T. D. Jakes quotes:

I like to see myself as a bridge builder, that is me building bridges between people, between races, between cultures, between politics, trying to find common ground.

There are no college courses to build up self-esteem or high school or elementary school. If you don't get those values at a early age, nurtured in your home, you don't get them.

We cannot embrace God's forgiveness if we are so busy clinging to past wounds and nursing old grudges.

The first time I walked on a stage I knew that was what I was created to do. I knew that there was a calling and a sense of purpose in my life that gave me fulfillment and a sense of destiny.

I want to congratulate all the men out there who are working diligently to be good fathers whether they are stepfathers, or biological fathers or just spiritual fathers.

As a Christian, Christ died so that we will have eternal life in Him in Heaven. What it looks like doesn't matter, what it smells like doesn't matter, as long as Christ is there it will be Heaven to me.

Here is the amazing thing about Easter; the Resurrection Sunday for Christians is this, that Christ in the dying moments on the cross gives us the greatest illustration of forgiveness possible.

If you learn how to forgive others for not being strong, then people can learn how to forgive you for your own issues.

When people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over.

I actually grew up playing the piano in the church and was deeply involved in music ministry.

When my father died, I had a real experience with Christ, a real conversion with Christ and I had it in a Oneness church.

We think that forgiveness is weakness, but it's absolutely not; it takes a very strong person to forgive.

You are no stronger than your belief system.

I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It's a gift you give yourself.

Resist your fear; fear will never lead to you a positive end. Go for your faith and what you believe.

I was raised in the Baptist church... but I didn't really have a real committed experience with Christ until my father died.

I raised five children. They all have different personalities. All of them have different issues, different levels of success. That was a learning experience for me.

When you make a decision to forgive it's a decision that you have to make intellectually.

There is nothing I'm any more passionate than empowering the next generation.

My father was a Methodist and my mother was a Baptist.

I think that my preaching style and many of my ideas and ideals about faith are based in both Pentecostal and Baptist background.

I think the amazing thing about gospel music is that not only does it lift up the death and resurrection of our Lord, which is consistent with the Gospel, but it is uniquely communicated depending upon the generation.

So though there are many things I would have done differently, I submit to God's sovereignty and His purpose in my life and I thank Him that He brought me the way He brought me and gave me what He gave me when He thought I could handle it.

I think it is important that we rebuild an atmosphere of forgiveness and civility in every aspect of our lives.

My first church had seven members in it, and I have to remember, the rent was $225 a month and I worked for Union Carbide and took the check I made from work to pay for the rent to keep the church open.

It is your passion that empowers you to be able to do that thing you were created to do.

Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.

And another thing is that I think as a church whenever we become politically driven, we alienate at least 50 percent of the people that God called us to reach with our political orientations.

No woman wants to be in submission to a man who isn't in submission to God!

A whole woman will always attract a whole man. And when they touch, they will fuse to create a whole marriage. Ultimately, when the time is right, they will produce whole children.

Not everyone will be happy when you begin to better yourself. Those who are for you will not just celebrate in your triumphs, but they will also pray with you through your tribulations.

One of the things about my ministry is that I have never branded myself as being above the people or superior to people.

Baptism was to put a line of demarcation between your past sins when you are buried with Him by Baptism-you are burying your past sins-eradicating them-putting a line in the sand saying that old man is dead and he is no longer alive any more and I rise up to walk in the newness of life.

Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary storm.. No matter how raging the billows are today, remind yourself: "This too shall pass!"

Faith must always pass the test of discouragement.

Big ideas come from forward thinking people who challenge the norm, think outside the box, and invent the world they see inside rather than submitting to the limitations of current dilemmas

All over this nation, all over this world there are people going to church today and they say they are believers, but until you can take what you've been taught and bring it to the place you gave up - you will never be the radical believer that you need to be for the times in which we live.

Worship strengthens you. It gives you a sense of God's presence and ultimately His protection and provision.

Your greatest failure will precede your greatest success.

It's the gymnasium of life where you get the workout, the resistance, and you find out things about yourself that you didn't know.

Ya'll don't hear what I'm preaching. I'm preaching so good I'm about to 'Amen' myself! Oh!...Oh God! I'm preaching good! Hallelujah!

There is a higher power, a higher influence, a God who rules and reigns and controls circumstances and situations that are beyond your area and realm of authority.

Children are not unforgiving. You can punish them and they will hug you in a few minutes.

The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God.

Its not over, until the Lord says its over.

Nobody wants to stand behind a parked car. You got to always follow somebody who keeps it moving.

To those of us who often procrastinate on the decision we feel intimidated by lack of education or any area of weakness. I relieve you with this statement: It is not how much you know that arms you with the tools of great decision making, but rather how much you ask. Ask questions.

The lifting up of the woman does not require the tearing down of the man. In fact, a strong woman appreciates a strong man. Conversely, a strong man is not intimidated by a strong woman.

Many of us harbor hidden low self-esteem. We deem everything and everyone more important that ourselves and think that meeting their needs is more important than meeting our own. But if you run out of gas, everyone riding with you will be left stranded.

But I think my mistakes became the chemistry for my miracles. I think that my tests became my testimonies.

Know when your space is too small for you...and you have to birthed to the next level!

Don't allow your past or present condition to control you. It's just a process that you're going through to get you to the next level.

Faith will get in the ditch with you, faith will go in the prison with you, faith will go into divorce court with you, faith will go in the hospital with you, faith will go in the nursing home with you.

Sometimes what makes us insecure and vulnerable becomes the fuel we need to be overachievers. The antidote for a snakebite is made from the poison, and the thing that made you go backward is the same force that will push you forward.

You don't even have to be the one praying, but if you get around somebody who really know how to pray-prayer will lift you when you've fallen, prayer will catch you when you've lost your grip, prayer will stop you from going overboard, prayer will bring you out!

Unforgiveness denies the victim the possibility of parole and leaves them stuck in the prison of what was, incarcerating them in their trauma and relinquishing the chance to escape beyond the pain.

If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.

Stress and worry is a residual of relying on yourself and being your own god, in control of everything. Worship allows us to rely on God's power to steer us through life.

a setback is a setup for a comeback

I don't think that you can let the storms of life overwhelm you. When you do that, you are no better than the craziness that caused you to be under attack.

Come hell or high water you will never take me back to the place I was before. I have been through too much to let life whoop me again. My faith is stronger than it's ever been, my mind is more tenacious than it's ever been, my soul is more absolute.

Never make a permanent decision about a temporary situation.

Too many people want the appearance of winning rather than the practices and hard work that create a true champion.

I'm not walking by sight- I'm, walking by faith

No matter where you are in life right now, know this: God put you on this earth to fulfill the promise He has predestined for your life.

Surround yourself with people whose definition of you is not based on your history, but your destiny.

I chose to present myself as one who comes from among the people, and I can be touched by their pain because I have my own.

We develop our propensity to forgive or not to forgive by what we see illustrated at the early ages of our development.

I'm not particularly political. I'm not particularly denominational. I'm not worried about any of that.

I don't dislike anybody. I love everybody.

A church that focuses on the external has lost its passion for souls.

A lot of can't deal with life because they lack the patience to become who they want to be.... Everything happens by process. If you don't go through the process to get it, you don't have the power to keep it.

All of us have not been to a natural prison, but everybody in here has had a spiritual prison.

Any great teacher is a great student.

Arrogance always destroys opportunity

As much as it pleases God to bless you, there will be moments when everything you try goes up in smoke. There will be moments when the one you counted on most walks away and leaves you groping through blinding tears and wailing questions of why. Plans and goals can be circumvented by the most disappointing of times, leaving you learning the art of patience and the acceptance of a denied request.

As the old African adage says, 'everybody skin to me ain't kin to me'. So you can't exclusively make that the criteria of your job selection and say that it's right when it's black and discrimination when it's white.

As we forge deeper into this issue of forgiveness, we must be prepared to open up and discuss things that bother us before they escalate to a crisis level. We must examine our struggles with forgiveness in which there are not overt offenses or blatant betrayals. I'm convinced that seeds of resentment take root in the silent frustrations that never get discussed. Other people cannot read our minds--or our palms!--and that is why we have tongues to speak.

Basic Instincts It's the way mother birds build nests, and build them high enough to elude

Being angry is human. Staying angry is foolish.

Besides, Jesus was a rich man. He had to have been, in order to have supported his disciples and their families during his ministry.

Blame unto others only as you would first blame yourself.

Both success and struggle are different kinds of trauma.

Church only benefits you when you participate in the presence of God.

Comfort is the enemy of creativity.

Contentment comes when you find the people, places, and events in life you were created to impact.

Don't come into the presence of God to impress Him with something He gave you!

Don't get stuck on small. Don't stop dreaming, reaching and enhancing what you have.

Don't try to change the package more than you try and change the product.

Eagles fly where lesser birds cannot fly, so eagles can do what lesser birds cannot do.

Either your troubles make you better, or they make you bitter. We must always examine what's going on in our hearts.

Even when things are getting worse instead of better - I believe God!

Every goal that you will ever pursue will require a plan of action. Whether you are pursuing your life's destiny or striving to obtain a particular goal, you must be able to see things as you desire them to be.

Every major move in my life was done instinctively.

Excellence requires discomfort.

Face the giants in your life, slay them, and move on. Do not be daunted by the mistakes and failures in your life.

Faith becomes a bridge between where I am and where I want to go- it is a substance.

Faith becomes the foundation I'm built on.

Faith is the substance of whatever it is that we hope for. The important thing is that we teach that faith is connected to good works and responsibility.

Focus on your accomplishments , not your failures.

Forgive others so that you may be forgiven.

Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself

God gives you the resources for success. But it is up to you to recognize them and use them to their fullest.

God has invested entirely too much in you for you to be comfortable in anything less than you were created to be.

God is a businessman. He is not going to do business with someone who shows no sign of potential return. He invests in people who demonstrate an ability to handle what He has given them.

God is not preparing the Blessing for YOU, He is preparing YOU for the Blessing

God will give you anything as long as you understand that he is the primary and not the secondary.

God's grace and mercy have brought you through. Quit acting as if you made it on your own.

God's grace is painted on the canvas of despair.

God's not going to promote you because you have a dream, He's going to promote you because you've maximized where you are so now you're ready to go to the next level.

Greatness is contagious...You'll catch it if you get around it.

How can we teach our children to respect Black women if Black women don't respect Black women?

How you think about your opportunities determines how you will act on them.

I believe God promotes you when you graduate from the level that you're on.

I believe it is our attitude that determines our altitude. It is our attitude that allows us to soar above those things that would otherwise overcome us.

I came to serve notice on the devil- he is a liar!

I can give you the tools to reach the dreams you have inside.

I can never experience the next realm of glory until I crucify myself.

I didn't know who I was and I didn't know if what was in me was any good. But my parents taught me to believe in myself and to work until something happens.

I don't care how cheap the box is that you put a diamond ring in, nothing about the box diminishes the value of the content.