Loving Christ: Recapturing Your Passion for Jesus

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. (Oct.)