We were at the Emotionally Healthy Leader’s Conference at New Life Fellowship in Queens the past few days.  Pete and Geri Scazzero along with lead pastor Rich Villodas shared a wealth of information and insight. When you go to a conference like this there is so much that is said it is hard to take it all in.  Some things are very profound and need time to marinate and reflect on.  Here are just some things that were said that I will be letting marinate in me for awhile:

1.  “Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable.”

2.  “God offers grace to cover our past as well as strength to keep us from repeating it.”

3.  “You cannot fully connect with people unless you do the whole spectrum of

      emotions.”

4.  “When we join God, we find that some of our best material is found in the failures,

      yes, even the sins, of our past.”

5.  “You can come to church to feel good but first you have to die.”

6.  “As a married leader your first mission and ministry is to ensure that your spouse is

      loved and feels loved.”

7.  “Passion in marriage is an exodus from self to other.”

8.  “I would rather have a great marriage and an ok ministry than a great ministry and

      an ok marriage.”

9. “We ask what we must do to do the works of God.  The work is singular – to trust

      God.” (John 6:29).

10. “It never feels that big or much but if we are faithful with the few seeds we are

      given, God will turn it into a field.”

11. “You aren’t loving people when you are making assumptions about them.”

12. “In the Ten Commandments you can’t find one that tells you to work hard.  There is

       one that tells you to rest well.”

13. “Keeping the Sabbath means letting go of our treasured illusions of being

       indispensable.”

14. “Your church is not doing well because of your great preaching.  It is doing well

       because God is holding it together.”

15. “Unprocessed emotions don’t die, they get buried alive.  And cause deep problems

       to surface.”

16. “We have overdeveloped outer-worlds and underdeveloped inner-worlds.”

17. “Jesus might live in your heart but grandpa lives in your bones.”

18. “You did not just get married in the church, you got married for the church.”

19. “A Christian marriage is to be a sign of God’s love for the world.”

20. “You will always be tempted to rush, make plans, push forward when God means

       for you to go slow and take time.”

21. “Unless we live our lives fro a place of rest, we will live restless all our lives.”

22. “If we are going to bear fruit in discipleship we must learn from other traditions.”

23. “We believe our busyness for God is sufficient for our relationship with God.”

24. “Prayer for passion and ambition in marriage is necessary to light the flame of

      God’s love for one another.”

25. “Many times God is not in the destination; he is in the interruption.”

26. “Failure is good manure; a wonderful backdrop for miracles, grace and revelations

      of Jesus.”

27. “Because He holds all things together, I don’t have to.”

28. When leaders are out of loving union with Jesus, we are dangerous to ourselves

       and to others.”

29. “To grow your ministry beyond your walk with Jesus is very dangerous.”

30. “We start the day in silence because God should have the first word; We end the

       day in silence because God should have the last word.”

31. “It is because we remember the Lord’s faithful love and mercies that we hope

       despite the griefs.”

32. “Most of us don’t mind the elephant in the room as long as it doesn’t kick the table

       over.”

33. “Truth will make you free..but sometimes it’ll hurt first.”

34. “Protestants are known for fast and massive growth, not depth.  We must learn a

       slower, deeper way of discipleship.”

35. “You cannot embrace the Gospel if you are not aware of your brokenness.”

36. “What you do matters.  Who you are matters even more.”

    Just some things to think about.

    Tell me which quotes jump out at you. Which would make a “Top Five” list? They may change over time but which ones hit you now?   Click the link and check the ones that you rate the most relevant for you.