Love Hurts: The Heart of the Christian Story

This book offers a fresh outline of the Christian story shaped by the idea of God's love as it is described in the New Testament. Love Hurts is a fresh and compact summary of the central themes of the Christian message. Journeying through the Bible's rich and diverse world of ideas and stories, it leads the reader on a route mapped out by one particular motif - the love of God. The meaning of this idea as it is explained in three key verses in the New Testament determines the path taken. The reader is invited to consider the costliness of that love, the judgement from which it saves men and women, the sort of life it promises and the role that faith plays in responding to it. The saving ministry of Jesus is considered afresh in the light of it. There is also a reflection on why these short lives of ours have ultimate significance and the distinguishing mark of those who are blessed by God. Finally, consideration is given to the pre-emptive nature of God's saving love and how that love is presented to us in the gospel as promise. 'In Love Hurts Alan Spence demonstrates that it is possible to be both simple and profound. Spence starts with the conviction that the love of God lies at the heart of the Christian story, and proceeds to unpack this belief with nuance and insight, producing a compelling and convincing argument primarily by allowing the Bible to speak for itself. This is a book well worth reading.' Brian Harris, Principal of Vose Seminary and Senior Pastor of Carey Baptist Church, Perth, Western Australia