Gospel-Centered Discipleship

"The gospel is about what Jesus has done to save us, not what we do to save ourselves. Gospel-centered discipleship is about living into our identity as accepted, adopted sons and daughters of God, and following Jesus by the strength and power he provides.


 The discipleship that many of us have experienced is often about self-control, self-reliance, self-righteousness when we "succeed" and self reproach when we "fail." Gospel-centered discipleship is about celebrating and growing into our acceptance, while works-centered discipleship is the ill-fated, soul-sucking, burnout-inducing attempt to earn God's approval." -Stephen Lutz


Gospel Centered Discipleship

Tweets of the Week Part 3

We deserve hell. Everything else is a gift. That's a lot of gifts.  Mark Driscoll


There are no great Christians, only those with faith in a great Savior. Burk Parsons


Nobody has joy like someone who serves something bigger than their own agenda. Lecrae


"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God; and so we are." (1 John 3:1)


There's no one more accepting of our brokenness, patient w/ our faithlessness & present in our helplessness than Jesus. Scotty Smith


Don’t despise the day of small things (like today). In the gathering of the saints there's the big announcement of a king & his conquest! Erik Raymond

Ring The Bells Of Heaven

"'Good Prayers,' says an old divine, 'never come weeping home. I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask. Prayer pulls the rope below, and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly: others give but an occasional pull at the rope: but he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continually with all his might.' 
That is the best kind of bell ringing--ringing the bells of heaven--making a sensation in the world celestial and pulling the power down upon the world terrestrial. Reader, do you know how to handle the bell rope, to pull it vigorously and constantly? We know some that do. Hell trembles when they seize the rope."


E.M. Bounds


Repost from November 24th, 2010.

Tweets of the Week Part 2

I have never regretted the pain of humbling myself. I have regretted the stubbornness of hardening myself. Scotty Smith


Prosperity theology wrongly exalts God's gifts (things we receive from God) above God's glory (the treasure we have in God). David Platt


Obedience is faith made visible. Disobedience is unbelief made visible. Dane Ortlund


We will not have a counter-culture church until we have counter-culture male leadership in the home and in the church. Harry W. Schaumburg


Spirit, shackle me hand and foot to Jesus, so I will be free from the bondage of every stupid thing I have chased after. Jared Wilson


God shows you His love by His unwillingness to allow you satisfaction in anything but Him. Juli Slattery

DVD Review: Courageous

Courageous written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick is a powerful film about the preciousness of life, the consequences of bad choices, the responsibility of fathers, the hope of forgiveness, and the opportunity to glorify God by serving others.

It is action packed throughout with funny and heartbreaking moments that will make you laugh and cry. The main theme is how God works for good in situations that just don't make sense to us.

The targeted audience in this film is fathers. However, everyone should see this, even though the main message is for dads. It is filled with important life lessons that we are all sure to face at some point in our lives.

I'm guessing many of the people that will see this movie are Christians. But I'm praying right now that many non-Christians will see this movie as well.

As the movie repeatedly states, "You must get right with God first, before you do this..." There is no way we can watch this movie and start obeying God on our own. The first step is to admit our sin and trust in Christ. Everything else flows from that. 

I am not a father, but I hope to be one some day. This movie made me think about the weighty responsibilities of being a dad and how hard it is to follow Christ in this sinful world. It dropped me to my knees, helplessly begging God to help me. I believe it will do the same to you!

Thanks to everyone who made this movie possible. And all glory to Jesus Christ! 

Tweets of the Week Part 1

From the week of January 29 to February 4.


The Gospel in four words: Christ in my place. 2 Corinthians 5:21 James MacDonald


Nothing can separate us from God's love, tear us from his hand or rip us from his heart. Sleep well, my friends. Scotty Smith


You can't carry your cross and puff up your chest at the same time. Jared Wilson


Gratitude transforms overwhelmed strugglers into triumphant conquerors, even if their circumstances remain unchanged. Nancy Leigh DeMoss


Don't doubt or debate obedience because when you do, you're beginning to believe that life can be found outside of worship of the Creator. Paul Tripp

I Am the Crippled One!

I read a story about a little boy that is a good example of the love of God in Christ for us believers.

The little boy entered a Sunday school contest in reciting Bible verses. This little boy happened to be a cripple, who could hardly walk across the stage to recite the verses he had memorized. As he started to hobble across the stage as best he could, with his terribly humped back, an older boy who had come in off the street thoughtlessly cried out, "Hey, crip, take the pack off your back!" The little boy broke down in tears, and couldn't go on. A man came up out of the audience and stood beside him. He said, "I don't know what kind of a person would make fun of a little crippled boy, but I want to tell you who this boy is. He's my son, and he's got more courage than any of you! And I'm proud of him, because he is mine!" And he picked him up in his arms and walked off the stage.

I am, spiritually speaking, the crippled one! I am a rebel against God. Yet God in Christ has taken me in, he has forgiven me of all my sin. This is encouraging, life-changing, life-giving truth.