Loving Christ by Joseph Stowell

What does it mean to truly love Jesus? How do we express a love for Christ so compelling that it drives and defines all that we do?

Passion is a powerful word, one often equated with volatile, untrustworthy emotional highs and lows. Author Stowell, President of Moody Bible Institute, convincingly argues otherwise. Stowell asserts that lovers of God can consistently offer lives passionately poured out for others because of an intensely rich relationship with Jesus Christ. Throughout the book, Stowell weaves in elements of the biblical accounts of the hypocrite Simon the Pharisee and the devoted prostitute Mary. Stowell contrasts Mary's extravagant public adoration of Christ with Simon's rude skepticism thinly veiled by a showy piety. According to Stowell, there is a bit of Pharisee in everyone; unless Christians remain grateful for Jesus' sacrifice, they are bound to take on the same superficial religiosity that characterized the Pharisees. Stowell warns readers to guard against the tendency to become impressed with themselves, not allowing superior distance to demean those considered "less" good; to refuse those restrictions and rules that take precedence over godliness; and finally, to never fool themselves into believing that God is impressed with their evolving goodness. Stowell enumerates the practical aspects of loving Christ with passion by outlining his ideas on "the good neighbor policy" and on ways of overcoming barriers to love. This warm, intensely personal sequel to Following Christ will engage both new readers and already loyal Stowell fans.

ISBN: 9780310236641
Publisher: Zondervan

In answer, Joe Stowell takes us into the drama that unfolded at the dinner table of Simon the Pharisee . . . and inside the hearts of two very different people. One, a sinful woman, loved Jesus with a passion that brought her to her knees in adoration. The other, a man righteous in his own eyes, kept Christ at arm’s length.

What does this beloved story from Luke’s gospel reveal about our own hearts? With candor, insight, and hard-hitting illustrations, Joe Stowell fans your desire to love Christ into a flame that burns with increasing fervor in every aspect of your life.

Loving Christ is challenging because it is so practical, and it is encouraging for the same reason. Stowell takes you from Simon’s long-ago dinner party into the realities of the life you live today. All that you are, everything you do, brims with the potential to express your love for Jesus. Your attitudes, your choices, the ways you relate to others, your service to Christ and His people, your willingness to submit your comfort, peace, and security to God’s design for your life . . . these are more than just areas you struggle with like everyone. They are opportunities for pouring out the very essence of yourself as a love offering that touches the heart of Christ.

Do you long to love Jesus in life-transforming ways? Candid, insightful, convicting, and encouraging, Loving Christ will help you recapture the passion for Christ you experienced as a new believer.

If you were challenged by Joe Stowell’s book Following Christ, this book will take you to the next level in your pilgrimage toward an authentic relationship with Jesus.