All too often we feel the buzz of a smartphone and see our news feed light up the screen—another shooting, another natural disaster, another crisis. We also see the lavish lifestyles of so many people on social media chasing another adventure, another lover, another outfit. Then we go to the coffee shops and sit with our friends. We use buzzwords like shame, trauma, and abuse. We self-medicate with sex, fame, and food. We look for rescuing from our books, our celebrities, and our vacations. The whirring chaos of false security and empty promises takes its toll, and we keep hitting refresh waiting for tweets and grams to tell us something good. We need something to cut through the noise, something to refresh the soul, something to bring hope to a world marked by despair. We need good news.
We Need Good News
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones.
Watch Session One: Created for this
A Big Enough Gospel
Complain about Uber Eats forgetting your Mexican Coke or dressing on the side, and you know to brace yourself for the snarky “first world problems” rebuttal from a frenemy. While your missing tahini-garlic dressing should not register as a big problem on a human level, these interactions leave us wondering if our problems matter in the face of global epidemics we see on our news feeds. Does it matter that I am heartbroken about my singleness when babies go to bed hungry? Does it matter that I struggle with depression and anxiety when refugees wander this planet looking for a home? Does it matter that I am addicted to my smartphone when women and children endure sex trafficking in staggering numbers? What if God is compassionate and big enough to care for every person hurting? What if God’s gospel is big enough to comfort the lonely, set the captives free, minister to us in our despair, and mobilize a generation to push back against the evil we see in our world? Is the gospel big enough for all of this?
the gospel everyday
The gospel of God—the good news that the kingdom of God has been inaugurated by Jesus— means good news for the world. Rather than thinking of the gospel as a one-time event in the life of the believer, we recognize that the gospel is a worldwide proclamation that Jesus has come to deliver us from our sin, comfort us, strengthen us, and mobilize the cavalry to go into the world “gospel-ing” it through word and deed. The gospel bears witness that we live in a kingdom, we belong to a king, and we have faith, hope and love at our disposal for every moment—big or small.
Daily Question
How can the gospel—the good news of the kingdom of God—be a way for you to bring hope, joy, and peace in your own life and in the lives of others?
Comments (10)
Thank you to our study partner
Sign up for IF:Equip
Get the Daily Devotionals Emailed to You
KNOWING THAT GOD CARES, THAT HE LOVES ME AND IS CONCERNED FOR ME. THAT HE CAN GIVE SUPERNATURAL STRENTH AND HOPE.
The gospel is “my” reassurance that I am not alone. I can share this with my coworkers, children, friends & family. In person talking helps us to open up those hard feelings. Helps us to heal the hurts & start to realize a good path to Jesus. Sharing your heart can only lead you to Jesus. So why not share this with others & bring them along as well. We are creatures of social settings. We love being with others. Why boy celebrate our brokenness and know that we are not alone in this. Jesus is waiting for our conversations.
God is a refresher to our souls. If we share his forgiveness with others and yourself we can bring hope, joy, and peace. The gospel is a good way to do this because it shows how much Jesus loves us.
The gospel is a good reminder about the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We can share it with other and they may too see the joy in God and what he does for us each day.
Using biblical affirmations upon myself and others when we need it, and sharing the truths that God promises to ourselves and others.
Because of the gospel there is always hope! Always.
I can use it as a reminder of how much love God has for just me, little ol me. And if i can feel that important from God anyone can!
Good gospel
The Gospel gives us hope that we have a loving God who cares about us so much that He would send his Son Jesus as a perfect sacrifice so that we can have a personal relationship with Him. When Jesus was resurrected, He promised to send us the Comforter (Holy Spirit) to help us in our walk with Christ, and to encourage us to spread the Good News to the Nations.
Knowing this I can encourage others by telling them this Good News as well as telling my own testimonies on what Christ has done for me and what He did in and through me.
The gospel can be grounding and give me perspective on my daily life. It reminds me to live each moment with purpose and passion to spread the love and goodness of God.