Born May 16, 1929, beloved author, pastor, and preacher Dr. Warren Wiersbe is best known for the Old Testament “Be” Series and New Testament “Be” Series of expositional Bible studies, which have sold more than four million copies. But not many know that Wiersbe’s first foray into publishing had more to do with his love of magic tricks than with his spiritual pursuits.

As a teenager, Wiersbe wrote a book and sent his manuscript to the L. L. Ireland Magic Company. In 1944 they published his For Magicians Only: Action with Cards. This early success fed Wiersbe’s desire to write. 68 years later, he has written more than 150 books.

Here are 10 inspiring Wiersbe quotes:

1. “The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground, and we must be on our guard at all times.”—from The Bumps Are What You Climb On

2. “This modern emphasis only on personal salvation makes us lose sight of the grandeur and glory of God’s church. I am not minimizing our personal experience with Christ, but I am affirming that it is not the primary goal that God has in mind. He is building His church. He is building up the Body of Christ. The glory and greatness of our personal salvation is but a reflection of what God is doing corporately in and through His church.”—from Prayer: Basic Training

3. “You don’t have to read very far in your Bible to discover that God forgives His servants and restores them to ministry.”—from Be Amazed

4. “The immediate purpose of prayer is the accomplishing of God’s will on earth; the ultimate purpose of prayer is the eternal glory of God.”—from On Earth as It Is in Heaven: How the Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us to Pray More Effectively

5. “For the most part, the people we serve in our congregations don’t look like Josephs, Esthers, or Davids, nor do we; but the same God who glorified himself in the lives of ‘ordinary people’ in ancient days will glorify himself in our lives today if we will trust him.”—from 10 Power Principles for Christian Service

6. “God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises.”—from Be Heroic

7. “We may be statistics and numbers as far as the world’s computers are concerned, but we are precious individuals as far as our Shepherd is concerned. He knows his sheep personally.”—from Be What You Are

8. “Satan wants us to think that our ‘disobedience detours’ must become the permanent road for the rest of our lives, but this is a lie.”—from Be Obedient

9. “The most important meeting we as leaders attend is that daily personal meeting with the Lord, before the day begins, when worship and meditation increase our faith as we receive the orders for the day.”—from On Being a Leader for God

10. “If you serve only to earn a salary, you will never do your best as long as you think you’re underpaid. If you minister to get recognition, you will start doing less when people don’t show their appreciation. The only motivation that will take you through the storms and keep you on the job is, ‘I’m serving Jesus Christ.’ “—from On Being a Servant of God

You can find uplifting Wiersbe books through both Logos and Vyrso including the 27-volume Warren Wiersbe’s Old Testament “Be” Series and The Bible Exposition Commentary: An Exposition of the New Testament Containing the Entire “Be” Series.

Most base packages—currently 15% off with coupon code BASE15—include Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament and Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament. These two volumes offer a book-by-book outline of the scriptures with pages of introductory notes and studies on key topics. Pick up a base package today and get these and scores of other powerful resources for pennies on the dollar!

Have a favorite Wiersbe quote or book? Leave us a comment!