The Gospel is Free...So is This Book!

Over the past year, I have been completely changed by the gospel of God's grace.  Sure, I learned a lot in seminary.  I also made some wonderful friendships there; ones that will undoubtedly last forever.  I am thankful for the grace that was given me to preach through the book of Colossians during my first year and a half at GRACE Community Church.  And I am overwhelmed by the mercy of God I see each day when I wake up next to my beautiful wife and three children (I don't actually wake up next to the children though.  Jude usually starts yelling at 6:30am, "Daddy!  Where are you!"  Emma and Camille typically follow close behind him).  By 7am we are all in one bed having a blast!

I am learning that it is not so much what I do, or what others do; but why we do what we do.  What we do surely matters, but to have our lives directed in a godly direction, we must ask "Why?".  The gospel grows well in this soil, and produces much fruit there. 

Tim Keller calls this the sin beneath the sin.  If my little girl lies to me, I must address more than the act of lying.  I have to ask why she lied.  What was the sin beneath her sin?  Was it self-preservation?  Was it that she didn't trust the Truth?  What was it that she wanted so badly that she was willing to break God's commandments to get it?  Answer this question and you will find an idol (or a few) hiding in the shadows.  Kill the idol and watch the lying die with it.  Addressing the lie only may get rid of the sinful act, but it won't ultimately bring the sinful heart to life.

I have also learned that sin is dark, ugly and murderous.  Not only does it like to hide, but it does so with a knife in its hand.  Simply put, if we go looking for "the sin beneath the sin" we just might get cut.  So be it.  Cut away.  The gospel takes the sting from death.  For us, Christian, dying is gain.

Well, enough of the rambling.  I have been so encouraged today by a dear friend of mine from seminary.  He sent me a card just to encourage me and tell me he was thinking of me.  I was floored.  What kind of God are we dealing with?!!  I praise God for JR.  I have learned more from him than he could ever learn from me.  So, all that to say...I want to give away a book about the Gospel.  What better book than, "What is the Gospel?" by  Greg Gilbert.

All you have to do to win the book is leave a comment.  Any comment will do.  Thursday morning at 10am, I will draw from the names of those who left comments.  And just so you know, if you leave a comment, your odds are pretty good!  So, have a wonderful day.  Live and love the gospel with everything you have.  In Christ, you are free to do so!  Isn't it amazing!  Peace to you all!