Download or read book Giving Christianity Back to Agape Love written by Matthew Carriker and published by LifeRich Publishing. This book was released on 2022-05-09 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How could a church that has been plagued by anti-Semitism, the killing of the Crusades, and the violence of the Inquisition (to name a few) be redeemed of these evils? Quite simply, it has always returned to Jesus. When you return to Jesus, you return to the heart of his message: agape. Agape is a Greek word in the New Testament referring to a love that is without limits and beyond conditions. Agape is the love that God has for us, and that we are called to have towards one another. This book centers around this one assumption: God loves us unconditionally. Our task- individually and as communities- is to be instruments of that love. This book reenvisions traditional Christian beliefs- including sin, the Bible, salvation, homosexuality, pluralism, Jesus, and atonement theology- through the lens of agape love. What would the Christian life look like if we embodied the good news in community as contemplatives in action? In a time when churches are dying and failing, giving Christianity back to agape love has the power to bring life into a religion that feels old, worn out, and over-institutionalized. To return Christianity to Jesus is to give the church universal back to a love that is boundless, free, and unconditional; to a love that finds its heart in service, peacemaking, and radical transformation; to a love that will set the world on fire.
Download or read book Love Worth Finding Pack Of 25 written by Adrian Rogers and published by . This book was released on 1998-11-23 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Psychologists have long known that every person has two great longings and inward needs. The first is to be loved, and the second is to love. But when pressures and heartaches come into our lives, many give up any hope of ever finding love. The tragedy is that we often look in the wrong places to fill this deep, deep need and longing. Some substitute lust for love. Others pursue material things or superficial relationships-all in the futile attempt to fill a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart. But there is good news! There is a love worth finding and a love worth sharing. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). On the cross of Christ, God's mighty love was revealed and offered unconditionally to all who would be saved. Do you long to know this mighty love? Then I need to ask you the most important question you'll ever be asked: Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves you, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are saved and on your way to heaven? The great news is, you can know! Let me share with you how to discover the greatest love worth finding. Admit Your Sin. First, you must admit that you are a sinner. The Bible says, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). It is our sin that separates us from God and from fulfilling our deepest needs and longings. Sin is an offense against God that carries a serious penalty. According to Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death [eternal separation from the love and mercy of God]." Abandon Your Efforts. Second, you must abandon any efforts to save yourself. If we could save ourselves, Jesus' death would have been unnecessary! Even "getting religion" cannot get you to heaven. The Bible says it is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His [God's] mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5). Salvation is by God's grace, "not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Acknowledge Christ's Payment. What you cannot do for yourself, Jesus Christ has done for you! "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He died on the cross for you, and then rose from the dead to prove that His payment was acceptable to God. But you must acknowledge and believe this fact. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Accept Christ as Your Savior. Salvation is God's gift to you. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When someone offers you a priceless gift, the wisest thing you can do is accept it! This very moment, you can receive Christ's gift of salvation by sincerely praying this simple prayer from your heart: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that You love me and want to save me. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God, who died on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe God raised You from the dead. I now turn from my sin and, by faith, receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sins, and save me, Lord Jesus. In Your name I pray. Amen. Friend, if you have not yet made a decision for Christ, I urge you to receive Him today. You'll be eternally glad to know the love worth finding!
Download or read book Agape Love written by Sir John Templeton and published by Templeton Foundation Press. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tradition of agape, or unconditional love, is not exclusive to any religion. It is a primary underlying principle found in religions worldwide. The concept of altruistic love challenges the spiritual person to "love your enemies" or to "love without thought of return." It is a love that flows out to others through compassion, kindness, tenderness, and charitable giving. Buddhists have a path of compassion, where caring for others becomes the motivating force behind existence. Hindus have a branch of yoga, the heart-centered path, that leads to enlightenment through an overwhelming love for God that takes the form of loving all humanity. Eastern religions, such as Taoism and Confucianism, see transcendent love as essential to true wisdom. Love is a universal theme of love found in all religious traditions, Buddhist, Christian, Islam, or others. As we realize that all religions have this spiritual principle of love at their core, we can develop a sense of shared humanity. The religious tradition of agape love examined in this book will inspire those who are learning to grow in compassion and love for all people.
Download or read book Agape Justice and Law written by Robert F. Cochran, Jr and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-05-25 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a provocative essay, philosopher Jeffrie G. Murphy asks: 'what would law be like if we organized it around the value of Christian love, and if we thought about and criticized law in terms of that value?'. This book brings together leading scholars from a variety of disciplines to address that question. Scholars have given surprisingly little attention to assessing how the central Christian ethical category of love - agape - might impact the way we understand law. This book aims to fill that gap by investigating the relationship between agape and law in Scripture, theology, and jurisprudence, as well as applying these insights to contemporary debates in criminal law, tort law, elder law, immigration law, corporate law, intellectual property, and international relations. At a time when the discourse between Christian and other world views is more likely to be filled with hate than love, the implications of agape for law are crucial.
Download or read book True Love Dates written by Debra K. Fileta and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is possible to find true love through dating. In True Love Dates, Debra Fileta encourages singles not to "kiss dating goodbye" but instead to experience a season of dating as a way to find real love. Through powerful, real-life stories and Fileta's personal journey, this book offers profound insights from the expertise of a professional counselor. Christians are looking for answers to finding true love. They are disillusioned with the church that has provided little practical application in the area of love and relationships. They're bombarded by Christian books that shun dating, idolize courting, fixate on spirituality, and in the end, offer little real relationship help. True Love Dates provides honest help for dating by providing a guide into vital relationship essentials. Debra is a professional Christian counselor who reaches millions with her popular blog, Truelovedates.com, and her book offers sound advice grounded in Christian spirituality. She delivers insight, direction, and counsel when it comes to entering the world of dating and learning to do it right the first time around. Drawing on the stories and struggles of hundreds of young men and women who have pursued the search for true love, Fileta helps readers bypass unnecessary pain while focusing on the things that really matter in the world of dating.
Download or read book I Thought I Knew What Love Was written by Erin Lamb and published by WestBow Press. This book was released on 2011-12-16 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the time Erin Lamb was a child, she was curious about the God of the Bible. She grew up in a home with a pastor and Sunday school teacher, which made knowing God a part of everyday life. More than reading about Him, her heart longed to know Him personally, as Moses knew Him. Along this journey, she picked up a pen and paper and began to write about her experiences with God and His responses. I Thought I Knew What Love Was is a book for every person who wants to plunge deeper into the heart of God. If circumstances or life have made God seem distant or cold, the words on these pages will lure your heart on a journey with the God of the high and low places. Understanding the depths of Gods love during the good and the challenging times is essential to living a joy-filled life. Erin has captured the heart of God through prayers, sonnets, and poems that reveal the human experience in relation to God. If you have ever felt as though God doesnt understand you, then poems like Agape, Even If, and Our Deepest Need will reveal Gods unfailing love for you. Whether you find yourself in the difficult places, or on the mountaintop, your heart and mind will be drawn to a more intimate place where you commune with God.
Download or read book Galatians for You written by Timothy Keller and published by God's Word for You. This book was released on 2012-12 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timothy Keller's expository guide to Galatians is a personal and group curriculum that will excite ordinary Christians in their faith and equip teachers and preachers in their work.
Download or read book Gentle Firmness written by Stephanie G. Cox M S Ed and published by Winters Publishing Group. This book was released on 2014-03-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does God really want children to be spanked? Where did spanking come from? How can I discipline my children in a manner that is truly pleasing to God? In Gentle Firmness, Stephanie G. Cox answers all of these questions and more. Take this fascinating journey to learn how to accurately read and interpret the "rod" verses of Proverbs. See why spanking is more of a church doctrine rather than a biblical principle. Read many stories from actual people raised in Christian homes that were "lovingly" spanked and yet were emotionally scarred. And finally, discover how ALL children can be effectively disciplined in a biblical manner without being hurt. Stephanie G. Cox, M.S.Ed is severely physically disabled with cerebral palsy. She is an amazing overcomer, as evidenced by the fact that she typed the entire book the way she always types...with her nose!
Download or read book The Four Loves written by Clive Staples Lewis and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 1991 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzes the feelings and problems involved in different types of human love, including familial affection, friendship, passion, and charity.
Download or read book The Four Loves written by C. S. Lewis and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The revered author's classic work that examines the four types of human love: affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God.? In this work Lewis examines four varieties of love, as approached from the Greek language: storge, the most basic form; philia, the rarest and perhaps most insightful; eros, passionate love; and agape, the love of God, the greatest and least selfish. ?Throughout this compassionate and reasoned study, he encourages readers to open themselves to all forms of love—the key to understanding that brings us closer to God.? "There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable . . . draw nearer to God, not be trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armor. If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it."? In Four Loves, C. S. Lewis explores love to help you · Strengthen your interpersonal relationships · Understand the different between needed pleasures and appreciation pleasures and need-love and gift-love · Care for the people in your life, avoid pitfalls, and improve your relationship God The Four Loves holds a mirror to our current society and leaves no doubt that our modern understanding of love is heavily misunderstood.
Download or read book The Book of Longings written by Sue Monk Kidd and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling.” —Associated Press “A true masterpiece.” —Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.
Download or read book Leaving the Fold written by Marlene Winell and published by Marlene Winell Ph.D.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you been harmed by toxic religion? Learn how to recover and reclaim your life. Psychologist Marlene Winell is uniquely qualified to address the subject of this book. In addition to her personal experience with leaving fundamentalist religion, she has worked with clients recovering from religion for 28 years. She is known for coining the term Religious Trauma Syndrome. Leaving the Fold is a self-help book that examines the effects of authoritarian religion (fundamentalist Christianity in particular) on individuals who leave the faith. The concrete steps for healing are useful for anyone in recovery from toxic religion. In this book you'll discover: - what you can expect about stages of religious recovery - information about the key issues of recovery - relevant family dynamics - the power of manipulations - motivations for belonging and for leaving religion - specific steps for healing and reclaiming life - further steps for rebuilding life in the present Leaving the Fold is the only self-help psychology book on the subject of religious recovery. The accessible, compassionate writing is ideal for the reader who needs clear information and concrete help. Buy Leaving the Fold and begin your healing journey today
Download or read book Give Me an Answer written by Cliffe Knechtle and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 1986-03-31 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cliffe Knechtle offers clear, reasoned and compassionate responses to the tough questions skeptics ask.
Download or read book Let s Be Blunt written by Evan Oxner and published by Word Alive Press. This book was released on 2020-05-31 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is the point of following Jesus simply getting to heaven? Do we put our faith in God and just wait for the day when we get to leave this world behind and find peace? Is Christianity nothing more than the practice of staying faithful long enough that we are on the right side of the fence when we die? Something just doesn’t seem right about that. The God that we see in the Exodus is bigger than the gods of the world. The work of Jesus changes more than just one’s eternal final destination. The practice of discipleship and following Jesus is more meaningful than simply keeping us safe. Maybe the questions you’ve asked or the problems you’ve observed with the Church don’t reveal doubts or unfaithfulness. Maybe they express a craving for what God really wants to do that goes beyond the common culture and teachings of the Church. It’s not that the Church is wrong in everything it says or teaches, but there is something more important we need to embrace for the rest of it to actually makes sense. Christianity isn’t about checking boxes and going to heaven—it’s about being restored to the image of God.
Download or read book Christianity Versus the God of Calvin written by John Boyd and published by Xulon Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the author, Satan laughs at the idea of people believing the worst about God, and as a result of Satan's plan, a false religion is taking American churches and seminaries by storm--a religion driven by the idea that God hates most of mankind. (Christian)
Download or read book No Greater Love written by John Moloney and published by . This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The texts of Sacred Scripture used in these meditations and prayers, have been used from the earliest times by the Church, to light up the mystery of the divine and human love of Jesus. Perfect for use as a Novena to the Sacred Heart, or for First Fridays, or indeed any one of the meditations taken at random could be a starting point of a prayer of praise, glory or reparation.
Download or read book Spirituality and Christian Belief written by Keith Ward and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2024-03-29 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity is not the only true faith. The Bible is not inerrant. Jesus is not God walking on the earth. Hell is not eternal. What’s left? Everything important. The ultimate reality is cosmic mind, which generates the physical universe. Its goal is to liberate all beings from evil and suffering and to unite all beings to itself. God sets the goal, Jesus shows and attains the goal, and the Spirit guides the way to the goal. This is a spiritual path to God, to which the Bible testifies, from a specific cultural background, the Abrahamic way.
