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Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing
What Really Matters
Have the extremities taken over and left the core of your faith forgotten? Do you get confused by what you feel versus what is real? Let dynamic pastor C. J. Mahaney strip away the nonessentials and bring you back to the simplest, most fundamental reason for your faith: Jesus Christ. Chapters include "Breaking the Rules of Legalism," "The Cross Centered Day," and "Assurance and Joy."
His Gift, Your Hope
Do you desire more passion for Jesus Christ? Return to the very essence of your faith--the cross of Christ. Here, the deepest truths of Calvary will stir your passion for Him into an unquenchable fire.
Have the extremities taken over and left the core of your faith forgotten? Do you get confused by what you feel versus what is real? Let dynamic pastor C. J. Mahaney strip away the nonessentials and bring you back to the simplest, most fundamental reason for your faith: Jesus Christ. Chapters include "Breaking the Rules of Legalism," "The Cross Centered Day," and "Assurance and Joy."
His Gift, Your Hope
Do you desire more passion for Jesus Christ? Return to the very essence of your faith--the cross of Christ. Here, the deepest truths of Calvary will stir your passion for Him into an unquenchable fire.
166 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2002
About the author
C.J. Mahaney
40 books186 followersC.J. Mahaney leads Sovereign Grace Ministries in its mission to establish and support local churches. He spent 27 years pastoring Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
He currently co-hosts the Together for the Gospel conference with Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan and Albert Mohler and serves on the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and on the boards of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation.
He currently co-hosts the Together for the Gospel conference with Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan and Albert Mohler and serves on the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and on the boards of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation.
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November 11, 2019
"Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed."
I picked up this book recognising the author of the forward, Albert Mohler. I've also read books by Joshua Harris recently and C.J. Mahaney is mentioned frequently as a mentor/senior pastor. I agree with the main principle in this book which is summed up in the subtitle: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. However, I don't think we should do this to the exclusion of everything else in the Bible.
I enjoyed his section on The Passion of the Christ movie. The author points out that it is a starting point for some useful conversations. However, images by themselves cannot depict the Gospel message in its entirety and will not, therefore, result in conversions. He quotes Scripture as a reminder that it is preaching the Gospel that converts and that follow-up to any movie like this is critical if we want to see real change in people's hearts.
I felt a bit underwhelmed by this book in general, although there were some useful sections, but was reminded not to rely on my feelings by this very true statement:
"We can learn to focus outward and upward, regardless of how we feel, because the gospel and its events remain completely unaffected by whatever is agitating our emotions. The gospel is objective fact."
When I read books that were written a decade or more ago, I often research the authors and ministries to see how they are doing now. In this case, I kind-of wished I hadn't. It appears that Joshua Harris has left the umbrella of C.J. Mahaney's ministry and he (C.J.) had also left his original church network. There was an alleged cover-up of serious sexual abuse within the church network which was unresolved due to the statute of limitations in the US. It's difficult to review a book objectively knowing these things....
There are better books on living the Christian life, most notably by Jerry Bridges. C.J. Mahaney also recommends Bridges books so......!
I picked up this book recognising the author of the forward, Albert Mohler. I've also read books by Joshua Harris recently and C.J. Mahaney is mentioned frequently as a mentor/senior pastor. I agree with the main principle in this book which is summed up in the subtitle: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. However, I don't think we should do this to the exclusion of everything else in the Bible.
I enjoyed his section on The Passion of the Christ movie. The author points out that it is a starting point for some useful conversations. However, images by themselves cannot depict the Gospel message in its entirety and will not, therefore, result in conversions. He quotes Scripture as a reminder that it is preaching the Gospel that converts and that follow-up to any movie like this is critical if we want to see real change in people's hearts.
I felt a bit underwhelmed by this book in general, although there were some useful sections, but was reminded not to rely on my feelings by this very true statement:
"We can learn to focus outward and upward, regardless of how we feel, because the gospel and its events remain completely unaffected by whatever is agitating our emotions. The gospel is objective fact."
When I read books that were written a decade or more ago, I often research the authors and ministries to see how they are doing now. In this case, I kind-of wished I hadn't. It appears that Joshua Harris has left the umbrella of C.J. Mahaney's ministry and he (C.J.) had also left his original church network. There was an alleged cover-up of serious sexual abuse within the church network which was unresolved due to the statute of limitations in the US. It's difficult to review a book objectively knowing these things....
There are better books on living the Christian life, most notably by Jerry Bridges. C.J. Mahaney also recommends Bridges books so......!
October 15, 2022
An excellent look at what it truly means to live the Christian life.
June 10, 2018
If you haven’t read Living the Cross Centered Life, it needs to be the next book you read. Arguably the most helpful book I’ve ever read. C.J. clearly reveals the glory and power of the cross, and it has helped transform the way I view the gospel.
“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”
“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”
February 7, 2018
"One purpose of this book is to restate the obvious yet often neglected truth of the gospel of the cross of Jesus Christ and bring it before you again_vividly and compellingly_so that you more deeply grasp the crucial importance of never taking it for granted."
Read
April 24, 2020This is a book that after three times already reading it I'd read it again and again
Read
February 14, 2008I haven't been a fan of gospel tracts for years. I remember the old Chick Tracts that were little cartoon presentations of the "gospel" but they were more offensive than helpful to my memory. I'll never forget one that was against Christian rock music. The band was called "Green Hell" or something like that and in the end we found out that their manager was Satan. One of the band members turned out to be gay and their manager gave them AIDS as a wedding gift. The "gospel" was clear in that track (insert sarcasm font here).
Summary presentations of the gospel are tough to come by, but I would like to recommend "The Cross-Centered Life" by CJ Mahaney. It is a small book with a clear presentation of what the gospel is and even better, what it is not. For example, in understanding the gospel, he asks these questions...
In the last week, what was your primary occupation in life? What was your spiritual focus? Was it on that spot where God most reveals His personal love for you - the cross? Or was it on your own circumstances, your own condition, your own concerns? Was your preoccupation with your personal pursuit of Godliness? Growth in Godliness must be pursued, but never apart from joyful gratitude for the cross.
Good stuff. In those questions, CJ does a good job of giving us parameters for keeping the gospel first and foremost, but the book also functions well as an introduction to the faith. For folks who are curious about Christianity, this book would do a much better job than just presenting the ticket to heaven routine. Also, Satan is not anybody's band manager in this book either.
Summary presentations of the gospel are tough to come by, but I would like to recommend "The Cross-Centered Life" by CJ Mahaney. It is a small book with a clear presentation of what the gospel is and even better, what it is not. For example, in understanding the gospel, he asks these questions...
In the last week, what was your primary occupation in life? What was your spiritual focus? Was it on that spot where God most reveals His personal love for you - the cross? Or was it on your own circumstances, your own condition, your own concerns? Was your preoccupation with your personal pursuit of Godliness? Growth in Godliness must be pursued, but never apart from joyful gratitude for the cross.
Good stuff. In those questions, CJ does a good job of giving us parameters for keeping the gospel first and foremost, but the book also functions well as an introduction to the faith. For folks who are curious about Christianity, this book would do a much better job than just presenting the ticket to heaven routine. Also, Satan is not anybody's band manager in this book either.
Read
November 6, 2023I love this in principle, but feels like it lacks something in execution. I love the idea of remembering Christ’s work on the cross daily — Jesus said to take up OUR cross daily — but as a legacy Christian (saved though my own faith through the introduction by my parents), I find focusing on my moment of conversion less helpful than looking at my journey of faith as a whole. And, as a mom who is constantly dealing with the sins of little people (as well as her own), the idea of the message of the cross as the power of God to us who are “being saved” is much more useful. This is the power to no longer be a slave to sin, but to be able to walk with Him in truth and grace. The power to boldly come before the throne of grace in time of grace. Yes, it is good to remember where we came from and be in awe of what He did, but in some ways I am more in awe of what He is doing today and the power of the cross in the current work of sanctification — a point I think he touched on but didn’t address as fully as I might have liked.
February 20, 2019
Just... wow.
I’ll admit, I initially chose to read this book because I just needed something light and short to supplement my more ‘circumlocutory’ endeavours.
But while the book is quite short it is anything but light. It’s not that Mahaney’s writing is overly demanding or academical—on the contrary he is very evidently gifted with conciseness and clarity. Rather, it is the way he uses his clarity to explain and exhort the book’s central message—that our lives should be centred around the cross—that make this book so good, so inspiring, challenging, and so personally applicable.
At a glance, ‘Living the Cross Centred Life’ is such an innocuous title. Someone who has been a Christian for some time might be tempted to think of the gospel as elementary, basic. But, no, it is anything but.
Mahaney builds off of 1 Cor 15:1,3 proposing that the gospel, that Christ died for our sins, is of first importance. He goes on to show how without the centrality of the gospel all other theology loses its flavour, it’s power. But even more poignant than the theological truths that Mahaney outlines are the personal implications. Without a daily focus of centrality of the cross all Christians fall victim to various distractions. Mahaney deals primarily with three: subjectivism (basing view of God on emotions), legalism (basing relationship with God on works), and condemnation (more focused on our sin than God’s grace). Using expertly selected verses, quotes, and anecdotes Mahaney shows how these distractions can creep into our lives, but not without advice for prevention. In the second last chapter he gives five practical habits to maintain a cross centred view day to day. By the end, though it is a quick and easy read, it feels weirdly comprehensive, like the wisdom of a 1000 page treatise was just dropped on you.
Love it. Five stars. Every Christian should read it. Heck, everyone should read it.
I’ll admit, I initially chose to read this book because I just needed something light and short to supplement my more ‘circumlocutory’ endeavours.
But while the book is quite short it is anything but light. It’s not that Mahaney’s writing is overly demanding or academical—on the contrary he is very evidently gifted with conciseness and clarity. Rather, it is the way he uses his clarity to explain and exhort the book’s central message—that our lives should be centred around the cross—that make this book so good, so inspiring, challenging, and so personally applicable.
At a glance, ‘Living the Cross Centred Life’ is such an innocuous title. Someone who has been a Christian for some time might be tempted to think of the gospel as elementary, basic. But, no, it is anything but.
Mahaney builds off of 1 Cor 15:1,3 proposing that the gospel, that Christ died for our sins, is of first importance. He goes on to show how without the centrality of the gospel all other theology loses its flavour, it’s power. But even more poignant than the theological truths that Mahaney outlines are the personal implications. Without a daily focus of centrality of the cross all Christians fall victim to various distractions. Mahaney deals primarily with three: subjectivism (basing view of God on emotions), legalism (basing relationship with God on works), and condemnation (more focused on our sin than God’s grace). Using expertly selected verses, quotes, and anecdotes Mahaney shows how these distractions can creep into our lives, but not without advice for prevention. In the second last chapter he gives five practical habits to maintain a cross centred view day to day. By the end, though it is a quick and easy read, it feels weirdly comprehensive, like the wisdom of a 1000 page treatise was just dropped on you.
Love it. Five stars. Every Christian should read it. Heck, everyone should read it.
April 17, 2023
Ein tolles Buch. Der Autor liebt das Evangelium. Er macht deutlich, wie wichtig es ist, das Kreuz im Zentrum seines Lebens zu haben. Zu schnell verliert man das Kreuz aus den Augen, wofür man dann die Konsequenzen trägt. Das Buch schafft es, die Wichtigkeit des Kreuzes hochzuhalten. Es ist das pure Evangelium. Ich habe es bestimmt nicht zum letzten Mal gelesen. Es hat mir große Freude bereitet. Das Buch beinhaltet auch sehr viele tolle Zitate zu diesem Thema. Ein tolles und überaus wichtiges Buch.
February 18, 2019
Wish I would have read this years ago. It’s work buying extra copies and giving away.
April 3, 2024
Nothing new; everything vital.
Wish I’d read this when I was 18. Simple and staggering and concise: a heart-swooning reminder of what’s of ‘first importance’. I’d give it to every student I know.
Reading this last week inadvertently made for a perfect Easter devotional.
Wish I’d read this when I was 18. Simple and staggering and concise: a heart-swooning reminder of what’s of ‘first importance’. I’d give it to every student I know.
Reading this last week inadvertently made for a perfect Easter devotional.
March 19, 2016
Living the Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing is a gem! This short book is packed with gospel truth. We must never get tired of the gospel or "graduate" from the gospel. This is one I'll be coming back to often. Highly recommended!
Mahaney recommends these five steps in order to keep the gospel the main thing in our lives:
1. Memorize the Gospel
2. Pray the Gospel
3. Sing the Gospel
4. Review How the Gospel Has Changed You
5. Study the Gospel
These are just a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"The gospel is history’s only essential message."
"We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross."
"The gospel cannot be preached and heard enough, for it cannot be grasped well enough."
"Only those who are aware of God’s wrath are amazed at God’s grace."
"Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself."
"A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days."
"Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish."
Mahaney recommends these five steps in order to keep the gospel the main thing in our lives:
1. Memorize the Gospel
2. Pray the Gospel
3. Sing the Gospel
4. Review How the Gospel Has Changed You
5. Study the Gospel
These are just a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"The gospel is history’s only essential message."
"We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross."
"The gospel cannot be preached and heard enough, for it cannot be grasped well enough."
"Only those who are aware of God’s wrath are amazed at God’s grace."
"Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself."
"A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days."
"Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish."
May 12, 2011
If I could give this more stars, I would! It is that good. It will pierce your heart and you will see much more of the cross than ever before. It is about the gospel it is about the cross. In Chapter 1, Mahaney clearly tells you what moves you away from the cross. Subjectivism, which is we base truth on our feelings instead of the word of God. Legalism which i when our obedience and service is not centered to the cross, we can become legalistic. Mahaney was very helpful in this area to me. So many people cry legalism and I think this is a good section of the book for them to digest as well. When we are centered on ourselves, we become legalistic. The cross breaks all that down. The last was condemnation. Our condemnation becomes our baggage. All we do is spin our wheels. It is basically how we relate to God. The cross reveals so much truth, however, we need to be diligent in searching for that truth. It is the same for everyone! The same truth!
February 6, 2015
This book brings to light the importance of the Gospel. The Gospel must be the central focus that drives everything we do. MUST READ!
December 30, 2017
Thank you CJ for this wonderful reminder of God's saving work on the Cross. I was helpfully, and powerfully reminded of the Cross, and the meaning it has for my life. I was also challenged to live more 'Gospel Centered' days, and to never move on from the Cross when there are so many other theological matters; of second importance however. A brilliant read and must-read for every Christian wanting to have a deeper understanding of the Cross, and live a Cross Centered Life.
April 10, 2021
“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”
This is a great book that helped me to understand the cross and it’s significance better; the content was not new but CJ presents it really well and being pointed back to the cross is always a good thing. The book is filled with necessary reminders of the size of the gap between God and us and how big of a task Jesus had in reconciling that relationship.
This is a great book that helped me to understand the cross and it’s significance better; the content was not new but CJ presents it really well and being pointed back to the cross is always a good thing. The book is filled with necessary reminders of the size of the gap between God and us and how big of a task Jesus had in reconciling that relationship.
September 22, 2020
This book is amazing. Possibly the best book(excluding the Bible... duh) that I've EVER read. I wholeheartedly recommend this to every Christian that follows me on GoodReads. Do yourself and those around you a favor and read this book. Also, heads up to my friends: I plan on quoting from this book til I enter God's presence. You've been warned.
January 18, 2023
A spiritually profitable reminder of the centrality of the cross (the gospel) in Christian life. It explains that although we mature as Christians, and grow in our knowledge, we never outgrow the gospel. It's both theological and practical. It's encouraging and comforting.
These quotes give a taste of the book:
Introduction
3 main tendencies that draw us away from cross/gospel
• Subjectivism: basing our view of God on our changing emotions/feelings
• Legalism: basing our view of God on our own performance
• Condemnation: being more focused on our sin than God's grace
Make sure the gospel is at the very center of your life.
Symptoms of not being cross-centered
• You often lack joy.
• You're not consistently growing in spiritual maturity.
• Your love for God lacks passion.
• You're always looking for some new technique, truth, experience.
Benefits of being cross-centered
• Break free from joy-robbing, legalistic thinking and living.
• Leave behind guilt and condemnation.
• Stop basing faith on emotions and circumstances.
• Grow in gratefulness, joy, holiness.
Searching the Mystery
If you ever doubt God's love for you, remember Christ dying on the cross, and remember why He's there. God crushed His own Son for you. What more could He do to persuade you that He loves you?
Staring into the Cup
We need to deeply understand what it meant to Jesus to take away our sin.
The Scream of the Damned
Jesus had to die even if only for one person's sin. Each of us is fully responsible for His death. "Until you see the cross as that which is done by you, you will never appreciate that it is done for you." —John Stott
Assurance and Joy
In times of severe distress, are you more aware of your suffering, or your salvation? "Your sufferings are not so great as your sins. Put these two in the balance and see which weighs heaviest" —Thomas Watson
Breaking the Rule of Legalism
Our obedience is pleasing to God and brings blessing to our lives, but it doesn't add to our justification. We're never more saved or more loved by God. Our good works are motivated by God's grace.
Unloading Condemnation
Paul could call himself the chief of sinners because he was the greatest sinner he knew (from firsthand, internal experience). We're each the worst sinner we know.
The Cross Centered Day
Books about the cross
• The Cross of Christ by John Stott
• The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
• The Power of the Cross of Christ by Charles Spurgeon
• The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson
Never Move On
All topics must be studied through the lens of the gospel.
In difficult circumstances, remind yourself that you deserve God's wrath and Hell, but instead you're God's adopted child, going to Heaven. That perspective will fill you with joy.
These quotes give a taste of the book:
To grow in your passion for what Jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done. Never be content with your grasp of the gospel. The gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than any diamond. Its depths man will never exhaust.
The gospel isn't one class among many that you'll attend during your life as a Christian—the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in! Rightly approached, all the topics you'll study and focus on as a believer will be offered to you 'within the walls' of the glorious gospel.Notes
Introduction
3 main tendencies that draw us away from cross/gospel
• Subjectivism: basing our view of God on our changing emotions/feelings
• Legalism: basing our view of God on our own performance
• Condemnation: being more focused on our sin than God's grace
Make sure the gospel is at the very center of your life.
Symptoms of not being cross-centered
• You often lack joy.
• You're not consistently growing in spiritual maturity.
• Your love for God lacks passion.
• You're always looking for some new technique, truth, experience.
Benefits of being cross-centered
• Break free from joy-robbing, legalistic thinking and living.
• Leave behind guilt and condemnation.
• Stop basing faith on emotions and circumstances.
• Grow in gratefulness, joy, holiness.
Searching the Mystery
If you ever doubt God's love for you, remember Christ dying on the cross, and remember why He's there. God crushed His own Son for you. What more could He do to persuade you that He loves you?
Staring into the Cup
We need to deeply understand what it meant to Jesus to take away our sin.
The Scream of the Damned
Jesus had to die even if only for one person's sin. Each of us is fully responsible for His death. "Until you see the cross as that which is done by you, you will never appreciate that it is done for you." —John Stott
Assurance and Joy
In times of severe distress, are you more aware of your suffering, or your salvation? "Your sufferings are not so great as your sins. Put these two in the balance and see which weighs heaviest" —Thomas Watson
Breaking the Rule of Legalism
Our obedience is pleasing to God and brings blessing to our lives, but it doesn't add to our justification. We're never more saved or more loved by God. Our good works are motivated by God's grace.
Unloading Condemnation
Paul could call himself the chief of sinners because he was the greatest sinner he knew (from firsthand, internal experience). We're each the worst sinner we know.
The Cross Centered Day
Books about the cross
• The Cross of Christ by John Stott
• The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
• The Power of the Cross of Christ by Charles Spurgeon
• The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson
Never Move On
All topics must be studied through the lens of the gospel.
Through the lens of the gospel, the Bible truly becomes one book telling one story: the story of sinful man, a holy God, and His plan of salvation through the substitution of Himself for His people.When you're bitter or unforgiving toward others, you're seeing their sins as more serious than yours against God. No sin against you can compare to the innumerable sins you've committed against God. When you understand what God has forgiven you, and how patient He's been with you, you can be forgiving and patient toward others.
In difficult circumstances, remind yourself that you deserve God's wrath and Hell, but instead you're God's adopted child, going to Heaven. That perspective will fill you with joy.
October 31, 2018
A great call back to the heartbeat of Christianity! The cross is both the why and how of following Christ, and this little book beautifully challenged me to sit in its shadow.
April 5, 2011
MY REVIEW:
Living the Cross Centered Life is a book that has found a permanent home on my bookshelf. It's short, it's sweet, and it's simply simple. I greatly appreciate how C.J. Mahaney takes us back to the basics of the Christian life - the gospel - to which all the Bible points to.
I enjoyed this book that made me stop and fully look at God's love for me through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I was convicted of my check-list spiritual habits that take away from keeping the gospel the main thing of my relationship with Christ. This is a book that I will re-read over and over again as I "preach to myself" rather than "listen to myself". C.J. took hard issues, like legalism, and made it so easy to understand and deal with these things Biblically in my life.
While Mahaney takes a graphic look at the price that Christ paid on our behalf, I highly recommend this book to any and all teens and adults. I firmly believe you will be encouraged, challenged, and refreshed in your relationship with Christ and what it means on a moment by moment basis.
BOOK OVERVIEW:
What Really Matters
Have the extremities taken over and left the core of your faith forgotten? Do you get confused by what you feel versus what is real? Let dynamic pastor C. J. Mahaney strip away the nonessentials and bring you back to the simplest, most fundamental reason for your faith: Jesus Christ. This book is packed with powerful truth that will grip your heart, clear your mind, and invigorate your soul. Chapters include "Breaking the Rules of Legalism," "The Cross Centered Day," and "Assurance and Joy." Get ready to behold a breathtaking view of what God intends to accomplish in and through you every day. You’ll discover how embracing this cross centered life is both our highest privilege and greatest responsibility.
His Gift, Your Hope
Do you desire more passion for Jesus Christ? Return to the very essence of your faith—the cross of Christ. Here, the deepest truths of Calvary will stir your passion for Him into an unquenchable fire.
"Never lay it aside. Never move on," says C. J. Mahaney, who shows you how to center every day around the life-giving reality of the gospel and how to escape the pitfalls of legalism, condemnation, and feelings-driven faith.
Living the Cross Centered Life is a book that has found a permanent home on my bookshelf. It's short, it's sweet, and it's simply simple. I greatly appreciate how C.J. Mahaney takes us back to the basics of the Christian life - the gospel - to which all the Bible points to.
I enjoyed this book that made me stop and fully look at God's love for me through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I was convicted of my check-list spiritual habits that take away from keeping the gospel the main thing of my relationship with Christ. This is a book that I will re-read over and over again as I "preach to myself" rather than "listen to myself". C.J. took hard issues, like legalism, and made it so easy to understand and deal with these things Biblically in my life.
While Mahaney takes a graphic look at the price that Christ paid on our behalf, I highly recommend this book to any and all teens and adults. I firmly believe you will be encouraged, challenged, and refreshed in your relationship with Christ and what it means on a moment by moment basis.
BOOK OVERVIEW:
What Really Matters
Have the extremities taken over and left the core of your faith forgotten? Do you get confused by what you feel versus what is real? Let dynamic pastor C. J. Mahaney strip away the nonessentials and bring you back to the simplest, most fundamental reason for your faith: Jesus Christ. This book is packed with powerful truth that will grip your heart, clear your mind, and invigorate your soul. Chapters include "Breaking the Rules of Legalism," "The Cross Centered Day," and "Assurance and Joy." Get ready to behold a breathtaking view of what God intends to accomplish in and through you every day. You’ll discover how embracing this cross centered life is both our highest privilege and greatest responsibility.
His Gift, Your Hope
Do you desire more passion for Jesus Christ? Return to the very essence of your faith—the cross of Christ. Here, the deepest truths of Calvary will stir your passion for Him into an unquenchable fire.
"Never lay it aside. Never move on," says C. J. Mahaney, who shows you how to center every day around the life-giving reality of the gospel and how to escape the pitfalls of legalism, condemnation, and feelings-driven faith.
August 11, 2011
A book to read and re-read. Considers the events of the cross, and the daily difference Christ's death makes in our lives. Simple encouragment to never move on from the gospel.
February 17, 2017
wow! just wow! I might start over at the beginning tomorrow...
May 3, 2020
You have got to love CJ Mahaney. I remember hearing him preach in person as a college kid. As I read his words I feel like he is right in the room talking to me as if we were friends. He gets right down to the truth in this book. That the Gospel is the most important thing in your life, now and always. To remember where you came from (separation from God) to who you are through Christ (because of His sacrifice on the Cross) is the most humbling and spectacular love story of grace you will ever know. To have the gospel on your heart is the most important thing you could do. Talk the Gospel to yourself. Remember the Gospel in your relationships with others. What other way will you know true forgiveness and true love? Christ's death on the cross is what life is about. It's about Grace.
January 16, 2022
A great read (or listen rather) . It really opened my eyes to the root of a lot of my internal struggles… the cure , so to speak, is to constantly and consistently take myself back to the foot of the cross.
December 30, 2022
Short read that plainly explains the gospel and gives practical tips of how to live for Jesus
June 29, 2024
This book was super convicting and encouraging. I definitely think every Christian should read this book! I will be coming back and re-reading this for sure.
January 16, 2019
Introduction: Gal 6:14
Pg 13 "Each of our lives is centered on something, Whats at the center of yours?”
Pg 15 “If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life.”
Pg 18 “Not being cross centered you often lack joy, you’re not consistently growing in spiritual maturity, your love for God lacks passion, you’re always looking for some new technique, some ‘new truth’ or new experience to pull all the pieces your faith together.”
Chapter 1: The Climax and the Key-Why the Cross Should Define Our Lives
1KS Pg 25 “Paul simply refused to be pulled away from the gospel. The cross wasn’t merely one of Paul’s messages; it was THE message. He taught about other things as well, but whatever he taught was always derived from, and related to, the foundational reality that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciles to God.” The Gospel must be our focus at all times. We must allow our conversations to continually be pointing to Christ. We don’t do this only at church, or at dinner with our Christian friends; no, talking about the Gospel needs to be the foundational part of our conversation even as we engage with the world. I had a co-worker who recently said she hated a family member. Striving to keep the Gospel on the forefront of my mind daily, I told her that having hate towards someone is the same as calling yourself a murderer because that is what Christ said in the Gospels.
2KS Pg 29 “But as Chad enters his teenage years and young adulthood, the most important thing I can teach him is that, even though he’s being raised in a Christian family and is leading a moral life, he’s a sinner who desperately needs the substitutionary death of Christ for God’s forgiveness.” I am not a parent, yet although I would love to have a family some day-even if that means adopting children while I’m a single woman, parenthood is not just telling them about Christ, it is teaching them. Teaching them the essential ingredients to life! I am thankful for the many families in my church who allow me to love on their children and establishing relationships with them even though I'm not their real aunt. :)
Chapter 2: The Divine Order-What you Feel vs What is Real
1KS Pg 32 “If we want our hearts to be moved by the Gospel, if we want our emotions engaged, if we want to be truly amazed…we have to start by putting our feelings in their proper place. So we need to slow down for a moment and contemplate God’s order for truth-based living and thinking, an order which we have a tendency to disregard.” In the biblical counseling world, we often talk about the Y Chart and how every decision we make, we are at the fork part of that Y to make one of two decisions; to honor God or to please ourselves. I wish I were able to tell you how many times I stopped myself from doing something because I am thinking about the Y Chart. My heart is so wicked and even if the moment feels right, my emotions will most assuredly lead me astray if I allow them to! Mahaney is not saying that our emotions are sinful for we know it’s ok to cry, to mourn, to laugh, to have righteous anger-but, oftentimes, we allow our emotions to feed the fuel to our actions and words when we are presented with a situation that we did not ask for. Oftentimes, we allow our emotions, which come from our wicked and sinful hearts, to tell us what is true rather than turning to the Word of God for truth. For me, it can be incredibly easy to sulk in self-pity and defeat, and when I allow that to happen what does it profit me? Absolutely nothing. But when I turn those frustrations and moments of despair to the Lord, oh what great profit I gain from that! Me and my friends in high school use to say a condescending phrase that was and still is used by a famous physchologist Dr.Phil “How does that make you feel?” Can a question be anymore cringeworthy?! I am so thankful that who we use to be in high school does not have to be who we are forever :D
2KS Pg 34 “It’s a frightening experience to sit with individuals who actually insist that what they feel is ultimately more authoritative to them that what’s written clearly in Scripture.” Mrs. Piatt does not allow me to say the word ‘feel’ in my conversations with her and I appreciate that so much because she is helping me keep from trusting my feelings and she brings me back to God’s Word. What a blessing her friendship has been to me! I've noticed myself helping friends change their words from feeling oriented :)
Chapter 3: Searching the Mystery-A captivating Picture of His Love
Isai h 53
1KS Pg 55 “The motivation of God the Father in sacrificing His Son as our substitute is uniquely revealed- shockingly and startlingly exposed- in Isaiah 53:10 ‘It was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief.’ The death of the Servant was not the fruit of human initiative and design; it was God’s plan, God’s purpose , God’s will.”
2KS Pg 56 “When you’re tempted to doubt God’s love for you, stand before the cross and look at the wounded, dying, disfigured Savior and realize why He is there. I believe His Father would whisper to us, “isn’t that sufficient? I haven’t spared My own Son; I deformed and disfigured and crushed Him-for you. What more could I do to persuade you that I love you?” That’s how far God’s love goes.”
Chapter 4: The Divine Dilemma-An Inescapable Penalty and a Longed-for Salvation
1KS Pg 60-61 “R.C. Sproul wrote that the most perplexing theological question is not why there’s suffering in this world, but why God tolerates us in our sinfulness.” This is so true. God is patient with me all the time, including when my heart is prone to wander therefore bringing suffering on my own behalf. I am thankful that through my suffering, it only brought me closer to the Lord.
2KS Pg 65 “..in the conflict between God and man, only one party has been offended. God has been profoundly and acutely aggrieved by the other party; He Himself is fully innocent, entirely without fault or blame. The other party (all of humanity) is undeniably, categorically, and completely guilty- yet this guilty party doesn’t even care to be reconciled, but is locked in active hostility to the other party. In contrast, God is fully committed to resolution with the violators.” I have to remind myself that when I am in conflict with the Lord or if I sense Him being distant, it is all my doing, not His.
Chapter 5: The Divine Rescue-Why Only Jesus Christ Could Save Us
1KS Pg 68 “The pastor pulled out a pad of paper and drew out for the young woman a diagram of the gospel. He agreed with her that blood can indeed ‘solve problems’ but pointed out that the blood ‘did not have to be her own, and that the cutting had already been done on her behalf. The Spirit brought illumination, and she prayed to accept the gospel.” I really like how this was explained to the young woman struggling with cutting. The cuts were already made, the blood already spilled for her!
2KS Pg 69 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time……In this one sentence, Paul succinctly captures the main theme and essence of the entirety of holy Scripture-as well as answering the desperate cry we hereof from Job for someone to arbitrate between God and man.” This is the verse in the Bible that Mahaney believes is the key verse of all the Bible!
3KS Pg 71 “Neither you nor I, however, can atone for our sin to satisfy God’s righteous requirements; our own disobedience already condemns us before a righteous God. Furthermore, we’re captive to sin; it’s humanly impossible for us to release ourselves form its grip.” I cannot save myself and neither can you. No level of good deeds would be enough to spend eternity with Christ, for since the fall of man, we have been born sinners. We needed to be saved from the one we have sinned against. We needed a Savior who would be both man and God; not just a simple man with limited divine powers.
Chapter 6: Staring Into the Cup-The Shock of Gethsemane
1KS Pg 79 “As Jesus lies prostrate on the ground, we overhear Him praying: “abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus is crying out to God asking if there is an alternative? Is there a way for Him to avoid the wrath He was soon to face. If there is a way, please would you provide that to me? And then God was silent. Even through the leading events that brought Christ to His death, this is still the reason God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Even in His silence, God still showed love, God still had a sovereign plan, God still provided comfort and strength. This was an absolutely beautiful paragraph to me. The reason I chose to read this book is because I am struggling and as much as I've asked the Lord to take this cup from me, perhaps take me home to be away from my temptation, God will not remove it. The only way to get through this hard season, is to have faith that this is a season of a lot of personal growth, and spiritual maturity and God can use this for His glory and my good. God is not ignoring me out of spite of His character, He is growing me, even though this is the hardest season I've ever had to face alone.
Chapter 7: Your Face in the Crowd-Our Part in the Savior’s Death
1KS Pg 84 “Have you ever wondered, as I have, why Jesus has no reply to these bogus charges? It seems that He could easily persuade Pilate, who shows respect for Jesus and who certainly has no affection for the chief priests and elders; he knows what they’re about. But Jesus knows this is the hour for which He was born...
2KS Pg 84 "But convicting you of sin is not my ultimate purpose here; rather, I want to convince you of grace. For when you’re deeply aware of your sin, and of what an affront it is to God’s holiness, and of how impossible it is for Him to respond to this sin with anything other than furious wrath- you can only be overwhelmed with how amazing grace is. Only those who are truly aware of their sin can truly cherish grace.”I LOVE THAT LAST SENTENCE!! That is a beautiful statement because we can get down on ourselves and be completely discouraged by our sin, but the thing that can get us out of the pit of discouragement is when we recognize God’s beautiful and sweet grace to us. I can't truly be grateful for my salvation if I don't even know why I needed saved in the first place.
Chapter 8: The Scream of the Damned-Our Savior’s Worst Torment
1KS Pg 95 “God, in abandoning His Son, is treating Jesus as a sinner so that he can treat you and me-who are sinners-as if we were righteous…all because of Jesus.”
Chapter 9: What God Understands- His Presence in Our Suffering
1KS Pg 99 “It’s a fallen world, and therefore we will all suffer. So we must prepare, because the ideal time to be educated about suffering is never in the midst of it. We need to be trained prior to suffering, so that we may be fully sustained in suffering.” If the only time we called out to the Lord is when we are suffering, we minimize the power of our Lord. I want to be steadfast in my faith. I am suffering now, but I am learning to trust in Him through this time.
Chapter 10: Assurance and Joy-Enjoying the Results of a ross Centered Life
1KS Pg 106 “In the last week, what was your primary preoccupation in life? What was your spiritual focus? Was it on that spot where God most reveals His personal love for you- the cross? Or was it on your own circumstances, your own condition, your own concerns? Was your preoccupation with your personal pursuit of godliness? Growth in godliness must be pursued, but never apart from joyful gratitude for the cross.” There are many weeks where I reflect on my thoughts from that week and realize that the majority of my thoughts were selfish. It is so easy for me to put my attention on my own circumstances and concerns that I get so pre-occupied with it, that it shifts my vision from my pursuit in Christlikeness. I have to FORCE myself out of this way of thinking and into Christlike thinking.
2KS Pg 108 “And the inevitable result of preaching the gospel to yourself will be a pronounced joy, an infectious joy, a consistent joy.” There are times when I think I deserve something because of my own efforts, instead, what I should be doing is preaching the Gospel to myself as it will cause me to have a heart of humility when I contemplate the wickedness of my sin. I do not deserve anything, not even the next breathe I take, but everything given to me is given by God’s grace, just as much as everything not given to me, is still not given by God's grace. When I preach the Gospel to myself, I am joyful, even through sorrow and pain for I know that Christ is my fortress and my passion.
Chapter 11: Breaking the Rule of Legalism-How the Cross Rescues You from the Performance Trap
1KS Pg 112 “Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and justification before God through obedience to God. A legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s forgiveness through personal performance.” There was a time in my life when I attended a church that was legalistic and in that time in my life, I was a moldable-new Christ follower, holding tightly to every word that was taught to me. Little did I know that the man made opinions on earning God’s favor were all wrong. I could not earn God’s favor in anything. Salvation is through grace alone and when I wrong the Lord and need to seek repentance for it, I cannot earn His favor by my own efforts. Legalism never points to Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 12: Unloading Condemnation-How the Cross Removes Guilt and Shame
1KS Pg 128 “The Christian who desires to live a cross centered life will regularly face his or her own depravity and the seriousness of personal sin, and he or she will do it squarely and unflinchingly.” We have to take sin serious. We cannot be flippant with how we deal with it, or ignore it assuming it will vanish or that even grace may abound.
2KS Pg 129 “Being freed from condemnation doesn’t require that we forget or deny the depth and depravity of our sins, whether they’re committed prior to our conversion or since our conversion. In fact, if we want to know the joy and gratitude that the woman at Jesus’ feet experienced, we must start by acknowledging and owning up to our many sins.” We have to take our sin seriously but don’t stop there!! Read key statement #3 below.
3KS Pg 130 “But don’t stop there! Move on to rejoicing in the Savior who came to save the worst of sinners. Lay down the luggage of condemnation and kneel in worship at the feet of Him who bore your sins. Cry tears of amazement.” Our awe of God will be revealed once we see how totally depraved we are.
Chapter 13: The Cross Centered Day-Practical Ways to Focus Daily on the Cross
1KS Pg 132 “Reminding ourselves of the Gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish….the audience is your own heart. And the message is simple: Christ died for your sins.” Preaching the Gospel to ourselves is simply that! We need to be reminded of who we were when we came into this world, repent and seek forgiveness of our sins and realize why Christ had to die for us and also focusing on the beautiful grace God gave to us.
2KS Pg 133 “Memorize the Gospel-god instructs us in the Psalms to store up His Word in our hearts…God wants us to tuck His promises into our hearts so that, no matter where we are or what were doing, we can pull them out and be strengthened by their truth.” Memorizing Scripture is something I long to be better at. I have no excuse except to blame it on my own laziness. There have been many times when I pulled out Scripture that I hid in my heart that had encouraged me and cause me to remember God’s loving kindness.
3KS Pg 137 “Pray the Gospel-The Gospel should be at the center of your prayer life because it makes it possible for us to approach God.” Such bold and true words!
4KS Pg 138 “Sing the Gospel-Whereever you find it, make cross centered worship a regular part of your daily routine.” I love singing, especially Gospel centered songs.
5KS Pg 140 “Review how the Gospel has changed you-Many people today want to forget the past. The mistakes they’ve made and the sins they’ve committed aren’t subjects they like to revisit. But for Christians, one of the best ways we can draw near the blazing fire of the cross is to remember our past and allow it to remind us of how marvelous God’s salvation really is.” I hate my past but I never want to forget who I use to be! Christ has saved me from!
6KS Pg 142 “Study the Gospel-To grow in your passion for what jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done.” This is so true! There are so many benefits to reading God’s Word, and this is just one of them!
Chapter 14: Never Move On-Put This Book on a Shelf But Not its Message!
Mahaney gives his testimony and encourages the reader to take the message of the Cross with us.
Pg 13 "Each of our lives is centered on something, Whats at the center of yours?”
Pg 15 “If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life.”
Pg 18 “Not being cross centered you often lack joy, you’re not consistently growing in spiritual maturity, your love for God lacks passion, you’re always looking for some new technique, some ‘new truth’ or new experience to pull all the pieces your faith together.”
Chapter 1: The Climax and the Key-Why the Cross Should Define Our Lives
1KS Pg 25 “Paul simply refused to be pulled away from the gospel. The cross wasn’t merely one of Paul’s messages; it was THE message. He taught about other things as well, but whatever he taught was always derived from, and related to, the foundational reality that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciles to God.” The Gospel must be our focus at all times. We must allow our conversations to continually be pointing to Christ. We don’t do this only at church, or at dinner with our Christian friends; no, talking about the Gospel needs to be the foundational part of our conversation even as we engage with the world. I had a co-worker who recently said she hated a family member. Striving to keep the Gospel on the forefront of my mind daily, I told her that having hate towards someone is the same as calling yourself a murderer because that is what Christ said in the Gospels.
2KS Pg 29 “But as Chad enters his teenage years and young adulthood, the most important thing I can teach him is that, even though he’s being raised in a Christian family and is leading a moral life, he’s a sinner who desperately needs the substitutionary death of Christ for God’s forgiveness.” I am not a parent, yet although I would love to have a family some day-even if that means adopting children while I’m a single woman, parenthood is not just telling them about Christ, it is teaching them. Teaching them the essential ingredients to life! I am thankful for the many families in my church who allow me to love on their children and establishing relationships with them even though I'm not their real aunt. :)
Chapter 2: The Divine Order-What you Feel vs What is Real
1KS Pg 32 “If we want our hearts to be moved by the Gospel, if we want our emotions engaged, if we want to be truly amazed…we have to start by putting our feelings in their proper place. So we need to slow down for a moment and contemplate God’s order for truth-based living and thinking, an order which we have a tendency to disregard.” In the biblical counseling world, we often talk about the Y Chart and how every decision we make, we are at the fork part of that Y to make one of two decisions; to honor God or to please ourselves. I wish I were able to tell you how many times I stopped myself from doing something because I am thinking about the Y Chart. My heart is so wicked and even if the moment feels right, my emotions will most assuredly lead me astray if I allow them to! Mahaney is not saying that our emotions are sinful for we know it’s ok to cry, to mourn, to laugh, to have righteous anger-but, oftentimes, we allow our emotions to feed the fuel to our actions and words when we are presented with a situation that we did not ask for. Oftentimes, we allow our emotions, which come from our wicked and sinful hearts, to tell us what is true rather than turning to the Word of God for truth. For me, it can be incredibly easy to sulk in self-pity and defeat, and when I allow that to happen what does it profit me? Absolutely nothing. But when I turn those frustrations and moments of despair to the Lord, oh what great profit I gain from that! Me and my friends in high school use to say a condescending phrase that was and still is used by a famous physchologist Dr.Phil “How does that make you feel?” Can a question be anymore cringeworthy?! I am so thankful that who we use to be in high school does not have to be who we are forever :D
2KS Pg 34 “It’s a frightening experience to sit with individuals who actually insist that what they feel is ultimately more authoritative to them that what’s written clearly in Scripture.” Mrs. Piatt does not allow me to say the word ‘feel’ in my conversations with her and I appreciate that so much because she is helping me keep from trusting my feelings and she brings me back to God’s Word. What a blessing her friendship has been to me! I've noticed myself helping friends change their words from feeling oriented :)
Chapter 3: Searching the Mystery-A captivating Picture of His Love
Isai h 53
1KS Pg 55 “The motivation of God the Father in sacrificing His Son as our substitute is uniquely revealed- shockingly and startlingly exposed- in Isaiah 53:10 ‘It was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief.’ The death of the Servant was not the fruit of human initiative and design; it was God’s plan, God’s purpose , God’s will.”
2KS Pg 56 “When you’re tempted to doubt God’s love for you, stand before the cross and look at the wounded, dying, disfigured Savior and realize why He is there. I believe His Father would whisper to us, “isn’t that sufficient? I haven’t spared My own Son; I deformed and disfigured and crushed Him-for you. What more could I do to persuade you that I love you?” That’s how far God’s love goes.”
Chapter 4: The Divine Dilemma-An Inescapable Penalty and a Longed-for Salvation
1KS Pg 60-61 “R.C. Sproul wrote that the most perplexing theological question is not why there’s suffering in this world, but why God tolerates us in our sinfulness.” This is so true. God is patient with me all the time, including when my heart is prone to wander therefore bringing suffering on my own behalf. I am thankful that through my suffering, it only brought me closer to the Lord.
2KS Pg 65 “..in the conflict between God and man, only one party has been offended. God has been profoundly and acutely aggrieved by the other party; He Himself is fully innocent, entirely without fault or blame. The other party (all of humanity) is undeniably, categorically, and completely guilty- yet this guilty party doesn’t even care to be reconciled, but is locked in active hostility to the other party. In contrast, God is fully committed to resolution with the violators.” I have to remind myself that when I am in conflict with the Lord or if I sense Him being distant, it is all my doing, not His.
Chapter 5: The Divine Rescue-Why Only Jesus Christ Could Save Us
1KS Pg 68 “The pastor pulled out a pad of paper and drew out for the young woman a diagram of the gospel. He agreed with her that blood can indeed ‘solve problems’ but pointed out that the blood ‘did not have to be her own, and that the cutting had already been done on her behalf. The Spirit brought illumination, and she prayed to accept the gospel.” I really like how this was explained to the young woman struggling with cutting. The cuts were already made, the blood already spilled for her!
2KS Pg 69 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time……In this one sentence, Paul succinctly captures the main theme and essence of the entirety of holy Scripture-as well as answering the desperate cry we hereof from Job for someone to arbitrate between God and man.” This is the verse in the Bible that Mahaney believes is the key verse of all the Bible!
3KS Pg 71 “Neither you nor I, however, can atone for our sin to satisfy God’s righteous requirements; our own disobedience already condemns us before a righteous God. Furthermore, we’re captive to sin; it’s humanly impossible for us to release ourselves form its grip.” I cannot save myself and neither can you. No level of good deeds would be enough to spend eternity with Christ, for since the fall of man, we have been born sinners. We needed to be saved from the one we have sinned against. We needed a Savior who would be both man and God; not just a simple man with limited divine powers.
Chapter 6: Staring Into the Cup-The Shock of Gethsemane
1KS Pg 79 “As Jesus lies prostrate on the ground, we overhear Him praying: “abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus is crying out to God asking if there is an alternative? Is there a way for Him to avoid the wrath He was soon to face. If there is a way, please would you provide that to me? And then God was silent. Even through the leading events that brought Christ to His death, this is still the reason God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Even in His silence, God still showed love, God still had a sovereign plan, God still provided comfort and strength. This was an absolutely beautiful paragraph to me. The reason I chose to read this book is because I am struggling and as much as I've asked the Lord to take this cup from me, perhaps take me home to be away from my temptation, God will not remove it. The only way to get through this hard season, is to have faith that this is a season of a lot of personal growth, and spiritual maturity and God can use this for His glory and my good. God is not ignoring me out of spite of His character, He is growing me, even though this is the hardest season I've ever had to face alone.
Chapter 7: Your Face in the Crowd-Our Part in the Savior’s Death
1KS Pg 84 “Have you ever wondered, as I have, why Jesus has no reply to these bogus charges? It seems that He could easily persuade Pilate, who shows respect for Jesus and who certainly has no affection for the chief priests and elders; he knows what they’re about. But Jesus knows this is the hour for which He was born...
2KS Pg 84 "But convicting you of sin is not my ultimate purpose here; rather, I want to convince you of grace. For when you’re deeply aware of your sin, and of what an affront it is to God’s holiness, and of how impossible it is for Him to respond to this sin with anything other than furious wrath- you can only be overwhelmed with how amazing grace is. Only those who are truly aware of their sin can truly cherish grace.”I LOVE THAT LAST SENTENCE!! That is a beautiful statement because we can get down on ourselves and be completely discouraged by our sin, but the thing that can get us out of the pit of discouragement is when we recognize God’s beautiful and sweet grace to us. I can't truly be grateful for my salvation if I don't even know why I needed saved in the first place.
Chapter 8: The Scream of the Damned-Our Savior’s Worst Torment
1KS Pg 95 “God, in abandoning His Son, is treating Jesus as a sinner so that he can treat you and me-who are sinners-as if we were righteous…all because of Jesus.”
Chapter 9: What God Understands- His Presence in Our Suffering
1KS Pg 99 “It’s a fallen world, and therefore we will all suffer. So we must prepare, because the ideal time to be educated about suffering is never in the midst of it. We need to be trained prior to suffering, so that we may be fully sustained in suffering.” If the only time we called out to the Lord is when we are suffering, we minimize the power of our Lord. I want to be steadfast in my faith. I am suffering now, but I am learning to trust in Him through this time.
Chapter 10: Assurance and Joy-Enjoying the Results of a ross Centered Life
1KS Pg 106 “In the last week, what was your primary preoccupation in life? What was your spiritual focus? Was it on that spot where God most reveals His personal love for you- the cross? Or was it on your own circumstances, your own condition, your own concerns? Was your preoccupation with your personal pursuit of godliness? Growth in godliness must be pursued, but never apart from joyful gratitude for the cross.” There are many weeks where I reflect on my thoughts from that week and realize that the majority of my thoughts were selfish. It is so easy for me to put my attention on my own circumstances and concerns that I get so pre-occupied with it, that it shifts my vision from my pursuit in Christlikeness. I have to FORCE myself out of this way of thinking and into Christlike thinking.
2KS Pg 108 “And the inevitable result of preaching the gospel to yourself will be a pronounced joy, an infectious joy, a consistent joy.” There are times when I think I deserve something because of my own efforts, instead, what I should be doing is preaching the Gospel to myself as it will cause me to have a heart of humility when I contemplate the wickedness of my sin. I do not deserve anything, not even the next breathe I take, but everything given to me is given by God’s grace, just as much as everything not given to me, is still not given by God's grace. When I preach the Gospel to myself, I am joyful, even through sorrow and pain for I know that Christ is my fortress and my passion.
Chapter 11: Breaking the Rule of Legalism-How the Cross Rescues You from the Performance Trap
1KS Pg 112 “Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and justification before God through obedience to God. A legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s forgiveness through personal performance.” There was a time in my life when I attended a church that was legalistic and in that time in my life, I was a moldable-new Christ follower, holding tightly to every word that was taught to me. Little did I know that the man made opinions on earning God’s favor were all wrong. I could not earn God’s favor in anything. Salvation is through grace alone and when I wrong the Lord and need to seek repentance for it, I cannot earn His favor by my own efforts. Legalism never points to Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 12: Unloading Condemnation-How the Cross Removes Guilt and Shame
1KS Pg 128 “The Christian who desires to live a cross centered life will regularly face his or her own depravity and the seriousness of personal sin, and he or she will do it squarely and unflinchingly.” We have to take sin serious. We cannot be flippant with how we deal with it, or ignore it assuming it will vanish or that even grace may abound.
2KS Pg 129 “Being freed from condemnation doesn’t require that we forget or deny the depth and depravity of our sins, whether they’re committed prior to our conversion or since our conversion. In fact, if we want to know the joy and gratitude that the woman at Jesus’ feet experienced, we must start by acknowledging and owning up to our many sins.” We have to take our sin seriously but don’t stop there!! Read key statement #3 below.
3KS Pg 130 “But don’t stop there! Move on to rejoicing in the Savior who came to save the worst of sinners. Lay down the luggage of condemnation and kneel in worship at the feet of Him who bore your sins. Cry tears of amazement.” Our awe of God will be revealed once we see how totally depraved we are.
Chapter 13: The Cross Centered Day-Practical Ways to Focus Daily on the Cross
1KS Pg 132 “Reminding ourselves of the Gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish….the audience is your own heart. And the message is simple: Christ died for your sins.” Preaching the Gospel to ourselves is simply that! We need to be reminded of who we were when we came into this world, repent and seek forgiveness of our sins and realize why Christ had to die for us and also focusing on the beautiful grace God gave to us.
2KS Pg 133 “Memorize the Gospel-god instructs us in the Psalms to store up His Word in our hearts…God wants us to tuck His promises into our hearts so that, no matter where we are or what were doing, we can pull them out and be strengthened by their truth.” Memorizing Scripture is something I long to be better at. I have no excuse except to blame it on my own laziness. There have been many times when I pulled out Scripture that I hid in my heart that had encouraged me and cause me to remember God’s loving kindness.
3KS Pg 137 “Pray the Gospel-The Gospel should be at the center of your prayer life because it makes it possible for us to approach God.” Such bold and true words!
4KS Pg 138 “Sing the Gospel-Whereever you find it, make cross centered worship a regular part of your daily routine.” I love singing, especially Gospel centered songs.
5KS Pg 140 “Review how the Gospel has changed you-Many people today want to forget the past. The mistakes they’ve made and the sins they’ve committed aren’t subjects they like to revisit. But for Christians, one of the best ways we can draw near the blazing fire of the cross is to remember our past and allow it to remind us of how marvelous God’s salvation really is.” I hate my past but I never want to forget who I use to be! Christ has saved me from!
6KS Pg 142 “Study the Gospel-To grow in your passion for what jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done.” This is so true! There are so many benefits to reading God’s Word, and this is just one of them!
Chapter 14: Never Move On-Put This Book on a Shelf But Not its Message!
Mahaney gives his testimony and encourages the reader to take the message of the Cross with us.
March 14, 2021
Generally a good explanation of the gospel. I would have preferred he focus more on total depravity. He also has a confusing definition of sanctification: in some sentences he says it's man's work, some sentences he says it's God's work.
June 25, 2021
I loved this book. He had such incredible insights on how the death of Jesus provides use with strength for every day. I’m for this rich reminder! It was Much needed in my current season!
May 19, 2023
A book that every Christian should read… multiple times lol. It simply explains how to live the Christian life and everyday faithfulness in walking with Christ. Highly recommend!
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