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Devotions
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL, AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
As an organization, we use short-term mission trips as a vehicle to foster church
unity throughout the world. We believe in the benefits of one church intentionally
humbling themselves to serve under the authority of another for a time. But why is
this so powerful, so important? Because we also believe that the local Church was
uniquely developed and called by God to bring the hope of the Gospel message to
every corner of the earth. Like any organism, when all the body parts are working
together toward one purpose, it is much more effective than when everything is
out of sync.
This is where the Gospel becomes important. The body of Christ is diverse and
beautiful in its various forms and expressions. Each denomination adds value,
complexity, and depth to our human response to God. But the Gospel represents
the one central truth on which all of Christianity finds common ground, and it is
the one central truth that our world depends on us to clearly communicate. We
believe that when the body of Christ chooses to come together in all of its unique
parts, the Gospel message rings loud and clear to our world.
With this study, we would like to walk you through the Gospel. The intention is not
to provide a training on how to share the Gospel, but rather to provide clarity on
what the Gospel message is and what it truly means for our daily lives. In some
ways, this study has been influenced by Jeff Vanderstelt, who writes, “The Gospel
changes us from the inside out and spreads through our lives and lips to the world
by His spirit.” Our hope would be to encourage you to live a Gospel-centered
lifestyle that is in tune with the example Jesus set before us.