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The Gospel Fluency Handbook






Gospel Fluency Handbook by Jeff Vanderstelt and Ben Connelly

Two pastors get together to write a book about a much needed topic, and what happens is a stunning display of God's grace for all to view.  Pastors Jeff Vanderstelt and Ben Connelly, part of the Soma Family of churches have put together a resource to guide people from unbelief to belief by resting on the central concept of the gospel.  Yet, this book although packing a punch theologically is very practical in all the ways someone new to the church would have so many questions that need good answers. 

We all at times have an unwilling heart that wants to believe God's word at times and at others to go the road of the religion of me.  There are aspects of everyone's life that we don't believe God.  The authors writes, "There are spaces where we don't trust his word and don't believe that what he accomplished in Jesus Christ is enough to deal with our past or what we are facing in this moment or the next."  Becoming more like Jesus means being rooted in the gospel for all of our life's problems, including the devastating things families go through.  We are on an even plane with other people who are struggling with believing God and the good news for every area of life, and this is good news, because God's Word addresses these issues, for all of life.

Jeff and Ben get at the heart of everyday faith when they look at the Good News to Me in Week 3, Reading 1.  What we love or who we love pores out of us in our conversations.  They write, "Another reason I talk about Jesus is that I've found you not only talk about what you love, but you also love what you talk about.  Sometimes our love grows cold.  Our hearts lose affection.  We forget what we have, so we drift from what we love."  Talking about our love for Jesus gives us freedom to focus on Him and not our specific problems that gnaw at our emotions and heart like a knife.  Further, our talk about Jesus engenders others to see how beautiful He is and how they might desire life found in loving Jesus.  This doesn't mean that we never talk about the deep trials of life or even the sins that so easily entangle us but this gives us the opportunity to share how God's Spirit moved us out of this time of great frustration.

This is a great handbook, the questions, the easy to read format and engaging one's mind and heart at both times all find their place in this book.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group and Saturate Publishing for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


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