The ladies of Crossings Community Church here in Katy are beginning a journey through this magnificent and very concise book written by Pastor John Piper. There have been only 2 or 3 books that I have ever bought in bulk so that I could readily give copies away to those with whom I meet. This is one of those books.
One of the greatest sins of the Christian sub-culture is that we get lulled into the syncretism of forcing a self-help mentality into biblical Christianity. We often get so desperate for pithy wisdom from anyone that we forget we have the author of wisdom at our fingertips in the Bible. Further, we have the greatest tool for lasting gospel transformation in the person of Jesus as revealed throughout the pages of Scripture.
The ladies are journeying through this awesome book
I am a self-diagnosed fad health nut. What does that mean? It means that one week I can tell you exactly how many calories, carbohydrates, and proteins have gone into my body as well as how many calories I have burned through exercise. The next week you might see me gorging myself on the richest deep-dark chocolate dessert you have ever seen. Maybe I’m not giving myself enough credit… I probably last longer than a week. We all have things that drive our spouses crazy and I think this is one of my quirks that drives mine a little crazy.
I’ve noticed that the times when I am most likely to reach for the alluring rich dark chocolate dessert is when I am the most hungry. In those moments my discretion seems to get completely lost. My desire to satisfy a temporary craving overtakes my wisdom in that moment. We do the same thing when life’s struggles begin to snow ball. We often reach for the quickest fix which often takes the shape of the self-help wisdom that fills our bookstores and media outlets. The reality is our greatest healing and strength during any storm will come from Jesus Christ.
I love this book because it focuses our attention only on our Savior. As the title rightly states, it moves us to savor a Savior who loves us indescribably. Whether we are in struggle today or we will be tomorrow, the greatest thing we can have is a posture of humility and awe before the Son who died to bring us into a hopeful, joyous, and loving relationship with Him. This little book weighing in at less than 125 pages will have a profound impact on your relationship with Jesus. Anything that has a profound impact on your relationship with Jesus will bring transformation to your relationships, marriage, parenting, career, finances, and every other aspect of your life.
Men, grab a copy for yourself and see your view of your Savior enlarged. Also, use it as a conversation tool with your wife or friend if she is journeying through the book as well. Ladies, if you live anywhere around Katy, TX, then join with our great women in their journey through this book together.
Maybe some of you have read it or are just beginning to read with a group… What have been your impressions?
Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.