Simply Love Jesus

Everything is complicated. Or at least it feels that way, doesn't it? But Caleb Davis believes that Jesus is the one thing that shouldn't be. In fact, Caleb believes that the answer to one question can change everything: "What does it mean to Simply Love Jesus?"Open the pages of this book and go on a journey with Caleb to discover how this question not only helps us overcome the struggles in our world and in our life, but through it, we can discover how Jesus intended for His followers to live and how to be Good News to the world around us.

The essence of spirituality is loving God, says Powell. The Bible, the Talmud, and the Qu'ran all direct their followers not merely to believe in God, to trust God, to obey God, and to serve God but to love God. But how does one do that? Can we learn to love God? In this biblical spirituality for today, Powell's earnest plea is for Christians to revisit their faith not by blazing in religious enthusiasm but by harboring a steadier flame and deeper commitment. Living at the poetic heart of faith, he argues, entails seeing the coordinates of religious life love, understanding, truth, hope and especially devotion in a new way. Powell espouses the old-fashioned idea of piety. Drawing on his wide knowledge of the Bible and Christian tradition, as well as insights from his own journey, he shows how simple religious practices move us beyond the old certitudes of a naove and youthful faith into the less certain but more bracing terrain of a second naovete, a closer walk with Jesus.

Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

In Simply Jesus, bestselling author and leading Bible scholar N.T. Wright summarizes 200 years of modern Biblical scholarship and models how Christians can best retell the story of Jesus today. In a style similar to C.S. Lewis’s popular works, Wright breaks down the barriers that prevent Christians from fully engaging with the story of Jesus. For believers confronting the challenge of connecting with their faith today, and for readers of Timothy Keller’s The Reason for God, Wright’s Simply Jesus offers a provocative new picture of how to understand who Jesus was and how Christians should relate to him today.

In this moving devotional to Jesus Christ and His teachings, Charley Ansell presents a series of short stories that encompass various aspects of Jesus' love. By exploring these amazing tales, each based on the experiences of children Ansell has ministered to, the reader will be inspired to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts and embark on a thriving relationship with Him.

In this lost world where there is very little hope, we all need to reach out, to lift up and encourage each other every day. This anthology of inspirational poems was written in the hopes that someone out there would read one of the poems and see themselves or their situation in my words. Reflect and be comforted by this thought; God never forsakes us or abandons us. I pray that people would receive hope, love, joy, peace and salvation through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. The second part of the book about mothers is to make us reflect on our chilhood. It was written to encourage mothers all over the world and to let them know that they are very special to all of us. I pray that this book will be a source of reflection, healing, prayer and encouragement. I hope that this vessel of a book will help heal the lost and broken hearted, for without God and each other we have nothing.

True love knows no limit in giving more, being more, forgiving more. In marriage, husbands and wives are called to love one another without limits and to not lose sight of the fact that they are on the same team. When tempted to calculate or complain, they must simply love. In this 365-day devotional for Catholic married couples, husbands and wives will be challenged and inspired to live out their wedding vows day by day. Each entry in Simply Love begins with a quotation from Sacred Scripture or a saint, followed by a brief reflection – often including a real-life story about the joys and sorrows of married life – which offers encouragement and practical insights to live a faith-filled marriage. At the end of each day’s entry, a prayer fosters the important habit of praying every day together as a couple. This daily devotional meets Catholic couples in the midst of their hectic lives, providing concise, practical, and tangible means to enrich and form their marriage each and every day. About the Authors Troy and Kathleen Billings met at the University of Notre Dame when paired up to perform a dance together for a Christmas show. It was not until several years later, after each of their first marriages ended in annulments, that, by the grace of God, their lives reunited and they fell in love, thus beginning their real dance together in the Sacrament of Marriage. They recently relocated from a suburb of Chicago to Greenville, South Carolina, with their five children, ages 6 to 23. They also have four children in heaven. They are frequent guest speakers nationwide on the topic of marriage.