Quotes by Mike Yaconelli

Children live in a world of dreams and imagination, a world of aliveness… There is a voice of wonder and amazement inside all of us; but we grow to realize we can no longer hear it, and we live in silence. It isn’t that God stopped speaking; it is that our lives became louder.

The authority of a life for Christ always has greater influence than the authority of talking. A young person can possess all of the benefits of authority - influence, respect, and strength - just by following Jesus wherever he leads.

Evangelicals always assume that humor and faith are contradictory. Its OK to smile, to be nice, but not frivolous.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a godly person. Yet when I look at the yesterdays of my life, what I see, mostly, is a broken, irregular path littered with mistakes and failure. I have had temporary successes and isolated moments of closeness to God, but I long for the continuing presence of Jesus.

The grace of God is dangerous. Its lavish, excessive, outrageous, and scandalous. Gods grace is ridiculously inclusive. Apparently God doesnt care who He loves. He is not very careful about the people He calls His friends or the people He calls His Church.

Weve lost touch with our souls. Weve been nourishing our minds, our relational skills, our theological knowledge, our psychological well-being, our physiological health... but weve abandoned our souls.

I came from a tradition where souls were a theological reality, not a faith reality. Souls were for saving, not for communing. Souls were for converting and, once they were converted, they were to be left alone. Souls were too mystical, too subjective, too ambiguous, too risky, too... well, you know - New Age-ish.

Boldness doesnt mean rude, obnoxious, loud, or disrespectful. Being bold is being firm, sure, confident, fearless, daring, strong, resilient, and not easily intimidated. It means youre willing to go where youve never been, willing to try what youve never tried, and willing to trust what youve never trusted. Boldness is quiet, not noisy.

Thats why we trust the Bible - it speaks to both realities: the unchanging human condition and the constantly changing cultural conditions. It speaks to all generations. We trust the Bible because its the truth. It was the truth when it was written, and it is the truth now. Its the truth now because its living truth.

Spirituality is not a formula it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection it is about connection. The way of the spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives.

Looking back over the years, I realize the Bible isnt magic, but it is corrective; it isnt an answer book, it is a living book; it isnt a fix-it book, it is relationship book. When I confront Gods word, I am confronted; when I read Gods word, it reads me; when I seek Gods presence, He seeks me.