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I began reading Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler last week.  And even though I only got through the introduction, I am excited about the content of this book.  You might notice a theme in the books I am currently reading.  All of them are focused on the gospel.  You might say, "All Christian books are, right?"  I would encourage you to look to the Scriptures and see how you would personally define the "gospel." Here are just a few quotes from the introduction: Dave Harvey writes, "The Gospel is the heart of the Bible. Everything in Scripture is either preparation for the Gospel, presentation of the Gospel, or participation in the Gospel." "we have a tendency to think that the cross saves us from past sin, but after we are saved, we have to take over and clean ourselves up. This sort of thinking is devastating to the soul." "If you add to or subtract from the cross, even if it is to factor in biblically mandated religious practices l...

Did I just say the word?  Yes, I did.  As I shared last week, I finished reading a book on marriage by Dave Harvey.  Here are a few thoughts from one of the final chapters on sex. "We are called by God to become devoted to sexually satisfying our spouse." Referring to 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, Harvey writes, "God has designed the sexual relationship as a key expression of this reality, for when sex is at its best, my delight in and enjoyment of sex is almost indistinguishable from the pleasure experienced by my spouse. The joy of sex, then, is the pleasure derived from giving our spouse his or her conjugal rights." C. J. Mahaney said, "Indeed any married person who rightly sees these verses as commands from God will bring to the marriage bed a servant's mindset that places the primary emphasis on the sexual satisfaction of his or her spouse." "We are called to depend on him at every moment and in every area--including our sex life." ...

On Thursday, I finished reading When Sinners Say "I Do" by Dave Harvey.  This book has been good reminding me (and you) that grace is vitally important in marriage.  The author writes about the need to show the gospel in our most intimate human relationship.  I wanted to share a few quotes from Chapter 8. "The grace that justifies (declaring us holy in God's sight) becomes the grace that sanctifies (making us ever more holy in daily life). It is a prevailing, unstoppable grace that doesn't close up shop the day after the sinner's prayer. It's the power of god to help us overcome sin, and a potent weapon in the fierce struggles that accompany life after the honeymoon of conversion. Conversion, like a wedding, is hardly the end of the story--it's just the beginning!" "Grace is a permanent fixture in the life of every Christian, a divine force constantly on the job, a 24/7 truth applier standing over all we do." "Grace meets us...

Right now, I am reading several books on the gospel.  It is interesting how each one is helping me better grasp the truth of the gospel.  Each comes from a different perspective, but have many overlaps as well.  These books are: The Gospel of Peace by James Richards When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian Good & Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith I think what all of them agree on is the need to understand who God is and who we are in Christ.  This truth is so important because that will then impact what we say and do.  Rather than participate in the "pendulum swing", they give a balanced view of love & holiness.  Both are important and when we respond to an extreme in either one, we do not have a Biblical understanding of God. They also speak to our motivations.  Why are we serving in the church?  Why are we loving others?  What is our response when we sin?  All of these a...

Thought I would share a few quotes from books I read today by Tchvidjian, Harvey, Powell & Clark: Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchvidjian "I was learning the hard way that the gospel alone can free us from our addiction to being liked-that Jesus measured up for us so that we wouldn't have to live under the enslaving pressure of measuring up for others." "I was realizing in a fresh way the now-power of the gospel--that the gospel doesn't simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance." When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey (one of the speakers for Art of Marriage) "Let's look briefly at three of the most important components of a solid, biblical theology of marriage . . . The Foundation of Your Marriage-The Bible,  The Fountain of Your Marriage-The Gospel, &  T...