Quips and Quotes

Adams, Abigail:
"What is it that affectionate parents require of their Children;for all their care, anxiety, and toil on their accounts? Only that they would be wise and virtuous, Benevolent and kind."

Adams, John:
           “The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure, than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”

          “Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not only of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all governments and in all the combinations of human society.”

          “The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount contain my religion.”

          "It is the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons, to worship the SUPREME BEING, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship."
                                -- John Adams (Thoughts on Government, 1776)

Baker, Terry:
"We're too busy in the salt shaker that we can't be the salt."

Behrns, Gary:
"The world demands that we mature from a child to an adult while God desires that we mature from an adult to a child."

"The church is called to be a dynamic revolutionary movement without walls."

Dixon, A.C:
"When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; When we rely upon education, we get what education can do; When we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do."

Franklin, Benjamin:
"He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity will change the face of the world."

"Work as if you were to live 100 Years, Pray as if you were to die To-morrow."
-- Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanack, 1757)

"How many observe Christ's birth-day! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments."

"All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?""
-- Benjamin Franklin (To Colleagues at the Constitutional Convention)

Garfield, James:
“I should like to adopt political doctrines that would live longer than my dog.”

Goldsmith, Oliver:
“ You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.”

Gouverneur Morris 1832:
"Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man towards God."

Hayes, Rutherford B.:
“Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office seeking.”

Hendriksen, William:
In reference to 1Thess 5:17,18: "When a person prays without giving thanks, he has clipped the wings of prayer, so that it cannot rise."

Henry, Patrick:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

Jay, John (1st Chief Justice of the US):
“The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts.”

Jefferson, Thomas:
"The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion in the world that deals with the heart."

Knight, Keith G:
"We're too busy not to pray."

Lewis, C.S.:
"If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you will have a lot of wrong ones."

Lincoln, Abraham:
"Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God’s side."

Long, John
"Our problem is that we love to sit down and have a mocha latte with the devil."

Lowe, James Russel:
"I take great comfort in God. I think He is sometimes much amused at the human race, but on the whole He loves us. He would never have let us get at the matchbox if He had not known that the framework of the universe is fireproof."

Luther, Martin:
"Today I need not one hour of prayer but three!"

"The Bible is alive. It speaks to me. It has feet. It runs after me. It has hands. It lays hold of me."

Maclaren, Alexander:
"If God sends us on stony paths, He will provide us with strong shoes."

Madison, James:
"It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it [the Constitution] a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution."

"It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent both in order of time and degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe."
-- James Madison (A Memorial and Remonstrance, 1785)

Murray, Andrew: said
"...if the study of the Bible is to be excluded from all state schools, if the inculcation of the principles of Christianity is to have no place in the daily program, if the worship of God is to form no part of the general exercises of these public elementary schools, then the good of the state would be better served by restoring all schools to church control."

National Education Association 1892 :
At World Missionary Conference in 1910: "We shall need three times more men, four times more money, and seven times more prayer."

Payne, Thomas :
          "Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."
                   -- Thomas Paine (American Crisis, No. 1, 19 December 1776)

Reagan, Ronald:
“The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality’s foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they’re sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive. A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens: The more decent the citizens, the more decent the state. If you practice a religion, whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or guided by some other faith, then your private life will be influenced by a sense of moral obligation, and so, too, will your public life.”

Rush, Benjamin :
"In such a performance you may lay the foundation of national happiness only in religion, not by leaving it doubtful "whether morals can exist without it," but by asserting that without religion morals are the effects of causes as purely physical as pleasant breezes and fruitful seasons."
-- Benjamin Rush (letter to John Adams, 20 August 1811)

Tawney, R.H.:
"The man who seeks God in isolation from his fellows is likely to find, not God, but the devil, who will bear an embarrrassing resemblance to himself."

Taylor, Hudson:
"I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up asking Him to do His work through me."

Temple, William:
"The church is the only cooperative society in the world that exists for the benefit of its non-members."

Unknown:
On the side of an evangelist's van in Durban, South Africa: "Where will you spend eternity? Most people don’t decide till the 11th hour. Our service begins at 10:30."

A man was answering questions for a national poll. When asked for his church preference, he responded, "Red brick."

Van Buren, Martin:
“A man to be a sound politician and in any degree useful to the country must be governed by higher and steadier considerations than those of personal sympathy and private regard.”

Washington, George:
In the first Thanksgiving proclamation: "Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and single favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!" Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country."

"Your love of liberty - your respect for the laws - your habits of industry - and your practice of the moral and religious obligations, are the strongest claims to national and individual happiness."
-- George Washington (letter to the Residents of Boston, 27 October 1789)

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence ofAlmighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits,and humbly to implore his protection and favors."
-- George Washington (Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789)

Webster, Noah :
"In my view, the Christian Religion is the most important and one of the firstt things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed...no truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian Religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people" - Letter to David McClure, October 25, 1836

Westcott, B.F.:
“Hope includes that which is internal as well as that which is external."

Calendar Favorite Links Home Groups Map Ministries Quips&Quotes Sermons Statement of Faith Vision