Jesus Alone

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January 29, 2019

By Steve King

This past Sunday I walked you through the “gospel U” and how to apply it to your life. I shared three resources that can show you what “gospel U” living looks like. They deal with three areas of our lives: parenting, work, and relationships with our fathers. I think they are so helpful, I want to recommend them to you again:

1. Parenting by Paul David Tripp—This is a book of gospel principles that can radically change your family. It says you have two ways to approach parenting: ownership or ambassadorship. Ownership: “Those are my kids, my identity is based on how I do.” Ambassadorship: “Christ owns my kids, not me. I am an ambassador of Christ to those children and I am to work with Him to shape my children’s hearts.” I urge you to read this book because it will teach you how to apply the gospel to your parenting.
2. The Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero—This is the true story of a pastor of a good, solid, Spirit-filled, mission-oriented, Bible-believing, gospel-preaching church. Over time, that success took root in his heart and he began to serve it. It became his functional god. It drove him. He had no time for anything and anyone else. One day, his wife confronted him and threatened to leave the church and the marriage if he didn’t stop. Through counseling, he was able to learn the issue was rooted in his heart, and he was bowing to the god of ministerial success. He surrendered it to Christ, and everything changed. His book is very helpful in understanding gospel-shaped emotional health.
3. Father God by Dave Patty—This book speaks to those of us who have issues with our earthly fathers—let’s call them “father wounds.” You can try to deal with those by changing your behavior, but these are deeper—they are heart issues. This book will show you how to heal your “father wounds” with the gospel.

These are just a few of many more resources. But the message of them all is the same: Jesus ALONE fulfills what He requires of us—get this into your heart! Live by faith, know who you are in Christ. Learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. It will help you to come out in the open and walk in the light of Christ. This will bring you such freedom! What a motivation to trust and obey Him!