The Love Dare [Paperback]

Stephen Kendrick (Author), Alex Kendrick (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Too many marriages end when someone says "I've fallen out of love with you" or "I don't love you anymore." The Love Dare discusses how these statements reveal a lack of understanding about the fundamental nature of true love.

As featured in the popular new movie Fireproof, from the team that brought us the #1 best selling DVD Facing the Giants, The Love Dare is a 40-day guided devotional experience that will lead your heart back to truly loving your spouse while learning more about the design, nature, and source of true love. Each reading includes Scripture, a statement of principle, the day's "dare," and a journaling area and check box to chart progress.

Dare to take The Love Dare, and see your marriage change forever.

About the Author

Alex Kendrick is associate media pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. He helped establish Sherwood Pictures in 2003 and has directed and co-written each of its films: Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof, playing the lead male role in those first two productions. Alex has appeared on ABC, CNN, FOX News, American Family Radio, The Glenn Beck Show, Janet Parshall’s America, and many other national programs to discuss his award-winning work and ministry. He lives in Albany with his wife and five children.

Stephen Kendrick is a senior associate pastor of preaching at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. He helped establish Sherwood Pictures in 2003 and has served as co-writer and producer for each of its films: Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Stephen has spoken about his work on ABC World News Tonight and CNN and in The Washington Post and American Profile magazine among others. Currently earning a master of divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he lives in Albany with his wife and three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books; 1 edition (September 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805448853
• ISBN-13: 978-0805448856
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (366 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian Living > Relationships > Marriage

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

246 of 254 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be Daring, December 22, 2008

By	Theresa - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Love Dare (Paperback)

As most people might already know, this book is based upon the Christian movie "Fireproof", which is about a man who saves his marriage by completing a character-testing, 40-day list of "dares" suggested to him by his father. Like the movie, the book of course is Christian based as well.

I loved the movie and the book is more of the same. However I looked at both of them from the perspective of a person happily married for over 15 years. I can tell you that while I don't practice all the dares in the book, my spouse and I are good about doing many of them- and of course there's always room for improvement. From my personal experience, I feel like concentrating on the kinds of ideas presented in the book have been absolutely key to making our marriage last.

Now the book itself also consists of a 40-day list of dares. For each day, there's about a page and a half or so of advice, followed by a specific dare and some space for you to write down your personal reflections. Dares range from things such as practicing patience to writing out a renewal of your vows. The guys will probably particularly like Day 32!

As you can tell, I highly recommend going to see the movie and reading the book. In a society that places a high value on looks and money, while sporting a 50% divorce rate, its nice to see more movies and books coming out that get people more focused on the right values in life. Even if you don't do anything more than just glance through the book, you're going to be given something to think about. Other self-help books I enjoyed include "Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World" .

78 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Giving love another chance, November 18, 2008

By	R. Lesniak "Rob" (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Love Dare (Paperback)

After 15 years of marriage and three children, this simple little book helped me to remember that marriage is not just about meeting the right person, it's also about being the right person. A small time commitment over 40 days breathed now life back into our marriage. I highly recommend it to all married couples.

92 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sound Wisdom, But Not Without Shortcomings, March 29, 2009

By	James John Hollandsworth, M.D. "lightalongthe... - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Love Dare (Paperback)

Half of all marriages end in divorce. That means most marriage relationships are either severely dysfunctional or headed that way. What is the answer?

The Love Dare's answer is that we don't really understand how to live out the love that marriage requires. Inspired by the movie Fireproof, this book is a forty day devotional that covers various aspects of the true sacrificial love which is missing from many marriages.

There is a lot to like about this book. It clearly explains the nature of mature love & practically challenges you to live it out. It emphasizes how YOU have to be the one to take responsibility and change, regardless of how your partner does or does not respond, and it shows how the strength for that kind of love is powered by a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This book has had a powerful impact on thousands of people, and I am very thankful for the truth it teaches.

However, the book does have some shortcomings. First, the book is unnaturally constrained to fit the plot of the movie. The movie's plot confronted the main character with his need for a personal relationship with God mid-way through, and so the book follows suit. Halfway through the forty days, we suddenly shift to a presentation of how living out sacrificial love should make one realize his absolute need for Christianity. For Christians reading a book on marriage, the discussion of how our relationship with Christ should structure our marital relationship should be foundational, should be page 1. On the other hand, a non-Christian reading the book frankly is unlikely to be impressed by this sudden foray into an altar call in the middle of the book.

Second, the book spends little time on the differing roles of the husband and wife in a marriage. From a Biblical standpoint, there are real & crucial differences in how a man loves & responds to his wife vs. how a woman loves & responds to her husband. The Love Dare doesn't address these differing roles which are very important to the success of any Christian marriage.

Third, I felt there was this unwritten "if you do these steps your marriage will be transformed" aura to the book. While all marriages can benefit from going through this devotional, I think that many seriously troubled marriages will not have the movie's storybook happy ending at the end of forty days. Consequently, I fear people will either conclude they failed in some way or that God failed in some way. Neither would be true. Many marriages need more than just a good devotional; they need intensive personal intervention by a person of wisdom such as a counselor or pastor plus two partners who are both committed and humble. In my experience true humility is seldom found in both halves of a troubled relationship.

The Love Dare is forty days of wisdom and challenge that will benefit any marriage; just don't consider it to be the complete cure-all for every troubled relationship in the world.