Quotation Marks: Billy the Sage

"Nowhere in the Bible does it say that somebody retired."

From "Preaching the Minority View," January 14, 1991. In response to the question, "What motivates you to keep going?"

"I care less and less how many people come forward—whether anybody comes forward or not. The important thing is whether I have made clear the Gospel and the cost of following Christ."

From "The Evangelical World Prospect," October 13, 1958

"Everything is nostalgia now."

From "A Greater Vision," October 2006

"Our day at home begins with Bible reading and prayer. I know it is old-fashioned, but so are breathing, eating, and sleeping."

From "My Personal Use of the Bible," November 22, 1968

"You can't help but grow and become more tolerant."

From "Concerns of the Evangelist," April 5, 1985

"Through the years of experience I have learned that it is far better to miss breakfast than to forego a session with His Word. Not that Bible reading is some kind of religious fetish which brings good fortune, but that I myself lack decisiveness and purpose and guidance when I neglect what is more important than my necessary food."

From "My Personal Use of the Bible," November 22, 1968

"I read recently that there are about 100 organizations planning to evangelize the whole world by the year 2000. I wish them the best; but no matter how good a job they do, there will still be more. Every generation needs reevangelizing."

From "Seventy Exceptional Years" November 18, 1988

"Jesus mingled with the world; that's one thing. But we must be separated from the evils of the world. There are things that have become acceptable to me over the years, primarily I suppose because of the influence of television. I have to be careful now because I find myself watching things that were not previously part of my life."

From "Taking the World's Temperature," September 23, 1977

"Once I felt under a sort of legalism to hand a tract to everyone I met, to speak of Christ to every person I encountered. Then, as I "matured" I got out from under that legalism. In retrospect, I believe that was wrong. I have recently begun speaking about Christ to as many people as I can. And I have seen people come to Christ unexpectedly."

From "The Seven Churches of Asia," November 17, 1978

"However, some of the criticism hurled at evangelical theology lands on me, and I suppose when I make a mistake it hurts the evangelical cause. I sometimes put my foot in my mouth. I've made many statements I wish I could recall. I am an erring, fallible disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ and am subject to all the temptations, human frailties, and errors of other disciples of the Lord."

From "Billy Graham on Watergate," January 4, 1974

"I came close to identifying the American way of life with the kingdom of God. Then I realized that God had called me to a higher kingdom than America. I have tried to be faithful to my calling as a minister of the gospel."

From "Concerns of the Evangelist," April 5, 1985

"I care less and less how many people come forward—whether anybody comes forward or not. The important thing is whether I have made clear the gospel and the cost of following Christ. We're saved by grace, but discipleship also means making Christ the Lord of our daily lives and this costs dearly. And I believe that one of the emphases needed in evangelism is to spell out the cost of following Christ. Many people fail to count the cost. Yet it seems to me that the times that I have preached and made it more difficult than any other time, that is the night we have our greatest response."

From "The Evangelical World Prospect," October 13, 1958