While in Ecuador I asked every member of our mission team to read this great little book by C.J. Mahaney. It is called The Cross Centered Life.

It was encouraging to know that many of my fellow church members were focusing their lives upon the cross of Christ. The book is very short and easy to read. It can easily be read in one sitting. It is only 85 pages.

Here are a few highlights from the book:

• (page 25) “Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.”
• (page 43) “But its impossible to resolve issues of yesterday by doing better tomorrow.”
• (page 45) “Have you realized” preacher Martin Lloyd-Jones once observed, “that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
• (page 54) “A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days.” (This may be the best quote of the book.)

“Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to feel our need of Christ, is the very beginning of saving religion. –It is a grace which has always been the distinguishing feature in the character of the holiest saints in every age. Abraham, and Moses, and Job, and David, and Daniel, and Paul, were all eminently humble men. –Above all, it is a grace within the reach of every true Christian. All have not money to give away. All have not time and opportunities for working directly for Christ. All have not gifts of speech, and tact, and knowledge, in order to do good in the world. But all converted men should labor to adorn the doctrine they profess by humility. If they can do nothing else, they can strive to be humble.”

-J.C. Ryle commenting on Luke 14:11