Reader Highlights from God's Favorite Place on Earth by Frank Viola

Jesus Christ is Resurrection, and He is Life. And if you outwait Him, He’ll eventually roll the stone away and raise you from the dead.

Kathy Hickey: This is a great book!

“Martha, Martha. You are worried and upset about all of these details. There’s only one thing you need. And Mary has made the right choice. She has chosen the one thing, and it will not be taken away from her.” Mary had breached a barrier by sitting in the men’s space. And on top of that, she sat in the posture of a disciple. Every teacher before or since had only male disciples.

Donn Sunshine highlighted:

Mark it down: Jesus Christ will sometimes wait until you are long dead. But then … when you least expect it … He will come leaping over the hills in some strange and unforeseen way to do what you never dreamed.

Donn Sunshine: if your going thru a tough time this is worth the read in fact it is anytime

Chisel it in stone: you can’t have a resurrection without a death. And you can’t know the transforming triumph of Christ without a crisis. You can’t know the hills without the valleys, and you can’t make a sailor with calm seas. We easily forget this when we’re going through the northeast corner of hell. A word of encouragement: if your foundations are in Jesus Christ, then you can weather the storm. You can endure the crisis. You can put your asbestos suit on and walk through the fire because you are standing on Him who is the Immovable Rock. Sometimes God will deliver you from trouble. Oftentimes He will deliver you through it.

Donn Sunshine highlighted:

Information doesn’t produce transformation. Suffering that leads us to embrace Christ does.

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Herein lies an important lesson. If you make a home for the Lord Jesus Christ, hard times will come. Crisis will come. Suffering will come. Even death—in some form—will come.

Vince Maltempi: We have been given an ascendent life!

Christians aren’t saved from troubles or delivered from problems. We have been given an ascendant life to rise above them.

Donn Sunshine highlighted:

All service must flow from communion with the Lord if it is to have lasting value. All service must find its source in the life of Christ so it won’t lead to burnout or bail-out. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Donn Sunshine highlighted:

If you are a Christian, then, expect to follow in the footsteps of your Lord. You will know the scalding pain and heartbreaking disillusionment of rejection. How you respond, however, will determine if you become broken or bitter.

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While brokenness is difficult, it’s beautiful because it makes God look good. Your natural gifts draw attention to yourself while brokenness draws attention to your Lord. With this in mind, power is dangerous in the hands of an unbroken vessel.