"In your pursuit of godliness, have you left Jesus behind?"
This is the question Elyse Fitzpatrick aims to have us consider throughout her book, Because He Loves Me
"Among those who would classify themselves as serious Christians, who study the Bible and want to please God, my guess is that the thought of revisiting the gospel seems like a step back into kindergarten. To put it another way, if I told you that this is a book about the gospel, would you automatically assume it's for unbelievers?"
Is that you? I know it's often me.
Because He Loves Me
Starting Wednesday, January 30, we will be reading a chapter a week for the next 12 weeks. I know that it is costly to find time to read. Please do not replace your time in the Word to join us, please do not replace your investment in others with investment in online relationships. But, please DO allow this opportunity to encourage and bless you to read a wonderful book with like-minded women across the globe!
This is how you can join us:
1) Pick up a copy of the book here, or a kindle version here
2) Read the intro and Chapter 1, by January 30.
3) Joy and I will take turns posting on each chapter. Each week you will have the opportunity to link up with whoever is writing the post for the week. Don't worry, we'll link to each other, so you'll never miss a post!
Join us on GraceLaced, Wednesday, January 30, for my first post in the series, corresponding with the reading in Chapter 1. Joy will post on February 6, and so on. If you have a blog, please write a short (or long!) post on your thoughts from the reading, and link up your blog post on each Wednesday's post. If you don't have a blog, no problem! Please join us in conversation through the comments each week.
My hope here is two-fold...I long to see each of us for us encouraged and accountable through a study of a fantastic book. I also seek to encourage you to make the most of your blog or online presence for the encouragement of others as you document your thoughts and discoveries through this study. I truly believe that GraceLaced exists FOR Christ, and FOR his grace and goodness to be seen and known. Reading this book together is one way we can be a part of that very thing.
So won't you join us?
If you plan to join us here week by week as we read through Because He Loves Me, please let us know by leaving a comment and/or linking up your blog below so others can know who you are! We'd love for you to copy the code to this button so others will know how to find us!
If we're not completely convinced that his love is our right now-- fully and unalterably ours-- we'll always hide in the shadows, focusing on our performance, fearing his wrath. Prayer will be hard because we won't want to approach him or be transparent before him. Witnessing will be a chore, for who would want to talk to others about a god who is demanding, angry, or cold? If we don't consciously live in the light of his love, the gospel will be secondary, virtually meaningless, and Jesus Christ will fade into insignificance. Our faith will become all about us, our performance, and how we think we're doing, and our transformation will be hindered.
-Elyse Fitzpatrick, Because He Loves Me
