When we hear the word 'idol' we tend to think of football players or pop stars. We may even remember that some people's religion meant worshipping idols: little or large statues that represented a god. But what has this to do with us today? Julian Hardyman is increasingly convinced that idolatry putting anything else in the place that is rightfully God's explains us and our problems: Why we get so angry about traffic jams. What drives us to work so hard our marriage hits the rocks. What lies behind that compulsion to look at pornography. He has also found that God is engaged in a war to win back our hearts.
CONTENTS Introduction: God's battle for our hearts Part One: Who has idols anyway?
Idol diagnosis
Needs or preferences?
More and more and more
Lust
Beauty and body image
People idols
Religious and church idols
Political, intellectual and cultural idols Part Two: What's the big problem?
Strange worship, glory swapping
What idols do to God
What idols do to us Part Three: Idol busting
Repentance and forgiveness
Adoption and the Spirit
A supreme and satisfying love
Rest instead of restlessness
Spiritual Facebook
Submission to God's will and word
Looking forward to the glory of God
You're so vain, you probably think this book is about you.