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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
i like J.D. the book was mostly anecdotes and points he has made at the summit church within the past two years, but it's a good reminder. enjoyed it.
The Gospel has transforming power for all of the Christian life. This book is really practical as the author talks about how he has seen the gospel bring change to many areas that Jesus wants to set apart for himself.
I thought this book was just what I needed. It's primary focus is on the gospel. Most people think we must DO something for approval from God, when in reality we must BELIEVE in the gospel and everything else will follow.
J D Greear has a quote in this book that I really held on to...
"You might never really know Jesus is all that you need until He is all that you have."
And one by Charles Spurgeon...
"How could those of us who have known Jesus and failed to take Him to those who have not heard, possibly be saved?"
How powerful is that last quote?! Reading this book really caused me to look at my life and question whether it is a reflection of Jesus.
J D Greear has a quote in this book that I really held on to...
"You might never really know Jesus is all that you need until He is all that you have."
And one by Charles Spurgeon...
"How could those of us who have known Jesus and failed to take Him to those who have not heard, possibly be saved?"
How powerful is that last quote?! Reading this book really caused me to look at my life and question whether it is a reflection of Jesus.
Overall, this is a great overview of the Christian faith. I didn't feel like it contained any groundbreaking or new information, but it was well organized and serves as a useful reminder of what made Christianity such a world altering movement to begin with.
Excellent book...one that I will likely buy a paper copy of to lend out to friends.
Like a fine wine. It got better the longer it went. JD's discussion around the practical implications of "gospel-centredness" was excellent.
Given the book's premise, I was eager to read it and wanted to really like it. Mostly I did with only a couple of complaints. First, this book is very practical and that is both good and bad. The point was to be practical and that was good, but at times the reader would have been better served by going a little deeper into the text of Scripture and providing solid foundation for the practical application. Second, some of the jokes and cultural references felt a little forced and distracting. This is mostly a stylistic issue that just didn't work well for me. The aim of the book would have been better served without them.
So much for the grumpy Trueman-esque critique, let's get to what was good about Greear's book. The assertion that the Gospel is lost to many today is insightful. My experience concurs with the missionary observation that we are not dealing with Gospel hardness but rather Gospel ignorance today. That almost seems impossible. To talk about the Gospel and use terms such as Gospel-centered is trendy right now. Just look at the Christian books being published and major conferences being held where Gospel is almost always in the title. It seems we are saturated with the Gospel. Talking about the Gospel and knowing, understanding, and preaching the Gospel are not the same things. Greear acknowledges and deals with this well.
This book is not just a word to broader Christendom though. Greear has much to say to the individual Christian and our ongoing need for the Gospel. Greear's Gospel prayer at first seemed formulaic and potentially kitschy, but as he goes through the phrases and explains them in terms of the Gospel, it is quite helpful. Whether you actually use it as a prayer or not, it will help you think about the Gospel practically.
So much for the grumpy Trueman-esque critique, let's get to what was good about Greear's book. The assertion that the Gospel is lost to many today is insightful. My experience concurs with the missionary observation that we are not dealing with Gospel hardness but rather Gospel ignorance today. That almost seems impossible. To talk about the Gospel and use terms such as Gospel-centered is trendy right now. Just look at the Christian books being published and major conferences being held where Gospel is almost always in the title. It seems we are saturated with the Gospel. Talking about the Gospel and knowing, understanding, and preaching the Gospel are not the same things. Greear acknowledges and deals with this well.
This book is not just a word to broader Christendom though. Greear has much to say to the individual Christian and our ongoing need for the Gospel. Greear's Gospel prayer at first seemed formulaic and potentially kitschy, but as he goes through the phrases and explains them in terms of the Gospel, it is quite helpful. Whether you actually use it as a prayer or not, it will help you think about the Gospel practically.
Not a perfect book - but very very good. The theology in this book could be described as basic - but, as the author explains, Christians will never get tired of hearing the gospel. I will definitely be reading this again to remind me of the greatest gift I have been given
an important point: the gospel provides the power for our hearts to change, and maturing as a Christian means growing deeper in the gospel rather than going beyond it. don't confuse the secondary things (social justice, evangelism, obedience) with the primary thing (to love God), but those secondary things should naturally flow from the primary.