Source: B&H Books, LifeWay Press
Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church’s Renewal, by J. D. Greear. B&H Books, 2019. 240 pages.
“Is gospel Christianity dead? Pundits are writing the obituary of historic, orthodox Christianity, but pastor and author J. D. Greear believes the postmortems are premature. Jesus promised to build his church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The church is not going away. Along with this promise, Jesus gave clear instructions for how the church would prevail. He promised to build it on the rock of the gospel.
“The most pressing need for Christianity today is not a new strategy. It is not an updated message. It is a return to keeping the gospel above all.”
This is new and I haven’t had a chance to read it. If you want to use it with a group, pick up Gospel Above All: Bible Study Book (also available in a teen edition). That folds in discussion questions and a series of videos, most 20-30 minutes in length, in which Greear discusses the topic with other Christian leaders. I don’t think you can watch the videos without purchase, but I found clips on the author’s Facebook page.
» Learn more and download a sample chapter from the book website. On Amazon, the paperback is US$15.29, US$8.49 for the Kindle edition. See also Aren’t Short-term Mission Trips a Big Waste of Money? (episode from Greear’s podcast, Ask Me Anything).
» Looking for something to help you or your church get back to the basics when it comes to global outreach? Check out When Everything Is Missions, by Denny Spitters and Matthew Ellison. It packs a punch.