Love Is Oxygen Read online

  Everyone is searching for love, but many are searching in the wrong places. Pastor Jarrid Wilson has written a life-changing book, Love Is Oxygen. In this gospel-centered book, Jarrid gently and thoughtfully leads the reader on a journey to know and experience the unparalleled, unequalled, and unmatched love of God revealed through his Son. When you get to know God intimately, you will realize that love isn’t something God does; love is who God is. Read this book now.

  CRAIG GROESCHEL

  Senior pastor of Life.Church and author of Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life

  Jarrid will help you catch your breath and discover how to inhale more hope, more healing, more Jesus in your life.

  MARGARET FEINBERG

  Author of Fight Back with Joy

  Jarrid Wilson is more than just a compelling writer; he is also a compelling human being. I know this because I am privileged to call this gifted, lovely young man my friend. In these pages, Jarrid gives us a window into his life, where we see him being transformed by the Love about which he writes. This, of course, is what makes his message credible. As you read, I trust that you will come to love God and others more deeply. You will probably also find yourself wanting to become a better person. Thank you, Jarrid, for such a beautiful and compelling book.

  SCOTT SAULS

  Senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of Jesus Outside the Lines and Befriend

  In Love Is Oxygen, Jarrid Wilson cuts through the noise of today and points us to what matters most—the extravagant and inexhaustible love of God. To know God’s love is the journey we are all created to be on. Encountering the depth and height of God’s love is a lifelong discovery that will continue throughout eternity. God’s love for you is so extravagant that it can be hard to comprehend, but it is so easily available for those willing to receive it. Jarrid so brilliantly articulates the revolutionary truth that Jesus is God’s gift of love to us and how that affects every area of our lives. Love Is Oxygen is a timely gift for those yearning to know the love of God and grow deeper in their understanding of the great mystery of his love for us. Not only will your life be changed, but as you give God’s love away, those around you will also be transformed.

  BANNING LIEBSCHER

  Founder and pastor of Jesus Culture

  Why is it the simplest tenets of the faith are the hardest to realize and live? I’m grateful for the unwavering truths Jarrid Wilson shares in Love Is Oxygen because they remind me of this settled fact: I am loved, and it is God who does the loving. Succinct, heartfelt, and full of real-life stories, Wilson’s book will empower Christ followers to live and breathe and move within the powerful grasp of God’s love.

  MARY DEMUTH

  Author of more than thirty books, including Worth Living: How God’s Wild Love for You Makes You Worthy

  When Jarrid says that “love is oxygen,” he means it, but beyond simple love, it’s the honesty he writes with that will encourage you the most. He puts it all on the page, and his refusal to clean up the messy parts, to polish the prose until his pride is protected, is what makes this book so good.

  JON ACUFF

  New York Times bestselling author of Do Over

  What I love about this book is how Jarrid lets you under the surface and reveals his real story. He not only shares his vulnerability but also speaks passionately of Jesus. We all need Jesus more than we realize. Love Is Oxygen brings us closer to him and helps us see Jesus more clearly.

  DANIEL FUSCO

  Lead pastor of Crossroads Community Church and author of Upward, Inward, Outward and Honestly

  Jarrid’s vulnerability and honesty will quickly capture the hearts of those who have ever struggled with depression or with simply being overwhelmed. The victory and overcoming principle of love will serve as refreshment for all.

  DR. JOHNNY M. HUNT

  Author of Demolishing Strongholds

  Throughout this book, Jarrid’s brutal honesty inherently highlights the greatness of God’s love. His writing reminds me of Paul’s teachings on boasting only about our weaknesses.

  JOEY SVENDSEN

  Pastor and host of the BadChristian podcast

  In a world of divisiveness and negativity, Jarrid Wilson is convinced that your life can burst with kindness and grace. But it’s Wilson’s authenticity, not optimism, that makes this book sing. Wilson tears open his chest and drains his beating heart onto every page, sharing raw stories of what love looks like in real time. Do not read this book if you’re content inhaling the stale air of our pessimistic age—because one whiff of Love Is Oxygen will force you to love bigger, broader, and better than ever before.

  JONATHAN MERRITT

  Contributing writer for the Atlantic and author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch

  Jarrid Wilson is one of the most genuinely loving men of God I know. His ability to communicate gospel truths in a fresh and biblical way perfectly positions him to stir you to something you’ve never experienced and to also change your view of God and people. This book is going to feel like a breath of fresh air for your spirit.

  JOSH HOWERTON

  Lead pastor of The Bridge Church, Spring Hill, Tennessee

  Jarrid Wilson writes with simple grace about how love rises from the ashes of depression. He reminds us all how God is love, and so as we love others through our actions, we are loving God. As you read, you will want to grab hold of the ever-present opportunities to act out of love and discover life.

  BECCA STEVENS

  Founder and president of Thistle Farms

  Jarrid Wilson writes with great clarity and openness about the remarkable love of God. He shares his story so transparently and points all of us to the greatest love of all. Love Is Oxygen is inspiration, application, challenge, and encouragement in one remarkable book.

  JUD WILHITE

  Senior pastor of Central Church and author of Pursued

  Some people just see things differently. Jarrid Wilson is one of those people. Just when you think you’ve heard everything there is to hear about love, you encounter Jarrid. I’m so grateful for Jarrid’s voice—it challenges me.

  CAREY NIEUWHOF

  Author and founding pastor of Connexus Church, Ontario, Canada

  Battling with depression, anxiety, and loneliness is something many of us face at some point in our lives. Jarrid does an amazing job at shining light into the depths of hurt and confusion, while resting in what truly matters.

  CHELSEA CROCKETT

  Author of Your Own Beautiful

  All our lives we’ve heard the phrase “God is love” without any real understanding of what it actually means or its implications for our lives. Now, Jarrid Wilson’s new book, Love Is Oxygen, takes everything we thought we knew about love and turns it on its head. For anyone who has ever struggled with love or being loved, for anyone who thinks God is a hard taskmaster, or perhaps most important, for anyone who thinks love is nice, clean, and G-rated, this book is for you. You’ll never look at love the same way again.

  PHIL COOKE

  Filmmaker, media consultant, and author of One Big Thing: Discovering What You Were Born to Do

  There are positive people who make you laugh and feel better about yourself. And then there are “hope dealers,” who offer something much deeper. Jarrid Wilson writes about a hope not born of this world, but in a loving Father. Your very soul will be encouraged by this book.

  MICHAEL LUKASZEWSKI

  Founder of Church Fuel

  It’s been said that we accept only the love we think we deserve. This book will expand your potential to accept the empowerment of God’s great love.

  KEVIN GERALD

  Lead pastor of Champions Centre and author of Good Things

&n
bsp; God knew the world needed a huge dose of gracious encouragement, so he sent Jarrid Wilson into it. His writings continue to nudge me, and so many others, toward choosing to show relentless love instead of reactive judgment. Love Is Oxygen is one of those must-reads for every believer—and every skeptic, too! We all need to breathe this in deeply!

  BRANDON COX

  Lead pastor of Grace Hills Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, author, and leadership coach

  This book is exactly what the world needs today. From the very first page, Jarrid takes you deep inside his soul and shows us all how God’s unfailing love can take us from broken to beautiful.

  JASON ROMANO

  Former ESPN producer and current host of the Sports Spectrum podcast

  My dear friend Jarrid reminds us of the truest truth in the universe: that God loves us. Undeniably, irrevocably, unashamedly. God’s love is fierce—fiercer than the pain and wreckage of this life, as terrifying as they can be. And believing in and receiving this mind-boggling love of God changes everything about our lives. This book contains the message that can shake the church and the world upside down. This book is gold.

  MATT BROWN (@EVANGELISTMATT)

  Evangelist, author, and founder of Think Eternity

  From his very first sentence, Jarrid boldly shares his journey to embrace God’s love and share it with others. Filled with trademark vulnerability and biblical examples, Love Is Oxygen points us to God’s love—our deepest need and most powerful resource. If you roll your eyes when you hear about God’s love, you need to pick up this book!

  SCOTT SAVAGE

  Lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, author, and writer at ScottSavageLive.com

  Jarrid Wilson does a brilliant job of helping us discover the power of God’s love and how it can transform every area of our lives. His transparency and authenticity will draw you in, and you will experience a life-giving relationship with God.

  MATT FRY

  Lead pastor of C3 Church in Clayton, North Carolina, and author of I Am

  Breathe in the power of Jarrid’s words! They are his honest and human pursuit to discover what God’s love truly meant for him and what it will mean for you. Fantastic read!

  STEVE CARTER

  Teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and author of This Invitational Life

  Jarrid Wilson has done it again! In a world filled with sound bites, Love Is Oxygen offers so much more! He offers an encouraging yet challenging opportunity to breathe in the love of Jesus so that we can breathe it out to a world desperately in need of the love only Jesus can provide. Love Is Oxygen is more than a breath of fresh air. It’s a call to action! It’s a call to receive love but also to live love. I want to answer that call!

  PASTOR J. R. LEE

  Founder and lead pastor of Freedom Church

  As long as I’ve known Jarrid Wilson, I’ve been impressed with his raw vulnerability and willingness to blaze a trail down a road most are too fearful to venture, bringing light to the valley of the shadow of death. During my NFL career, the place of darkness I found myself in was excruciatingly lonely. Far too many of us have bought the lie we need to look the part. Suck it up. Have it all together. Publicly performing, while privately dying. Love Is Oxygen will fill your heart with hope and awaken courage you always possessed but never saw—until now.

  CLINT GRESHAM

  Author of Becoming, Super Bowl XLVIII winner, and international speaker

  The best books are the ones written from our own understanding—the sacred place of wrestle, lack, and hope. Jarrid Wilson has fought for every insight in Love Is Oxygen, and it shows. I appreciate the honest, tender truth presented in the pages and the straightforward lessons the reader can easily glean for life application. Good work, Jarrid. May this book be the healing balm and teaching tool you penned.

  LISA WHITTLE

  Speaker and author of I Want God

  Jarrid, your willingness to bare all about your experience with depression will bring help and healing to many souls. Thank you for reminding us all that even when we feel like God has failed us, his heart beats relentlessly with love toward us. This is a wonderful book!

  JAY HAIZLIP

  Founder and senior pastor of The Sanctuary Church in Los Angeles and cast member of Preachers of L.A.

  In Love Is Oxygen, Jarrid Wilson displays an impressive level of vulnerability that is both refreshing and disarming to the reader. This book provides a Christ-focused, hope-filled response to many weighty issues that confront our culture today.

  CURTIS ZACKERY

  Pastor and author of Soul Rest

  Jarrid’s authenticity and transparency are so refreshing! Love Is Oxygen is one of those books you can give to anyone and it will impact them! My friend Jarrid Wilson is such a kind and refreshing person. His story of brokenness and pain is a powerful testimony of God’s love. I believe this book will help many see God’s true heart toward them!

  JASON KIMBROW

  Pastor at New Life Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas

  Love Is Oxygen engages us on a journey of rediscovery. Jared’s insight, transparency, and personal experiences are seamlessly woven throughout the threads of this book perfectly. If you desire to read and learn more about God’s love and his designed path for your life, this book will not disappoint.

  TIM TIMBERLAKE

  Lead pastor of Christian Faith Center in Creedmoor, North Carolina, and author of Abandon

  When you read Love Is Oxygen, you’ll learn a lot about authenticity, redemption, and love . . . I did. Jarrid’s story will intersect with yours because we all have a bit of bottled brokenness in us.

  DAVE STONE

  Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky

  Love Is Oxygen is showing up in our world at exactly the right time. In my forty years of living, I’m not sure I can remember a time when LOVE was more needed. Love for one another but also love for ourselves: the kind of love that only God can supply. I’m thankful for Jarrid Wilson sharing his story with us and helping us see the transformational power of love.

  TYLER REAGIN

  President of Catalyst Leader

  Love Is Oxygen is more than a book; it’s a road map to a new beginning for anyone who has ever felt heartbroken, hopeless, or just tired of trying. No matter where you are in your journey, this book’s powerful truths and inspiring stories will infuse your heart with encouragement and renewed faith. This book will change your perspective, and in doing so, it might just change your life.

  DAVE WILLIS

  Pastor and bestselling author of The Seven Laws of Love

  Jarrid’s message of love is real and palpable. I was reminded of all the years I spent able to take in only shallow breaths of God’s love for me—and how wonderful it was when I was finally able to breathe him in fully. If you have wondered about God’s love for you or about how to better love those around you, read this book.

  ANNA LEBARON

  Author of The Polygamist’s Daughter

  Jarrid is a truth teller. This book is about real, messy struggles and the power of love when it’s let off the chain. The stories in these pages aren’t filled with steps for you to take—instead, they point you toward a power greater than everything that is holding you back. It’s not a book about Jarrid; it’s a book about Jesus. Buckle up: You’re going to enjoy the ride.

  BOB GOFF

  Chief Balloon Inflator, Love Does

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  Love Is Oxygen: How God Can Give You Life and Change Your World

  Copyright © 2017 by Jarrid Wilson. All rights reserved.

  A NavPre
ss resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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  The Team:

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  Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.

  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version,® NIV.® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

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  Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN 978-1-63146-760-8

  ISBN 978-1-63146-762-2 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-63146-763-9 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-63146-761-5 (Apple)