God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [1]
“Andrew Farley stands with the most insightful and engaging Christian authors of our time. God has equipped this man with an extraordinary ability to grasp and illuminate Scripture with vivid clarity. God without Religion may be the most Christ-centered book you’ll ever read.” —Chip Polk, cofounder, Ragtown Gospel Theater, Post, TX
“The message of God without Religion is theologically rich, profoundly simple, and deeply life changing. This is exactly what you’d expect from an author who doesn’t just talk about God’s grace but has experienced it firsthand.” —Jeremy White, lead pastor, Valley Church, Vacaville, CA
“Andrew Farley introduces us to a Father who is more interested in us resting in him than working for him. With so many Christians trying hard to measure up, God without Religion is timely and relevant. Read this book to discover the ‘Like’ button on your heart and the God who has clicked it.” —Andy Knight, executive director of Lifetime Guarantee; designer for LifeChurch.tv
“In God without Religion, Andrew Farley returns with inspired clarity to make the solid biblical case that freedom is what God has always intended for us. The presentation of these truths just doesn’t get any better. I will forever be thankful for the hope presented in this book.” —Danny Gutierrez, pastor and missionary, Bloom Church, Minneapolis, MN
For my son, Gavin.
How much joy it brings me just to watch you play!
re-li-gion \ri-´li-jən\ (noun)
A return to bondage. The word religion is traced to the Latin re meaning “again” and ligare meaning “to bind.”
THE EXTORTIONIST
Drew Dog! How you doin’, Drew Dog? Hey, listen, I know what happened to your stuff, and I can get it back for you. Crime Stoppers offers a thousand dollars for information about a burglary. But if you give me a thousand bucks, I’ll get your stuff back right away.”
We’d been robbed. While our family was away, our Indiana home had been cleaned out. Now, just one week later, this guy was on our doorstep trying to extort money. On top of that, I knew him! He had come by a month ago asking to rake leaves in our yard, and we hired him. Apparently, he’d taken that opportunity to scope out our place and strategize his entry through a rear window.
Welcome to life in downtown South Bend. We’d only been living there a few months. This was the latest in a series of indicators that maybe there was a reason our home had been so affordable.
“Hang on just a minute,” I told the guy. “I’ve got something I need to take care of in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.” I closed the door and headed to the kitchen to call the police. When I returned, I expected the guy to be gone.
He was still there.
I kept him talking. We chatted about, you know, the weather and sports. After several minutes, the police pulled up and hauled him away for questioning. We were sure we’d never see him again.
Knock. Knock.
It had only been a couple of hours. I peered out the window to see who was on the front porch. Sure enough, it was him. I opened the door to a loud shout. “Drew Dog, I went downtown for you! I got knocked around for you! You owe me, Drew Dog! You owe me!”
In a weird way, I enjoyed the nickname. But I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I fell back on what had worked in the past. “Hang on just a minute. I’ve got something in the kitchen I need to take care of. I’ll be right back,” I said.
This time I expected him to catch on. But upon my return from the kitchen, he was, yet again, still there. It was just a few minutes of chitchat before the squad car pulled up. Once again, they hauled him away. Surely this time they’d pin something on him—harassment, or disturbing the peace, or something.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
It was now close to midnight. I crept downstairs and looked out the window. Yeah, it was him. What was with this guy? Wasn’t he getting the message? I opened the door for the third time that night.
“Drew Dog, I’m cold. I’m homeless. I need some gloves.”
I held up my hand to signal that I needed just a minute to check on