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While the recent increase in Gospel-centered teaching has blessed my walk, I was at a loss on how to apply these truths to my everyday life. Rick’s ministry bridges this divide by connecting the Gospel with a biblical understanding of the soul. As a lay-counselor, the Mastermind Program has equipped me to minister the Gospel to my soul, my family, and others. His life is a model of Gospel centered living. – Mark Grant
The Gospel is a multifaceted diamond. Every time you turn it, you see a previously hidden facet that reveals another aspect of God that you can apply to your life. The Gospel-centered life is more than a saying. It is a practical life that looks like Jesus. For many people there is a disconnect between thinking about the Gospel and living out the Gospel. A good way to think about living the Gospel in a practicalized way could be in these three steps:
The Gospel (or the good news) is a person. The Gospel is Christ. He was the predicted good news in Genesis 3:15. The Gospel (Christ) was the hope of virtually every Israelite woman in the Old Testament. The Gospel (Christ) was sent in the fullness of time according to Galatians 4:4.
What is the Gospel? In the simplest kind of language, the Gospel is Jesus. And the way you think about Jesus is twofold: His person and His works. Who He was (being/ontology) and what He did (works/actions) is the most succinct way of thinking about the Gospel.
If Jesus is the Gospel, then what was Jesus like? Describe Him. What were some of His characteristics? As you study the life of Christ, begin to attach labels to the things you observe in His life. I’m not just talking about His life on earth. The Gospel has always been. It stretches into eternity past and reaches into eternity future. The Gospel has always been and it will always be.
See the infographic below where I have listed fifteen labels that describe the Gospel. The list could be virtually endless. What if you developed your own list?
If your religion is real, then let it be real in your home, church, and relationships. Let your profession be an authentic possession that transforms your life and the lives in your sphere of influence. The call to be a Christian is a call to die to yourself (Mark 8:34) while living for God (Galatians 2:20).
The best thing you can do in response to this podcast and infographic is sit down with spouse (if you’re married), children (if you have any), and friends and talk about areas where you are appropriating God’s grace in your life and areas where you need to change.
Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).