Jonathan Shradar

This week I was part of a conversation that was very helpful to me for a number of reasons and one of them was the realization of how the gospel turns our focus toward present and future realities.  While a group of us were talking, a lot of the questions being asked were about how a situation was dealt with in the past. These were helpful to uncover misconceptions and correct perspectives but they left me thinking about how much I yearned to talk about the situation into the future. Was there hope and excitement for what was coming down the line?  While my personality certainly gears me toward optimism, I think the gospel actually transforms our minds to be future oriented people, expectant about what is to come, trusting the sovereign of the universe, and leaning into the adventure of it all. This is all the more clear as I preach through 1 Corinthians 15 and the resurrection hope of believers.  I wonder how much this gospel-mindedness and future orientation is also a sign of health

Happy Good Friday. https://youtu.be/85Z9uZdAAXc

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV) This week I am preaching from a text that gives the gospel clearly as the proclamation of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. I also had a reflected on a conversation I was having where the term gospel was used but I was sure we were all using different definitions. Trevin Wax has done a lot of work to compile definitions, as theologians and pastors have given them over history and I thought it would be helpful to share. Find his list of 60+ definitions here . Wax also worked to summarize and give a biblical definition of the gospel and it happens to be what is used in the Gospel Project (which we use for Children's Ministry at Grace). I hope you find it encouraging. In the beginning, the all-powerful, persona