Mike Yaconelli Quotes about Jesus

Christianity is not about learning how to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring. The grace of God is preposterous enough to accept as beautiful a coloring that anyone else would reject as

Christianity is not about learning how to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring. The grace of God is preposterous enough to accept as beautiful a coloring that anyone else would reject as ugly. The grace of God sees beyond the scribbling to the heart of the scribbler - a scribbler who is similar to two thieves who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus. One of the two asked Jesus to please accept his scribbled and sloppy life into the kingdom of God and He did. Preposterous. And very good news for the rest of us scribblers.

Mike Yaconelli

Beautiful, Jesus, Heart

The power of the Church is not a parade of flawless people, but of a flawless Christ who embraces our flaws. The Church is not made up of whole people, rather of the broken people who find wholeness in a Christ who was broken for us.

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Power, Broken

I want a lifetime of holy moments. Every day I want to be in dangerous proximity to Jesus. I long for a life that explodes with meaning and is filled with adventure, wonder, risk, and danger. I long for a faith that is gloriously treacherous. I want to be with Jesus, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Adventure, Knowing

Michael Yaconelli, Mike Yaconelli (2000). “Dangerous Wonder: The Adventure of Childlike Faith”

Nothing in the church makes people in the church more angry than grace. It's ironic: we stumble into a party we weren't invited to and find the uninvited standing at the door making sure no other uninviteds get in. Then a strange phenomenon occurs: as soon as we are included in the party because of Jesus' irresponsible love, we decide to make grace "more responsible" by becoming self-appointed Kingdom Monitors, guarding the kingdom of God, keeping the riffraff out (which, as I understand it, are who the kingdom of God is supposed to include).

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Party, Doors

Speed damages our souls because living fast consumes every ounce of our energy. Speed has a deafening roar that drowns our the whispering voices of our souls and leaves Jesus as a diminishing speck in the rearview mirror.

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Mirrors, Voice

Mike Yaconelli (2009). “Messy Spirituality”, p.64, Harper Collins

What landed Jesus on the cross was the preposterous idea that common, ordinary, broken, screwed-up people could be godly.

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Godly, Ideas

Mike Yaconelli (2009). “Messy Spirituality”, p.14, Harper Collins

Jesus cares more about desire than about competence

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Desire, Care

Mike Yaconelli (2009). “Messy Spirituality”, p.25, Harper Collins

Spirituality is a mixed-up, topsy-turvy, helter-skelter godliness that turns our lives into an upside-down toboggan ride of unexpected turns, surprise bumps and bone shattering crashes ... a life ruined by a Jesus who loves us right into his arms.

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Bumps, Arms

Sin does not always drive us to drink; more often it drives us to exhaustion. Tiredness is equally as debilitating as drunkenness. Burnout is slang for an inner tiredness, a fatigue of our souls. Jesus came to forgive us all of our sins, including the sin of busyness. The problem with growth in the modern church is not the slowness of growth but the rushing of growth.

Mike Yaconelli

Jesus, Rushing, Soul

Mike Yaconelli (2009). “Messy Spirituality”, p.64, Harper Collins

Religious people love to hide behind religion. They love the rules of religion more than they love Jesus. With practice, Condemners let rules become more important than the spiritual life.

Mike Yaconelli

Spiritual, Religious, Jesus

Mike Yaconelli (2009). “Messy Spirituality”, p.36, Harper Collins