Aaron Taylor is the author of Do You Love Me? Experiencing and Extending Tremendous Love Is Taylor’s first book. It was released in January from Renown Publishing in both hardcover [ISBN 978-1- 952602702, $19.99], and softcover [ISBN: 978-1- 952602665, $14.99.] In his just-released book, “Do You Love Me?” Taylor delves deep into the meaning and importance of agape, and Jesus’ response. “We understand that agape is to love as God loves. The true agape is found in Jesus and how He loved. He is truly the definition of love. If God is love, then Jesus is the epitome or ma
nifestation of that love,” Taylor writes. “Ágape describes a love that is beyond any dictionary definition,” Taylor says. “Its true meaning can only be understood by seeing it in action – the Jesus kind of action.” Are we able to love him back with agape? On our own, Taylor says, no. It seems too big for us to achieve, and Taylor and other commentators feel Peter was responding honestly to Jesus that on his own, he could offer phileo, brotherly love, but not truly agape. “Jesus has told us exactly how to love with agape. His responses to Peter were ‘feed my lambs…tend my sheep…feed my sheep.’Peter was called to show agape to the people around him, and in this way, show agape to God,” Taylor says. He reminds us that Matthew 25: 37-40 puts it all together when Jesus says, “in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” But in order to love others with agape, Taylor says, we must accept this love from God. He calls it the Love Triangle. “Loving others is the fruit of a heart that has been transformed by God’s agape love. When you experience God’s love for you, it will naturally spill over to others. Receive agape from His endless supply and then turn and share with others.” “We can find a place of contentment when we receive this love God has given us by His Spirit. We can be empowered to give it to others when we are walking in the refreshing supply of God’s love,” Taylor explains. He says he found this discovery about receiving and giving agape love transformational in his own life and the life of the church he pastors, Crossfire World Outreach Church, in Springfield and Eugene, Oregon. Taylor’s church takes seriously the command to agape love their community, actively seeking out and embracing the broken and hurting, offering acceptance in their church fellowship, and making it a priority to offer practical ministries such as feeding and clothing those who need it.
“I hope that when you finish this study,” Taylor writes, “you will walk away with a heart. For more information about Taylor’s ministry at Crossfire World Outreach Church, to order books, or to request him to speak, visit mycrossfire.com.
Our second guest today is Diana Scudder Verizon VP for Global Operations. Did you know that Wildfire season is raging and hurricane season officially began on June 1, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts this will become the seventh consecutive “above normal” hurricane season? Communication is key during a storm, and we have Verizon’s Communication Expert with us to explain what is being done to improve mobile service and guarantee quality communications during storms. Diana will share valuable insights and information that consumers need to know to stay safe and connected during severe weather. Learn what is being done in times of need to make sure network support is ready and those first responders are able to connect when it matters most. Diana has over 20 years of experience in the wireless telecommunications industry in engineering, operations, program management, and budget management.
Steven Preston is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International (GII). Steven will discuss the Rising Together™ coalition, its goals and partners, and how listeners can get involved. That is why Goodwill, the leading workforce provider in North America, has launched a new, first-of-its-kind coalition called Rising Together™, which will work to create an equitable economic recovery and provide job seekers with the skills needed to access sustainable jobs. Joining Goodwill with a goal of empowering one million people to access sustainable careers by 2025 are Fortune 50 companies and global philanthropic and business leaders, including the Anthem Foundation, Coursera, Google, Indeed, and Lyft. Prior to joining GII, he held executive positions in the public and private sectors. He served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, leading both federal agencies during times of national crisis. Preston orchestrated successful turnarounds as the CEO of two private corporations, Oakleaf Global Holdings, and Livingston International. He was also the CFO of two Fortune 500 companies — Waste Management and ServiceMaster — during times of significant change and restructuring for each company. Preston graduated with the highest distinction from Northwestern University and holds an MBA from The University of Chicago. For more information, please visit www.goodwill.org/rising-together