Alexander Strauch

With only 69 pages of actual "book", this is a quick read, which I always find helpful with broad topics such as love.

In Part 1, Strauch walks through Christ's letter to the Church in Ephesus and discusses what it looks like to lose our first Love (Christ) and why it's dangerous.

He then moves on to Part 2, where he tells how to cultivate love. He says to Study, Pray for, Teach, Model, Guard, and Practice love.

I wrongly assumed that in the chapter on practicing love, he would offer up more concrete examples of what loving others might look like, but he doesn't. This book is very basic and belief-oriented, which isn't bad, just not what I was expecting. Having said that, for fellow practical-minded individuals, I would highly recommend his book [b:The Hospitality Commands: Building Loving Christian Community: Building Bridges to Friends and Neighbors|696434|The Hospitality Commands Building Loving Christian Community Building Bridges to Friends and Neighbors|Alexander Strauch|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347863611s/696434.jpg|682753]. If you're going to read both, I would suggest reading Love or Die first to get into the right mindset, and then move on to The Hospitality Commands to flesh out the concepts.

There was a quote that I really liked from John Stott included on page 66: "A true love for people leads to labour for them; otherwise it degenerates into mere sentimentality."… (mere)

Conflict in churches is a pervasive problem we know all too well. If You Bite and Devour One Another is the only book of its kind, examining all the biblical passages on conflict and outlining key scriptural principles for handling various kinds of conflicts among Christians - whether personal disputes, issues of Christian liberty in lifestyles, congregational matters, or disagreements about important doctrines. The book emphasizes spirit-controlled attitudes and behaviors through solid bible exposition and true-to-life stories of Christians handling real-life conflicts in a Christ-honoring way.… (mere)

This book provides leaders and teachers a clear understanding of what the Bible teaches about love. This understanding is essential to you as an individual leader and to the church as a whole. It will –Significantly improve your relational skills –Enhance your effectiveness in ministry –Diminish senseless conflict and division –Build a healthier church –Promote evangelism If you lead or teach people in any capacity in the body of Christ, this book will help you become a more loving leader or teacher.… (mere)