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Love Focused: Living Life to the Fullest
Love Focused will help you discover a very different approach to life and God that makes living in a difficult world satisfying and successful. It describes a model for living that frees you to enjoy a better life without having to change or control your world. And most importantly, Love Focused will help you succeed at the two things God says are most loving God and loving others.
If you think about it, we are all working hard at trying to get things to turn out a certain way. But unknowingly, this unbiblical, Outcome Focused approach to life is actually the cause of much of our frustration, self-centeredness and stress. Love Focused exposes this hidden, unhealthy way of living and teaches a more biblical, Love Focused model that dramatically changes lives and relationships.
Building on one concept at a time, Love Focused becomes an easy to use guidebook that can be applied to every area of your life from relationships, parenting, work, ministry, etc.
Special Internet Price
If you think about it, we are all working hard at trying to get things to turn out a certain way. But unknowingly, this unbiblical, Outcome Focused approach to life is actually the cause of much of our frustration, self-centeredness and stress. Love Focused exposes this hidden, unhealthy way of living and teaches a more biblical, Love Focused model that dramatically changes lives and relationships.
Building on one concept at a time, Love Focused becomes an easy to use guidebook that can be applied to every area of your life from relationships, parenting, work, ministry, etc.
Special Internet Price
218 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2008
4 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 10, 2010
"A challenging, instructional read for the Christian that wants the freedom and simplicity."
Teaching basic life principles based entirely on two commandments of Jesus, love God and love your each other, Love Focused: Living Life to the Fullest by Bob and Judy Hughes gets to the meat of the matter by bringing into light many behaviors that reveal a disobedience to these two commandments.
The reader is first exposed to the question that many new believers (or believers who have not delved deeply into the mysteries of life) ask themselves. Is God enough? If He is enough (and He certainly is), why do most Christians act as though He isn't.
One can certainly read the experience of the author, a marriage and family therapist, in this work. It begins an examination of behaviors and discusses the cause, a lack of love for God and for each other. Close examination of self-centered behavior in light of God's instruction always frees us.
If you are ready to know the cause of failed marriages, estranged relationships, and general apathy or distance from a loving Creator, this is the book for you. As you read over the causes for these behaviors, you will find freedom. It is a simple as that.
For the hard truth contained in this book and for the benefit it provides the reader, I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer:
Review copy provided free of charge by Bob and Judy Hughes and donated to the library of Westwood Baptist Church.
Reviewed by: Keiki Hendrix
Reviewed for: Bob and Judy Hughes
Teaching basic life principles based entirely on two commandments of Jesus, love God and love your each other, Love Focused: Living Life to the Fullest by Bob and Judy Hughes gets to the meat of the matter by bringing into light many behaviors that reveal a disobedience to these two commandments.
The reader is first exposed to the question that many new believers (or believers who have not delved deeply into the mysteries of life) ask themselves. Is God enough? If He is enough (and He certainly is), why do most Christians act as though He isn't.
One can certainly read the experience of the author, a marriage and family therapist, in this work. It begins an examination of behaviors and discusses the cause, a lack of love for God and for each other. Close examination of self-centered behavior in light of God's instruction always frees us.
If you are ready to know the cause of failed marriages, estranged relationships, and general apathy or distance from a loving Creator, this is the book for you. As you read over the causes for these behaviors, you will find freedom. It is a simple as that.
For the hard truth contained in this book and for the benefit it provides the reader, I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer:
Review copy provided free of charge by Bob and Judy Hughes and donated to the library of Westwood Baptist Church.
Reviewed by: Keiki Hendrix
Reviewed for: Bob and Judy Hughes
May 16, 2020
This book is very, very helpful and contains such freeing truths that are so helpful to the Christian. I have met the authors and they are the real deal...the most genuine, kind folks you’ll ever meet and top notch at asking wise counseling questions.
There were a few times that I was a bit deterred by semantics (I’m not usually that person so it struck me that I was disagreeing with wording. Overall, those areas were less important so I could move past but I felt it did slow me down in reading. There are a few points or examples that I did think were possibly being overanalyzed. I’d take .25 off of my star review if I could because if the this.
However, the main principle and some illustrations have been amazingly helpful in counseling myself and others. Ultimately I believe this book is most helpful to those dealing with difficult relationships. This really brings light to whether I am loving freely as an outpouring of God’s grace to me or if I’m “loving” to get an expected outcome. Excellent!
There were a few times that I was a bit deterred by semantics (I’m not usually that person so it struck me that I was disagreeing with wording. Overall, those areas were less important so I could move past but I felt it did slow me down in reading. There are a few points or examples that I did think were possibly being overanalyzed. I’d take .25 off of my star review if I could because if the this.
However, the main principle and some illustrations have been amazingly helpful in counseling myself and others. Ultimately I believe this book is most helpful to those dealing with difficult relationships. This really brings light to whether I am loving freely as an outpouring of God’s grace to me or if I’m “loving” to get an expected outcome. Excellent!
April 22, 2023
This is a great companion book with the last book I read: The Lies We Believe. This book contrasts the Outcome Focused view of life to the Love Focused view on life. The first is living life with our own personal agenda and doing the best we can to control our circumstances so our needs are always met and we don’t get hurt. The second is recognizing we live in a fallen world that will inevitably cause us pain but trusting God is in control and quite capable of meeting our needs which frees us up to love others better. Such a great read and useful content to help us do what God has called us to do: Love God and Love Others.
December 11, 2020
This book was right on time what I needed! I struggle with legalism and all the trouble it brings this helped give me truth to free me from that cycle. God has been working on my legalism for awhile now but I’m at the point where God is giving victory over it more and more and I’m more aware of when I fall and I’m outwardly focused instead of love focused. This book was a huge help to me!
February 21, 2023
This had some good information. While I didn’t fully agree with his theology I found the practical application really good. Take the meat, spit the bones. It definitely convicted me on some of my selfish tendencies.
October 14, 2020
Great book, very easy to read and convicting. Will need to read it many times more I'm sure.
February 13, 2021
An excellent book on how love and grace cash change our lives.
June 23, 2008
Many Christians, despite their best efforts, seem stuck in a frustrating holding cycle. They have tried Christian self-help books, prayed, and sought counseling, but still seem overwhelmed and unable to experience the abundant life God promises in His Word.
Bob and Judy Hughes believe the master key for living a fulfilled Christian life is love. It may sound trite and oversimplified—until you remember Jesus made it clear that our highest calling is to love God and our neighbor. Yet while Christians know they should love, they can be flummoxed as to why they so often fail to love. Understanding what motivates our behavior is essential.
The Hughes believe many of us live outcome-focused rather than love-focused lives, and therein lies the problem. Outcome-focused goals are self-focused—designed to help us get our emotional needs met and to avoid pain. Constant pressure to achieve a certain outcome diverts our attention from loving God and others. The root of this problem is spiritual: the outcome-focused person does not truly believe God can meet all their needs.
Christians regularly fall prey to performance-based love and acceptance (legalism), believing that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross wasn’t enough. They may doubt God’s goodness and believe the world can somehow satisfy their need. Consequently, many become control freaks, not simply desiring but actually needing other people to behave in a certain way.
The Hughes do a splendid job of explaining the problem as well as the solution—which I won’t divulge here. It is solid biblical advice from someone who has spent 30 years as a Christian counselor. A practical love-focused model for growth is offered, as well as suggestions to help the reader fight this “good fight of faith” on a daily basis.
A study guide is available and is sold separately. For more information about Bob and Judy Hughes, visit their Web site at www.lovefocused.com.
Bob and Judy Hughes believe the master key for living a fulfilled Christian life is love. It may sound trite and oversimplified—until you remember Jesus made it clear that our highest calling is to love God and our neighbor. Yet while Christians know they should love, they can be flummoxed as to why they so often fail to love. Understanding what motivates our behavior is essential.
The Hughes believe many of us live outcome-focused rather than love-focused lives, and therein lies the problem. Outcome-focused goals are self-focused—designed to help us get our emotional needs met and to avoid pain. Constant pressure to achieve a certain outcome diverts our attention from loving God and others. The root of this problem is spiritual: the outcome-focused person does not truly believe God can meet all their needs.
Christians regularly fall prey to performance-based love and acceptance (legalism), believing that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross wasn’t enough. They may doubt God’s goodness and believe the world can somehow satisfy their need. Consequently, many become control freaks, not simply desiring but actually needing other people to behave in a certain way.
The Hughes do a splendid job of explaining the problem as well as the solution—which I won’t divulge here. It is solid biblical advice from someone who has spent 30 years as a Christian counselor. A practical love-focused model for growth is offered, as well as suggestions to help the reader fight this “good fight of faith” on a daily basis.
A study guide is available and is sold separately. For more information about Bob and Judy Hughes, visit their Web site at www.lovefocused.com.
February 13, 2024
"Most people don't struggle with the truth that God is love, but what we struggle with is the truth that God's love is all I need." With that truth presented, Bob Hughes goes on a quest (though scripture, counseling, and stories) to open the eyes of his readers about the lie we believe and how it impact us the way we live.
Definitely strongly encourage reading this book, and then re-reading it!
Definitely strongly encourage reading this book, and then re-reading it!
June 17, 2011
Great Christian approach to living stress free. This book helped me a lot!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews