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Loving Jesus More
Do you love Jesus more than your spouse? Your reputation? Your kids? Your health? Your job? Your money? As Christians, we’re called to love Jesus more than anyone or anything else. But do we really do this? Emphasizing that God’s love for us is the source of our love for him, Phil Ryken challenges us to take Jesus’s words seriously and think carefully about where our affections truly lie.
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2014
26 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Philip Graham Ryken
109 books71 followersPhilip Graham Ryken is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is Bible Teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, speaking nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College (IL), Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) and the University of Oxford (UK), from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. He lives with his wife (Lisa) and children (Joshua, Kirsten, Jack, Kathryn, and Karoline) in Center City, Philadelphia. When he is not preaching or spending time with his family, he likes to read books, play sports, and ponder the relationship between Christian faith and American culture. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Galatians.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 19, 2019
I don’t think you could have a more important book as a Christian. How can we love Jesus more? Better? Is it possible? Yes it is. He is to be our first love (Rev 2:4) and this book is full of majestic truth of Him, as well as challenging yet hope-giving ways forward. Short. Sharp. Sharpening
March 9, 2024
Good. The title of this book is something that every Christian should desire as well as something that every Christian has the capacity to do. Ryken gives some practical insight for that endeavor here in this shorter work.
December 15, 2015
Loving Jesus more is a simple yet profound book that attempts to…well….help you love Jesus more. This book is very popular in nature – I might even call it devotional – not academic in the least. There is nothing necessarily exemplary about this book as it relates to other current and previous Christian work. Ryken admits that this book is a series of sermons from the university where he serves (Wheaton) that have been edited into book form. I often find that the quality of a book is generally diminished when it has been published in this manner as sermons are meant for proclamation not necessarily publication. This rules rings rather true in this book, but there are still some golden nuggets to mine from its pages.
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See the full review of this book and other Christian titles at
Www.joevalenti.me
Direct link to the full review
http://joevalenti.me/portfolio-item/l...
May 5, 2023
In Loving Jesus More, Phil Ryken exhorts us to examine our love for Jesus so that we may strive to increase it. The contents of the book were originally delivered as a series of chapel messages and have been edited into a short, readable format. The book is not very academic in nature, but feels akin to what you would want of a devotional.
There are a lot of good reflections on what it means to love Jesus and what kind of obstacles can impede our love and I appreciate that there is a study guide in the back of the book with questions to further reflect and think through applications.
I believe the book could be very edifying for someone else, but it wasn’t quite for me. It felt very basic and did not go deep enough to effectively touch on the kinds of barriers I struggle with in my own pursuit to love Jesus more, and I struggled with how Ryken organizes and presents information. The book did not feel intuitive or comprehensive. I would not reread the book, and I don’t think I will be personally recommending it to anyone else, but most of my complaints with the book are matters of personal taste.
If you’re looking for something a little more in depth than a one page devotional but lighter than a full on book, Loving Jesus More is a great option for you.
There are a lot of good reflections on what it means to love Jesus and what kind of obstacles can impede our love and I appreciate that there is a study guide in the back of the book with questions to further reflect and think through applications.
I believe the book could be very edifying for someone else, but it wasn’t quite for me. It felt very basic and did not go deep enough to effectively touch on the kinds of barriers I struggle with in my own pursuit to love Jesus more, and I struggled with how Ryken organizes and presents information. The book did not feel intuitive or comprehensive. I would not reread the book, and I don’t think I will be personally recommending it to anyone else, but most of my complaints with the book are matters of personal taste.
If you’re looking for something a little more in depth than a one page devotional but lighter than a full on book, Loving Jesus More is a great option for you.
January 17, 2021
A great way to start a year. The point of the book is that as Christians we want to love Jesus but often we don’t love Him as much as we would like, or as consistently as we would like, or we don’t love Him as we should. Ryken explores where our love for Jesus comes from, what inspires it, and how best to express love to our Saviour.
The ordering of the chapters towards the end is a little odd. At certain points both chapters feel like they should be closer to the beginning of the book; even though the last chapter focuses on Revelation and aspects of our love for Jesus not yet realized.
Ultimately, a good reminder of Jesus’ love for us and our response of love to Him.
The ordering of the chapters towards the end is a little odd. At certain points both chapters feel like they should be closer to the beginning of the book; even though the last chapter focuses on Revelation and aspects of our love for Jesus not yet realized.
Ultimately, a good reminder of Jesus’ love for us and our response of love to Him.
June 5, 2025
Good principle. Glad he clears up the false idea that loving Jesus more makes him love us more. Loving Jesus more brings us into a greater reality of his love for us. His illustration of the young girl telling her pastor that she does not love Jesus but wants to is memorable. The pastor gives the simple advice, “Keep reminding yourself that Jesus loves you.” This advice turns the girl’s affections toward her Savior during the week ahead, and she realizes she does love Jesus. Reminds me of 1 John 4:19 - We love because he first loved us.
June 24, 2019
A great book for any Christian no matter how far along the journey you are. Ryken speaks honestly about our struggle to love Jesus as we ought then graciously points us to the true source of our love for Christ, Gods love. He then gives some practical help for growing in our love for Christ and ends with a spectacular vision of meeting Jesus face to face in heaven. The study guide was well worth working through. I’d recommend to anyone.
July 11, 2024
Decent little book for believers who experience a lack of emotional connection to Jesus.
Key takeaways- God loved us first and continues to love us even when we fail to respond to his initiation. Remembering the extent to which we’ve been forgiven and his unwavering affections for us are good in times when he feels distant.
Key takeaways- God loved us first and continues to love us even when we fail to respond to his initiation. Remembering the extent to which we’ve been forgiven and his unwavering affections for us are good in times when he feels distant.
August 8, 2018
Easy to read book on a deeply philosophical topic. I enjoyed reading this as it was a book version of chapel messages Dr. Ryken gave at Wheaton that my husband heard as a student. It was really enjoyable to discuss with him. Wonderful book!
January 14, 2019
Good advice on loving Jesus
Nobody loves Jesus the way we should. But Philip Ryken gives us good advice and sound counsel on how to love Jesus. Short chapters with applicable encouragement fill the pages of this book.
Nobody loves Jesus the way we should. But Philip Ryken gives us good advice and sound counsel on how to love Jesus. Short chapters with applicable encouragement fill the pages of this book.
March 28, 2020
A great practical book. What does it look like to love Jesus more, the most. How can we do that? Wonderful book to read and reflect on in your quiet time. Encourages, motivates, challenges and convicts.
May 23, 2021
This was a very good book. I need to love Jesus more. I need to put into practice the very practical ways that the author shared to make that happen. He had some great quotes from others who sought to love Jesus more.
February 18, 2023
I love this book. It brought me closer to God and made me love Jesus more. It caused me to self-reflect and realize how I may have reneged in loving Jesus. It gave me thousand reasons to love Jesus more deeply in my everyday life.
May 14, 2024
A series of thoughtful meditations (adapted from Wheaton chapel sermons) on loving Jesus. I loved how Ryken emphasized God’s love for us, instigating our love for him, and not the other way around. A simple read for personal use or a group.
March 2, 2025
Thank you President Ryken for this wonderful journey into falling in love with Jesus, and more importantly, staying in love with Him. It was a blessing to read this book and gave me much to think and pray about.
June 7, 2019
Love Jesus More
Loving Jesus is the chief end of all Christians, and this book will help you accomplish that goal. This is a must read.
Loving Jesus is the chief end of all Christians, and this book will help you accomplish that goal. This is a must read.
October 6, 2019
Yes, stirs your heart to love Jesus more!
March 31, 2020
We need real life examples to know how to live this out. Ryken presents them well in this book.
November 30, 2014
We sing songs about loving Jesus. We claim to be in relationship with our Savior. Despite voices lifted up and statements being made regarding our love for Jesus, do we really love Him as Scripture defines that love? Do we have a passionate desire to grow in intimacy with the one who gave His life for His bride? Is this love more than mere lip service? Philip Ryken, in his latest book Loving Jesus More, explores what it means to love Jesus, driving home the necessity of taking this issue seriously in all areas of life.
Right off the bat, Ryken makes the salient comment that “If we say that we want to love Jesus more – or that we ought to love him more, whether we want to or not – then we are admitting that we do not love Jesus as much as we should.” This is an important statement as it reveals a lack of something in our lives, namely a constant and unending passionate love for Jesus that results in a life lived that seeks to glorify Jesus. Thankfully, God outlines throughout Scripture what it means to love Him more and there is no shortage of defining exactly what love is and what it looks like in action. The action of love in our life comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. Ryken aptly notes this reality by stating “God has put his love into our lives by pouring his Spirit into our hearts.
There are a couple of specific points Ryken makes which I found quite excellent and it are these points I will focus on in the remainder of this review. The first is what it means to love Jesus with all we have. Scripture certainly declares we are to “Love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength” but what does all that really mean? Ryken correctly states in regard to this command, “When the Bible tells us to love God with mind, heart, soul, and strength, it is not telling us to do four different things but giving us four different ways to do one and the same thing.” Furthermore, we love God with our entire being because He first loved us. Ryken hones in on that important element quite often and rightfully so as that is the believers only valid response to God’s gracious mercy.
Love is not just some mushy emotional response that has no connection to our daily actions. Love as a response is action oriented and the action that comes as a response to God’s love is devotion and adherence to God’s commands. Ryken provides some very practical insight into what loving God and by extension loving Jesus looks like, focusing in specifically on the relational aspect. He states “Joyful obedience is one of the fastest ways to a parent’s heart. By contrast, failing to follow clear instructions is a sign of disaffection as well as disrespect.”
I also appreciated the fact that Ryken takes this aspect of obedience one step further, noting the reality that as the bride of Christ, we are in a marital relationship with Jesus our bridegroom. This betrothal marital relationship is one of anxious anticipation for the day when we will be with our beloved for all eternity. Ryken expertly notes this future reality and how it impacts the present by stating “As we get ready for our wedding day – as we prepare to celebrate the everlasting nuptials – our love for Jesus grows (or at least it ought to).” This hearkens back to the statement Jesus made in the Gospels that if we love him, we will keep his commands. This means our love for Jesus should be revealed to the world with a love that is ever focused on devotion to God’s commands us. We should as noted by Ryken “keep striving for incorruptible affection, wanting to love him more and more.”
Do you love Jesus? Do you find it hard at times? Are you wanting to learn more about how to love Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do you find yourself a bit unsure of what this bride/bridegroom relationship is all about? If the answer is yes to one or all of those questions, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Philip Ryken’s excellent book. Given that as his bride, we should all desire to love Jesus more, having a helpful guide that outlines what loving Jesus is all about is something of great importance for us all. Thus, I recommend Loving Jesus More for all believers.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”
Right off the bat, Ryken makes the salient comment that “If we say that we want to love Jesus more – or that we ought to love him more, whether we want to or not – then we are admitting that we do not love Jesus as much as we should.” This is an important statement as it reveals a lack of something in our lives, namely a constant and unending passionate love for Jesus that results in a life lived that seeks to glorify Jesus. Thankfully, God outlines throughout Scripture what it means to love Him more and there is no shortage of defining exactly what love is and what it looks like in action. The action of love in our life comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. Ryken aptly notes this reality by stating “God has put his love into our lives by pouring his Spirit into our hearts.
There are a couple of specific points Ryken makes which I found quite excellent and it are these points I will focus on in the remainder of this review. The first is what it means to love Jesus with all we have. Scripture certainly declares we are to “Love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength” but what does all that really mean? Ryken correctly states in regard to this command, “When the Bible tells us to love God with mind, heart, soul, and strength, it is not telling us to do four different things but giving us four different ways to do one and the same thing.” Furthermore, we love God with our entire being because He first loved us. Ryken hones in on that important element quite often and rightfully so as that is the believers only valid response to God’s gracious mercy.
Love is not just some mushy emotional response that has no connection to our daily actions. Love as a response is action oriented and the action that comes as a response to God’s love is devotion and adherence to God’s commands. Ryken provides some very practical insight into what loving God and by extension loving Jesus looks like, focusing in specifically on the relational aspect. He states “Joyful obedience is one of the fastest ways to a parent’s heart. By contrast, failing to follow clear instructions is a sign of disaffection as well as disrespect.”
I also appreciated the fact that Ryken takes this aspect of obedience one step further, noting the reality that as the bride of Christ, we are in a marital relationship with Jesus our bridegroom. This betrothal marital relationship is one of anxious anticipation for the day when we will be with our beloved for all eternity. Ryken expertly notes this future reality and how it impacts the present by stating “As we get ready for our wedding day – as we prepare to celebrate the everlasting nuptials – our love for Jesus grows (or at least it ought to).” This hearkens back to the statement Jesus made in the Gospels that if we love him, we will keep his commands. This means our love for Jesus should be revealed to the world with a love that is ever focused on devotion to God’s commands us. We should as noted by Ryken “keep striving for incorruptible affection, wanting to love him more and more.”
Do you love Jesus? Do you find it hard at times? Are you wanting to learn more about how to love Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do you find yourself a bit unsure of what this bride/bridegroom relationship is all about? If the answer is yes to one or all of those questions, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Philip Ryken’s excellent book. Given that as his bride, we should all desire to love Jesus more, having a helpful guide that outlines what loving Jesus is all about is something of great importance for us all. Thus, I recommend Loving Jesus More for all believers.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”
November 26, 2014
Phil Ryken's newest book has a great goal. He wants his readers to LOVE Jesus more. Ryken sees things realistically. He knows most--if not all--believers struggle with loving Jesus, with loving Him MORE. It is oh-so-easy to love him less--less than at first, less than we should, less than we ought. Ryken sets out to show how readers can, in fact, love Him more.
The book focuses on two things: God's love for us, which, is the source of our love for him, and, our love for God, which, spills over into our love for others.
I believe the book does its best to be practical and relevant. I am not doubting it is practical and relevant. But it isn't exactly new or surprising information. The things he discusses while remaining relevant are things that the reader most likely already knows. (Things like living an obedient life, not clinging to favorite sins, going to church, loving and forgiving others, reading the Bible, etc.)
It is in the "putting into practice" what one already knows that would show actual results. The book is good--great, even--if and only if it challenges readers to change their beliefs and behaviors. I hope the Spirit uses Ryken's message to reach hearts and awaken consciences. I believe the Spirit can use books and sermons. I believe the Spirit also uses the Word of God itself. The message is certainly a needed one.
Favorite quotes:
The book focuses on two things: God's love for us, which, is the source of our love for him, and, our love for God, which, spills over into our love for others.
I believe the book does its best to be practical and relevant. I am not doubting it is practical and relevant. But it isn't exactly new or surprising information. The things he discusses while remaining relevant are things that the reader most likely already knows. (Things like living an obedient life, not clinging to favorite sins, going to church, loving and forgiving others, reading the Bible, etc.)
It is in the "putting into practice" what one already knows that would show actual results. The book is good--great, even--if and only if it challenges readers to change their beliefs and behaviors. I hope the Spirit uses Ryken's message to reach hearts and awaken consciences. I believe the Spirit can use books and sermons. I believe the Spirit also uses the Word of God itself. The message is certainly a needed one.
Favorite quotes:
If we ever wonder why we do not seem to love Jesus very much— at least not as much as we should— maybe this is one of the reasons why: we are not reading the Bible in one of the ways we should. We are reading it in worship services, perhaps, or reading it for a class or study group. We are reading the Bible for content and maybe for application, but not for a relationship. If we want to love Jesus with all we have, we should read his Word the way a lover would, as a message from our beloved. Whenever we open our Bibles, we should pray, “Lord Jesus, I am not just here for these words; I am here for you, and for the love message you want to send from your heart to mine.” God has promised to meet us in his Word, which makes Bible-reading a place to rendezvous with our Savior.
One of the best ways to test our grasp of God’s grace is to see how we respond to the people we think of as “sinners.” What do we say about them? How do we treat them? What are we doing to reach out to them with the love of Jesus? Sadly, many Christians do not care enough to get involved in the lives of people in spiritual trouble. They do not touch “sinners,” and they do not let “sinners” touch them. Our calling as Christians is to share the love of Christ with people who need his grace. In the same way that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and in the same way that he has touched our own lives with mercy, we are called to reach out with his love… But what would happen if we really believed that God has grace for sinners— not just for us, but for everyone? What would happen if we embraced lost and difficult people instead of avoiding them? What would happen in their lives, and what would happen in our lives? The way for us to make the difference in the world that God is calling us to make is to believe that he has grace for sinners.
December 11, 2014
What Christian doesn’t want to love Jesus more? It seems pretty obvious that if you are a Christian, you want to love Jesus more – but practically speaking its hard, really hard. I think I’m not the only one who feels that way – I know for a fact that I am not the only one who feels that way. I work with college students – week in and week out I see this battle to love Jesus more being played out in the lives of these students. I see that they really do desire to love Jesus more, but find it hard to do. This new book by Wheaton president: Philip Graham Ryken attempts to help us do what all Christians really desire – that is, love Jesus more.
The book works through the question – how to we grow to love Jesus more. Ryken shows us that our love for Jesus is not something that we generate, it’s a gift from the Holy Spirit. He shows us that our strongest motivation for loving Jesus is to look at the truth of Jesus love for us on the cross. He helps us see that when we face doubts, we need to go back to the gospel where we see God’s love fully on display. Ryken reveals the connection between love and forgiveness. He shows us that obedience is the overflow of love and that one of the best ways to love Jesus is to love the church. He walks us through those days when we feel like we really don’t love Jesus. He hones in on how we love Jesus even though we don’t see him. And ends with the hope of heaven, the beatific vision, when we will see Jesus face to face and love him perfectly.
Review
Ryken’s book is super encouraging and it addresses a real need. As I read this book there were several times when I had to put the book down and just thank God for his love for me. It is awesome when a book can make you do that. As this happened, I started to think…
I loved the fact that such a short book could make me feel that way. So this book certainly has a fantastic devotional aspect to it. But the devotional side of the book isn’t just for individuals – its for groups too. At the end of the book there is a study guide, which you can use on your own or you can use as a group. The guide will help you to think through the things you just read and process the things you are learning. Finally, the book was also full of great illustrations. Ryken draws from puritans, from great literature, from movies, and from life in order to bring the truths in this book to life. Ryken gets the fact that its not enough to simply speak the truth, you have to show it too. Ryken shows how powerful a good illustration can be to make truth stick.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a short book to work through as a devotional, or if you are looking for a good book to encourage you to love Jesus more, pick up Ryken’s Loving Jesus More.
(Note: I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an impartial review.)
The book works through the question – how to we grow to love Jesus more. Ryken shows us that our love for Jesus is not something that we generate, it’s a gift from the Holy Spirit. He shows us that our strongest motivation for loving Jesus is to look at the truth of Jesus love for us on the cross. He helps us see that when we face doubts, we need to go back to the gospel where we see God’s love fully on display. Ryken reveals the connection between love and forgiveness. He shows us that obedience is the overflow of love and that one of the best ways to love Jesus is to love the church. He walks us through those days when we feel like we really don’t love Jesus. He hones in on how we love Jesus even though we don’t see him. And ends with the hope of heaven, the beatific vision, when we will see Jesus face to face and love him perfectly.
Review
Ryken’s book is super encouraging and it addresses a real need. As I read this book there were several times when I had to put the book down and just thank God for his love for me. It is awesome when a book can make you do that. As this happened, I started to think…
Yes, I can love Jesus more. Its possible, even though I love Jesus now, I do want to love him more, I do want to pursue him more. Its hard, but its worth it!
I loved the fact that such a short book could make me feel that way. So this book certainly has a fantastic devotional aspect to it. But the devotional side of the book isn’t just for individuals – its for groups too. At the end of the book there is a study guide, which you can use on your own or you can use as a group. The guide will help you to think through the things you just read and process the things you are learning. Finally, the book was also full of great illustrations. Ryken draws from puritans, from great literature, from movies, and from life in order to bring the truths in this book to life. Ryken gets the fact that its not enough to simply speak the truth, you have to show it too. Ryken shows how powerful a good illustration can be to make truth stick.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a short book to work through as a devotional, or if you are looking for a good book to encourage you to love Jesus more, pick up Ryken’s Loving Jesus More.
(Note: I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an impartial review.)
September 8, 2014
In his latest book, Loving Jesus More, Wheaton College President Phil Ryken calls readers to grow more in love with Jesus because he says there’s “hardly anything we need more in the Christian life than more love for Jesus.”
Ryken uses the spiritual imagery of marriage and infidelity throughout the Old Testament to remind readers how the hearts of God’s people often grow cold toward Him—how it’s the very people who have experienced God’s blessings directly who struggle to stay in love with God. With that, Ryken sets out to help readers know what to do when they know they should love Jesus more but they don’t.
Loving Jesus More shows readers that God is the source of all love and the only reason we are able to love at all is because God has placed love in our hearts through His Holy Spirit. Ryken says the key, then, is leaving lives open to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book, he covers topics such as extravagant love, obedience as a response to a loving Savior, loving the church and God’s people, and the kind of love we ought to have for Jesus.
Ryken also gives readers some practical tips for loving Jesus more. One of those is digging into God’s Word. He says, “If we ever wonder why we do not seem to love Jesus very much—at least not as much as we should—maybe this is one of the reasons why: we are not reading the Bible in one of the ways we should.”
Admittedly, I am a lay person, not an academic. I thrive on simple, down-to-earth teaching. So, there were a few places where I began to get bogged down in the academic treatment of the subject. Still, I stuck it out, and there were enough nuggets throughout the book on which even I could chew for a while. There were also some “aha” moments along the way. I can honestly say that after reading the book I want to love Jesus more, and I am praying that God will cause me to love Jesus more—and that is a good place to be!
One of the best things about Loving Jesus More is the study guide tucked in at the end. It helps readers to spend time thinking through the deeper issues of loving Jesus more and what it looks like in their own lives.
About the Author
Philip Graham Ryken (PhD, University of Oxford) is the 8th president of Wheaton College and, prior to that, served as senior minister at Philadelphia's historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. He has written several books for Crossway, and has lectured and taught at universities and seminaries worldwide. Dr. Ryken and his wife, Lisa, live in Wheaton and have five children.
* I received a copy of the book from NetGalley for this honest review.
Ryken uses the spiritual imagery of marriage and infidelity throughout the Old Testament to remind readers how the hearts of God’s people often grow cold toward Him—how it’s the very people who have experienced God’s blessings directly who struggle to stay in love with God. With that, Ryken sets out to help readers know what to do when they know they should love Jesus more but they don’t.
Loving Jesus More shows readers that God is the source of all love and the only reason we are able to love at all is because God has placed love in our hearts through His Holy Spirit. Ryken says the key, then, is leaving lives open to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book, he covers topics such as extravagant love, obedience as a response to a loving Savior, loving the church and God’s people, and the kind of love we ought to have for Jesus.
Ryken also gives readers some practical tips for loving Jesus more. One of those is digging into God’s Word. He says, “If we ever wonder why we do not seem to love Jesus very much—at least not as much as we should—maybe this is one of the reasons why: we are not reading the Bible in one of the ways we should.”
Admittedly, I am a lay person, not an academic. I thrive on simple, down-to-earth teaching. So, there were a few places where I began to get bogged down in the academic treatment of the subject. Still, I stuck it out, and there were enough nuggets throughout the book on which even I could chew for a while. There were also some “aha” moments along the way. I can honestly say that after reading the book I want to love Jesus more, and I am praying that God will cause me to love Jesus more—and that is a good place to be!
One of the best things about Loving Jesus More is the study guide tucked in at the end. It helps readers to spend time thinking through the deeper issues of loving Jesus more and what it looks like in their own lives.
About the Author
Philip Graham Ryken (PhD, University of Oxford) is the 8th president of Wheaton College and, prior to that, served as senior minister at Philadelphia's historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. He has written several books for Crossway, and has lectured and taught at universities and seminaries worldwide. Dr. Ryken and his wife, Lisa, live in Wheaton and have five children.
* I received a copy of the book from NetGalley for this honest review.
October 3, 2014
I don't know about you, but as a christian growing up, I often wrestle with the questions of why I’m unable to love God more? Why is my love for Him so lacking? Why aren't I growing as much as I hope to in my love for Jesus? If you’re like me, then this book is for you and for me.
In a series of 9 sermons, Phil Ryken takes the readers through various aspects of what a christians need to know and understand so that we can grow to love Jesus our Saviour more. Phil first takes the readers to the source of love, both our love towards God and more importantly, His love towards us. Phil then rakes the readers through many struggles a christian might face in the journey of being a christians. I felt that as I read, many of the sermons addresses real needs and questions for myself and for other christians and he always directs and reminds us of the love Christ has for us.
This book is also written very pastorally, Phil shows what is written in God’s word fearlessly and tells the readers to struggle alongside with him, he does not need or want to act as if he has reached sinless perfection. Although Phil is the president of Wheaton College, yet he is too is in the trenches with us, struggling and wanting to love Jesus more.
This might not be a book you want, but this is a book you'll need. If you find yourself struggling or lax in your love for Christ, read this, be encouraged and I believe you’ll walk away wanting to love Jesus more. I foresee myself turning to this book time and again in the future, just to be encouraged to love Jesus more and more.
Rating: 4.25/5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In a series of 9 sermons, Phil Ryken takes the readers through various aspects of what a christians need to know and understand so that we can grow to love Jesus our Saviour more. Phil first takes the readers to the source of love, both our love towards God and more importantly, His love towards us. Phil then rakes the readers through many struggles a christian might face in the journey of being a christians. I felt that as I read, many of the sermons addresses real needs and questions for myself and for other christians and he always directs and reminds us of the love Christ has for us.
This book is also written very pastorally, Phil shows what is written in God’s word fearlessly and tells the readers to struggle alongside with him, he does not need or want to act as if he has reached sinless perfection. Although Phil is the president of Wheaton College, yet he is too is in the trenches with us, struggling and wanting to love Jesus more.
This might not be a book you want, but this is a book you'll need. If you find yourself struggling or lax in your love for Christ, read this, be encouraged and I believe you’ll walk away wanting to love Jesus more. I foresee myself turning to this book time and again in the future, just to be encouraged to love Jesus more and more.
Rating: 4.25/5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2014
Loving Jesus More
Phil Ryken
Copyright 2014
We are reminded in Loving Jesus More that in fact we often do not love Jesus enough. It also reminds us that though their be times we do not feel as if the good Lord does not love us enough that in fact he does, he loved us so much he sent his only son to die for us.
This book reminds us that being obedient to God is a loving response to a loving Savior.
This points out some very valid points about how we tend to expect more out of Christians sometimes so much so that we almost put them on pedestals andwe are disillusioned when they fall.
I think this would be a valuable book to add to your library.
Five Stars for a great book...
Phil Ryken
Copyright 2014
We are reminded in Loving Jesus More that in fact we often do not love Jesus enough. It also reminds us that though their be times we do not feel as if the good Lord does not love us enough that in fact he does, he loved us so much he sent his only son to die for us.
This book reminds us that being obedient to God is a loving response to a loving Savior.
This points out some very valid points about how we tend to expect more out of Christians sometimes so much so that we almost put them on pedestals andwe are disillusioned when they fall.
I think this would be a valuable book to add to your library.
Five Stars for a great book...
September 13, 2014
this is an excellent book about our most important affection. He recognizes the difficulty of loving that whom we cannot see. He emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is the channel of the love we have. He reminds us of our end, our own affections and sins. He gives practical ways to love Jesus more, such as keeping His commands and loving others. This book lays our hearts bare.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1wq6ude.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1wq6ude.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
July 25, 2015
A beautiful read! ❤️. Jesus has such a great love for us but loving him is not always easy. There are times when we can't feel his presence, times when we can't hear him and a lifetime of worshipping and praising what would seem an invisible god. Its no wonder we struggle at times to love Jesus in this world. This book encourages us to strengthen and develop our relationship with Jesus. As we begin to accept his unconditional love and spend more time with him, the ability to share and return that love becomes easier. Definitely worth a second read and one for future reference.
June 8, 2016
If you know and love the Lord, it would be difficult to read this book and walk away unchanged. It sticks with you and sets a fresh goal for daily living. I keep thinking about some of the illustrations. This is a book I'll probably return to periodically (which isn't something I normally do, except for the Bible).
September 6, 2015
Excellent book to get you thinking about loving Jesus more! It's simple and quite challenging. I'd recommend it to anyone.
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