Tobie and I will meet for the first time in person, July 9-12, in Kansas City for the Just Love Conversations. We’ve got a wonderful group of people gathering to discuss the content and implications of Just Love: How One Mistranslated Word Distorted the Gospel, a book we coauthored together. Unfortunately, we have maxed out our facility there, so we cannot take any more reservations. We are adding people to our waitlist, however, in case we have last-minute cancellations.
A friend sent me the above photo as a reminder to keep us in prayer during this time. It is obviously a product of AI, but it warms my heart nonetheless with the reality that we’ll soon be together.
We are receiving quite a few opportunities to explore Just Love on various podcasts. Here are two of the latest:
Last week, I was a guest on the MercyCast podcast with Raleigh Sadler. Here’s what he said about our conversation: “This conversation challenged me personally. We discussed the difference between living for love and living from love, how God often takes the initiative long before we recognize it, and why genuine compassion grows out of being deeply loved ourselves.”
Also, I was a guest on A Work in Progress: Growing up Human, a podcast co-hosted by two friends of mine, Dan and Bud, who have a long history of helping people through their struggles. They wanted to know more about Just Love and why I got involved with this book. I enjoy these opportunities to share the story when I’m not in control of the microphones. You can listen to it here.
A Wide Open Door in Kenya
Who knows, but that Tobie and I wrote Just Love for the continent of Africa? While there is some resistance to its message here, in Kenya, it is dramatically changing lives. Over the last month, I have shared the book with them and have been coaching them on the implications of Just Love on salvation, transformation, and justification. The response has been amazing.
Here’s an email I received from Michael on Monday:
The message of Just Love is reaching not only church leaders and communities but also the education sector. Through it, we are seeing transformation and conviction by the Holy Spirit. Over the years we have shared books such as The Naked Church, Authentic Relationships, and So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore. However, I believe He Loves Me and Just Love have come at the right time for this generation in Africa.
It is going to help many people to value one another, forgive one another, and embrace others with love and equality. Even though there are many books about love, Just Love has opened a special door for transformation.
We have received many calls from people whose hearts have been deeply touched by its message. If there is anything I would invest in today, it would be helping Just Love reach more people in Kenya, Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Burundi. In many places where hatred and division have caused suffering, this message can help restore broken relationships and bring healing. Brother Wayne, from my heart, I believe Just Love is a world changing message. It is not simply a book to read but a journey of transformation as God teaches us to love, value one another, and restore broken relationships.
We are also grateful that a new door has opened for us. In August, we have been invited to share at Mount Kenya University, and we hope to connect you with students who are embracing this message of Just Love, we have already seen significant impact. Many groups are requesting opportunities to hear more and obtain copies. We trust that God will provide according to His will and timing.
Last week, Michael was contacted by one of the senior leaders in the Department of Education and Technical and Vocational and Training. He had received a copy of Just Love with the intention of reading it and returning it. However, after reading the book, he was deeply touched by its message and invited us to his home yesterday to discuss its impact.
He shared that the book carries a message that is greatly needed in Kenya today and expressed his desire to help open doors for it to be shared in colleges, universities, and vocational training institutions across the country. He also suggested that it should reach senior secondary schools because of the challenges many schools are facing. Kenya is experiencing a crisis. Last year, many schools were burned, resulting in the loss of students’ lives. Sadly, similar incidents have continued this year, including the loss of 17 students last month.
He also observed that many young people are not learning enough about the love of God. Instead, many struggle with hatred, rejection, discrimination, and broken relationships. In addition, the word “love” is often misunderstood and associated only with sexual relationships rather than God’s true love. This book would help students reflect on the teachings, answer discussion questions, and deepen their understanding through Christian Religious Education classes and through our trained coaches. He especially appreciated the book’s message that the Gospel is more than forgiveness of sins; it is about transformed lives and restored relationships. He highlighted themes such as:
1. Christianity is about relationships, not merely rules.
2. Religious arguments often miss God’s heart.
3. Jesus invites us into a deeper relationship with Him.
4. God’s Kingdom operates through love and righteousness.
5. Loving others includes treating them with justice and fairness.
6. Grace replaces striving for acceptance.
7. God’s love confronts injustice and transforms society.
By God’s grace, the books He Loves Me and Just Love have already been received and reviewed positively, even without our direct involvement. The feedback has been excellent, and the senior TVET leader believes these books provide sound biblical teaching that can benefit Kenya, Africa, and the world.
For this reason, they have encouraged us to register a mobile training centre in Kenya under the TVET Department and the Ministry of Education. Such registration would allow us to conduct workshops and training programs in schools, colleges, churches, and communities across the country. We thank you sincerely for your faithfulness and for allowing God to use you through these books. We also ask for your prayers and support as we explore the possibility of registering this training ministry and developing study questions to accompany the books for discussion and self-evaluation. We wanted to share this wonderful testimony with you and also present these suggestions for your consideration. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly and expand the impact of this ministry around the world.
This leader wrote to me yesterday:
As I reflected on Just Love, I was reminded of the lessons that “Christianity is about relationship, not just rules,” that “God wants us to experience His life now,” and that “God’s Kingdom operates through love.” These truths continue to encourage us as we seek to share God’s love with others. As a team working within the Education Department in Kenya, we are doing our level best to reach the generation we call Gen Z, who are in universities, colleges, and high schools. Many young people today are quick to respond to conflict with anger, revenge, and violence. After going through Just Love, I am convinced that this message is a God-given assignment for this generation.
The lessons that “God’s love changes hearts,” that “love motivates lasting transformation,” and that “fear is not the foundation of spiritual growth” speak directly to the challenges our young people face. We have also been encouraged by the teaching that “God’s plan is to restore broken relationships” and that “loving others includes treating them fairly.”
The discussion about your book is continuing among our Education Department colleagues. As we share its message, more and more people are embracing the desire to obtain a copy. My wife, who is a high school teacher in Mombasa, recently came home during the half-term break and also read the book. She strongly recommends that it be translated into Kiswahili, our national language, so that more people can benefit from its message.
We are holding all of these things in our hearts as we see how this unfolds. They would like us to print thousands of copies there to be distributed among education and religious leaders throughout Kenya. The cost would be about $12,000.00. Please pray with us about this possibility as we work through the options here. And, if you’d like to help print books in Africa, please let me know. It just might light a fire in that corner of the world.
