Every year at this time Samaritan’s Purse runs Operation Christmas Child. This is an opportunity for you to give a Christmas present to a needy child and to ensure that they hear the gospel message. Samaritan’s Purse uses the gift as an occasion and platform to preach the gospel message to the children and their families.

Put together a box — or more! — and drop it off this week at a drop-off site. You’ll be communicating love and care to a child, and also helping in the service of the gospel!

Tags: application, Christian-living, Christianity, Christmas, gospel, gospel-centrality, love, service, Service Opportunities

[Peter] wants them to live by faith in the finished work of Christ. He knows that mere commands do not give hope. He is not opposed to specific obedience. He is opposed to self-sufficient obedience.

This takes me back to this point in Gospel-centrality. The Gospel is not the entry to the Christian life — it is all of the Christian life. It is not the ABC’s but the A to Z (to quote Keller). I can find no other NT method or model for ministry. I find myself asking this — do I lead my people and my family and myself FIRST in fresh faith toward the Savior and all that he has won; and only SECOND to the specifics of application?

— Mark Lauterbach

Read the whole thing. Then bookmark Mark’s blog.

Tags: 1-Peter, application, Christ, Christian-living, Christianity, commands, cross, ethics, faith, gospel, gospel-centrality, Mark-Lauterbach, obedience, quotation, salvation, self-sufficiency, Tim-Keller