Category: Gospel-Driven
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3 Lane Escape from Moralism
I am thankful to Joe Thorn for concisely clarifying an issue that I believe confounds many well intentioned Christians. The problem addressed is the confusion of moralism with the gospel. In many case moralism is an attempt to take seriously both God and the Christian faith. Nevertheless, moralism is off track. In a post titled…
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Get the Gospel Right
If pressed for a quick summary of my philosophy of ministry, I would probably express it something like this: Get the Gospel Right Get the Gospel Out Get the Gospel Out Right Without a message there is no mission. Unfortunately, it seems, many are so zealous to get about the mission that they make little…
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Celebrating Gospel-Centeredness
A good article by Trevin Wax illustrating the importance of, not only Gospel-centeredness but, Gospel Celebration. Wax asserts: “What you celebrate as a Church is just as important as what you believe.” I am not sure I fully agree with that statement, but I do see how what is celebrated practically shapes the church, and…
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What’s Love?
In this short video Paul Tripp challenges the common conception of our culture concerning love. He rightly roots genuine love in one historic event. That event is both our model and our motive for love.
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95 Theses for the American Church
Just as Martin Luther offered some suggestions for the Church of his time in Germany, Jared Wilson has some ideas for us to consider. On his blog: The Gospel-Driven Church, Jared has posted 95 Theses for the American Church. Theses 1-19 – Discipleship Theses 20-38 – Community Theses 39-57 – The Church Theses 58-76 – The Pastorate …
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Never Exchange the Pulpit
With all the hubub that has surrounded Glen Beck and his aspiration to ascend to top of the Religious Right leadership, I was encouraged by an open letter written by Nancy Guthrie to the pastors of her church. Guthrie states that what has concerned her more than the fact that Beck is a Morman…
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Gospel-Centered Church
Gospel-centeredness is a vital strategic principle for ministry in the 21st (and the 1st!) century. I do not simply mean by ‘gospel-centered’ that ministry is to be doctrinally orthodox. Of course it must certainly be that. I am speaking more specifically. (1.) The gospel is “I am accepted through Christ, therefore I obey” while every other…
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Benefitting in the Benefactor
Sinclair Ferguson offers this wise insight about the gospel-centered life: “…we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ). The Christians who are most focused on their own spirituality may give the impression of being the most spiritual … but from the New Testament’s point of view, those who have…
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Scandalous Freedom
In his book A Scandalous Freedom, Steve Brown provocatively writes: They lied to you about being a Christian. When you first “joined the club,” they promised you’d be set free. But let’s get honest, you’re not free. In fact, you’re religious, afraid, guilty, and bound. What’s worse, now that you’ve been in the club…
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Gospel Discipling: Gospel & Evangelism
Another area of major concern within the evangelical church today is the ineffectiveness of much evangelistic effort – when it is undertaken at all. I think one key element in this ineffectiveness is the mindset evangelicals have established that concludes that the unbeliever needs an entirely different message from the believer. When there is a recognition…
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Gospel Discipling: Gospel & Renewal
Not only is Gospel discipling the very heart of discipleship within churches, it is also the critical issue in the matter of renewal or revival in the church at large. Dr. Richard Lovelace, in his modern classic work Dynamics of Spiritual Life, asks why the Church must think in terms of what he calls “cyclical…
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Gospel Discipling: Gospel & Adoption
World Harvest Mission was founded in 1983 under the leadership of Dr. C. John (Jack) Miller. Dr. Miller’s ministry had been revolutionized by his own rediscovery of the Gospel through studies in Galatians and the work of Martin Luther, and the results of that revolution became evident in multiple conversions in his church and subsequent interest…
