Gospel-Centered Discipleship

by Jonathan K. Dodson

Everyone’s idea of discipleship is different. Some people emphasize evangelism—sharing their faith. Still others promote a hierarchical system for spiritual growth, a way for older Christians to pass on best practices to younger believers. Yet, both ideas are incomplete. Real discipleship is so much more.

Avoiding extremes and evaluating motives, Jonathan Dodson insists on a way of following Jesus that re-centers discipleship on the gospel.

This book helps us understand and experience the fullness of discipleship as God intended. It combines the mess and the weight, the imperfection and transformation, the honesty and wonder of being a disciple who revolves around Jesus. Here is a practical guide to discipleship that is Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, field-tested, and easily implemented.

Genres: Discipleship, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction, Church

176 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Jonathan K. Dodson (M.Div, Th.M) is happy husband to Robie, and proud father to Owen, Ellie & Rosamund. He is the lead pastor of City Life Church and a leader in PlantR and Gospel Centered Discipleship.com. Jonathan is also author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Raised? Finding Jesus by Doubting the Resurrection and The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing (September, 2014). He enjoys listening to M. Ward, smoking his pipe, watching sci-fi, and following Jesus.

Reviews

[Shawn Woo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the difference between evangelism and discipleship? The common answer is that evangelism is converting non-Christians while discipleship is maturing those who are already Christians. However, Jonathan Dodson argues that this is an artificial division, since both evangelism and discipleship are about proclaiming the gospel–that Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our sins, then defeated death in His resurrection, so that we can be justified, sanctified, and glorified in Him. The gospel is not a once-in-a-lifetime vaccine, but our daily remedy for sin’s corrosive influence. As Dodson puts it, “persistent, unrepentant sin can disqualify us from the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; Heb. 3:7-13). God does not accept us as we are. He accepts us as we are in Christ” (127). Therefore, Christians need to fight to believe the Gospel everyday. We need to abide in Christ.

But is Dodson’s definition Biblical? What about the Great Commission? Isn’t “mak[ing] disciples of all nations” about “going and baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus has] commanded [us]” (Mt. 28:18-20)? Where does he get the “gospel” from all this? Dodson notes that the Great Commission begins with Jesus’s statement that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” and ends with his promise, “surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Hence, the main point of the Great Commission is not “to go (in [our] effort), but that we are sent (under Jesus’s authority and in Jesus’s power)” (32). Therefore, Dodson continues, the Great Commission is a Gospel Commission to “make and mature disciples by going with the gospel, baptizing disciples into gospel community, and teaching the gospel” (35). In other words, a Christian disciple is someone who “learns the gospel, relates in the gospel, and communicates the gospel” (38).

After thus defining “discipleship” in Part I of his book, Dodson unpacks how the gospel transforms the motivation for, and the application of, discipleship in Part II and III, respectively. He makes the keen observation that the motivation for Christian discipleship generally falls under two categories: (1) religious performance (i.e. legalism) and (2) spiritual license (i.e. antinomianism). Those in the first camp can be inwardly-oriented toward spiritual performance (e.g. Bible reading, prayer, fasting, speaking in tongues, moral behavior), or outwardly-oriented toward missional performance (e.g. evangelism, community service, social justice) (70). In either case, they behave as if their religious performance determined God’s approval. However, human religious performance is inadequate and unreliable, and therefore this view leads to spiritual insecurity and instability. On the other hand, those who are motivated by spiritual license behave as if they are above rule-keeping, leading to moral degeneration and apathy.

Dodson contends that the proper motivation for discipleship is not religious performance or spiritual license, but the gospel. The gospel teaches us that we do not need to win God’s approval with our religious performance, because “the performance of Jesus in his perfect life, death, and resurrection” has already won God’s approval for us (71). The gospel also teaches us that we are not free to disobey because spiritual “license” is really spiritual bondage to sin. “The religious are bound to keeping rules, and the rebellious are bound to breaking rules. The gospel, however, tells us that we are bound, not to rules, but to Christ” (73). When we truly grasp the gospel, we develop a religious affection, a “gospel-centered delight in God [that] … compels us to follow Jesus, not because we have to, but because we get to” (cf. Jn. 14:15; Ps. 37:4; Deut. 28:47-48) (76).

Then, what does Dodson recommend for those who do not feel this religious affection? Should they resign themselves to disobedience since being motivated by religious performance is a bad thing? Dodson adds an important qualification when he says that “faith also includes trusting God when we don’t desire him” (80). When our hearts refuse to delight in God, we need to galvanize our hearts with God’s promises and warnings and obey anyway (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5). The difference between this and religious performance is that when we repent, “We turn from our sinful behaviors and turn, not to good behaviors, but to Christ” (84). This sort of repentance leads us to treasure Christ rather than treasure our moral/spiritual triumphs. We obey even when we don’t feel like it, not for the sake of doing right, but for the sake of loving Christ.

In the end, of course, no amount of human exertion can produce religious affection. As Dodson’s diagram above shows (for the actual diagram see: http://scarletyarn.com/2012/09/10/gos...), the Holy Spirit is instrumental in this whole process. “The Spirit regenerates us so that our lifeless hearts can beat for God in lives of obedient worship and adoration of the Lord Jesus Christ” (90). For this reason, Dodson writes that we need to commune with the Holy Spirit by praying to Him and addressing Him throughout the day (98). This might seem unorthodox to some, but Dodson is not suggesting that praying to the Holy Spirit is more efficacious for Spirit-empowerment than praying to the Father or to the Son. Rather, he is saying that the practice of addressing the Holy Spirit helps us recognize the Holy Spirit as a Person and increase our awareness of His promptings in our lives. As Dodson wisely notes, “as Westerners we easily mistake the presence of the Spirit for our own conscience or ‘enlightened’ reason. When we make this mistake, we easily dismiss the promptings of the Spirit as mere rational options,” and “When we depersonalize the Spirit, it becomes much easier to disobey or deny the Lord. When we reduce the promptings of Spirit to options, we miss out on communion with God.” (100)

In addition to changing our motivation for discipleship, the gospel changes our application of discipleship. An example that Dodson provides is that of a Fight Club, which is the name for gospel-centered discipleship groups at Austin City Life Church where Dodson is the pastor. Fight clubs are made up of two to three Christians of the same gender that meet regularly to help one another fight sin and believe the gospel of grace (121). In these groups, they ask three questions, “What,” “When,” and “Why?” to expose and fight sin (122). I’ve been in many accountability groups that ask the first two questions in order to identify the sin and locate the lairs of temptation. However, I have seen very few small groups that ask the question “Why?” This last question is critical because “it gets to the motivation behind our sin; it addresses the heart. No one ever sins out of duty. We all sin because we want to, because our hearts long for something” (124). Some common deceptions include lust (i.e. “If you find sexual intimacy on the Internet, then you won’t be lonely or stressed”), vanity (i.e. “If you perform beautifully, then you have worth”), pride (i.e. “If you received more compliments, then you would be more confident”), and anger (i.e. “If you get angry, you can get your way”) (124). By comparing the promises of sin to the promises of the gospel, we can “[see] the futility of sin next to the beauty of Christ” (135). The gospel tells us that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6). The gospel tells us that our worth is inherent in the fact that we have been created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-28) (55). The gospel tell us that God is sovereignly in control when we are not (Prov. 16:1-4). This emphasis on the gospel radically transforms our practice of discipleship. Instead of meting out graduated penalties or dispensing cheap grace and cheap peace for a troubled conscience, gospel discipleship forces us to examine our hearts and bolster our faith (66). As the (Reformed) Puritans understood so well, the failure to persevere in faith results in eternal damnation, not less sanctification, because, as John Piper writes in Future Grace, “the battle against sin is a battle against unbelief” (330-331).

Gospel-Centered Discipleship is not really a how-to book on discipleship like Mike Breen and Steve Cockram’s Building a Discipling Culture. Rather, it’s a theological exposition that undergirds the structure of discipleship with the gospel. Those familiar with Jonathan Edwards’s Religious Affections, Tim Keller’s teaching on gospel motivation, or John Piper’s writings on Christian hedonism will not find new insight in this book. However, everyone will find a compelling and practical application of the ageless gospel to the task of discipleship.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Powder-Keg

Gospel-Centered Discipleship is a small book at roughly one-hundred and fifty pages but it’s a powder-keg of gospel truth. Dodson develops a biblical theology for discipleship centered around the gospel. He exposes what should be the foundation for growing in Christ by reexamining the Great Commission and exposing common pitfalls in discipleship theology. He defines a disciple as “someone who learns the gospel, relates in the gospel, and communicates the gospel. In short, disciples are gospel-centered” (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012. 38).

In Part 1 (“Defining Discipleship”), Dodson examines the dichotomy prevalent within pop evangelicalism which separates evangelism and discipleship. He does so by examining each of these concepts from a biblical perspective and defining what discipleship means. He says,

This dichotomy surfaces a false view of the gospel, namely that the gospel has the power to save but not sanctify. It assumes that the gospel functions like a space shuttle’s external fuel tank, falling away after the shuttle has launched us into God’s orbit. The gospel, however, is more like an internal engine, always propelling us into God’s presence. The gospel is necessary for getting right and doing right with God, for salvation and sanctification (28).

He spends the bulk of the book in the first chapter developing the ideas that will be foundational for the practical advice offered later. He also offers his first admonition to fight for our faith. He quotes J.P. Moreland, “‘Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort.’ If we are to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Jesus, we must put effort into the noble fight of faith” (57).

In Part 2 (“Getting to the Heart”), Dodson examines the twisted motivation for discipleship (like confessional accountability, religious performance, or spiritual license) and then offers the gospel as the true center for discipleship in the following chapter. He ends this section by highlighting the absolute necessity for a constant deepening of our relationship with the Spirit as God.

In Part 3 (“Applying the Gospel”), Dodson ends by offering practical advice on how to put all this into practice. He emphasizes community and creating a culture where fighting for faith and celebrating the gospel is encouraged. His emphasis away from our western, individualistic Christianity is much needed and refreshing.

Gospel-Empowered Discipleship

Dodson is transparent through out Gospel-Centered Discipleship about his own failures as a Christian. He looks back at his first experience with discipleship realizing that he often practiced pietism instead gospel-empowered piety. As you’ll see in the next section, he also undercuts any possibility for antinomianism. In short, he provides a balanced theology for gospel discipleship. He does this partly by reexamining the Great Commission. Dodson says,

Rightly understood, the gospel calls the evangelical to more than belief to obtain a ticket, and disciples to more than spreading an anemic gospel which must be beeded up through spiritual disciplines or social justice. Jesus’s disciples would never have made this gross error. They knew the gospel was of kingdom proportions, animating and laying claim to all of life. The gospel makes all-encompassing demands, and what the gospel demands, it supplies. The disciples knew that the gospel, not mission, was the invigorating power of Jesus’s Commission. This is why they devoted their lives to the mission of making disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching the gospel. (37)

There’s also a strong emphasis on the community. We need to community to celebrate the gospel and duplicate disciples. He also sees a corporate aspect to our redemption which necessitates we do discipleship together (p. 109 “We are not converted to a disembodied Head; we are converted to an embodied Christ, which includes Head and body”).



Fight for Faith by the Spirit

From conversations I’ve had with people in the gospel-centered movement, there’s a tendency to confuse justification with sanctification. We often celebrate the gospel and focus on our standing in Christ but we fail to understand the necessity of action. Dodson unpacks the truth of the gospel and then lights the fuse of gospel truth to explode our inactivity. He encourages us to fight for our faith (see pp. 57-60). I found the emphasis on the gospel as the power for sanctification refreshing and balanced. Dodson admonishes us living in sin,

Unfortunately, many disciples do not walk in the newness of life but in old patterns of sin. Perhaps this lackadaisical approach to sin is because we value Jesus’s atonement for our guilt and the penalty of sin, but at a heat level we fail to value and understand how his atonement has also freed us frmo the power of sin? Or perhaps our indifference to fighting sin springs from a false belief that God accepts us just as we are, not as who we will be? Why fight if we are already accepted? However, if we are accepted not as we are but as we are in Christ, we have every reason to fight--from our new identity. The truth is, persistent, unrepentant sin can disqualify us from the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; Heb. 3:7-13). God does not accept as we are. He accepts us as we are in Christ. In him, we are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15), and new creatures live transformed (not perfect) lives. (127)

I also found his emphasis on the Spirit encouragement. He encourages us to be in-tune with the Spirit’s work in our lives and to seek communion with the Spirit. The power of the gospel comes from the Spirit. He says,

Without the Spirit, we are powerless to believe the gospel of Jesus, but those who in Christ have the most powerful motivation for discipleship present in them--the very Spirit of God! (96)

I found his recommendation to pray to the Spirit thought-provoking. Biblically, it seems prayers are almost always offered to God the Father in the name of the Son. The Spirit intercedes for us but I’m not able to recall anyone offering prayers directly to the Spirit. Something to look into further.

Overall, Gospel-centered Discipleship is a great resource for the church. For those looking at re-centering their current discipleship efforts onto the gospel or those asking foundational question about What is discipleship? this book is a great place to start. The reading is easy and the theological ideas are well-thought out and defined for clarity. He recommends the book as a resource for people who wish to start a fight club (2-3 people devoted to fighting sin by celebrating the gospel together). I heartily recommend this resource.

[Pamela Kilzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Dodson does an excellent job of walking through the Gospel, pitfalls we fall into with discipleship and has a ton of application ideas at the end, which I really appreciated. This is a very practical and insightful book, great for a small group to go through together! Not quite 5 stars because sometimes he can be a bit wordy and get lost in the weeds of the point he’s trying to make, but overall well worth the read.

[Bojan Ostojić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must for anyone who claims to take Christian discipleship seriously.

[Alexander Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/4) Really solid, well balanced book that fleshes out a vision for discipleship within the church. Not any concepts or ideas that were all that new, but still very solid

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and to the point. This book has 3 main sections.

1. Covers what the Gospel is and why it is important. Also goes over the other main religious ideas that we commonly believe such as religious moralism and religious license and why they are deadly to the believer.

2. Covers the fundamental concepts of discipleship such as the 'why' the 'theoretical how' and the 'who.' Why = we are commanded to grow as Jesus' disciples and we will be accepted by him by living to the image he purchased for us. Theoretical how = by the Holy Spirit (GREAT chapter on the HS) and meditation on the Gospel in God's word. Who = It is impossible to grow in isolation from other believers. This chapter points out our need for community.

3. The third portion of the book covers the nitty-gritty details about how Dodson's discipleship model works for the church and how it works for the individuals. It works for the church through small groups yes. But Dodson says we need to go deeper and for this he creates what he calls 'fight groups' (based off of the movie/book Fight Club - actually a very good illustration on pg. 120.) He goes into detail about these fight clubs and how they work on a very very practical level.

This book is no pie-in-the-sky overview of discipleship. He covers the basics and quickly moves to how that can be modeled in your church or life. Some great quotes below but there are gems all through this book. Copy the chapter on the Holy Spirit and give it away to everyone and anyone. Excellent material. I will probably re-read it every few years and am buying copies for friends.

Note: The book will throw the moralist in some of us for a loop. He speaks openly about his how he was sexually active with numerous girlfriends in college (while a believer), and about how some of his church's 'fight groups' meet in bars.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:
"Refusing to share my life with others, especially my failures, was a refusal to allow the gospel of Christ to accomplish its full breadth of redemption in me." pg. 18

"A diagonal disciple...recognizes that being a disciple is not primarily about having a personal relationship with Jesus, or joining a missional church. Instead, a diagonal disciple relates primarily to Jesus Christ as Lord, who graciously rules over the whole of life, not just one aspect of it." pg. 48

"A gospel centered disciple rejects the pursuit of perfection and embraces the gift of repentance." pg. 85

"No spirit, no gospel holiness. You might get morality, even a veneer of Christianity, but no gospel holiness. True joy will escape you. Discipleship devoid of the Spirit's power is no discipleship at all." pg. 89

"He who loves his dream of a community more than Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter." Pg. 116 (quoted from Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

"The fight of faith is a fight to be our new, authentic selves in Christ, free from sin and alive to God in righteousness." pg. 126

"God does not accept us as we are. He accepts us as we are in Christ." pg. 127

"Strive to be Christ-centered, not application centered. The goal is not to 'apply' the text but to be awestruck with Jesus, not to 'do' but to delight in him." pg. 138

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of gospel-centered discipleship is nothing new. It is a conversation that has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Authors such as Jerry Bridges, Tim Keller, Tim Chester, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Tullian Tchvidjian, and Jeff Vanderstelt have helped us to understand that the gospel's goal is not to simply save us; it is intended to sanctify us as well. Building on this idea, Jonathan helps us to see that the goal of discipleship is not to simply make us more Bible literate (knowledge-centered), or to make us more religious (obedience-centered), but to make us more like Christ (gospel-centered).

In the first section Jonathon deals with the unhealthy divide between evangelism and discipleship and gives us healthy definitions for disciples and discipleship. He then helps us understand how to apply the gospel in our own lives in section two. And he concludes with gospel-centered ways to make disciples of others.

If there is any unique contribution to the gospel-centered discussion, it is the way in which Jonathon has fleshed out group discipleship in his own church. Based on the idea that the goal of discipleship is to help us grow in our disciple identity, Jonathon started "fight clubs" in his church. Members of these clubs meet together weekly to help each other fight to kill sin and enjoy Jesus together. Regardless of what you call these groups, I think that the gospel-centered model Jonathon gives for discipleship helps us understand what it looks like to make disciples who are not only obedient, or knowledgable, but who are at their core Jesus-centered.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book taught me that discipleship must be authentic. It taught me practical ways to start practicing biblical discipleship - intentionally and regularly spending time with one or two other guys who are serious about fighting sin with the promises of scripture. I thought the section on the Holy Spirit was extremely spot-on and what I needed to hear (it helped that I was reading Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit at the same time as that chapter). Reading this book with my college pastor gave me the opportunity to practice what it's recommending. Specifically, I was challenged to begin the practice of confronting areas of sin in my life, identifying the lie that I had been believing, and replacing the lie with a promise from scripture.

[Matt Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an article on spiritual community by Dodson several years ago, so I was glad to see that it was expanded into this. Dodson's discussion of the aim of discipleship is extremely helpful. Theologically-nuanced, practical, and encouraging.

[Jenny-Flore Boston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gospel-Centered Discipleship was a practical book that reminded me of what gospel-centered living looks like.
In chapter two, Dodson explains how everyone on earth is fighting for something. People fight for respect, love, power, image, and more. As Christians, our fight for image is different because we fight to be true image-bearers of God. While God created everyone in his image, Christians represent who God is to those who do not know him. We cannot do this passively, which is why Dodson calls every Christian to active fighting to maintain the faith. 
“In summary, disciples of Jesus are called to fight, not in a physical or virtual combat, but for the noble cause of everyday faith in Jesus.” (59) 
This chapter was a great way to begin this instructional book. It set the tone perfectly by showing that living gospel-centered lives will not be easy work but an active fight. We have an enemy who wants to feed us lies to derail us. Therefore, we must be diligent in our fight for faith in the gospel.
Sometimes Christians fight for the wrong thing or we fight cowardly. In chapter three, Dodson warns against doing either, especially against spiritually bullying others. The reality is “Christians who punish one another with the word of God are often applauded” (63).
There is a difference between being a fighter for the faith and being a bully. I appreciated this chapter because Christians do not always handle conversations about sin properly. During moments of confession, some become legalistic while others focus more on the person they are confessing to rather than God. However, confession will not lead to repentance unless it develops “deep roots into the gospel of grace" (66).
Confession is still necessary to fight the good fight. James 5:16 commands that Christians participate in confession. When we do not confess sin, we are not actively participating in the fight. Truthful confession is the only way to experience the grace of God in forgiveness. This is not the saying that confessing earns the forgiveness of God.“Confession is a verbal way of spiritually recovering our authenticity in Christ” (68). 
Throughout my high school years, I struggled with finding trustworthy friends who would participate in mutual confessions with me. During this semester and after reading this book, I experienced conviction. I have prayed that God would bring someone into my life for this discipline. There is a girl on my floor who has been vulnerable with me. I am praying for a chance to ask if she would be willing to partner with me. 
This chapter reminded me of my tendency to perform. As a woman of color, it is easy for me to fall into the lie that my value is in what I do. Subconsciously, I work with the mentality that to be acceptable, I must be perfect. This kind of thinking is extremely damaging, especially in my relationship with God. The urge to perform and be the best so that God will accept you is the opposite of the gospel. 
I have reminded myself of the simple gospel and checked my motives through journaling and prayer. Going to life-group and floor events has been a great time to practice vulnerability and honesty about my spiritual battles with the girls on my floor. These are the first steps of me actively fighting against religious performance. 
In chapter five, Dodson emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will be unable to do anything to please God, much more live a life of gospel-centered discipleship. The Spirit who provoked Jesus to enter the wilderness later would provoke the disciples to preach the gospel in one city than another and that same Spirit provokes us to obedience. 
The Spirit tells us who to speak to, the words to say, and it is the Spirit who causes hearts to turn to God when it comes to disciple-making. The power of the Holy Spirit is so evident however, this person of the trinity is often ignored. I appreciated that Dodson emphasized how imperative the presence of the Holy Spirit is in all of our endeavors. Our inability to grasp the power of the Spirit should not keep us from complete surrender to His will. 
Chapter six tells the story of how the church community changed the trajectory of a man’s faith. I was convicted against treating the church as an obligation on Sunday mornings. 
“Jesus did not die on a bloody cross to gather a loose collection of souls bound for heaven, but to create a new community as the proof of his gospel to the world.” (109)
Community is an aspect of the Christian life with which I have grappled. I have always struggled in the friend department, especially with deep, disciple-making friendships. I am also aware that I isolate myself when things get especially tough. I continue to combat this by going to floor events and attending counseling to see what the deeper underlying issues might be. 
Ever since coming to Moody, I honestly feel like I have lost a lot of disciple-making opportunities. After reading this book, I realize that as long as I live a gospel-centered life, I am living a disciple-making life. In this time of my life, nurturing my walk with God will not only help me further in life, but it will be a visible testimony to those I encounter as I become more and more like Christ.

[Maarten De vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik heb 'Gospel-centered discipleship' samen met 'Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time' van Greg Ogden gelezen. Beide boeken gaan over het belang van kleine groepen voor geestelijke groei als christen. Beide boeken zijn geschreven door mannen. In vergelijking met Ogdens boek is Dodsons boek minder praktisch ingestoken en meer theologisch gemotiveerd.

Waar Ogdens boek meer nadruk legt op 'how-to' en op probleemoplossing, legt Dodsons boek meer nadruk op het waarom (motivatie) van kleine groepen en hoe dat waarom vorm geeft aan die kleine groepen. Persoonlijke verhalen geven kleur en inhoud aan hetgeen waarvan Dosdon ons wil overtuigen: het grote belang van kleine groepen die elkaar helpen om te leven zoals Jezus.

Gospel-centered discipleship is mede door deze persoonlijke verhalen redelijk eenvoudig te lezen en geeft een doordachte motivatie voor kleine groepen; door Dodson 'Fight Clubs' genoemd. (Aanbeveling: lees eerst Gospel-centered discipleship om doordrongen te raken van het belang en daarna Transforming discipleship om bevestiging te ontdekken van het belang en praktisch op weg geholpen te worden.)

Een aantal quotes geven aan op welke manier Dodson zijn boek heeft ingestoken...

"In sum, discipleship is both gospel centered and community shaped."

"We need relationships that are so shaped by the gospel that we will exhort and encourage one another to trust Jesus every single day. We need gospel-centered discipleship."

"Men and women sharing the gospel with men and women."

Het hele boek door ligt de nadruk op het belang van het evangelie en genade voor de manier waarop deelnemers in de kleine groepen met elkaar omgaan.

"Some might say the reason I struggle with sin so much as a Christian was because I only became a convert when I was six but finally became a disciple when I was twenty."

Dodson benadrukt steeds weer het belang van voortdurende geestlijke groei - het meer op Jezus gaan lijken - voor het leven van elke gelovige. Dit heeft zowel effect op de manier waarop we naar de wereld kijken (verandering van denken) als de manier waarop we in de wereld leven. Dit komt ook sterk naar voren in de volgende citaten:

"Jesus' definition of a disciple includes the three aspect of rational, relational, and missional. These aspects are expressed through the communication of gospel truth (rational) within everyday relationships of love (relational) with a grace agenda to baptize people into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (missional). A disciple of Jesus, then is someone who learns the gospel, relates in the gospel, and communicates the gospel. In short, disciples are gospel centered."

"Consequently, the gospel-centered disciple serves Jesus at work and at home, in the study and in the projects, in church and in culture. His aim is public obedience of every kind. He does this, not for approval, but from resilient approval in Christ Jesus. The gospel frees us to follow Jesus withour fear or missional failure."

"We learn the breadth and depth of the good news by continually situating ourselves in it, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord."

Dodson geeft ons met dit boek een uitdaging mee: geef prioriteit aan je groei als volgeling van Jezus. En ga daarbij uit van het evangelie door de Bijbel centraal te stellen.

[Harold Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his book, Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Pastor Jonathan Dodson takes a bold new and innovative look at the issue of discipleship and the church. I really like and believe wholeheartedly what he writes in the foreword of his book, “Over the years, I have become painfully aware that people tend to drift away from the gospel soon after their conversion and begin to try their hand at sanctification. In other words, they operate as if the gospel saves them but doesn’t play a role in sanctifying them. In the end, people become exhausted and miss out on the joy of knowing and walking with the spirit of God. They miss out on intimacy with Jesus. WOW! And it is to the end of having a living and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that we are converted and as a result it should also affect our relationships with the members of our church as well as with people in the world.

In Part 1 Pastor Donaldson first defines for us what he believes discipleship is. In the introduction he sets the stage if you will for what he is going to share in his book when he writes, “The Gospel is for Disciples, Not Just Sinners.” So from his statement we can already get a feel for the Gospel-Centered direction he is going to be taking us in with his book. In the beginning of Chapter 1 he shares a personal painful experience in his life that caused him to ask some of the hard and serious questions that people need to ask in order to truly know God and be a lover of his and Disciple of his son Jesus Christ. As a result of his experience set in motion a change in this thinking that ultimately would have a hugely transforming impact in his own life as well as that of his ministry to others. He first informs us of the importance of the word Discipleship in relation to believers because it is used so frequently used in the Word of God to refer to believers. He then identifies Biblical discipleship in the context of what he calls “The Gospel Commission” rather than “The Great Commission.” He then breaks Discipleship down into three distinct but equally important aspects the first being “Gospel Going,” the second being “Gospel Baptizing,” and the third being "Gospel Teaching.” He writes the important fact that it is the Gospel that “Makes and Matures Disciples.” The impact of the gospel in our lives is not just meant to be experienced when we are converted nor is it God’s fire escape plan… Pastor Dodson believes and writes about Discipleship from a whole new way of thinking and living it. The Gospel that saves is the Gospel that Sanctifies and it is just as important at the moment of our conversion as it is throughout the years of our living as Disciples of Christ. So it is in Chapter 1 where author Dodson asks and then answers the question, “Making Disciples: Evangelism or Discipleship?” In Chapter 2 he writes what the “Goal of Discipleship” and our fighting for image. He writes that “Christianity Is About Image.” And he writes in metaphorical language referring to a fight and being a member of the "Fight Club" as the language is clearly Biblical and he frequently refers to Scripture to back up what he writes. He summarizes Chapter 2 by writing, “In summary, Disciples of Jesus are called to fight, not in physical or virtual combat, but for the noble cause of everyday faith in Jesus.” Amen and right on my brother!

In part 2 and Chapters three through five of his book he goes right to the “heart of the matter,” as that is where true Gospel-Centered Discipleship comes from…our Gospel transformed hearts. In Chapter 3 he explores the issue of the “Twisted Motives” of people who are Disciples of Christ, (religious performance and spiritual license) and how they affect our lives personally as well as the lives of the people around us. He writes in order to make Jesus central and avoid the twisted motivations; “we need to displace what is at the center of our Discipleship. We need to remove rules, rule keeping (religion), and rule breaking, (rebellion), from the center of Discipleship and replace it with the gospel, which graciously binds us to Christ’s side.” In short as he puts it, we need to stop our love affairs with rules and develop a deep and abiding love relationship with Jesus. As he writes it, “We need to gather around Jesus.” In Chapter 4 he writes what should be the single and true motivation for our Discipleship and for Gospel Going, Baptizing and Gospel Teaching and that is pure, unadulterated affection for Jesus Christ and for others. He refers to the Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards as well as the Word of God in regards to where our affections and allegiance should be…and that is to King Jesus and to him alone. And in regards to living for Jesus he exhorts us to believe both “God’s Warnings and God’s Promises” as Disciples of Christ. The other aspect of Christian living and Discipleship he writes about is the seldom discussed or taught matter of “Repentance” among Christians today. He writes, “Repenting Christians are growing Christians.” Quoting pastor and best selling author Tim Keller, “All-of-life repentance is the best sign that we are growing deeply and rapidly into the character of Jesus.” AND the irony of it is that it is true repentance that leads us to experience the deepest level of joy in our lives…the greater the brokenness in our relationship before Jesus the greater the measure of our wholeness we will experience in our lives. It’s ironic, don’t you think” It’s ironic but it is wholly true. When was the last time you heard this preached or taught from the pulpit of your church? In Chapter 5 he writes about the source of all of our power and ability to live as Disciples of Christ and carry out the Gospel Commission in our lives and that is the person of the Holy Spirit.

So then we come to Part 3 where Pastor Dodson writes about how to make Gospel-Centered Discipleship practical and real in our lives. In Chapter 6, “Communal Discipleship: The Three Conversions" which he writes according to Martin Luther is a “conversion of the heart, conversion of the mind and conversion of the purse.” Author Dodson writes that Luther focused on “what needs to be converted in man” as well as “what man is converted to.” In Chapter 7 Pastor Dodson writes about how we are to put the Gospel into practice using the analogy of a “fight club.” He provides solidly Biblical and practical insights and tips as to what how we are to live and what we are to do as Disciples of Christ living in our fallen world today. Chapter 8 which is the final Chapter of his book is where he writes about how we are to take the message of the Gospel to the streets as an expression of the Gospel-Centered nature of our church ministries corporately and as individual Disciples for Jesus. At the end of his book he lists some thought and hopefully good discussion provoking Gospel-Centered questions we need to ask ourselves and one another as well as he provides a section of other Gospel-Centered resources for us to use to help us on our lifelong journey of Gospel-Centered Discipleship with Jesus.

Gospel-Centered Discipleship is not a new message but rather a Biblical message that has been far too little communicated to lovers of God and Disciples of Christ today. I urge you to buy a copy of this book and begin to live out a life of Gospel-Centered Discipleship and devotion to God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Michael Culbertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dodson makes a strong case for the centrality of the gospel message for the life and development of the Christian. The good news of Jesus is not just for that hour of first belief, but for every hour thereafter. Disconnected from the gospel message, one risks falling into a life-sucking trap of fear of performance failures. Rather, the gospel provides a secure identity of divine acceptance that allows us to face failure unafraid and to fight in the power of the Holy Spirit to take hold for ourselves of the victory over sin that Jesus won through the cross and resurrection, and which he offers freely to all.

Dodson advocates for pursuing discipleship in "fight clubs," groups of two or three who commit to meeting regularly to ground themselves in the gospel message, through scripture, confession, prayer, and encouragement.

The core of Dodson's message is solid, but while there are some strong moments (particularly chapters 1 and 5), the text seems to be of uneven intensity and focus. Nevertheless, Dodson provides a much needed reminder to keep Jesus and his gospel at the center of the Christian life.

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 Stars

Great book on discipleship. Even though I've slowly become less of a fan of the "gospel-centered" term, Dodson explains what he means concerning "gospel-centeredness" well and keeps everything rooted in Scripture and Christ. In general, Dodson is explaining in this book how Christ's good news applies to discipleship. That we are not to be legalistic or licentious disciples, but disciples that focus on the gospel and strive to be shaped into the image of Christ. Yet, this book serves more as a course correction, a reminder that the center of discipleship is the gospel, rather than a foundational text for Christian discipleship. Christians seeking a foundational or introductory book to Christian discipleship I would encourage to look elsewhere, but Dodson's book is still a good contribution.

[James Ruley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dodson’s book, “Gospel Centered Discipleship” discusses what discipleship is, why it is important, and how Christians should do it. Dodson helpfully distinguishes between discipleship and evangelism (noting that the Church is called to both) and explains that apart from discipleship, Christians will flounder in pursuing holiness and walking with God because God designed Christians to live and grow in community. Dodson’s final section on practical discipleship focuses on the idea of “fight clubs,” or small groups of Christians who gather and discuss their sin with transparency while encouraging each other in the gospel to pursue holiness. This book is not novel, nor does it provide particularly fresh perspective on discipleship, but it is a good primer for those seeking to understand what Biblical discipleship should look like.

4/5.

[Andrew Ivester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike other discipling books, Dodson tries to wed the theology and practice of discipleship in a simplified way. The intent of the book seems to be the practical next steps, but the value of the book definitely lies within the theology portion. He grasps the ‘why’ of discipleship and lays it out in layman’s terms, which gives the book great value from a pastoral/teaching perspective. This is certainly a book that can be given to those in the pew. His analysis of gospel-centered and how believers shift from that center is an excellent section. This book is a good entry point to any discussion on discipleship.

[Brett Monge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare book in that it’s “gospel-centered” but also practical. I’ve read a lot of books over the years that say, essentially, “the gospel is the answer to _______”
(fill in your ministry or topic here). As much as I appreciate and whole-heartedly agree with the statement, sometimes these books have a whole lot of philosophy and little practicality or steps to live it out. The author has a solid, biblical philosophy of discipleship and then backs it up with a flexible and helpful framework to mobilize people to actually do it. Much appreciated, easy to read and helpful.

[Mresch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is deeply theological and also profoundly practical. Dodson does a great job putting together so many ideas into a cohesive, gospel-centered, resource. I really appreciated how the book moved from overviews and definitions, to dangers and ways to drift, to then really practical chapters on how to implement and live it out.

As a Discipleship Pastor this is a resource I will return to again and again and be putting into the hands of my people!

[Jeremiah Whiteman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a good book. He does a good job of pointing out inconsistencies in Discipleship, and pointing to what seems like a proper way of gospel centered discipleship. Only thing I didn't like was how modern he tried to be with his explanation of things such as a 'vertical' or 'horizontal' relationship, the three 'conversions' which were "Christ, church, and mission." Otherwise, I'd say it's a good book to go to on what Discipleship should look like personally, and for discipling one another.

[Nathan Kornegay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about how to truly be a follower of Christ. None of the “5 steps”, “8 tips”, “4 dos and donts”. Walks you through how to fall back in love with the Gospel and Christ’s love for his Church and how we should respond not out of shame, but out of love for the Gospel and love for His Church. Highly recommend!

[Allie Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of good points but was extremely repetitive and somewhat tedious for me to read. Apparently there is a pamphlet version that came before the book, and I kind of think that makes more sense for what this is. If you don't feel like you need to read every word of a nonfiction book, then it's worth reading!

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been around for a while. It has some solid ideas and seems to be pretty sound. Now that nearly a decade has taken place since this was written I would love to go back and see how the “fight clubs” have turned out. I know that sounds pragmatic but I would love to see if they stuck or not. Anyway solid book but with some sections that were a little less than but still a good book.

[Caudill Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concepts and principles are good for gospel-centered discipleship. The author’s elementary and self-centered writing ruins this book. Sharing personal experiences is one thing but constantly bragging how he leads groups and he changes peoples minds and he calls people out for not “being holy” made me physically nauseous.

[Sean Brereton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for those who are new to the gospel and having community be missional. Vision casting, but not a lot of new things for people who have already bought in to the vision of gospel-centered, family on mission.

[Tyler Eason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dodson does a great job at keeping the gospel at the heart of discipleship. While, at times, he uses over-the-top language, he speaks clearly and passionately about the importance of pursuing Christ with other believers by the power of the Spirit.

[Erik Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 2.5. Some chapters were solid, others were scattered and stuffed with tangents or illustrations that didn’t serve the thrust of the argument. He mentions expanding a booklet into this book. Unfortunately, it showed a little too often. I’ll maybe pull chapters from this for future trainings.

[Kaci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book with so much truth and good teaching on how to practice true discipleship by keeping the gospel central. Found the “fight club” concept at the end interesting. Should come back to this one.

[Christopher Hershey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first part of the book focused on the centrality of the gospel in discipleship, but the end focused more towards accountability groups (fight clubs) which was not my purpose in picking up the book

[Sarah Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the revised edition but the cover was red and I don’t like the color red so I’m putting the old & blue one on this app instead. Didn’t learn a ton of new information but I always need the reiteration of gospel threads!

[Edward Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing wrong with the premise the author puts across it's just that 80% of the book is an argument to support his statement. I was on board at the 20% mark.