Quotes from Scotty Smith

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. You didn't consider your equality with God something to be held on to selfishly. You didn't love to be first. Rather, you emptied yourself by taking the very nature of a man—a servant man, a man who served me by fulfilling all the demands of the law for me and by exhausting God's judgment against all my sin on the cross. Now you ever live to serve me as my advocate, intercessor, and bridegroom.

We don't claim your promises—they claim us! If we're going to "name and claim" anything, may it be to have greater passion for your glory.

Our hope is built on nothing less, nothing more, and nothing other than Jesus' blood and his righteousness. Jesus is the only reason we can be sure we'll stand before you with great joy.

I'm now learning to love your law as fatherly instruction to your beloved children, as a revelation of the good, the true, and the beautiful, not as a formula for merit, acceptance, and favor.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Ps. 133)

He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Eph. 1:9–10 NIV)

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev. 1:4–5 NIV)

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. (Prov. 21:9)

I've spent enough years bustling about in vanity, heaping up stuff that will only end up on the ash heap one day. Should you give me one more, ten more, twenty-five more years, how can the gospel of your kingdom and the riches of your grace claim and fill the span of those very brief years?

Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"? But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Ps. 10:12–14 NIV)

a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:17–18 NIV)

I dutifully pray, but I faithlessly doubt. Forgive my unbelief; override my unbelief.

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:11–13)

And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Rom. 1:6 NIV)

When our affections for you chill, then our concern and compassion for others diminishes as well.

I have no need to be considered a great prayer warrior. I'm not looking for wonderful stories to tell others as a testimony to my faith. I simply want you to bring a whole lot of glory to Jesus. Astonish us, Father; astonish me.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thess. 2:16–17 NIV)

Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? (John 4:29 NIV)

Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. (Heb. 10:17–18 NIV)

Nothing but the gospel can free us for being thoroughly known without fear. Jesus, your love is unlike anything else we can experience in this life. In fact, your love is better than life itself. We adore and praise you this day as the Christ—the Messiah, our Lenten Lord, the heart knower, our holy lover, our righteousness from God, our only hope of glory!

Father, I pray for those in the persecuted church and for their leaders. Strengthen them, encourage them, and grant miracles of provision and deliverance. Cause the gospel to spread like wildfire. Give them so much joy, peace, and love that their persecutors will be convicted and fall down and worship you.

At times I still labor under the myth of an omnicompetence. If I just prayed enough, believed enough, or was filled with the Spirit enough, I would never get discouraged or downcast. What a groundless lie. What a horrible burden. What a humorless joke.

But he [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55–56)