The most recent book that I have read through the book sneeze program is "The Gospel According to Jesus." It is written by Chris Seay, who is the founding pastor of Ecclesia Church in Houston. I know that there are a lot of books going around on the subject of the gospel, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The thing that I most appreciated is that Seay talked about the gospel in holistic terms. Too often we only speak of the gospel in terms of salvation in the end and we miss out on the implication of what God wants to do through us in the here and now. Coming from a holiness denomination this is a very frustrating view that I hear all too often. But Seay reminds us that the gospel is also about joining in what God is doing in the world around us. His book is a call for us to wake up and join in this very work. This is not a works based social gospel, which I'm sure some are accusing him of promoting, but a call to understand that God has called us for a purpose in the here and now. This is a very easy read and could easily be used in a small group setting. I believe that Seay writes in a way that not only makes his point, but also nudges you to think beyond his point. This is a call for the community of the people of God to dream about what God can do and for us to get out of our church buildings and actually do those things. Read this book!
