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Passionate Pursuit: Getting to Know God and His Word
Discover the Heart of God
Are these statements mere clichés? Or do they point to a truth that is so profound it should be the main focus of our life?
The mighty God of the universe is also your heavenly Father who loves you deeply. He understands you inside and out, and He desires for you to know Him personally, too. Author James W. Goll joyfully guides you past the clichés and into the spiritual reality of knowing God’s heart through an intentional, ongoing relationship with Him.
Passionate Pursuit shows you how to open your heart to encounter the living Lord. As your discovery of God unfolds, and your relationship with Him deepens, you will be surprised and delighted to hear His voice, to learn from Him—and to touch His heart. You will be filled with the life of God, and you will always desire to come back for more. In the process, you will gradually be transformed to become like Him and to reflect His image to others.
Are these statements mere clichés? Or do they point to a truth that is so profound it should be the main focus of our life?
The mighty God of the universe is also your heavenly Father who loves you deeply. He understands you inside and out, and He desires for you to know Him personally, too. Author James W. Goll joyfully guides you past the clichés and into the spiritual reality of knowing God’s heart through an intentional, ongoing relationship with Him.
Passionate Pursuit shows you how to open your heart to encounter the living Lord. As your discovery of God unfolds, and your relationship with Him deepens, you will be surprised and delighted to hear His voice, to learn from Him—and to touch His heart. You will be filled with the life of God, and you will always desire to come back for more. In the process, you will gradually be transformed to become like Him and to reflect His image to others.
- GenresChristian
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2015
12 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
James W. Goll
279 books135 followersJames W. Goll, formerly known as Jim Goll, is the Director of Prayer Storm (founded 2009), Coordinator of Encounters Alliance, and author.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 6, 2015
Deb’s Dozen: To know God, we must understand the Trinity and know His Word.
In these days of feel good Christianity and many churches’ desires to ensure the people in the pews are “comfortable,” James Goll’s book, Passionate Pursuit: Getting to Know God and His Word is as a fresh breeze. Goll wrote the book because he believes the fundamental teachings of the faith are not emphasized enough by the Church today. He feels we greatly underappreciate God, the Great I AM; the Son, the human incarnation of God; and the Spirit, the active part of God who brings us to Him. The book is divided into two sections—the first about the Trinity—and how we know God by our understanding of the Trinity. The second section show us how to know God through His Word, the Holy Bible.
The first section, about the Trinity, shows us how deeply God desires a relationship with us and that in turn, our greatest blessings come the more we know about God and His nature. Only if we truly understand God can we truly understand the relationship we have with Him through Jesus Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We have to be intentional about seeking to know Him more deeply. “After all, God said, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ He didn’t say, I am the God who ‘was’ or I am the God who ‘will be.'” The more we study and learn, the more we can experience His love. Topics Goll covers in Section One are those such as “God as Our Personal Father,” “God’s Amazing Attributes,” “The Messiah Has Come!” and “Holy Spirit, You are Welcome Here.” James’ desire is to show us “Here is the God who created the universe, and yet He is relational. He already knows you inside and out, and He wants you to know Him. He wants us all to know His heart.”
Section Two covers “Knowing the Master Builder,” “Hungry for His Every Word,” and “The Uniqueness of God’s Word” among others. He begins this section with this statement:
He states that “knowing God is not automatic; it is a lifelong process that required dedication to the task. It is a lost art, and I have dedicated my life to bring it back to the people of God.” He encourages us to be more like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and less like Martha—we’re to “get out of the kitchen” and into the life and love He has for us.
If you are interested in growing deeper in your Christian walk, you’ll want to read Passionate Pursuit. James Goll brings to our remembrance or, perhaps, first knowledge, the Awesomeness of Almighty God and the power and privilege of His Word. Although you may find the Scriptures quoted within familiar, I trust they will also positively impact your desire to grow closer to God. I would rate this book five stars due to the importance of the Christian’s knowing intimately the material contained within.
Passionate Pursuit consists of teachings about God backed up by the appropriate Scriptures. Goll told me the book came into being over twelve years of discovering God and His nature—he taught these things in a class. He is concerned the plethora of writings today are all about helping people and not about teaching them to grow in knowledge of the supernatural—they’re more about today’s culture. He feels they teach God “stuff” but are not about teaching God.
In an effort to reaffirm his beliefs, he went back to look at the “classics” of Christian literature to see what had been said. He came under conviction that we need to center on God the Father, Jesus Christ the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit. He wants us to remember and deeply know “The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are love personified. This is the Godhead.”
I asked James what he learned about himself during the writing of this book. He said he started with the goal of “helping people think” He says as he began to teach this class (and write the book), he had to go back and ask, “What do I really believe myself?” He told me the writing helped him truly anchor his own soul to the truths of God and Scripture.
He studied at Central Missouri State and was valedictorian in 1970. He was on scholarship and enjoyed singing (bass and baritone). After a Bachelor’s in Social Work at Wesley Catholic Center in St, Joseph, he thought he’d work in biological research. However, his uncle, a Methodist minister spent much time conversing with him. His uncle was a church person who had “died to credentials before me.” James said, “I got saved from living a successful sinning life.
James has written more than thirty books—largely because books were his mentors and he wanted to be a mentor to others. He has a doctorate in Practical Ministry (2007) from and has worked for the Wagner Leadership Institute. He is the founder of the God Encounters Training E-School of the Heart—“where faith and life meet.” After serving in the pastorate in the Midwest, “he was thrust into the role of international itinerant teacher and trainer and has traveled extensively in over fifty nations.”
What did I learn about James from our interview? He has a great sense of humor, a wonderful speaking voice, and considers himself a “hipster.” He was a singer before he was a preacher and still sings every morning and evening.
He says his greatest quest is to leave a shadow. One can only cast a shadow when standing in the light. Believe me, James Goll is standing in the light! For more information about James and his ministry, go to
In these days of feel good Christianity and many churches’ desires to ensure the people in the pews are “comfortable,” James Goll’s book, Passionate Pursuit: Getting to Know God and His Word is as a fresh breeze. Goll wrote the book because he believes the fundamental teachings of the faith are not emphasized enough by the Church today. He feels we greatly underappreciate God, the Great I AM; the Son, the human incarnation of God; and the Spirit, the active part of God who brings us to Him. The book is divided into two sections—the first about the Trinity—and how we know God by our understanding of the Trinity. The second section show us how to know God through His Word, the Holy Bible.
The first section, about the Trinity, shows us how deeply God desires a relationship with us and that in turn, our greatest blessings come the more we know about God and His nature. Only if we truly understand God can we truly understand the relationship we have with Him through Jesus Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We have to be intentional about seeking to know Him more deeply. “After all, God said, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ He didn’t say, I am the God who ‘was’ or I am the God who ‘will be.'” The more we study and learn, the more we can experience His love. Topics Goll covers in Section One are those such as “God as Our Personal Father,” “God’s Amazing Attributes,” “The Messiah Has Come!” and “Holy Spirit, You are Welcome Here.” James’ desire is to show us “Here is the God who created the universe, and yet He is relational. He already knows you inside and out, and He wants you to know Him. He wants us all to know His heart.”
Section Two covers “Knowing the Master Builder,” “Hungry for His Every Word,” and “The Uniqueness of God’s Word” among others. He begins this section with this statement:
If you want to know God’s heart, then you must know His Word, where His nature and character are revealed. The Word speaks to you directly with His voice … and “God’s words, as revealed in the Scriptures, are trustworthy. God’s authoritative Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This Word takes the ‘warp’ out of our lives and sets us on the straight path. The Word is consistent and powerful, pulling down negative strongholds and making us complete in Him.
He states that “knowing God is not automatic; it is a lifelong process that required dedication to the task. It is a lost art, and I have dedicated my life to bring it back to the people of God.” He encourages us to be more like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and less like Martha—we’re to “get out of the kitchen” and into the life and love He has for us.
If you are interested in growing deeper in your Christian walk, you’ll want to read Passionate Pursuit. James Goll brings to our remembrance or, perhaps, first knowledge, the Awesomeness of Almighty God and the power and privilege of His Word. Although you may find the Scriptures quoted within familiar, I trust they will also positively impact your desire to grow closer to God. I would rate this book five stars due to the importance of the Christian’s knowing intimately the material contained within.
Passionate Pursuit consists of teachings about God backed up by the appropriate Scriptures. Goll told me the book came into being over twelve years of discovering God and His nature—he taught these things in a class. He is concerned the plethora of writings today are all about helping people and not about teaching them to grow in knowledge of the supernatural—they’re more about today’s culture. He feels they teach God “stuff” but are not about teaching God.
In an effort to reaffirm his beliefs, he went back to look at the “classics” of Christian literature to see what had been said. He came under conviction that we need to center on God the Father, Jesus Christ the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit. He wants us to remember and deeply know “The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are love personified. This is the Godhead.”
I asked James what he learned about himself during the writing of this book. He said he started with the goal of “helping people think” He says as he began to teach this class (and write the book), he had to go back and ask, “What do I really believe myself?” He told me the writing helped him truly anchor his own soul to the truths of God and Scripture.
He studied at Central Missouri State and was valedictorian in 1970. He was on scholarship and enjoyed singing (bass and baritone). After a Bachelor’s in Social Work at Wesley Catholic Center in St, Joseph, he thought he’d work in biological research. However, his uncle, a Methodist minister spent much time conversing with him. His uncle was a church person who had “died to credentials before me.” James said, “I got saved from living a successful sinning life.
James has written more than thirty books—largely because books were his mentors and he wanted to be a mentor to others. He has a doctorate in Practical Ministry (2007) from and has worked for the Wagner Leadership Institute. He is the founder of the God Encounters Training E-School of the Heart—“where faith and life meet.” After serving in the pastorate in the Midwest, “he was thrust into the role of international itinerant teacher and trainer and has traveled extensively in over fifty nations.”
What did I learn about James from our interview? He has a great sense of humor, a wonderful speaking voice, and considers himself a “hipster.” He was a singer before he was a preacher and still sings every morning and evening.
He says his greatest quest is to leave a shadow. One can only cast a shadow when standing in the light. Believe me, James Goll is standing in the light! For more information about James and his ministry, go to
March 19, 2020
This book gives you exactly what you expect it to and more. The title is Passionate Pursuit: Getting to Know God and His Word and it did just that. I feel more in awe of God’s plans after discovering how intricate His word is and how no detail is overlooked. Each prophecy was fulfilled to a T, and His nature was really revealed to me through the scriptures that James Goll referenced.
Goll writes in such a friendly, loving, and convincing way. It made me feel like I was talking to a friend who had just discovered the cure to cancer. His tone was so passionate as he talked about our Father in Heaven. It made me want to know more about God too!
A must-read for all believers who want to be reminded of who God is.
Goll writes in such a friendly, loving, and convincing way. It made me feel like I was talking to a friend who had just discovered the cure to cancer. His tone was so passionate as he talked about our Father in Heaven. It made me want to know more about God too!
A must-read for all believers who want to be reminded of who God is.
December 24, 2022
I'm quite surprise for the author to write a book on theology proper. It's not a deep explanation or exegesis, but quite good for ordinary people who wants to know who is God and what He revealed through the Bible about Himself.
May 30, 2017
This is a lovely book with several soul-warming messages. A very nice companion book for anyone exploring their spirituality.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
December 12, 2015
Passionate Pursuit, by James W. Goll, is my one hundred and twentieth book that I have received and read from 카지노싸이트. I really enjoyed reading and learning more about God and how much love he has for us. This book helps get you familiar with the father, son, and the Holy Spirit, through his Word. This book helps teach us that more that we learn about God through his Word, the better we will come to understand him and come to know him. This book will make a great reference source to go back to when reading your bible. I would like to thank the author for helping make the bible a little bit easier to understand, and for getting me to want to take more time to spend studying Gods Word.
May 27, 2015
Passionate Pursuit was sent to me through the Good-Reads program for free. No request was made for a review.
I loved this book. It is very extensive and gives excellent references to the Biblical locations of the passages, though many of them are direct quotes. Depends on the version of your Bible. Start at the beginning and work your way through this book and you will find your closeness to God and His Word increases profoundly. I will keep this and read and study with it over and over. It speaks to me in a very positive way. James W. Goll is an excellent teacher. You won't regret studying his work.
I loved this book. It is very extensive and gives excellent references to the Biblical locations of the passages, though many of them are direct quotes. Depends on the version of your Bible. Start at the beginning and work your way through this book and you will find your closeness to God and His Word increases profoundly. I will keep this and read and study with it over and over. It speaks to me in a very positive way. James W. Goll is an excellent teacher. You won't regret studying his work.
October 9, 2019
Un libro básico de teología que presenta quien es Dios y la Palabra de Dios.
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