Renovated Quotes

“A focus on attachment would have profound implications for our understanding of human character, fellowship, and spiritual formation.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“Western Christianity has long taught that we are changed by what we believe and what we choose—that is, by the human will responding to God. Attachment to God would functionally replace the will as the mechanism of salvation and transformation.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“At the same time, I hoped that spiritual practices would lift the ceiling for the rapid character change produced by relational practices and yield a more Christlike character.”
― E. James Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“The spiritually mature person is someone who has chosen the Kingdom of God—God’s reign over them—as their guide to what is good. And not only that, but the Kingdom is understood as what will enable them to achieve and live for what is good. They have developed the knowledge and habits that keep them constantly turned toward and expectant of God and God’s action in their life. This is the primary source of direction and empowerment for all that concerns them and their world.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“And having received love, you will be transformed into a person who loves.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“See, most people who remain emotionally immature are hung up on a lot of really bad stuff. And that often expresses itself in a secret life that they have to hide from others. But healthy people—people who are spiritually and emotionally mature, people who are following Jesus—don’t live there. So Paul can say in verse 9 of Philippians 4, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“The Bible often includes the phrase “Fear not” because even when we’re met by God or an angel, our initial response is “Aaaugggghh!” Our lives are based on fear, and we must confront that fact.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“What was the relationship of spiritual maturity to emotional maturity?”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“His first talk addresses the question of how spiritual wholeness and emotional maturity are related.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“Dallas saw in attachment love a possible remedy.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“Salvation through a new, loving attachment to God that changes our identities would be a very relational way to understand our salvation: We would be both saved and transformed through attachment love from, to, and with God.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“God is described over two hundred times in the Old Testament as being חסד “hesed/chesed,” a quality God also desires from us: “For I delight in loyalty [hesed] rather than sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6).”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“The only kind of love that helps the brain learn better character is attachment love. The brain functions that determine our character are most profoundly shaped by who we love. Changing character, as far as the brain is concerned, means attaching in new and better ways.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“God. As I searched for what it meant to believe in Jesus, three elements of the Christian life came into sharp focus: (1) dialogue with God about everything, (2) do nothing out of fear, and (3) love people deeply. Dallas was precipitating a collision between my professional training and the very spiritual life that initiated my counseling education”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“Psychology,” Dallas said quietly, “is the care of souls. The care of souls was once the province of the church, but the church no longer provides that care.” He paused. “The most important thing about the care of souls is that you must love them.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms

“Traumatized people were not achieving the degree of transformation they expected. She noticed that commonly proposed solutions worked for some people but not as well for others. Good-hearted people were working very hard using both theological and psychological approaches and still not seeing their desired change into the character of Christ.”
― Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms