love tells the harsh reality of how things really are. The "in love" part means that we speak the truth with an understanding of the impact our words will have upon another. Speaking the truth in love is not judgmental but restorative. Its goal is not to confront and condemn but to reveal and restore.”
― Dave Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“We know Job's faith survived because his reaction to his devastating loss was to worship God: "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord'" (Job 1:20-21). Let me encourage you and your messed up man, should he be willing, to begin to worship God from your place of brokenness.

Tina shares a dramatic story from her work as a music therapist for hospice. One day, as she prepared to leave the hospice floor at the hospital, a nurse called her back to work with a patient in respiratory arrest. Music therapists use music to match the beat of a patient's heart rate, and as the therapist slows down the beat of music, most of the time the heart rate follows, as well as the breathing. At the start of the process, the patient's wife shouted, "Sing 'Amazing Grace'?" Deciding to minister rather than work, Tina sang "Amazing Grace." The patient's distress was overwhelming. He could hardly take in air, and his chest heaved while his wife wept. Right in the middle of "Amazing Grace," The wife once more blurted out, "Sing 'Jesus Loves Me'!" Tina, switched gears and sang, "Yes, Jesus loves me." Tears streamed down the man's cheeks as he sang with her, "Yes, Jesus loves me." His words were broken and he could hardly say them, but in that moment, he worshiped the God who was about to take him home. Whatever you're facing . . . worship.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“When I was a teenager, a woman from my church once asked me to help make salad by cutting a tomato. My heart raced as I held the knife. How do I cut it? It wasn't that I didn't know how; my mother taught me how to do things in the kitchen. My hesitancy was rooted in something my father had planted in my heart--fear. What if I cut the tomato wrong? Finally I asked, "how do I cut it?" The woman looked at me and smiled. "Any way you want." Even then I didn't know where to start. It's strange how something so simple can become a huge obstacle, but that's the impact another person's anger can have.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“Here is what I know to be true: messed up men will often panic and try to control the chaos. Waiting is one of the hardest spiritual disciplines. Waiting is spelled T-R-U-S-T.”
― Dave Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“I wouldn't consider myself a control freak, but I've had my moments. I've seen trouble coming and fought, fumed, and frazzled myself trying to control circumstances and situations. One of the most impossible things to control is something walking around on two legs called a human being. I've manipulated and thrown temper tantrums trying to get another person to behave the way that seemed best to me. After all, doesn't someone need to control the bad behaviors of others? But after fifty-one years of life on this planet, including thirty years of marriage, I've concluded that the only thing I can control is my attitude. Everything else is fantasy. I've tried to control my kids. I've tried to control my churches. I've tried to control my dog, Gavin. I've even tried to control Tina (not a good idea). A sure sign of when I'm trying to control things, people, or circumstances is that I get frustrated, develop a bad attitude, and usually end up angry.”
― Dave Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“Can we attest to moments of blowing it? I'm not a very good cook. One day, while my husband and I worked upstairs in our home offices, I heard a loud pop. The pop sounded like a gun. We both jumped up and ran downstairs. I turned toward the kitchen and found our lab looking up at the stove, tail wagging as if to say, "Up there!" Upon further investigation, I realized I forgot that I had put eggs in a pot to boil My forgetfulness created an unfolding of events that ultimately led to eggs exploding. Fragments of egg were everywhere! In my attempt to fix the situation, I grabbed the scalding pot and thrust it under cold water. My husband yelled, "No!"

You guessed it. When the water hit the eggs, those that hadn't already burst exploded at that very moment. Shrapnel of egg hit me square in the face speckled my hair, and splattered my clothes. I stood dumbfounded--frozen as if I really were hit by shrapnel. I expected my husband to do what I felt Jesus would have done--grab a towel and help clean me up. Instead, he stood there, lips curled and eyebrows raised, and said, "You have egg on your face."

Isn't that what we often do when the men in our life mess up? Sometimes our messes lead to those moments; sometimes they leave us broken and weeping--or at the very least, with egg on our faces.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“In Job, it says, "Man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). We women have seen sparks fly upward, around, and upside down. We've seen the spark of love that ignites the beating of a heart and the spark of pain that stops it. We know the trouble we've had with man, and man with us.”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible

“I love what Sarah Young wrote in her book, Jesus Calling. She wrote it as if God were speaking: Make Me the focal point of your search for security. In your private thoughts, you are still trying to order your world so that it is predictable and feels safe. Not only is this an impossible goal, but it is also counterproductive to spiritual growth. When your private world feels unsteady and you grip My hand for support, you are living in conscious dependence on Me. Instead of yearning for a problem-free life, rejoice that trouble can highlight your awareness of My presence.4”
― Tina Samples, Messed Up Men of the Bible: Seeing the Men in Your Life Through God's Eyes