The gospel is the good news of God’s saving work in the world, and how we understand that work is essential for our spiritual journey. How we articulate the gospel shapes who we understand God to be and who we are in relation to God. It shapes the way we follow Jesus and how we join the Spirit’s kingdom work in the world. In other words, how we understand the good news of Jesus guides all that we do as a church community. In this series, we will explore some foundations of the gospel.
The Gospel Is Communal
with Juliet Liu | Sunday, November 1st
To begin this new series, Juliet Liu guided us through an exploration of how the gospel is expanded by remembering those who came before- a cloud of witnesses and our ancestors in the faith (Hebrews 12). It is all too easy to see our life of faith as an isolated and individual project, when really we belong to a family whose story spans time and generations. We remember those who went before us and those who come after us. In doing so, our understanding of the gospel expands and is strengthened. We are formed in community, both by our present experience and when we remember our ancestors in the faith.
Kingdom Practice
For our practice we engaged in a call and response, a practice of remembering. We invite you this week to take time to remember those who have had an impact on you and your life of faith, whether they are family members, friends, mentors, authors, or teachers. You may wish to use the guide below to recall these people and to remember how they were a part of shaping your faith.
By faith, (name)___________ did _____________.
I remember!
The Gospel Is a Story
with Jason Feffer | Sunday, November 8th
Continuing in our series, Jason Feffer explored how stories have power, shaping how we see the world and ourselves. The Gospel is the ultimate story. It is a story that helps us to make sense of the world we live in. The Gospel begins in goodness with creation in Genesis and though the sickness of sin enters the story, it does not end there. God, as the Creator and Author, writes himself into the story by becoming one of us. The Gospel is a relational story, driven by God’s love for us. The good news of this story is an invitation to be with God.
The Gospel Is a Kingdom
with Carolyn Arends | Sunday, November 15th
Additional Resources
Books and Articles
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
The Magnificent Story by James Bryan Smith
Reconstructing the Gospel by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
The Presence of God by J. Ryan Lister
The Kingdom Life edited by Alan Andrews
Kingdom Conspiracy by Scot McKnight
Podcasts & Videos
The Gospel a video by The Bible Project
The Gospel Is More Than You Think a podcast from The Bible Project
Walking In the Beginning a series at The Practice Church exploring the beginning of Genesis.
Walking in the Parables a series at The Practice Church exploring the kingdom vision shared by Jesus in the parables
Stories of the Atonement a series at The Practice Church exploring the what Jesus accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection.
Practices
Call of Christ the King a meditation led by Father Michael Sparough
Kids & Families
Salvation Path
If you have a story to share about how you have been encountering God in this season, we would love to hear it!
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