The Love Wins Companion: A Study Guide For Those Who Want to Go Deeper
For anyone who wants to delve deeper into Rob Bell’s bestselling Love Wins, the expansive and accessible Love Wins Companion offers scholarly support and critiques, resources for individuals, groups, and classes, and brand new material by Rob Bell himself.As Love Wins continues to become a touchstone for thousands of readers worldwide, controversy surrounds the book’s arguments. Here, in The Love Wins Companion, Rob Bell offers commentary on the positive and negative attention his groundbreaking book is receiving, delivering a crucial supplement to one of the most important books Christian books today.• For those looking to go deeper with Rob Bell’s bestselling pioneering book Love Wins, this companion offers:• Insights and commentary by theologians, Bible scholars, scientists, and pastors• Deep analysis of all relevant Bible passages on heaven, hell, and salvation• Detailed chapter summaries, discussion questions, and Bible studies for individuals, groups, and classes• Excerpts from works throughout Christian history illustrating the variety of teachers also debating the issues Bell wrestles with• New material by Bell on his mission for the book and how people can take the next step
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The
Love Wins Companion
A Study Guide for
Those Who Want to Go Deeper
ROB BELL
Edited By David Vanderveen
Contents
Foreword - Do Not Be Afraid by Jack Heaslip
Preface by Rob Bell
How to Use This Companion by David Vanderveen
Chapter One - What About the Flat Tire?
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: A God Who Loves Questions
Group Exercise: Knowing Your Story
Reading: Questioning God by David Dark
Reading: The Temptation of Religious Success by Oswald Chambers
Chapter Two - Here Is the New There
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: Earthly Heavenly Visions
Reading: Going to Heaven? by N. T. Wright
Chapter Three - Hell
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: (Almost) Everything the Bible Says About Hell
Group Exercise: The Hell Download
Reading: Becoming a Deep Reader of Scripture by Clayton Libolt
Reading: Hell on Earth by Shayne Moore
Chapter Four - Does God Get What God Wants?
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Reading: The Secret by Peter Rollins
Reading: What Is Et ernal Life? by Pope Benedict XVI
Chapter Five - Dying to Live
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: The Metaphorical Riches of the Cross
Group Exercise: What Is the Gospel?
Reading: Melchizedek, the Magi, and Isa al-Masi by Glenn Parrish
Reading: Stingy Orthodoxy or Generous Orthodoxy? by Richard J. Mouw
Reading: Confession by Donald Miller
Chapter Six - There Are Rocks Everywhere
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: The Cosmic Christ
Group Exercise: Where Are the Rocks?
Reading: Playing with Rocks by Jack Heaslip
Reading: All Right. You Can Come In by Anne Lamott
Chapter Seven - The Good News Is Better Than That
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: Telling the Right Story
Reading: Trusting the Story God Is Telling by Cathleen Falsani
Chapter Eight - The End Is Here
Going Deeper by David Vanderveen
Bible Study: Parables of Urgency
Reading - Do You Really Believe Anything Happens After You Die? by Frederick Buechner
The Wide Road Called Orthodoxy Selections from Historic Christian Teachers on Last Things
Q&A with Rob Bell: An Interview by David Vanderveen
Contributors
Permissions
About the Author
Copyright
by Jack Heaslip
Do you know how many times the phrase “Do not be afraid” appears in the Bible? One website says it is 365 times. I prefer to say “lots of times.”
What has fear to do with a book on love? God’s love at that? Even before Love Wins was released, fear was at work. People had opinions about a book they hadn’t read. I was told I needed to be skeptical, suspicious, nervous, critical, afraid, but mostly “cautious.” Caution must be good, mustn’t it? The trouble is that caution can be fear dressed up to look right and proper and maybe a shade holy.
Fear also could be heard in the questions being asked. Is it okay to question God like that? Is he destroying faith? Why doesn’t he respect our tradition, our catechism?
If you are in a group, look around and see how many people show signs of fear and suspicion. Look in a mirror for the same signs.
Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.” Angels said, “Do not be afraid.” God said it too.
After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I’m your shield. Your reward will be grand.” (Gen. 15:1, MSG)
But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you.” (Luke 1:30, MSG)
But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” (Matt. 14:27, MSG)
So why shouldn’t we be afraid? Because God can be trusted.
So with a God who can be trusted we can head off into new territory or a fresh experience of old territory. We can ask questions. We do not need to be afraid.
Because we can trust God and not be afraid, we are then free to love. Love is the bottom line!
Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. (1 John 4:7, MSG)
It is like love meeting love. Our shallow attempts at loving are embraced by God’s mighty love. That, for me, is powerful stuff. With that sort of confidence we can really go for the experience and the understanding of God.
There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (1 John 4:18, MSG)
God is love! It’s that simple, that profound.
Paul believed this. He gave the Corinthians a wonderful description of what our religion should involve and what it should look like: “For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love” (Gal. 5:6, MSG).
Isn’t that brilliant? Religion and nonreligion are firmly put in their place by God’s love. And our intellects are given something to work on. Paul encourages us to think! It is okay to think! Sometimes our little gray cells are put on the back burner by those who want us to follow a faith they prescribe. It is good to unwrap a package. How can we receive the gift if we don’t delve a bit?
