Joseph Stowell - Perilous Pursuits: Overcoming Our Obsession with Significance

What other Christian leaders are saying about Perilous Pursuits

I can't think of a more important topic for our generation Joe Stowell reveals the ugly drive for pleasure, pride and passion in all of us, and gently calls us back to true significance in the person and work of Christ.

Bill Hybels

Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

In our chaotic dog eat dog world, these words are vitally needed. This book should have wide distribution.

Adrian Rogers

Pastor, Bellevue Baptist Church

Why Its Hard to Love Jesus

Dr. Joe Stowell believes we all have a little Pharisee in our heartsthat grim faced, self righteous person who cares more about being outwardly religious, than about a heart that responds to Jesus with grateful love.

Why Its Hard to Love Jesus is about moving from faith expressed in empty ritual to a dynamic, love-filled devotion lived out in a deepening relationship with Jesus. Its about confronting the Pharisee in all of us and embracing a genuine love for Christ.

The Trouble with Jesus

Book and Bible Study

The world has no time or space for Jesus; in fact, society finds the claims of Christ too demanding and scandalously intolerant. So how do followers of Christ stand for Jesus in todays world? Dr. Joseph Stowell helps readers understand the non-Christian influence and gives them guidance on how to reach a hostile world.

My good friend, Joe Stowell, points out that after 9/11, God wasat least temporarilyback. But, in the mushy ecumenism that followed the attacks, Jesus was not welcome. Rather than indulge in hand-wringing. Stowell analyzes the problem and goes on to provide wise, practical principles for making Jesus known in our challenging day and in our jaded culture.

Chuck Colson, Founder Prison Ministries.
Author, speaker

In The Trouble with Jesus, Joe Stowell exposes the emptiness of the post 9/11 American spirituality as paganism dressed up in the clothes of patriotic unity. The book is a must-read if you call yourself a Christian. As your eyes read the words, the ears of your heart will hear the clear trumpet call of the King as He rallies His troops, challenging each of us to lift high the banner of His Name!

Anne Graham Lotz
Angel Ministries

1994 by

JOSEPH M. STOWELL

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, Used by permission.

ISBN: 978-0-8024-7812-2

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This book is gratefully dedicated to the glory of God and the gain of His Kingdom
Soli Deo Gloria

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to deatheven death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name

Philippians 1:20; 2:3, 59

B efore we start, a word about some people whose love and labor for Christ have proven to be of great significance. Without them this work would not have been possible.

Special thanks go to Martie, my wife, whose insightful responses to this manuscript have been sensitive, objective, and invaluable. So much of who I am is because of her influence in my life. After twenty-seven years, she continues to intrigue and bless me.

I owe a great debt to the editors who have helped on this project: Jim Vincent, whose technical expertise and precision have helped to hone this instrument for its use in the hands of God, and Phil Rawley, who came alongside with good input on organizational matters and illustrative material. Thanks too to Cheryl Dunlop, who came in at the tail end to pinch hit for Jim, who with his wife, Lori, were busy with the arrival of their first child, Jonathan.

I am indebted as well to Susan Robertson, whose time in researching material for this book was done with a marvelous spirit and effective results.

Toward the end of the process we asked several individuals whom we respect to read the manuscript and give us objective feedback. Jim Bell, Susan Robertson, Andy Scheer, Dennis Shere, and Billie Sue Thompson offered helpful advice and perspective. As a result, ministry potential of this book will, by God's grace, be greatly expanded.

During this long and challenging process several have helped with the typing responsibilities. My former secretary, Betty McIntyre, and my current secretary, Lori Imhof, devoted many valuable hours in preparing the manuscript. Beth Longjohn and Andrea Miller have also logged many hours getting this material to the place where it could be legible to the editors.

It wouldn't be right if I didn't take a moment as well to thank the outstanding staff at Moody Press. From Greg Thornton who leads the work of Moody Press, to Bill Thrasher and Jim Bell whose encouragement and suggestions proved to be helpful, to the typesetters, those who get it to press for printing, and our capable people at the distribution warehouse who help to get it into your hands. This project is a combined effort of the Moody Press family.

Most importantly, I owe everything to the Lord, whose truth is my reason for preaching and writing, whose gifts are my enablement, and whose name is worthy of my service to Him.