In many ways, sacrifice is a prerequisite for obeying the Great Commission. When we examine the lives of ""missionary heroes,"" we immediately notice their willingness to sacrifice comforts that contemporary believers consider necessities. One of these areas of sacrifice was in their love lives. In different ways, the three missionaries discussed in this book willingly gave up the opportunity of ""true love"" for the sake of advancing the gospel into unengaged areas. Embracing Christ's command to ""deny oneself"" (Luke 9:23), these believers gave up the chance of earthly happiness for the sake of heavenly reward. ""Christian mission is a divinely initiated encounter. However, God's people in the story of mission are still human: flawed and faithful, broken and heroic. In his narrative of well-known missionary 'heroes, ' Will Brooks captures some of this humanity by probing into their love lives, particularly love sacrificed for the call of mission. This book contributes well to our grasp of the story of mission."" --Edward L. Smither, Columbia International University ""To serve Christ in cross-cultural missions, one must 'count the costs.' Sadly, too many people are surprised and unprepared to sacrifice the dream of living 'happily ever after' in marriage. This is why Love Lost for the Cause of Christ is unlike any other book about missions I've read. It offers a refreshing and personal look at three missionary giants who struggled to know whether God called them to both missions and marriage. Brooks gives us a readable and relevant study that will help countless people for many years to come."" --Jackson Wu, M&C Book Reviews Editor, Themelios ""Love Lost for the Cause of Christ is a book well deserving our careful reading. It will inspire and motivate folks today to consider the paths others have trod and who have made a difference in the Kingdom of God in doing so. May this give the current generation One Magnificent Obsession."" --Keith Eitel, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ""Will and I talked about this book long before he wrote it, and I knew its contents before I read it. Consequently, I was caught off guard not only by how much this book taught me, but even more by how much this book moved me. I've lost sleep asking how I might follow in the steps of Will's missionary heroes to evangelize the nations. Be warned: this simple book will challenge you."" --Chuck Lawless, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary William P. Brooks teaches Missiology and New Testament at a seminary in Asia. He earned a BS from Virginia Tech and an MDiv and PhD from Southern Seminary.
