Trust is that rare and priceless treasure that wins us the affection of our heavenly Father.
Brennan ManningRead
Sheer scholarship alone cannot reveal to us the gospel of grace. We must never allow the authority of books, institutions, or leaders to replace the authority of KNOWING Jesus Christ personally and directly. When the religious views of others interpose between us and the primary experience of Jesus as the Christ, we become unconvicted and unpersuasive travel agents handing out brochures to places we have never visited.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Personal experience with faith is more important than mere scholarship or adherence to institutions.
In this quote, Brennan Manning emphasizes the importance of personal, direct experience with Jesus Christ over academic knowledge or institutional authority. He warns against letting external religious views cloud one's personal relationship with Jesus, as it can lead to a lack of genuine conviction and influence in one's life and the lives of others. The metaphor of being 'unconvicted and unpersuasive travel agents' suggests that without personal experience, one fails to authentically share their faith with others.
Themes
FaithExperienceJesusPersonal RelationshipSpirituality
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about personal faith journeys, this quote can illustrate the importance of personal experience.
More from Brennan Manning
All quotes →The sinners to whom Jesus directed His messianic ministry were not those who skipped morning devotions or Sunday church. His ministry was to those whom society considered real sinners. They had done nothing to merit salvation. Yet they opened themselves to the gift that was offered them. On the other hand, the self-righteous placed their trust in the works of the Law and closed their hearts to the message of grace.
Brennan ManningRead
There is the "you" that people see and then there is the "rest of you". Take some time and craft a picture of the "rest of you." This could be a drawing, in words, even a song. Just remember that the chances are good it will be full of paradox and contradictions.
Brennan ManningRead
Do you honestly believe God likes you, not just loves you because theologically God has to love you?
Brennan ManningRead
Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors. No evil can resist grace forever.
Brennan ManningRead
For Ragamuffins, God's name is Mercy. We see our darkness as a prized possession because it drives us into the heart of God. Without mercy our darkness would plunge us into despair - for some, self-destruction. Time alone with God reveals the unfathomable depths of the poverty of the spirit. We are so poor that even our poverty is not our own: It belongs to the mysterium tremendum of a loving God.
Brennan ManningRead
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