The Gospel-Centered Life

Lots of Christians talk about the gospel, but how many really understand the gospel and know how to apply it to their lives? Featuring nine self-contained lessons with discussion questions, articles, practical exercises, and comprehensive leader s notes in the back, The Gospel-Centered Life helps participants understand how the gospel shapes every aspect of life.

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There are a few versions that target particular parts of people’s lives:

Whether it’s growing in personal holiness, your intimacy with God, or your understanding of how people like you can change, these resources are geared towards helping you on the path to becoming more like Jesus.

Perhaps the most important way to become like Jesus is to grow our daily relationship with him.
Understanding what it means that God is holy, that he calls us holy, and that we get to live holy lives is fundamental to the way we experience our nearness to God.
The basic calls to repent, believe the gospel, and let our lives be conformed to Jesus are all over the bible. But what does all of that mean? How does God change us, and how can we partner with him in that?

Hardship in life - whether it’s one moment, a long season, or chronic suffering - can create an environment that makes it difficult to know where God is, what he wants for us or from us, and how the gospel gets to shape the way we endure in hope.

In Crisis?

If you find yourself in an emergency or any kind of crisis situation, please call 9-1-1. We’ve also compiled a number of resources (many including 24/7 crisis help) at the link below.

Find Help

Resources by Topic

If you’d like some expert counsel and care, these resources recommend a few places to start?
- Local Counseling & Care (The Village)
- Local Addiction & Recovery Resources (The Village)
- Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF)
  - Find a Counselor
There are a wide variety of helps for a wide variety of questions, concerns, and issues. For that reason, here are a few series of resources and authors we recommend:
- Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF)
  - Resources
  - Minibooks
- Ask the Christian Counselor Book Series
- The Gospel for Real Life Book Series
- 31-Day Devotionals for Life Series
- A Small Book… Series by Ed Welch:
- Recommended Voices:
Also, here are a few general resources on hardship and suffering:
Abuse can take various forms. Below are some resources to help you see, understand, and seek healing from a few of the many ways abuse can show up in a person’s life.
While anger itself isn’t necessarily it sin, we can have and harbor unrighteous anger.
The way we see, value, and treat our bodies are susceptible to the same lies that affect every other area of our lives.
Whether you feel like you’re living life in a fog or have diagnosed depression or anxiety, here are a few resources to help you see how the Lord meets you where you are.
Anything from a psychiatric diagnosis to chronic pain to some other form of disability can introduce unique stresses, questions, and burdens for people to carry.
Many of us have a hard time with hard questions, hard times, and hard feelings. We may be persuaded towards disbelief, discouragement, and a general feeling that God is displeased or disinterested in us.
Emotions aren’t the enemy, nor are they trusted leaders through life. Here are some resources to help us understand the good, right, and necessary place emotions have in our lives.
Whether you were unexpectedly thrust into a caregiving situation or are wanting to voluntarily step in to help someone, bearing that burden can be its own form of hardship.
Both the presence and absence of relationships can be complicated sources of confusion, frustration, and sadness in our lives.
Unhealthy Relationships
Singleness
- 7 Myths About Singleness by Sam Allberry
- Singleness Ever After: A Biblical Vision for the Significance of Singleness by Dani Treweek
Marriage and Divorce:
- Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make by Paul Tripp
Sexually-related temptations, sins, and struggles affect many in the church - both young and old, men and women.
Even though sickness, physical suffering, and death are expected experiences in this life, we aren’t immune from being affected by it - directly or indirectly. Whether we’re learning to live with grief over our own suffering or that of another, the gospel helps us come to grips with loss.
Substance abuse and addiction aren’t foreign to the church or surprising to God. The Lord offers help through his people, his word, and the good news of Jesus.
While technology in and of itself may not be a hardship, what it draws out of us - and what we can let ourselves be drawn into - means our relationship with the digital world can wreak havoc on the relationship with have with the Lord, others, or ourselves.
Below are some resources geared towards the hardships of parenting:
- When Parents Feel Like Failures: How Jesus Quiets our Distress by Lauren Whitman
- Mom Guilt: Escaping the Stronghold by Lauren Whitman
Dealing with difficult things isn’t unique to adults. Here are a few resources specifically geared towards helping children and teens work through a variety of tough topics.
These resources are targeted towards women in particular.

Next Steps Page

The Gospel-Centered Life

The Gospel-Centered Life For Specific Ages and Stages:

Intimacy with God

Personal Holiness

How We Change

In Crisis?

Resources by Topic

*Local Counseling

*Resource Collections

Abuse & Trauma

Anger & Bitterness

Body-Related Issues

Depression, Anxiety, and Worry

Disability, Mental Illness, & Chronic Diagnoses

Doubt & Discouragement

Emotions

Helpers and Caregivers

Relationships

Sex, Pornography, and Sexuality & Gender

Sickness, Death, and Grief

Substance Abuse & Addiction

Technology / Screen Addiction

For Parents

For Children and Teens

For Women