stay centered
J.D. Greear says,
"The Gospel is not just the diving board off of which we jump into the pool of Christianity; It's the pool itself."In fact, all of the Christian life flows from the good news of what Jesus has done. So, what is the Gospel and how do we stay centered in it?
What is the Gospel?
1
Remember the Why. This is the foundation of every huddle and every ministry. Before we remind the team what to do or how to do it we must always make sure the why is at the forefront of their mind. Remembering the why in every huddle ensures that the entire team is rallying around a purpose greater than themselves. (1 min)
How do I stay centered
in the Gospel?
1
Repent Regularly. Always remind yourself that repentance is not a bad thing. When we become more aware of God's holiness, our sinfulness leads us to repent. We must constantly turn from our performing and pretending so that we may live in the light.
2
Believe the Gospel. The Christian life is not about doing, it is about believing. Getting this right is not only vital for your salvation but vital for your sanctification! Too many times our pursuit of Christian maturity produces only busy effort, but little lasting change. But all outward sin is rooted deeply in a place in our hearts where we lack confidence in Christ's saving work. Therefore, we are always needing to repent and believe the Gospel because our hearts are always producing idols.
3
Establish Spiritual Disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are activities designed to improve one's relationship with Christ and other believers. The disciplines are not works to win God's approval but means given to us by which we know him and love Him more. When the disciplines turn into duties, they become burdensome. Below is a list of spiritual disciplines: Prayer, Scripture Study, Fasting Meditation, Solitude, Stewardship, Serving, and Evangelism.
4
Maintain Accountable Relationships.We grow in spiritual maturity within community. Leaders need to connect with safe people with whom they can make themselves vulnerable as they pursue spiritual growth.
The Gospel is news,
not instruction.
The Gospel is news of what God has done to accomplish salvation through Jesus Christ. Christianity does not declare good advice, but good news. As a result, our part is to simply receive the news.
The Gospel is a free gift,
not earned.
The Gospel is, "I am accepted through Christ, therefore I obey." Religion is, "I obey, therefore I am accepted." So the Gospel differs from irreligion and religion. In irreligion you can seek to be your own lord and savior by breaking the law of God. In religion you can become your own lord and savior by trying to keep the law and thus earning salvation. Because our sin nature always defaults to irreligion or religion, we never grow beyond the Gospel, but go deeper into the Gospel.
The Gospel is for the weak,
not strong.
Those who receive Christ's salvation are those who recognize that they are weak and lost. When we understand that it is only by Christ's strength and not our own, we stop seeking salvation in other things.
If we are not careful and strategic to stay centered in the Gospel, the result will always be spiritually dry, worn-out leaders with very little to give to others.