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A couple months ago, I met a pastor with an incredible story.

Jason serves in a church that was once saturated by the prosperity gospel. For years, “health and wealth” teaching was rampant throughout every ministry area, from what they taught in preschool to what was preached from the pulpit. But Jason believed his church needed to be rooted in the gospel—the story of God’s redemption of the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So he introduced The Gospel Project as the curriculum for their kids ministry.

As kids and teachers began to study the Bible and see Christ at the center of God’s Word, something incredible happened: some teachers realized they’d never known the true gospel, and they put their faith in Jesus. Others found they had been missing the power of the gospel in what they’d been teaching and learning. By the time students and adults were using The Gospel Project, the pastor realized that his preaching was out of step with biblical doctrine. In all areas of the church, a transformation took place.

I realize that not every church has as radical a story as this one. Nevertheless, this story encourages me, because it reminds me of the power of the message at the heart of our faith. The gospel changes everything.

God’s Grace on The Gospel Project

Stories like this remind me why The Gospel Project exists. From the beginning, our goal has been to see kids, students, and adults transformed by the gospel; to see how all the Scriptures point to God’s plan to rescue us from sin through Jesus, and to join him in his mission of seeking and saving the lost. This year, we will celebrate six years since The Gospel Project first launched. Now, we have the privilege of watching people of all ages be centered on the gospel and empowered to live on mission.

God has blessed this effort tremendously. Every week, more than a million men, women, and children see how the stories of Scripture point to Jesus, and how the Spirit empowers us for life in his kingdom.

It’s encouraging to consider numbers, but even more exciting to consider the lives of people who have been enriched by their study of God’s Word. I shared about Jason above, but his isn’t the only story. In fact, one of those stories might be your own (but more on that in a minute).

Gospel Culture and The Gospel Project 

This fall, The Gospel Project begins its third study cycle, and I believe this is the best version of the study yet. Our new study plan, which retells the story of Scripture chronologically, features 50 passages of Scripture we’ve never previously focused on. We’re introducing Gospel Foundations, a new video-enhanced small group study for students and adults, and The Gospel Project for Kids: Home Edition, a curriculum designed for daily family discipleship (I’ll tell you more about those another time). We’ve also introduced a new Daily Discipleship Guide that creates opportunities for students and adults to engage with God’s Word on a daily basis.

I am thrilled about all of these things, so much so that I could easily write a blog post about each one. But there’s something else that makes me excited as we pray and prepare for how God will use this Christ-centered curriculum: what it all represents. An opportunity to help churches shape their culture.

As we grow in our understanding of the gospel, it changes us—and not just us individually, but as a community. We become more like Jesus together so that we can go forward on mission together. For years, this is what we’ve been blessed to see and hear in our own churches and from leaders who are using The Gospel Project. And this is what we’re praying we will see more of in the weeks, months, and years to come: that our churches will be so saturated by the gospel that it spreads out into our prayers, worship, music, giving, service, and every other area of the church. That it will spread beyond the walls of our church as we evangelize the lost and live on mission together. And that every member, from the youngest to the oldest, will recognize the part they have to play in continuing to share the beautiful story of redemption. The good news of the gospel. The story that changes everything.

What You Can Do

If you read this blog regularly, would you commit to praying for our team as we continue our work on The Gospel Project?

If you have seen how the gospel changes everything, would you share your story?

If you pastor a church or lead a small group, would you consider downloading a free preview of The Gospel Project?

If you already use The Gospel Project or want to help us get the word out, would you share this brief video that reminds us how the gospel changes everything?

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