I just love books, and I’ve decided to share my favorites with you all. Once a month, I will review and giveaway one of my favorite books. I figure it’s a good way to pass along some great titles and give you some insight into what’s influencing me and my thoughts. I hope you enjoy these posts and find these resources to be as inspirational and influential as I did!
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This month’s book is quite possibly one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, and it’s author may be one of my favorite people I have never met. It’s true, I have never personally met Bob Goff, author of Love Does, but I just love this man! {I know that may be a bit weird, but it’s true!} Bob has one of those magnetic personalities. He’s the kind of guy we’d all like to spend some time with because you just know your time together is sure to be the root of some pretty awesome stories––stories with lasting impact.
Bob loves Jesus, but he’s not some obnoxious in-your-face Christian who spouts off Christian principles with little or no action or fruit. But instead, Bob believe the stuff in the Bible, and he acts on it. He believes when God tells us to love one another, we’re to actually do it. Love is not purely an emotional sentiment. Love requires action. Quite simply Bob believes “love does stuff.”
In his introduction, Bob says,
…we need to stop plotting the course and instead just land the plane on our plans to make a difference by getting to the “do” part of faith. That’s because love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn’t just keep thinking about it or keep planing it. Simply put: love does.
Love requires action, and that is precisely how Bob lives. This man seems to exude love in all he does, and his book is a compilation of such stories. Stories that will draw you in and make you want to live a life motivated by love. But what I love about Bob and his book is that he doesn’t take himself or his life so seriously. Bob has fun lavishing his love on others. His stories are quirky and silly, at times, yet they’re endearing and greatly impactful.
At the end of Bob’s book, he writes,
One of the things I’ve learned following Jesus is how much He enjoyed being with people. Except for the time with His Father, there seemed to be nothing He loved more. He didn’t just love the idea of being with people either, He actually loved being with them. A lot of people in this world stop being available at some point. It’s subtle, because it happens a little at a time and it’s not malicious or anything––it happens though. But Jesus wasn’t that way. He seemed to have more time for people as time went on, not less. That’s one of the things which makes love so powerful; it leaves us a way to find it.
The same thing is true about people who have shaped my world view. I’ve found that the people in my life who have actually been the most influential have also been the ones who were the most available. If you ever want to talk about any of the ideas in this book that ping you, my phone number is [his actual phone number]. Give me a call sometime if I can be helpful.
I believe this sets Bob Goff apart from just about anyone else I know. He make himself accessible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about picking up my phone to call Bob to ask if he would fly to Reno to have dinner with my friends and I. And you know, one of these days, I’m pretty sure I’ll do just that.
Be sure to check out Bob’s book trailer to hear more about Love Does:
{If you’re having difficulty watching the video, please click here to view.}
THE GIVEAWAY!
I have one copy of Love Does to give away! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me what “love does” means to you or why you would like to read this book.
I’ve learned from my last book giveaway that I need to give you all some more time to enter! So, you have ONE WEEK to enter. The winner will be announced TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12th. Be sure to subscribe to posts by email or check back to see if you won!
The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, ages 18 or up. Winner will be picked using a random generator.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for this endorsement. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Congratulations on winning!!
I’d like to read this book because I’d love to know how to actually DO, rather than just plan to do. I fall short when it comes to implementing the plan (to love others better). And a large part of the problem seems to stem from being unavailable, or just too busy. 🙁
“Love does” means expressing your love for God, yourself and others through action. In these times people are so quick to express love in words on social media, texts and even in person but do nothing to back up those expressions. The Bible says to walk in love not to just talk in love. There is no such thing as ‘I love you, but…” I would like to read this book because I think I need help in this area. The quote you shared about being with others, “A lot of people in this world stop being available at some point.” convicts me because that is where I am right now. Some time ago the church that I felt was my spiritual home split and I fell through the crack. I have attended a few others but haven’t found a new home. Along with that and some personal hurts and struggles I have felt myself slowly pulling away from social situations and even making my self less available to be open to opportunities to help others face to face. I want to get back to the place where I love being with people again and make myself more readily available in the real world. Even if it hurts sometimes.
One of the reasons I would love to read the book “Love Does”comes through a ministry I have been involved with at church. I have been mentoring middle and high school girls for almost six years now. We are currently doing one book study “Not a Fan”, when one of the girls exclaimed to me, “Paula, have your read Love Does? It goes along so perfectly with what we are learning in small group right now. You HAVE to read it!” She was practically jumping out of her seat with joy. One benefit I have found to working with teens is how infectious their love of the Savior can be. I look at God’s Word with renewed eyes just because of this ministry. I completely agree that “LOVE” is an action verb. If you truly love you are unable to just sit back and watch. It requires action. Faith and Love in action requires us as true followers (not fans) to seek out opportunities to serve others, even when we don’t feel like it. It requires us to put ourselves second and love others the way Jesus would if he were walking on the earth at this very minute. In our youth group, the next series we are presenting to the students is “you>me”. That is what “love does.” Can you even get a glimpse of the look on the face of Jesus when he observes his followers actively loving others; be them family, friends, neighbors, acquaintance, or strangers? I love reading books that make a big impact on my heart and convict me to fully live and embrace the Christian life.
Absolutely believe that one of the reasons the Christian Church has less and less influence in the US at least is because we aren’t truly connecting through love with the rest of the world. We are so caught up in our world of work and church programming that we don’t even see or hear the opportunities God places in our path to show Jesus’ love to His whole, beloved world. Additionally, some of that “doing” requires spretty scary stepping out in faith to do things we’ve never even dreamed of doing with people we might think of doing with only in our nightmares rather than our dreams. Judging by your bio, this has been the case in your life. It is when we take those scary steps into what looks like a dark abyss that God not only catches us but blesses us in order to bless others, I think. I always think of the Indiana Jones movie where Indiana has to figure out some riddles to find a lost treasure and one of them requires him to step off a steep ledge into what looks like black nothingness. Right now I think the “doing” God is calling me to is to start a blog to try to help heal the many divides and deep polarization we are seeing in the U.S. – the misunderstandings and lack of knowledge of one another that results in ugly name calling, unfair judgement and condemnation of our brothers and sisters in ways that are not at all Christ-honoring nor apt to attract others to our Lord. Like Indiana, I’m standing at that ledge sweating profusely, wondering what in the heck makes me think I can do this and not even completely sure how or what to do! But I know that like Indy in the movie, the minute I lift my foot and put it down again in front of me a solid path will appear to get me where God wants me to be.
Love does…I think for me, this statement means that we keep on loving (God, our spouse, our children, whomever) even when it hurts.
Yes Love Does… It does not sit it out. Love manifests itself through our actions and the things that we spend our time on shows where our love is placed. Hopefully the people in our lives feel that love on them; through our actions towards them.
I’m seeing love does right in front of me as I was recently diagnosed with cancer. My loving husband has to take me to have treatment everyday without grumbling. It speaks love to me.
I’ve been struggling in my marriage for several years now. We don’t do a lot of things that we used to do and the thing that bothers me the most is that my husband doesn’t think anything is wrong. 🙁 So for me right now where I’m at Love Does means love keeps on, love perseveres even when I can’t see the end in sight I know what happens in the final ending, keeping my eyes on Jesus and hoping that my husband does the same.