Billy Graham rose to fame at the 1949 LA Crusade, which led to developing friendships with presidents, actors, and other well-known celebrities. Although his life may have been in the spotlight, Billy Graham never lost sight of his true mission of sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ. Here are 10 quotes from Billy Graham on living in the spotlight.

Referring to the 1949 LA Crusade, “God may have used Mr. Hearst to promote the meetings, as (my wife) Ruth said, but the credit belonged solely to God. All I knew was that before it was over, we were on a journey from which there would be no looking back.”

“Whether the story of Christ is told in a huge stadium, across the desk of a powerful leader, or shared with a golfing companion, it satisfies a common hunger. All over the world, whenever I meet people face-to-face, I am made aware of this personal need among the famous and successful, as well as the lonely and obscure.”

“Eisenhower was the first President that really asked my counsel in depth when he was sending troops into Little Rock.”

“God has given you the gift of leadership. … Now ask Him to help you use that gift for His glory. The key is to let Jesus Christ be your example.”

“Fame in itself isn’t necessarily wrong if it’s come to a person honestly and they haven’t compromised their moral integrity. After all, Jesus was famous in His own day. … Fame is also fleeting; today’s celebrity is often forgotten in a few years. But more than that, fame seldom brings happiness.”

“Money and success can never satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts, no matter who we are. God made us for Himself, and when we leave Him out of our lives, an emptiness is left in our hearts that cannot be filled—except by Christ.”

“‘Perhaps the Communists in the Soviet Union will try to use me’ I told one friend, ‘but I’m also going to use them, to preach the Gospel.’”

“Later I met with Boris Ponomarev, chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and a member of the Politburo. … That visit with Mr. Ponomarev was one of the most unexpected events of my life. Before going to the Soviet Union I had prayed that I might have the opportunity to meet with someone on that level, although—humanly speaking—I knew it was almost impossible.”

“I would not change places with the wealthiest and most influential person in the world. I would rather be a child of the King, a joint-heir with Christ, a member if the Royal Family of Heaven.”

“As I have reflected on my own calling as an evangelist, I frequently recall the words of Christianity’s greatest evangelist, the Apostle Paul: ‘It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known.’”

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