Jo Graham Quotes

The secret of the power of Christianity is not in its ethics. It is not in Christian ideas or philosophy . . .the secret of Christianity is found . . . in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have our eyes upon ourselves, our problems, and our pain, we cannot lift our eyes upward. A child looks up when he’s walking with his father, and the same should be true for the Christian.

Ninety-five percent of the difficulties you will experience as a Christian can be traced to a lack of Bible study and reading.

We must have a virile, dynamic, aggressive Christian who lives Christ seven days a week, who is ready to die, if necessary, for his faith.

Christianity is not primarily a matter of externals, nevertheless it does find expression in conversation, habits, recreation, emphasis, and ambitions to be noted in our daily life.

The Christian is to take his place in society with moral courage to stand up for that which is right, just, and honorable.

Christianity has become so respectable and so conventional that it is now insipid. The salt has lost its flavor.

Jesus said our souls are more valuable than all the rest of the world put together.

[God] knows that an uncontrolled life is an unhappy life, so He puts reins on our wayward souls that they may be directed into the “paths of righteousness.

Until you actually possess true peace with God, no one can describe its wonders to you.

Peace—[the ability] to sleep in the storm!

Most people yearn for one thing more than anything else: inner peace. Without it they have no lasting happiness or security.

I know where I’ve come from. I know why I’m here. I know where I’m going—and I have peace in my heart. His peace floods my heart and overwhelms my soul!

Your future does not hinge on the world situation, however grim it might become. It depends on what happened 2, 000 years ago at the cross and your acceptance or rejection of the Prince of Peace.

For the Christian, peace is not simply the absence of conflict, or any other artificial state the world has to offer. Rather it is the deep, abiding peace only Jesus Christ brings to the heart.

When everyone does what is right in his own eyes, there is no possibility of order and peace.

The war that exists between you and God can be over quickly, and the peace treaty is signed in the blood of [God’s] Son Jesus Christ.

Peacemaking is a noble vocation . . . To be a peacemaker, you must know the Peace-Giver.

We’re not going to have peace—permanent peace—until the Prince of Peace comes. And He is coming.

Too many husbands and wives enter into marriage with the idea that their spouse exists for one purpose: to make them happy.

While God’s will is that every marriage will endure, man’s sin has poisoned many relationships.

Without Ruth’s partnership and encouragement over the years, my own work would have been impossible. We were called by God as a team.

A loving God ordained monogamous marriage and the sanctity of what we call the traditional family.

It’s amazing how we can hurt others, especially those close to us . . .subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which wives belittle husbands and vice versa.

I get many letters every day from people who got married because they wanted their own selfish needs satisfied, and have only later come to realize that this does not work.

Marriage is not a reform school . . .Instead of you reforming [your spouse], [he or she] will instead influence you.

As husband and wife, to have a happy life together, you must have confidence and respect, and you must have substantial agreement in your faith.

The only really sound marriages are those based on mutual respect.

[God] can help you begin to rebuild your marriage and your life if you will let Him rule in your life.

[Ruth’s] disposition is the same all the time—very sweet and very gracious and very charming. When it comes to spiritual things, my wife has had the greatest influence on my ministry.

Every divorce represents a broken dream, a shattered hope, a ruined expectation.

A good marriage is not “made in heaven, ” but on earth. Love is a fragile commodity which needs to be cultivated and nourished constantly.

I know of few families today that aren’t touched to some extent by the heartache of divorce, including our own.

A marriage based only on physical attraction or romantic emotions is almost certainly doomed to failure right from the start.

Young people, look to your Bible when thinking about any matter, including getting married.

I have been asked the question, “Who do you go to for counsel, for spiritual guidance?’ My answer: My wife, Ruth. She is the only one I completely confide in.

When a husband and wife are concerned only about their own individual desires, the stage is set for conflict.

My wife often said that “a good marriage consists of two good forgivers.

Marriage is a holy bond because it permits two people to help each other work out their spiritual destinies. God declared marriage to be good.

Nothing brings more joy than a good marriage, and nothing brings more misery than a bad marriage.

Thousands of young couples go through with a loveless marriage because no one ever told them what genuine love is. If people today knew that kind of love, the divorce rate would be sharply reduced.

The perfect marriage is a uniting of three persons—a man and a woman and God. That is what makes marriage holy.

Pleasure depends on circumstances, but Christian joy is completely independent of health, money, or surroundings.

God does not need our money. He owns everything, including “our” money. What He wants [us] to discover is where our central focus of worship lies. Is that focus on God or our money?

Materialism and self-centeredness are the great vices of our age.

We can possess nothing—no property and no person . . . It is God who owns everything, and we are but stewards of His property during the brief time we are on earth.

Can people tell from the emphasis we attach to material things whether we have set our affection on things above, or whether we are primarily attached to this world?

Many young people are building their lives on the rock of materialism. I find across the country a deep economic discontent among people in every walk of life.

Tell me what you think about money, and I will tell you what you think about God, for these two are closely related. A man’s heart is closer to his wallet than anything else.

The Bible warns that money cannot buy happiness! Money cannot buy true pleasure. Money cannot buy peace of heart. And money certainly cannot buy entrance into the kingdom of God.