I have published my first book, Dear John: Discovering God's Perfect Love in an Imperfect World. I prayed as I wrote the book that as the reader sees for themself the perfect love Jesus showed the world, they would realize that the same love is available for them.
I included in my introduction a prayer for salvation that the reader can pray anytime during the book's reading. The world focuses on love with conditions. I will love you if you believe as I do. I will love you if you are beautiful. I will love you if you have mastered any sins that bother me. In the world, you must measure up before you are loved.
God's love is not like that; it's unconditional. You can come to God ragged with your sins, unloveable in your attitudes, and failing in your attempts to clean your life up. God takes our messes and creates beautiful people. Like the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians tells us, God's "Love is patient and kind. [God's] love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. [God's] love does not demand its own way. [God's] love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged... [God's] love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 7
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. Augustine
I want everyone who does not feel unconditional love, Christian or nonChristian, to discover God's perfect love for themselves. My greatest desire is that those who read this book use it as a jumping-on place that leads them to explore God and the Bible for themselves. And in the process, they will discover the God who went to the cross just for them. As Paul told the Romans, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners." Romans 5:8
On page 9 of my devotional, I further explain, "God didn't say that we needed to be sinless to be worth dying for, which is good. Very few would make it if we had to earn God's love. Most of us would flounder in our sins. But the good news is that he takes us at our worst and loves us more than we can imagine.
I have written a study guide that can be used if you want to read the devotional with others in a small group. The study guide can be found here. I also would love the opportunity to come to your church or group to speak about my book, God's love, and salvation. You can contact me through my website or email me at pastorsusancg@gmail.com.