Love God, Love Others

Is it really possible to live out the Great Commandment?

When an expert in the law asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, Jesus gave a clear and simple answer: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

But what does the Great Commandment look like on the ground, in our day-to-day lives? And can we even come close to living it out? No. Not in our own strength. No one can.

Jesus, Greg Ogden believes, has a simple answer to that too. He writes, "Jesus didn't follow [the Great Commandment] up by saying, 'I know I'm asking a lot, but do the best you can. I know you'll never fully approximate this high and lofty goal, but it's still worth striving for.' . . . Jesus thinks this is possible." And with Jesus, it is possible and essential, only by supernatural power, surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Not "my will be done."

In this practical, in-depth MicroGroup format, Greg Ogden draws from his years of pastoral experience training and discipling others to help us truly be changed by Christ into people who love God and love others with all that we are. Following the format of his bestselling Discipleship Essentials, each chapter includes:

Reviews

"In The Essential Commandment, Greg Ogden has once again taken the complex subject of Christian discipleship and made it truly understandable and personally applicable. After reading this book, you will wonder why more authors have not made the Great Commandment of Jesus their central focus. More importantly, you will be grateful that Ogden has, and that he's given you another essential tool for finding your way and helping others into the deeper life of Christ." - Daniel Meyer, senior pastor of Christ Church of Oak Brook and author of Witness Essentials

"The Essential Commandment could be a great resource for the development of a church mission. I foresee immense usefulness in the encouragement of outreach to communities with which all churches are surrounded." - Lyn Housen, Insights

Read an excerpt.

How to Study the Bible for Spiritual Transformation

True transformation happens “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6), not by human willpower, but by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit through a surrendered heart.

GO MICROGreg Ogden