Tag: chart

The Gospel Grid: Living the Gospel-Centered Life

~ Bob Hayton

Last night we just started going through The Gospel-Centered Life by Bob Thune and Will Walker (New Growth Press & World Harvest Mission, 2011) in the college-aged small group at our church. I was struck once again at the beautiful way this curriculum describes living the Gospel-Centered Life.

I’m going to provide an excerpt here from the first lesson (the entire first lesson is available as a sample .pdf), along with the graphic you see to the right. How are we doing on making the Gospel grow in significance to us? I find these thoughts both liberating and challenging.

Many Christians live with a truncated view of the gospel. We see the gospel as the “door,” the way in, the entrance point into God’s kingdom. But the gospel is so much more! It is not just the door, but the path we are to walk every day of the Christian life. It is not just the means of our salvation, but the means of our transformation. It is not simply deliverance from sin’s penalty, but release from sin’s power. The gospel is what makes us right with God (justification) and it is also what frees us to delight in God (sanctification). The gospel changes everything!

The following model [see image above] has been helpful to many people in thinking about the gospel and its implications. This diagram does not say everything that could be said about the gospel, but it does serve as a helpful visual illustration of how the gospel works.

The starting point of the Christian life (conversion) comes when I first become aware of the gap between God’s holiness and my sinfulness. When I am converted, I trust and hope in Jesus, who has done what I could never do: He has bridged the gap between my sinfulness and God’s holiness. He has taken God’s holy wrath toward my sin upon himself.

At the point of conversion, however, I have a very limited view of God’s holiness and of my sin. The more I grow in my Christian life, the more I grow in my awareness of God’s holiness and of my flesh and sinfulness. As I read the Bible, experience the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and live in community with other people, the extent of God’s greatness and the extent of my sin become increasingly clear and vivid. It is not that God is becoming more holy or that I am becoming more sinful. But my awareness of both is growing. I am increasingly seeing God as He actually is (Isa. 55:8–9) and myself as I actually am (Jer. 17:9–10).

As my understanding of my sin and of God’s holiness grows, something else also grows: my appreciation and love for Jesus. His mediation, His sacrifice, His righteousness, and His gracious work on my behalf become increasingly sweet and powerful to me. The cross looms larger and more central in my life as I rejoice in the Savior who died upon it.

–Excerpted from the sample copy of Lesson One from The Gospel Centered Life.

Learn more about The Gospel Centered Life at World Harvest Mission’s product detail page. You can purchase a the curriculum at the links below.

Leader’s Guide: Westminster Bookstore, ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from World Harvest Mission or New Growth Press.

Participant’s Guide: Westminster Bookstore, ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from World Harvest Mission or New Growth Press.

Help for the Bible Translation Overload

~ Bob Hayton ~ 7 Comments

Charts like the one above highlight the problem that the abundance of Bible translations poses today. Sometimes, the plethora of available Bible translations on the bookstore shelf is overwhelming. How are we to make sense of the different options available? Which version should we use? And who is to say that this chart or others are correct? [This one is actually slightly biased as it is put out by the makers of the NIV and TNIV (which occupy the coveted “balanced” position). It also doesn’t include the ESV or HCSB, but that is because the chart is outdated.]

Well, over at my team KJV Only Debate Blog, Erik DiVietro has given us a 5 part series describing the various major Bible translations available today. This might make for some good weekend reading, so I thought I’d share it here. I felt he did a great job explaining and categorizing the various Bibles. He like myself, gravitates toward the ESV as his preferred Bible. Other good options are available, but it helps to learn the background of the various selections out there.

I Will Glory in My Redeemer by Steve & Vikki Cook

~ fundyreformed ~ 5 Comments

I recommend many modern hymns & contemporary songs for corporate worship. While the old hymns are certainly grand, the new songs God is giving to the church, are worthy of respect too.

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This song is very stirring. It directs one’s heart to Christ. He is our Righteousness and He secures our right standing with God! He is also the one we long to forever behold.

I hope this song makes you lift up your heart in worship to our Savior Jesus Christ. Discovering this song, has done that for me.

I will glory in My Redeemer

Words and Music by Steve and Vikki Cook

I will glory in my Redeemer
Whose priceless blood has ransomed me
Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails
And hung Him on that judgment tree
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who crushed the power of sin and death
My only Savior before the Holy Judge
The Lamb Who is my righteousness
The Lamb Who is my righteousness

I will glory in my Redeemer
My life He bought, my love He owns
I have no longings for another
I’m satisfied in Him alone
I will glory in my Redeemer
His faithfulness my standing place
Though foes are mighty and rush upon me
My feet are firm, held by His grace
My feet are firm, held by His grace

I will glory in my Redeemer
Who carries me on eagle’s wings
He crowns my life with lovingkindness
His triumph song I’ll ever sing
I will glory in my Redeemer
Who waits for me at gates of gold
And when He calls me it will be paradise
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold
His face forever to behold

CCLI Song # 3337435,   © 2001 Sovereign Grace Worship (Admin. by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music)

Song Resources:

Guitar chord sheet & musical score: Available free, here.
MP3 preview clip: Available here or here.
Listen to the MP3 for free: At rhapsody.com.
MP3 purchase links: Here and here.
Author Discography: Steve & Vikki
CD purchase links:
Songs for the Cross Centered Life (first sample above) – Amazon.com or direct from Sovereign Grace Ministries
No Greater Love (second sample above) – Amazon.com or direct from Sovereign Grace Ministries
Before the Throne – Amazon.com or direct from Sovereign Grace Ministries
Bonus: CD Trailer for Songs for the Cross Centered Life