Book Recommendation: Red Like Blood

Red Like Blood by Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington

Sub-titled Confrontations With Grace, this book features exchanges  by a pastor and self-confessed prodigal on the amazing ways in which God's grace has entered and transformed their lives, and the lives of people they know. These are stories of the good, the bad and the ugly, stories of real life and real grace. 

Selected quotes:

"Ultimately, our displays of sin reveal the fact that although we say we love God, we love ourselves more. Our default mode is self-centeredness. Our sins throw us out of tune, out of touch, and eventually out of joy and out of hope because we are not doing what we were created to do. Our happiness, pleasure, and contentment are either artificial or short-lived or both. And collectively we account for the brokenness of the world."

"You have felt deep down that longing to be loved and that fear of being known. If you really know me, will you love me? I doubt it because, put in your place, I wouldn't love me either. I long for the experience of really being loved and yet all I give is the image of myself I hope others will find most attractive. The love I feel is muted at best, simply because I know that the person they love is not the person I am. I merely pretend to be me so I can pretend to be loved, and I starve."

"Grace is not solid, it is liquid. It flows. But grace does need one thing. It needs cracks. The bigger the crack, the deeper grace will penetrate. It is our cracks that might be the most important thing about us. It is cracks that let grace in. It is cracks that eventually show forth glory. Grace in and glory out."

"Our brokenness forms the cracks through which grace flows in and joy pours out."

"You are made for nothing less that to partner with the God of the universe in sewing back together the pieces of the torn-up world we have. The torn part of the fabric is very close to you. Don't miss it."

"If you are going to ever experience the effect of the gospel, you must have a Savior with both power and love. Grace always flows red like blood. That is why there is a cross. But for grace to have the power to save we need a risen Savior. That is why the tomb is empty today."

Red Like Blood available here.

 

Comments

[Eugene]

I'm currently waiting for my copy to arrive!

Bob Bevington is also the co-founder of a new, unique publishing company that has put out some really great books in the last year or so:

http://www.cruciformpress.com/about/

They've got a one-of-a-kind "book subscription" plan that I've signed up for, and have not been disappointed.