What do you think?
Rate this book
Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone
This edition is now out of print. There is an updated and revised edition that was released in 2016. The ISBN for the new edition is: 978-1-62995-210-9.
Have you ever seen a Buddhist temple or walked through a museum exhibit filled with statues of gods? We tend to think of idols as something outside us. They're something foreign, something we take pictures of in far-off temples of museums, something we wonder at.
But God's Word tells us that idolatry is something more than temples, incense, and food offerings. idolatry has to do with love—our love for God, our love for others, and our love for the world. When we look at idolatry in these ways, we understand that we're not so different from those people we observe in temples so far away.
Elyse Fitzpatrick helps us to examine the idols of our hearts and, ultimately, to pursue godly lives free from the habitual sins that trap us. When our affections are turned to Jesus Christ, he can once again reign in our hearts.
Have you ever seen a Buddhist temple or walked through a museum exhibit filled with statues of gods? We tend to think of idols as something outside us. They're something foreign, something we take pictures of in far-off temples of museums, something we wonder at.
But God's Word tells us that idolatry is something more than temples, incense, and food offerings. idolatry has to do with love—our love for God, our love for others, and our love for the world. When we look at idolatry in these ways, we understand that we're not so different from those people we observe in temples so far away.
Elyse Fitzpatrick helps us to examine the idols of our hearts and, ultimately, to pursue godly lives free from the habitual sins that trap us. When our affections are turned to Jesus Christ, he can once again reign in our hearts.
239 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
55 books448 followersAuthor of 20+ books on the Christian life and the gospel's impact on everyday living, Elyse is a frequent speaker at women's conferences nationally and internationally.
Elyse's ministry is summed up in these simple words: No fluff, No bricks, just the good news of a crucified and risen Christ.
In 1971 she married her sweetheart Phil and together they raised three children and are enjoying six really adorable grandchildren.
Together they attend Valley Center Community Church in the hills of the North County of San Diego where Phil is an elder.
Elyse's ministry is summed up in these simple words: No fluff, No bricks, just the good news of a crucified and risen Christ.
In 1971 she married her sweetheart Phil and together they raised three children and are enjoying six really adorable grandchildren.
Together they attend Valley Center Community Church in the hills of the North County of San Diego where Phil is an elder.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
January 14, 2018
Excellent book explaining how idols creep into our hearts and how they effect our Christian lives. What is an idol? Anything that obscures our vision of/takes the place of God; money, material possessions, relationships, worldly hopes, dreams or desires, vices...and many other things. This book helps us to examine our own hearts for idols and to purge them from our lives so that we can maintain our proper focus on God in all circumstances. It explains how idols are formed in the mind and move to the heart and how to stop this happening. I recommend this book for all Christians who desire a closer walk with God or who are struggling with idols...
February 11, 2016
I read a lot of books . . . and by a lot I mean about 70 to 80 books a year. So what I'm about to say comes from many years of immersing myself in all sort of books (almost exclusively non-fiction). Every once in a while a book comes a long that grips my attention in the first chapter. These are rare gems. Even rarer are the scarce books that accomplish this same effect in the introduction. Idols of the Heart distinguishes itself as the only book I have read that has ever gripped my heart before I ever made it to the introduction. In her Note for the Second Edition, Fitzpatrick met the cry of my heart with these simple words,
"He knows my weakness: the weakness of my love, the weakness of my mind, the weakness of my determination to love Him more than all else. And yet he loves me because of the work His Son has done for me in justifying me and calling me beautiful . . . even though I fall so far short of His perfect standard, embodied in His law as expressed in the Ten Commandments."
This is what motivates me to live a life worthy of Christ. This is what drives the desire within me to cry out with the hymn writer who wrote, "Search all my thoughts, the secret springs, the motives that control the chambers where polluted things hold empire o'er my soul" (Frank Bottome, 1823-1894, Search Me O God, My Actions Try).
This is what Elyse Fitzpatrick has done in re-releasing Idols of the Heart: She has taken a good book written fifteen years ago and made it a great book by infusing it with more of the gospel. When you take any topic . . anything ...and add God's grace toward sinners to it, it instantly becomes phenomenal; and that is what this book is.
Elyse Fitzpatrick's purpose in writing this book is to cause the reader to come face to face with their idols and forsake them for the love and glory of a merciful God who has purchase a people for Himself by placing their (our) vile sin upon the back of His Son in exchange for His perfect law-keeping record. This can only be done however, when the reader first has an understanding that they are in desperate need of a foreign righteousness that has fulfilled all of the law's demands. It is in understanding that need, that the reader can then begin to identify (with the help of God) the motives that control the hidden chambers of our heart where those hideous and wretched idols camp out. It is here that Fitzpatrick is most helpful.
Using examples of people from scripture, Fitzpatrick carefully unpacks their experience to demonstrate that they were much like we are. They have many of the same fears, inordinate loves, and sins that cling so closely to us. After unfolding their experiences, she moves to identifying the idol that captured the affections of their heart with such precision that there is no doubt remaining that our only hope is found in the one whom we have so carelessly sinned against. Time and time again, with each chapter, Fitzpatrick revealed to me areas in my life that are in serious need of a profound and scandalous grace.
I am very grateful for this book. In the short time that I spent with it, God used it time and time again to first reflect His perfect righteousness to me and then to reflect my sinfulness to me. It reminded me once again to "implore the help of grace" as Augustine puts it, and then to drive me back to the cross for that grace.
This is a book that you are going to want to pick up as soon as possible and read a couple times this year. It is also a book that you will want to order a few extra copies of to give away to those who are mourning their sin and want to understand the root cause of their habitual sin so that they can have victory through the glorious gospel of Christ.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Idols of the Heart you can find it here.
This review first appeared at ajcerda.com where I blog about books, faith, and culture.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from P&R Publishing in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
"He knows my weakness: the weakness of my love, the weakness of my mind, the weakness of my determination to love Him more than all else. And yet he loves me because of the work His Son has done for me in justifying me and calling me beautiful . . . even though I fall so far short of His perfect standard, embodied in His law as expressed in the Ten Commandments."
This is what motivates me to live a life worthy of Christ. This is what drives the desire within me to cry out with the hymn writer who wrote, "Search all my thoughts, the secret springs, the motives that control the chambers where polluted things hold empire o'er my soul" (Frank Bottome, 1823-1894, Search Me O God, My Actions Try).
This is what Elyse Fitzpatrick has done in re-releasing Idols of the Heart: She has taken a good book written fifteen years ago and made it a great book by infusing it with more of the gospel. When you take any topic . . anything ...and add God's grace toward sinners to it, it instantly becomes phenomenal; and that is what this book is.
Elyse Fitzpatrick's purpose in writing this book is to cause the reader to come face to face with their idols and forsake them for the love and glory of a merciful God who has purchase a people for Himself by placing their (our) vile sin upon the back of His Son in exchange for His perfect law-keeping record. This can only be done however, when the reader first has an understanding that they are in desperate need of a foreign righteousness that has fulfilled all of the law's demands. It is in understanding that need, that the reader can then begin to identify (with the help of God) the motives that control the hidden chambers of our heart where those hideous and wretched idols camp out. It is here that Fitzpatrick is most helpful.
Using examples of people from scripture, Fitzpatrick carefully unpacks their experience to demonstrate that they were much like we are. They have many of the same fears, inordinate loves, and sins that cling so closely to us. After unfolding their experiences, she moves to identifying the idol that captured the affections of their heart with such precision that there is no doubt remaining that our only hope is found in the one whom we have so carelessly sinned against. Time and time again, with each chapter, Fitzpatrick revealed to me areas in my life that are in serious need of a profound and scandalous grace.
I am very grateful for this book. In the short time that I spent with it, God used it time and time again to first reflect His perfect righteousness to me and then to reflect my sinfulness to me. It reminded me once again to "implore the help of grace" as Augustine puts it, and then to drive me back to the cross for that grace.
This is a book that you are going to want to pick up as soon as possible and read a couple times this year. It is also a book that you will want to order a few extra copies of to give away to those who are mourning their sin and want to understand the root cause of their habitual sin so that they can have victory through the glorious gospel of Christ.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Idols of the Heart you can find it here.
This review first appeared at ajcerda.com where I blog about books, faith, and culture.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from P&R Publishing in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
December 2, 2016
Elyse Fitzpatrick is a godly woman with great insight. However, I struggle reading her books. They are dense and I get bogged down. In this book she heavily relied on quotes from the pilgrims. Sure, some were great quotes, but I prefer variety in cited sources. I did love her chapter comparing Adam and Jesus; what it might look like living into our sin nature vs. leaning into redemption. There is a recent rerelease of this book and I wish I had read that instead. I don't think I have the energy to reread the book newly revised, even though it is probably great.
January 20, 2018
This was a 3-star book for me personally, but it has so much good truth in it that I thought it was only fair to give it four stars.
For some reason, I had a hard time getting into this. The material is good and has a ton of great teaching, but whether it's the presentation style or just where I am spiritually right now, it just didn't hit me as hard as some other books I've read lately. Even though the matter could hardly be contemplated too much, there was some redundancy that I think make it feel more tedious than it should and the tone/writing style was just off to me. It was both informal/casual at times and detached/didactic at times. I don't really mind either but I just never felt in stride with it. It's hard to put my finger on it which is partly why I'm rating it higher than my actual experience of it.
I didn't love the biblical character profiles at the beginning of some of the chapters but I'm pretty squeamish about taking biblical accounts of people that lived in real life and extrapolating them out to an imagined context and trying to ferret our their motivations. I just don't see the point of doing it because it's all speculation and it creates a false sense of intimacy with a character based on information that we don't really know. I much prefer the puritan William Law's tactic: just make people up! Then you can illustrate any point you want with them without wondering if you are doing a real person a disservice.
One thing that I had trouble accepting was the author's claim that "sin never proclaims itself to be sin. It always masquerades as righteousness." I don't know about the author's experience, but I know that I have chosen sin in spite of the fact that I saw it for what it was: evil and destructive. I think it gives us too much credit and misunderstands our sinful nature to assume that we sin only to achieve our "best good." While I agree that we sin because of what we want (and that we can be deceived into thinking something is good that isn't), I can't get behind the idea that we actually perceive every sinful choice to be a pursuit of righteousness or our "best good." I, lamentably, make choices sometimes that I know full well are not for my best or righteousness or whatever you want to call it. She writes, "Even when I purposely choose to disobey (as Eve did), I always do so because I believe that's the best choice at the time...sin is always occasioned in us by our belief in its goodness." Maybe it's just a matter of semantics. I would have an easier time accepting the claim that every sin is birthed by our belief that it is for our pleasure, rather than our belief that it is for our good.
Despite the things I didn't connect with, this topic, I believe, is so important and worthy of study. Elyse Fitzpatrick goes in depth about our tendency to worship other gods than the One True God and she tackles many facets of this problem, how to fight it, and how God helps us with it. I think it can be a very impactful, comprehensive book, but some other books got to me first regarding some of this that resonated with me more.
I appreciated the following insights:
1. There is no rest in idolatry (which is the root of all our sins); it always leaves us dissatisfied. "The worship of idols is the reason we're discontented and it's why we disobey God."
2. Trusting God "means that I believe that all I need to be loved and cared for eternally has already been given to me in Christ." And "we need to consistently question the imaginations that appear sweeter than God's lovingkindness."
3. We can't ever love God too much. Our love of others may seem "like hatred in comparison with the love that [we have for our] God" (like in the case of Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son). "Every part of our devotion, very act of obedience or disobedience, every though, word, and deed hang upon our adherence to this command [to have no other gods before God]."
4. "We need to learn that God is both uncompromisingly holy and shockingly merciful...at the same time."
5. Our idols lurk where we imagine things/people/circumstances to promise happiness. "People trust in idols because they believe there is some benefit in doing so, and they are afraid of what might happen if they don't." Fear and pleasure are the tools that Satan uses to entice us according to the lusts that already live in our hearts. We need to ask ourselves, "What do I want and fear more than I want to reflect God and grow in holiness?"
6."It is because we have such a bent to create gods who are more to our liking that our minds must continually be informed and corrected." "It is the role of your mind, as it has been enlightened by the spirt and Scripture to correct your thinking when you believe lies and being to worship thoughts of imagined happiness." "We don't need more 'will power' or self-discipline. Rather we need to develop godly thoughts and desires." We choose to obey when we are convinced of the joy, pleasure and goodness of it. "Your mind should inform your affections of the source of your highest happiness; your affection imagine it, cause you to long for it, and apply the impetus needed to awaken you will to choose."
7. Those "who live before the Audience of One can say to the world: 'I have only one audience. Before you I have nothing to prove, nothing to gain, nothing to lose.'" Ask God to reveal to you "the thoughts and desires that Satan uses to frighten and entice you and the ways in which your enemy accuses both you and your Father." "It is only in the power of the Spirit that we comprehend our enemy's strengths and find the wisdom to tear down and destroy our idols." When we do confess our sins, we need to confess and repent of both the outward action and the inner thoughts/motivations that lead to it.
Fitzpatrick ends the book with a study in praising God which is the opposite of idolatry. She encourages her readers to embrace emotion in worshipping God (as appropriate) and not to stifle a whole-person response to God's glory and awesome attributes.
Overall, there's some really good material here that makes for a very well-rounded discussion on our perpetual problem of idolatry. Each chapter has study questions (along with a lot of application questions to learn to ask yourself regularly) that can be used with small groups. The chapters can even stand alone when you need a refresher or encouragement in certain areas. Despite my trouble connecting with it the way I have with some other authors, I really appreciate it and would highly recommend it.
For some reason, I had a hard time getting into this. The material is good and has a ton of great teaching, but whether it's the presentation style or just where I am spiritually right now, it just didn't hit me as hard as some other books I've read lately. Even though the matter could hardly be contemplated too much, there was some redundancy that I think make it feel more tedious than it should and the tone/writing style was just off to me. It was both informal/casual at times and detached/didactic at times. I don't really mind either but I just never felt in stride with it. It's hard to put my finger on it which is partly why I'm rating it higher than my actual experience of it.
I didn't love the biblical character profiles at the beginning of some of the chapters but I'm pretty squeamish about taking biblical accounts of people that lived in real life and extrapolating them out to an imagined context and trying to ferret our their motivations. I just don't see the point of doing it because it's all speculation and it creates a false sense of intimacy with a character based on information that we don't really know. I much prefer the puritan William Law's tactic: just make people up! Then you can illustrate any point you want with them without wondering if you are doing a real person a disservice.
One thing that I had trouble accepting was the author's claim that "sin never proclaims itself to be sin. It always masquerades as righteousness." I don't know about the author's experience, but I know that I have chosen sin in spite of the fact that I saw it for what it was: evil and destructive. I think it gives us too much credit and misunderstands our sinful nature to assume that we sin only to achieve our "best good." While I agree that we sin because of what we want (and that we can be deceived into thinking something is good that isn't), I can't get behind the idea that we actually perceive every sinful choice to be a pursuit of righteousness or our "best good." I, lamentably, make choices sometimes that I know full well are not for my best or righteousness or whatever you want to call it. She writes, "Even when I purposely choose to disobey (as Eve did), I always do so because I believe that's the best choice at the time...sin is always occasioned in us by our belief in its goodness." Maybe it's just a matter of semantics. I would have an easier time accepting the claim that every sin is birthed by our belief that it is for our pleasure, rather than our belief that it is for our good.
Despite the things I didn't connect with, this topic, I believe, is so important and worthy of study. Elyse Fitzpatrick goes in depth about our tendency to worship other gods than the One True God and she tackles many facets of this problem, how to fight it, and how God helps us with it. I think it can be a very impactful, comprehensive book, but some other books got to me first regarding some of this that resonated with me more.
I appreciated the following insights:
1. There is no rest in idolatry (which is the root of all our sins); it always leaves us dissatisfied. "The worship of idols is the reason we're discontented and it's why we disobey God."
2. Trusting God "means that I believe that all I need to be loved and cared for eternally has already been given to me in Christ." And "we need to consistently question the imaginations that appear sweeter than God's lovingkindness."
3. We can't ever love God too much. Our love of others may seem "like hatred in comparison with the love that [we have for our] God" (like in the case of Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son). "Every part of our devotion, very act of obedience or disobedience, every though, word, and deed hang upon our adherence to this command [to have no other gods before God]."
4. "We need to learn that God is both uncompromisingly holy and shockingly merciful...at the same time."
5. Our idols lurk where we imagine things/people/circumstances to promise happiness. "People trust in idols because they believe there is some benefit in doing so, and they are afraid of what might happen if they don't." Fear and pleasure are the tools that Satan uses to entice us according to the lusts that already live in our hearts. We need to ask ourselves, "What do I want and fear more than I want to reflect God and grow in holiness?"
6."It is because we have such a bent to create gods who are more to our liking that our minds must continually be informed and corrected." "It is the role of your mind, as it has been enlightened by the spirt and Scripture to correct your thinking when you believe lies and being to worship thoughts of imagined happiness." "We don't need more 'will power' or self-discipline. Rather we need to develop godly thoughts and desires." We choose to obey when we are convinced of the joy, pleasure and goodness of it. "Your mind should inform your affections of the source of your highest happiness; your affection imagine it, cause you to long for it, and apply the impetus needed to awaken you will to choose."
7. Those "who live before the Audience of One can say to the world: 'I have only one audience. Before you I have nothing to prove, nothing to gain, nothing to lose.'" Ask God to reveal to you "the thoughts and desires that Satan uses to frighten and entice you and the ways in which your enemy accuses both you and your Father." "It is only in the power of the Spirit that we comprehend our enemy's strengths and find the wisdom to tear down and destroy our idols." When we do confess our sins, we need to confess and repent of both the outward action and the inner thoughts/motivations that lead to it.
Fitzpatrick ends the book with a study in praising God which is the opposite of idolatry. She encourages her readers to embrace emotion in worshipping God (as appropriate) and not to stifle a whole-person response to God's glory and awesome attributes.
Overall, there's some really good material here that makes for a very well-rounded discussion on our perpetual problem of idolatry. Each chapter has study questions (along with a lot of application questions to learn to ask yourself regularly) that can be used with small groups. The chapters can even stand alone when you need a refresher or encouragement in certain areas. Despite my trouble connecting with it the way I have with some other authors, I really appreciate it and would highly recommend it.
March 1, 2015
This is a really good book, convicting me about the idols in my life and helping to change my thinking and therefore actions to worship God better.
March 20, 2017
***Reread in 2017 - Still relevant, still amazing
"After days of fighting and warring with Satan's temptations, which included the fear of pain or death and the pleasures that just one puff of opium would bring, [Pastor Hsi] said 'Devil, what can you do against me? My life is in the hands of God. And truly I am willing to break off opium and die, but not willing to continue in sin and live'...That's the kind of repentance that you'll need to put on in order to crush your idols...You must be able to say with Hsi 'I might die in this struggle, but I'm not willing to continue in sin and live'" (182).
Fitzpatrick's thoughts on identifying and destroying idols are practical, yet steer clear of the error of "self-help." She uses the scriptures and the words of the puritans to speak to the heart in a way that is easy to identify with, yet not coddling, as her treatment of the topic of sin is very serious. This book is great for anyone who is battling or feels trapped in habitual sins and wants to know more about sin and it's roots in idolatry.
"After days of fighting and warring with Satan's temptations, which included the fear of pain or death and the pleasures that just one puff of opium would bring, [Pastor Hsi] said 'Devil, what can you do against me? My life is in the hands of God. And truly I am willing to break off opium and die, but not willing to continue in sin and live'...That's the kind of repentance that you'll need to put on in order to crush your idols...You must be able to say with Hsi 'I might die in this struggle, but I'm not willing to continue in sin and live'" (182).
Fitzpatrick's thoughts on identifying and destroying idols are practical, yet steer clear of the error of "self-help." She uses the scriptures and the words of the puritans to speak to the heart in a way that is easy to identify with, yet not coddling, as her treatment of the topic of sin is very serious. This book is great for anyone who is battling or feels trapped in habitual sins and wants to know more about sin and it's roots in idolatry.
Read
October 25, 2010Per Gina Robertson:
The answer to the question 'what must I have for life to be meaningful or to be happy?' can reveal what our idols are. Anything other than God is a cheap substitute. Book centered on obbedience to first commandment (no other gods before me). Idol can be misplaced priority, or anything that causes us to sin or not obey God. Focuses on heart transformation, discerning our underlying reasons for sinful behavior = usually comes down to the fact that we don't believe God can make us truly happy, or give us what we really need.
Not about willpower or outward behavior; recognizing God is the one who changes us. Path to desiring God first is taking off our old habits, renewing our minds with Scripture and embracing new, godly habits. Laying down our rights, etc. Loved it! Life-changing and introspective but not too deep. Written by counselor.
12 weeks, 45 minutes
book with questions provided
shelves: intimacy with God
The answer to the question 'what must I have for life to be meaningful or to be happy?' can reveal what our idols are. Anything other than God is a cheap substitute. Book centered on obbedience to first commandment (no other gods before me). Idol can be misplaced priority, or anything that causes us to sin or not obey God. Focuses on heart transformation, discerning our underlying reasons for sinful behavior = usually comes down to the fact that we don't believe God can make us truly happy, or give us what we really need.
Not about willpower or outward behavior; recognizing God is the one who changes us. Path to desiring God first is taking off our old habits, renewing our minds with Scripture and embracing new, godly habits. Laying down our rights, etc. Loved it! Life-changing and introspective but not too deep. Written by counselor.
12 weeks, 45 minutes
book with questions provided
shelves: intimacy with God
July 10, 2012
I like the book, but sometimes wonder if all the introspecting is completely healthy? We are already so self-centered. The goal of the book is to move us away from this and all things that compete with the place meant for God alone in our hearts--- THAT is something with which I have no quarrel. I only wonder at the methods we employ. Is this really what it takes and what God would have us work through to resolution of our heart's idolatries? Maybe so. I am considering a Bible study using this book, as the goal is so valid, but not sure if this is the best source. Thoughts from anyone else who's read this?
November 12, 2017
This book was soaked in the truth of the Gospel and full of rich insights from the Puritans and other theological writers.
I’m only beginning to truly understand the pervasiveness of our hearts’ tendencies to idolatry. This problem is central to every battle against sin in the Christian life, but this book points toward the solution. Even on the days I am driven to despair over the sin and idolatry in my heart, beautiful, life-giving hope remains. And His name is Jesus.
“All the idolatry you have or will ever give into has already been atoned for by His shameful death on the cross. In Christ, the Father has no wrath left for you. Will the Father turn His back on you for your idolatry? No, never. Because He already deserted His Son in your place.” p. 18
“What do I long for so much that my heart clamors, “Give me this, or else I’ll die!” What must I have for life to be meaningful or happy? What enables me to lie down at night and know that, at my core, I’m really okay? If I answer that question with anything other than God Himself, then that’s what functions as a god for me.”
“True repentance involves a hatred for sin and a turning from it and from all self-salvation projects. As I look into my heart, I see that although I want to turn from my sin, frequently it’s not because I hate it. It’s usually because it’s embarrassing or troublesome. I long to develop a heart that burns with true repentance—and in order to do that I must plead with my Father to give me a genuine abhorrence of my sin. It’s only as I hate my sin that I’ll have the desire to fight it.” p. 201
“In this process of sanctification we’ll have to resist the desire to give up and feel overwhelmed or to despair when we see our sin. Recognize that it’s God’s kindness that brings us to repentance. If God has kindly shown us our sin, then His love is strong enough to transform us and hang on to us in spite of the fact that we seem to be such easy prey to sinful lusts. As one Puritan put it, “Shall pardoned sins drive us from Him that pardons them?” p. 207
I’m only beginning to truly understand the pervasiveness of our hearts’ tendencies to idolatry. This problem is central to every battle against sin in the Christian life, but this book points toward the solution. Even on the days I am driven to despair over the sin and idolatry in my heart, beautiful, life-giving hope remains. And His name is Jesus.
“All the idolatry you have or will ever give into has already been atoned for by His shameful death on the cross. In Christ, the Father has no wrath left for you. Will the Father turn His back on you for your idolatry? No, never. Because He already deserted His Son in your place.” p. 18
“What do I long for so much that my heart clamors, “Give me this, or else I’ll die!” What must I have for life to be meaningful or happy? What enables me to lie down at night and know that, at my core, I’m really okay? If I answer that question with anything other than God Himself, then that’s what functions as a god for me.”
“True repentance involves a hatred for sin and a turning from it and from all self-salvation projects. As I look into my heart, I see that although I want to turn from my sin, frequently it’s not because I hate it. It’s usually because it’s embarrassing or troublesome. I long to develop a heart that burns with true repentance—and in order to do that I must plead with my Father to give me a genuine abhorrence of my sin. It’s only as I hate my sin that I’ll have the desire to fight it.” p. 201
“In this process of sanctification we’ll have to resist the desire to give up and feel overwhelmed or to despair when we see our sin. Recognize that it’s God’s kindness that brings us to repentance. If God has kindly shown us our sin, then His love is strong enough to transform us and hang on to us in spite of the fact that we seem to be such easy prey to sinful lusts. As one Puritan put it, “Shall pardoned sins drive us from Him that pardons them?” p. 207
July 11, 2022
More than just a book about Christian living, this is an in-depth study of how we in the modern day can so easily live in worship of other false idols and how to move from that to true and fulfilling Worship of our savior. It is very practical with real life examples, implementable application for life change and probing questions. The author also had a way of taking complex theological concepts, like positional/progressive sanctification and explaining them in a way that way easy to grasp. She centered all of her teachings and arguments around scripture and this book was chock-full of it.
Four stars because I don’t personally like when authors take biblical passages and add or or infer fictional elements to build a story. And the author did this before some of the chapters. Stick to the text.
Four stars because I don’t personally like when authors take biblical passages and add or or infer fictional elements to build a story. And the author did this before some of the chapters. Stick to the text.
July 19, 2021
Sin desperdicios.
El libro está dirigido a las mujeres, pero creo que los hombres también pueden leerlo sin problema. (Quizás no se identifiquen con algunos ejemplos) pero todo lo expuesto nos he de gran ayuda ya que todos tenemos luchas diarias contra el pecado.
Me encantó. Fui muy confrontada con la Verdad – par de lágrimas entre algunos capítulos.
extra:
Muy identificada con la historia de la autora y su amiga Jane, a raíz de eso me pude dar cuenta que me estaba pasando lo mismo con mi mejor amiga.
El libro está dirigido a las mujeres, pero creo que los hombres también pueden leerlo sin problema. (Quizás no se identifiquen con algunos ejemplos) pero todo lo expuesto nos he de gran ayuda ya que todos tenemos luchas diarias contra el pecado.
Me encantó. Fui muy confrontada con la Verdad – par de lágrimas entre algunos capítulos.
extra:
Muy identificada con la historia de la autora y su amiga Jane, a raíz de eso me pude dar cuenta que me estaba pasando lo mismo con mi mejor amiga.
February 21, 2014
This is a very good book. I took my time working through it because the material challenged me to take an honest look at myself and my relationship with God. I completed (in writing) all the questions at the end of the chapters which further challenged me. I heartily recommend "Idols of the Heart" for anyone who genuinely seeks to love God with their whole heart, mind and strength. You'll be challenged.
January 29, 2013
Idols of the Heart is not a riveting read, but it is very informative and has many useful takeaways. I don’t agree with every statement in the book, but it does a good enough job at tackling a topic that is convicting, and necessary.
March 22, 2013
One of the most convicting books (besides the Bible.) Mrs. Fitzpatrick uses Scripture, life experience, and many godly commentators to help anyone overcome an idol. Defiantly recommend this to all my family and friends!
June 4, 2015
Good concept and convicting, but there were times when I thought the author stayed surface level on an issue rather than going into the deep questions that I thought were obvious. Therefore many of the chapters ran together for me because it didn't seem that the author was saying anything new.
May 9, 2013
There are a lot of grammatical errors in this book. I think I would have appreciated it more if the book had been edited.
October 11, 2013
Excellent!
August 19, 2019
I read this book in a study/discussion format with others. For me at times I lose the whole of a book when I read it over such a spread out time so perhaps this would’ve been a 5 star read if I had read it in a different way. It also felt more conducive to personal study/reflection than group discussion.
That being said; Fitzpatrick gives practical ways to fight idolatry and the temptation to put other things, even good things, in the supreme place of Christ. The book was rich with scripture and used many Old Testament examples of how idols were either fed or crushed. The last chapter ended with love of Christ/delight in God being our antidote to idols. I would certainly recommend this book as it was easy to read, practical, and scriptural based.
That being said; Fitzpatrick gives practical ways to fight idolatry and the temptation to put other things, even good things, in the supreme place of Christ. The book was rich with scripture and used many Old Testament examples of how idols were either fed or crushed. The last chapter ended with love of Christ/delight in God being our antidote to idols. I would certainly recommend this book as it was easy to read, practical, and scriptural based.
November 10, 2020
A good but not great book addressing idolatry as the root of our sin struggles. Although the book's content is solid overall, the writing leaves something to be desired. The more I read, the more I thought Fitzpatrick was largely repeating herself and padding chapters. At times, her writing also lacked a logical flow, especially between points within chapters. Lastly, I thought Fitzpatrick tried too much to force certain Bible narratives to fit the arguments she wanted to make, as opposed to letting her arguments flow naturally out of what the Bible teaches.
April 9, 2024
Last few chapters were my favorites. Really hones in on how success in crushing our idols means our love for God must grow and supercede. It's not all about will power and discipline and strength. It's about loving God so much that other loves become dim in comparison.
"How can we possibly put off the worship of other gods if we are not wholly taken up with the worship of the true God? Our hearts are only weaned from our idols by the power of a stronger love, the power of the Father's love for us in the Gospel."
"How can we possibly put off the worship of other gods if we are not wholly taken up with the worship of the true God? Our hearts are only weaned from our idols by the power of a stronger love, the power of the Father's love for us in the Gospel."
June 30, 2024
You really need to read this one slowly and do the work of taking the message to heart. If you want to know how we can have idols that we worship over God then this book is worth the time. I want to listen again and take notes, so I can examine and come up with an action plan to overcome the idolatry. Listened to this one on Audible.
May 14, 2024
Gostei muito do livro, a autora mistura teoria e prática ao decorrer dos capítulos na quantidade certa.
O livro é muito edificante para todos aqueles que querem serem mais piedoso diante de qualquer pecado, visto que todos os pecados decorrem de um ídolo.
O livro é muito edificante para todos aqueles que querem serem mais piedoso diante de qualquer pecado, visto que todos os pecados decorrem de um ídolo.
January 25, 2022
Highly recommend this book! Deals with the heart and where our desires are disordered.
Listened on audible through the membership (probably is on Libby, too). Will reread!
4.75/5 stars 🌟
Listened on audible through the membership (probably is on Libby, too). Will reread!
4.75/5 stars 🌟
January 17, 2023
Realmente este libro me hizo meditar en los ídolos de mi corazón. Lo recomiendo bastante, tiene un contenido bíblico y centrado en el evangelio.
November 3, 2022
Great book with many thought provoking questions and topics discussed.
May 11, 2021
So yikes,
I’m never trusting, the person that recommended, this book to me again.
So this book is problematic. To put it mildly, The author essentially, wants you to have a codependent relationship with the church. anything else is not godly enough.
everything, and I mean everything. Hass to be put behind the church, going to church and being involved in church.
according to this author, church, God. should be your only thing in life that matters to you. this is not healthy or sustainable, for the average person.
Quite frankly the level of religious fanaticism. in here is more than people, that Live religious lives, typically show.
You are terrified, you’re not doing well in school and you want to do make up work that’s an idol.
you’re struggling, with a mental health issue, that because you’re in recovery is your so focus. that according to the author is an idol.
I think that this narrative, can be helpful. to an extent and then it just becomes, toxic after that point. this book has, hit that.
Additionally this book is exceptionally boring. Like I read it on twice speed as an audiobook. I could not get through it fast enough.
Not in a good way.
It is obvious to me though, that the author did do serious academic research.
Their dozens of footnotes, cited properly, to actual sources which is really nice to see you in the Christian women’s self-help book world.
Actually just really nice to see Pointblank..
and the author does make some good points, points about how life isn’t going to go according to plan and that’s OK.
But it’s wrapped up in this message of if you are not giving everything and I mean everything to the church you are not good enough. that is a toxic dangerous message
anyWho I didn’t really like it if you wanna read it go for it
I’m never trusting, the person that recommended, this book to me again.
So this book is problematic. To put it mildly, The author essentially, wants you to have a codependent relationship with the church. anything else is not godly enough.
everything, and I mean everything. Hass to be put behind the church, going to church and being involved in church.
according to this author, church, God. should be your only thing in life that matters to you. this is not healthy or sustainable, for the average person.
Quite frankly the level of religious fanaticism. in here is more than people, that Live religious lives, typically show.
You are terrified, you’re not doing well in school and you want to do make up work that’s an idol.
you’re struggling, with a mental health issue, that because you’re in recovery is your so focus. that according to the author is an idol.
I think that this narrative, can be helpful. to an extent and then it just becomes, toxic after that point. this book has, hit that.
Additionally this book is exceptionally boring. Like I read it on twice speed as an audiobook. I could not get through it fast enough.
Not in a good way.
It is obvious to me though, that the author did do serious academic research.
Their dozens of footnotes, cited properly, to actual sources which is really nice to see you in the Christian women’s self-help book world.
Actually just really nice to see Pointblank..
and the author does make some good points, points about how life isn’t going to go according to plan and that’s OK.
But it’s wrapped up in this message of if you are not giving everything and I mean everything to the church you are not good enough. that is a toxic dangerous message
anyWho I didn’t really like it if you wanna read it go for it
February 7, 2016
I've read a few of Elyse Fitzpatrick's books now and when I saw that she was updating one I had NOT previously read I willingly volunteered to read an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) of the new version.
Idolatry continues to be a key challenge for believers. Anything that limits our love for God is an idol and from her years counselling people and in her own life Fitzpatrick is able to see how idols can take root in our hearts and weave their way through our everyday thoughts and actions.
For many of us we are aware of idols in our life but we can tend to either downplay their significance or attempt to kill them off ourselves. With tremendous Biblical teaching Fitzpatrick outlines how critical it is to be dealing with our idols but also letting the Holy Spirit manage the process.
What I particularly appreciated about this book is how practical it is. Fitzpatrick provides a step-by-step process for identifying potential idols in your life and provides herself as an example to demonstrate the process. Further, she outlines how to deal with them via prayer, repentance, and practical obedience.
For many of us we believe we can kill sin in our life through willpower or self-discipline and in the excellent Chapter 9, Fitzpatrick explains that fundamentally habitual sin is a heart problem. Our desires are fallen. The enemy who prowls around us all day every day uses those desires to tempt us to sin. Hence, we can only kill off sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was able to fend off Satan in the wilderness because from the very beginning of His life His desire was always to please the Father.
The book ends with a powerful Chapter on deepening our love and reverence for God. Like Jesus, if our desires are increasingly refocused to pleasing the Father dealing with temptations when they strike will get easier.
I highly recommend this book. Each chapter ends with "Further Thought Questions" which help you digest the content and apply it to yourself. In addition, the publisher provides a study guide (PDF) on their website which I'm planning to use when I give the book a second reading.
As I mentioned above I was provided with an ARC by the publisher but was in no way influenced to provide a positive review.
Idolatry continues to be a key challenge for believers. Anything that limits our love for God is an idol and from her years counselling people and in her own life Fitzpatrick is able to see how idols can take root in our hearts and weave their way through our everyday thoughts and actions.
For many of us we are aware of idols in our life but we can tend to either downplay their significance or attempt to kill them off ourselves. With tremendous Biblical teaching Fitzpatrick outlines how critical it is to be dealing with our idols but also letting the Holy Spirit manage the process.
What I particularly appreciated about this book is how practical it is. Fitzpatrick provides a step-by-step process for identifying potential idols in your life and provides herself as an example to demonstrate the process. Further, she outlines how to deal with them via prayer, repentance, and practical obedience.
For many of us we believe we can kill sin in our life through willpower or self-discipline and in the excellent Chapter 9, Fitzpatrick explains that fundamentally habitual sin is a heart problem. Our desires are fallen. The enemy who prowls around us all day every day uses those desires to tempt us to sin. Hence, we can only kill off sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was able to fend off Satan in the wilderness because from the very beginning of His life His desire was always to please the Father.
The book ends with a powerful Chapter on deepening our love and reverence for God. Like Jesus, if our desires are increasingly refocused to pleasing the Father dealing with temptations when they strike will get easier.
I highly recommend this book. Each chapter ends with "Further Thought Questions" which help you digest the content and apply it to yourself. In addition, the publisher provides a study guide (PDF) on their website which I'm planning to use when I give the book a second reading.
As I mentioned above I was provided with an ARC by the publisher but was in no way influenced to provide a positive review.
December 26, 2012
MY REVIEW:
With simple clarity, Idols of the Heart explains how we can put anything - sinful or not - as an item of worship in our life, therefore becoming a carved wooden idol of our heart. Fitzpatrick shows how all of our sins can be followed back to a choice to put our own desire ahead of God's will for our life. She not only explains this in terms that anyone can understand, but also give illustrations and practical questions to walk you through applying this knowledge to your own heart. This book is 12 chapters - less than 191 pages - of Scripture explained and applied for Learning to Long for God alone. There are also 3 appendix that will give you helpful charts to put into action what you have learned in reading this book.
Do you struggle with "average" sins? Do you have one or two sins in your life that you just can't overcome? Do you want to long for God...and Him alone? What do you think you need to be happy? All of these questions are answered in the pages of this cream covered volume.
I personally loved this book and it will find it's home on my bookshelf of favorites. It truly helped me to understand my feelings and emotions and how God created them to bless my life, not tempt me to sin. I also learned a lot about how to change the way I think about things as the start of changing my actions. While this book had great personal impact, it also was a huge blessing to my parenting "skills" and also as I speak truth into the lives of others. I can not recommend this book high enough! This is as close to a "must read" as a book can come and an important aid in understanding your heart, mind, and thinking.
With simple clarity, Idols of the Heart explains how we can put anything - sinful or not - as an item of worship in our life, therefore becoming a carved wooden idol of our heart. Fitzpatrick shows how all of our sins can be followed back to a choice to put our own desire ahead of God's will for our life. She not only explains this in terms that anyone can understand, but also give illustrations and practical questions to walk you through applying this knowledge to your own heart. This book is 12 chapters - less than 191 pages - of Scripture explained and applied for Learning to Long for God alone. There are also 3 appendix that will give you helpful charts to put into action what you have learned in reading this book.
Do you struggle with "average" sins? Do you have one or two sins in your life that you just can't overcome? Do you want to long for God...and Him alone? What do you think you need to be happy? All of these questions are answered in the pages of this cream covered volume.
I personally loved this book and it will find it's home on my bookshelf of favorites. It truly helped me to understand my feelings and emotions and how God created them to bless my life, not tempt me to sin. I also learned a lot about how to change the way I think about things as the start of changing my actions. While this book had great personal impact, it also was a huge blessing to my parenting "skills" and also as I speak truth into the lives of others. I can not recommend this book high enough! This is as close to a "must read" as a book can come and an important aid in understanding your heart, mind, and thinking.
May 30, 2016
Calvin has said that the human heart is an idol making factory. In the latest edition of Idols of the Heart Elyse Fitzpatrick draws explores the biblical teaching regarding idolatry and the remedy for it.
Elyse traces the patterns of idolatry found in Scripture in the New and Old Testaments. She clearly demonstrates that idolatry is a heart issue more than it is an issue of external actions. She provides clear and probing questions to help any reader to discern what their idols are, what serves as their functional god. This book is not gender specific, Fitzpatrick’s book is relevant to anyone who must be on guard against idolatry, which is everyone.
This book makes clear that what is needed is not just a change of behavior but a change of heart brought about by the Holy Spirit. In seeking to arm the believer in their fight against idolatry Fitzpatrick makes clear that the goal isn’t simply to put away idolatry but to bring into the heart a true delight and joy in God above all else. We can’t truly take joy and exalt God when idols have a place in our heart be they job, possessions, or people they will prevent us from having true joy in God.
This book should be on the shelf of every pastor, every counselor, well really every believer would and should benefit from this book.
Disclosure: I received this book free from from the publisher for providing this review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
Elyse traces the patterns of idolatry found in Scripture in the New and Old Testaments. She clearly demonstrates that idolatry is a heart issue more than it is an issue of external actions. She provides clear and probing questions to help any reader to discern what their idols are, what serves as their functional god. This book is not gender specific, Fitzpatrick’s book is relevant to anyone who must be on guard against idolatry, which is everyone.
This book makes clear that what is needed is not just a change of behavior but a change of heart brought about by the Holy Spirit. In seeking to arm the believer in their fight against idolatry Fitzpatrick makes clear that the goal isn’t simply to put away idolatry but to bring into the heart a true delight and joy in God above all else. We can’t truly take joy and exalt God when idols have a place in our heart be they job, possessions, or people they will prevent us from having true joy in God.
This book should be on the shelf of every pastor, every counselor, well really every believer would and should benefit from this book.
Disclosure: I received this book free from from the publisher for providing this review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
May 8, 2018
Elyse wrote an amazing work that exposes mankind's hopeless predicament of idolatry: their hearts want to worship everything in creation above the Creator in Christ Jesus! Thus, the source of all mankind’s frustrations lies in the truth that we as creation do not have a default setting that operates in submission to the sovereign, loving, and benevolent rule of their Creator for optimal performance and enjoyment of life. Thankfully what is hopeless in the power of man, is possible with God through Christ Jesus. Elyse wrote, "The law shows how much I desperately need Christ's perfect record applied to mine.” Elyse elaborates that not only does Christ’s life, death, and resurrection set our idolatrous hearts free from the wrath of God by paying our sin’s debt but Christ also empowers our hearts to freely fight the temptation of idolatry with a promise of progressive victory until the day Christ perfects our hearts at His second coming. Elyse provides rich biblical truths and practical guides to expose and kill the current and future heart idols. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all Christians so they can be sobered by the truth that they still have within the old man flesh idolatrous hearts but as Christians have been given everything they need for life and godliness so they can give their flesh a daily killing by vivifying the new man’s heart in Christ!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews