Breaking the Idols of Your Heart: How to Navigate the Temptations of Life
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
We all want to know our lives matter.
So did the Teacher in Ecclesiastes. He invested time and energy in every activity he could think of that might bring meaning and purpose to his life but found only disappointment, frustration, hopelessness.
In our thirst for significance we, like the Teacher, give our lives--our time, talents, strength, heart--to anything we think will give us worth and purpose: Power. Relationships. Money. Pleasure. Work. But worshiping these idols has a high cost--and still doesn't bring the fulfillment we long for.
In Breaking the Idols of Your Heart Dan Allender and Tremper Longman illuminate for us the Teacher's warnings and, after all his activities, his final radiant conclusion: Meaning and purpose come only when God is truly the center of our life and the object of our hope. Using a compelling fictional narrative at the start of each chapter to encourage reflection on our own life and the lives of family and friends, the authors lead us through Ecclesiastes to help us recognize and exchange cheap pursuits for the only One worth pursuing.
Ecclesiastes is not an easy book to read, because transferring our worship from money, power and fame to God is not an easy road to travel. But as the Teacher discovered and wrote down for us, it leads to one conclusion: life lived abundantly, in freedom, hope, purpose, meaning.
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- Leads through Ecclesiastes to help to recognize and exchange cheap pursuits for the only One worth pursuing
- Makes use of sound biblical approachs, contemporary handling of Scripture, and faithfulness in interpreting and applying the Word
- Uses the category of 'idols' as a creative way to understand not only a difficult biblical book (Ecclesiastes) but also the very way our hearts work
- Chasing After Power: "I Can Control My World"
- Chasing After Relationships: "Relationships Bring Me Fulfillment"
- Chasing After Work and Money: "Money Brings Me Freedom"
- Chasing After Pleasure: "Pleasure Will Satisfy Me"
- Chasing After Wisdom: "Knowledge Will Put Me on Top"
- Chasing After Spirituality: "My Spiritual Life Will Save Me"
- Chasing After Immortality: "I Will Have a Long Life if I Take Care of My Body"
This book uses the category of 'idols' as a creative way to understand not only a difficult biblical book (Ecclesiastes) but also the very way our hearts work. It brings a great deal of clarity where there has been confusion. Recommended.
—Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City
Dan and Tremper and ancient wisdom are a winning team! This book dethrones idols and points us toward what is worth giving our life to.
—John Ortberg, author and pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
A gripping story with much helpful biblical insight.
—Brian Borgeman, Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, 2008
This book possesses high quality, depth, and practicality. I am impressed with its sound biblical approachs, its contemporary handling of Scripture, and its faithfulness in interpreting and applying the Word. Both writers have unusual insights into the postmodern mind because of their sound biblical and theological ability to bring the Scripture to bear on our setting.
—Equip magazine, issue three 07