The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World

I confess that I am an underliner, corner page folder, margin note maker kind of reader when I find passages that particularly impress or concern me. I don't remember reading one like this where so much of this has been done. Almost every page has some great wordsmithing going on!This is important book which seeks to right the ship of American Christianity, which is taking on too much water of a market driven, pleasure seeking, self-help culture whose love for God and truth is waning. Being a student and follower of the Reformation, Horton sees in this the reestablishment of the domination of the Gospel in all its purity and power along with the proper speaking of the law to repentance which is also necessary.Tired of the enthusiasm the church expends on compromising with the culture, Horton suggests we get back to the real Good News proclaimers we are in the means of grace. He almost sounds Lutheran, except when he gets to the Sacraments, he sounds a little guarded. This is but minor concern when posed against the wonderful effort he provides with such good illustrations and phraseology to get the church back on the straight and narrow path."The fear of God must become greater than the fear of boredom" he writes. How true this has become. We are bombarded with new and innovative technology that seeks to rule us and sour our appetite for reality. When playing a fake cooking game replaces time actually cooking, when playing sports activities replaces kids playing sports and exercise ... you get the gist. When just playing at spirituality without reality of the power of God to save and keep saved in the pure gospel, this is Horton's concern and it is a valid and well presented one.This book demands and deserves to have a wide reading and prayerful consideration. May it bring many to heed its wisdom and gospel based encouragement. One of the most significant books published in sometime.

One of the best books you'll ever find on real Christian doctrine without all the trendy feeling-based gobbledygook. A deep study that is easy to understand and will make you feel good because it expands your understanding of God's word which anchors your faith. thought provoking and real-life applicable. This is one of my favorite books. I can't recommend it enough.

Michael Horton tells the church that it has good news to share in the midst of a bad news world. In the first half of the book, Horton defines this good news, the gospel of Christ, in a classical Reformed way, focusing on justification by faith alone through the righteousness of Christ. As Horton says on page 80, "The gospel is not a general belief in heaven and hell or hope for a better life beyond; it is not even confidence in a resurrection at the end of the age. It is the announcement that Jesus Christ himself is our life, for he is our peace with God. He does not merely show us the way; he is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)."This gospel-centeredness permeates the whole book, leaving other pursuits, whether purpose or prosperity or therapeutic moralism, open to criticism. Horton does point to the shortcomings of such approaches but this book is less a critique than a call for the church to return to the gospel as the focus of its life.

This is not a book to read in one sitting, or even fast. I took several breaks and even read other books before coming back to this one. I find that the weightier books, which my wife calls "tech manuals" are more meaningful when digested in shorter bursts that I can allow to resonate. This was a pleasure to read.

This was an excellent book and a great response of a plea to discernment for the church. The myriad of deceptive teachings aimed at the body of Christ requires Holy Spirit led preaching and teaching to strengthen the believer and promote exhortation to perseverance in the truth.

I bought this item as the follow-on book to "Christless Christianity", also by Michael Horton This combination may challenge one's paradigm of what Chritianity "looks like". Dr. Horton does not soft pedal what he considers the Gospel to be, and what "preaching the Gospel" actually is. As others have stated, the two books go together. I recommend them both. They answered questions that I have had for a long time, and raised many new ones. To some this may seem to be a negative thing, but I disagree with this view. In fairness though, I must say that these two books may provoke anger and defensiveness in some "quarters." These books helped me a great deal to know what I believe and why I believe it. I recommend them to that purpose, even if a person comes away disagreeing with Dr. Horton.

Horton is the best theologian of our time.

Horton schaffte es in diesem Buch das Evangelium frisch, fröhlich und verständlich auf den Punkt zu bringen. Leicht zu lesen, aber trotzdem mit Tiefgang. Viele Anstösse für den eigenen Glauben und kreative Möglichkeiten ihn weiterzugeben

Enjoyed book.

Excellent in making you think what am I doing.