Dear Faith Family, 

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15). 

“There are moments in my life when I lose my gospel mind.  There are moments when I live as if God does not exist, the Bible had never been written, and Jesus had never lived, died, and rose again,” Paul Tripp. 

Those words captured my attention as they scrolled across my eyes this morning.  Really?  Is that really the case?  Do we ever live that way?  Like when? 

Like when the cares of this world (you know physical health, unknown future, political uncertainty, financial instability) consume us.  I’m not talking about dealing with the matters before us.  I am talking about when the matters before us offer opportunities for fear to flourish.  There it is.  Fear.  It can be paralyzing!  It is a symptom of losing our Gospel minds. 

When the cares of this world cease to be opportunities to watch God display His character in our lives, we’ve lost our Gospel minds.  When we realize that we are not in control (never have been and never will be) and fear slips a noose around our necks, we’ve lost our Gospel minds.  When we forget that our Father loves us to death, we’ve lost our Gospel minds. 

Before we can defend for others the hope that is within us, the hope that is within us must be ours to defend.  Thus, the preceding statement: in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.  Are we defending the hope that is within us daily – for ourselves?  Are we honoring Christ the Lord as holy every day?  (That means that He is other than us.  Different.  Perfect.  Right.  True.  Faithful.) 

To lose our Gospel minds is to overlook the very presence of Christ in our lives.  It is to fail to exercise the faith that He is who He says He is.  That He is faithful.  That He loves us.  That He will walk with us even through the valley of the shadow of death (He knows the way.  He’s been there before!).  When lose our Gospel minds, fear can quickly lead to despair.  Hope can give way to hopelessness. 

So, let’s defend the hope that is within us.  Let’s begin with our own hearts.  Let’s find our Gospel minds.  Jesus is God.  He loves us.  He died for us.  He defeated death. 

He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?  (Nothing) will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 8:32, 39). 

Finding my Gospel mind, 
Pastor Karl