Grace Is Not To Be Experienced Alone

God designed his overcoming grace to flow through the church-through the people of God clustered in communities all around the globe. Someone had to share the gospel of grace with us in the first place and-once we've embraced the gospel-it's through the community of faith that God's Spirit works to kill the residue sin that remains in us. We cannot experience this grace alone any more than we can get married alone...God has saved you by grace alone, but he hasn't saved you to be alone. The grace that transforms us places us in a community that together overcomes.

Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones, Proof:Finding Freedom Through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace

Daniel Montgomery on the Doctrines of Grace and Mission

Books by Daniel Montgomery:

Proof with Timothy Paul Jones

Faithmapping with Mike Cosper

Our Sins Did Not Thwart God's Plan

God didn't plan for Christ's work on the cross to extend a certain distance only to discover later that his creatures have somehow thwarted his good intentions. God's grace always goes precisely as far as God planned.

Daniel Montgomery & Timothy Paul Jones, Proof: Finding Freedom Through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace

Calvinism Debate

This past Wednesday in Chicago, there was a debate on Calvinism which featured Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones who wrote the book,
Proof: Finding Freedom Through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace, who are on the side of Calvinism. While on the side of the issue is Austin Fisher, author of Young, Restless, and No Longer Reformed, and Brian Zahnd, author of Farewell to Mars.

There are two parts to this debate. The first deals with unconditional predestination and the other talks about the cause of faith and repentance.

Music Monday: Proof by Sojourn

Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones have written a book called, Proof: Finding Freedom Through The Intoxication Joy of Irresistable Grace. This book has been well received by many Christian scholars and pastors. I have recently got a copy of the book that I am planning to read within the next couple of weeks. Sojourn Music has released a soundtrack to the book which contains songs from various albums they have already on the market.

PBS Takes A Look At New Calvinism

Around The Web-January 17, 2014

An Open Letter to My Denomination: Have We Lost Our First Love? by Thom Rainer

Do I have to be a Member of a Local Church to Follow Christ? by Daniel Montgomery

God Is Finishing His Mission Now by John Piper

Underdog Christian Movie 'Alone Yet Not Alone' Receives Shocking Oscar Nomination for Best Original Song

John Calvin on Sleeping in Church by Kevin DeYoung

Antinomianism, Legalism And The Relationship Between Law And Gospel by Tullian Tchividjian

Big milestone happened this week. The ESV Study Bible has sold one million copies. Praise God. As a way of saying thanks, Crossway is having a contest: Share their Facebook for a chance to win a calfskin ESV Study Bible

This 2 minute video explains the Gospel:

Book Review: Faithmapping by Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper

Using a map has a lot of advantages. You know what roads to take and how to get to your destination. If you only have part of a map, you do not have complete directions. A GPS can tell you what turns to take but it is no good when you ignore its instructions.

The same is true with the gospel. If we only see parts of the gospel, we only have half-truths and not the whole story. Faithmapping, written by Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper of Sojourn Church, is about taking the whole gospel to see the beauty of the church, salvation, worship, and missions. The goal of this book "is to show how the gospel, the church, and our mission are a coherent, organic, interrelated whole, rather than distinct, independent ideas" (pg 26).

The book is divided into three parts. The first part is about the gospel which has been titled, "The Whole Gospel." The "whole" gospel is the gospel of the kingdom, which "is the life with God under the rule of our King, Jesus" (pg 29). Montgomery and Cosper also talk about the gospel of the cross, which is "the good news that, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we have been made right with God" (pg 46), followed by the gospel of grace. Not many Christians know what the gospel of grace is, which I am thankful Montgomery and Cosper discuss and even talks about the enemies of grace which include, entitlement and performance. Finally in the whole gospel, Montgomery and Cosper talk about the need for whole gospel. The reason is some Christians focus on the kingdom while other focus on the cross and others on grace. All are important elements in the gospel, but they go together.

The second part of the book is about the church. Montgomery and Cosper defines the church as "a gospel-centered and gospel-formed community, and we can most faithfully live out our purpose and mission when we cling tightly to the good news of God's kingdom, cross, and grace" (pg 103). Part two has five chapters which talk about what kind of people are in the church. They are worshipers, family, servants, disciples, and witnesses. The final part of the book, which also has the last chapter of the book, addresses the whole world. The whole world is where we live for the glory of God as we work, rest, and raise a family.

This was one book I have been looking forward to for a long time sense I heard Montgomery was writing a book. I feel this is an important book for all Christians to read. I truly believe that the church needs to grasp the whole gospel and not just a little bit here and there.

Thanks Crossway for letting me review this book.