Author, pastor and Bible teacher Stanley (Into His Presence; Success God's Way; On Holy Ground) writes with his familiar, plainspoken eloquence in this devotional study. He encourages readers to imagine God as the giver of love, Jesus Christ as the gift of love, and the world as the recipient of extravagant love. Stanley, whose 15,000-member church in Atlanta is regularly on the receiving end of his passionate preaching, shares 100 short vignettes with accompanying to-the-point prayers and topical Scripture verses. Stanley aptly touches on the diversity of life's challenges as he discusses developing one's spiritual barometer, embracing God's eternal perspective, generating a heart given toward good works, appreciating Christ as a divine scapegoat for sin and learning to live beyond the perimeters of legal bondage. Addressing relationship barriers, he boldly admonishes Christians to take the unsafe course of aggressively tearing down the protective walls that arise from actual or perceived injury. From there, he claims, Christians can follow Christ's example of unconditional love. Citing Matthew 5:22–24, Stanley proclaims that frail humans build walls that God hates. Like Stanley's previous works, this book consistently displays his overriding passion for obedience to God. Although it's not earth-shatteringly original, his inspirational collection of devotions is an easy and accessible read, living up to his reputation for excellence in communication. (Sept.)
