Relaxing with God
The Neglected Spiritual Discipline
About
Jesus didn't come to get you to do more or work harder. He came to give you rest!
Jesus calls us to exchange the heavy yoke around our necks for something he said is "easy" and "light." So why are many Christians feeling weighed down and burned out? The simple answer is that we're constantly being told we should "do more" and "be more" for God.
Bestselling author Andrew Farley calls this what it is--works-based religion--and presents us with a surprising paradox: good works spring from spiritual rest. So if you long to experience true release from the crushing expectations that the world--and the church--often throws your way, you'll find lasting hope in this unexpected message.
"Relaxing with God could change everything for you. Expect to discover the freedom of God's grace. Expect to know Jesus like never before!"--Bart Millard, lead singer for MercyMe
"Andrew Farley's writing is incredibly powerful and freeing. The 'captives' of cold, dead, and stiff religion rise up and call him blessed. As a recovering Pharisee, I'm one of them."--Steve Brown, bestselling author and radio host of Steve Brown Etc.
"Among all of today's Christian authors, there is only one whose work I never miss: Andrew Farley. If you want truth that blows away the cobwebs in your head and speaks directly to your heart, Relaxing with God is your book."--Ralph Harris, author of God's Astounding Opinion of You
Andrew Farley is the lead pastor of Church Without Religion (ChurchWithoutReligion.com) and bestselling author of The Naked Gospel, God without Religion, Heaven Is Now, and The Hurt & The Healer. Andrew's live call-in radio program airs nationwide each Sunday on Sirius XM. Connect with Andrew on Facebook and Twitter (@DrAndrewFarley). Get free downloads and learn more at www.andrewfarley.org.
Endorsements
"I grew up in church and would sit there singing the songs, and people would say stuff like, 'This is worth dying for.' But I didn't feel that way. I felt like something was missing. Fast-forward decades later, and I was reading Andrew Farley's book on a flight to Australia. By the time we landed, I was blown away. It made me think, 'If this is who Christ really is, then yes, this is worth dying for!' Relaxing with God is Andrew's latest work, and it could change everything for you. Expect to discover the freedom of God's grace. Expect to know Jesus like never before!"
Bart Millard, lead singer for MercyMe
"Andrew Farley is clearheaded and straight-shooting on arguably the most important topic ever: grace. He is, thankfully, a dog on a bone when it comes to the grace of God and won't let his readers wiggle away from the beauty and majesty of God's grace toward them. Because of his clarity and consistency, Andrew is powerfully used by God to switch on the light for many people. I'm grateful to have encountered his writing, and I'm always excited when I meet another reader who has experienced the Farley Factor."
Bruxy Cavey, teaching pastor at The Meeting House, bestselling author of The End of Religion
"Andrew Farley is one of those bright, bright lights in this generation, calling us back to the original Good News. The way he communicates about God's grace helps convince us that these truths are not just theology to compare but life to free us. I'm very proud to stand alongside this man."
John Lynch, bestselling coauthor of Bo's Cafe and The Cure, team member at TrueFaced
"Among all of today's Christian pastors, teachers, and authors, there is only one whose work I never miss: Andrew Farley. He offers the most consistently invigorating, surprisingly relevant, Bible-based messages of anyone I know. If you want truth that blows away the cobwebs in your head and speaks directly to your heart, Relaxing with God is your book."
Ralph Harris, president of LifeCourse Ministries, author of God's Astounding Opinion of You
"Very few Christians know what it means to rest in Christ. But as Andrew writes, rest is Jesus's promise to every believer. Are you ready to loosen your grip on all the religious traditions? Are you ready to let go of all the worry and self-effort? If so, I encourage you to read this book carefully. Soak in the truth of God's love and grace. It's time for you to relax with God and enjoy his life to the full."
Bob Christopher, president of Basic Gospel (BasicGospel.net)
"There's nothing better than kicking back and just loving life. Belly-laughing, crying because you can, and cherishing unfiltered relationship with someone you trust are rare treasures in our overstimulated society. It's time to relax and experience God: his smile, his serenity, and his extravagant love and acceptance. Relaxing with God is an engaging book for anyone who dares to accept the invitation. Your life will never be the same!"
Audrey Meisner, bestselling author of Marriage Under Cover; TV host of My New Day
"Andrew Farley's message beckons the believer away from treadmill tactics and self-righteous religiosity. He consistently invites the church to a place of rest won by love and offered by grace. His message has helped people in our church find freedom from unbiblical thinking and courage to experience the life we are meant to live."
Steve Benedict, pastor of Grace Life Community Church, Bristow, Virginia
"Andrew Farley is one of the best communicators of our day. Relaxing with God was written for those who want to walk with God and reflect his heart to a hurting world. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It will make you wonder how on earth you could have missed these simple, powerful truths of the gospel!"
Scott Hadden, president of Scope Ministries International
"I keep falling deeper in love with Jesus as a result of Andrew Farley's ability to communicate the simplicity of God's grace with such precision. Relaxing with God is yet another triumph in making the main thing the main thing. This book shows us all how to experience true freedom in Jesus Christ. And in him, we can finally relax!"
Lee Higginbotham, licensed clinical Christian counselor, Real Life Christian Counseling
"We've been touched by the depth and clarity of Andrew Farley's revelations concerning the believer's total forgiveness and union with Christ. What freedom to live from God rather than merely living for him. Read this book and begin relaxing with God!"
Steve Eden, senior pastor of Grace Church, Choctaw, Oklahoma
"Andrew Farley's writing never ceases to amaze me. As a pastor myself, I believe that the gospel of grace is the only hope for mankind, and nobody I've ever read articulates it more clearly than Andrew. I recommend every book he's written, and I can't recommend Relaxing with God highly enough. If your relationship with Christ seems to have been downgraded to little more than the stress of religious obligation, it's time to recapture your joy! Read this great book, and I'm confident you'll discover what you've been missing."
Jeremy White, lead pastor of Valley Church, Vacaville, California; author of The Gospel Uncut
"Andrew Farley's writing is incredibly powerful and freeing. The 'captives' of cold, dead, and stiff religion rise up and call him blessed. As a recovering Pharisee, I'm one of them."
Steve Brown, bestselling author and radio host of Steve Brown Etc.
"Andrew Farley does in Relaxing with God what we always want but rarely get from an author. He distinguishes the subtle misconceptions we have about our relationship with God from the empowering reality of all Christ has actually done for us. If you only read one Christian book this year, read this one, and enter God's rest."
Mike Daniel, director of Zoe Code Ministries
"I have been a Christian for forty-plus years, but my failure to grasp the true height and breadth and depth of God's love nearly cost me my life, my family, and my ministry. Andrew Farley's understanding of the simple truth of the gospel was instrumental in helping me find true freedom in Christ. His presentation of the simplicity of the grace message is truly life-giving!"
Neil Boron, radio host of Lifeline, WDCX
"The grace of God is the foundation of everything Andrew Farley writes, and I enjoy following his teaching. God has gifted Andrew with a brilliant mind, but it is Andrew's heart for the gospel that brings such sweetness to all he shares."
Mike Ashcraft, senior pastor of Port City Community Church, Wilmington, North Carolina
The Author
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© Mark Umstot Andrew Farley
Andrew Farley is a bestselling author and pastor of Church Without Religion (ChurchWithoutReligion.com). He serves as a faculty adviser for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and frequently speaks at churches and university groups around the United States and...
Continue reading about Andrew Farley