The Spiritual Discipline of PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF Renewal Congregational Retreat Saturday Seminar Session

The Gospel Grid

Gospel Enemy #1: Self-Righteousness 1.Do you tend to live by a list of dos and don’ts? 2.Is it difficult for you to respect those whose standards aren’t as high as yours? 3.Do you assume that practicing spiritual disciplines should result in God’s blessing? 4.Do you feel you’re better than most of people? 5.Has it been a long time since you identified a sin and repented of it? 6.Do you resent it when others point out your “spiritual blind spots”? 7.Do you readily recognize the sins of others but not your own? 8.Do you have the sense that God owes you a good life? 9.Do you get angry when difficult and suffering come into your life? 10.Do you seldom think of the cross?

Six Ways to Minimize Sin Defending Faking Hiding Exaggerating Blaming Down playing

Gospel Enemy #2: Persistent Guilt 1.Are you painfully preoccupied with a particular habitual sin? 2.Are you discouraged or depressed by your failure to measure up? 3.Do you frequently experience anxiety that something’s about to go wrong? 4.Does it appear God can use others but not you? 5.Is there something in your past you just can’t seem to get over? 6.Do you fear that your past will come back to haunt you? 7.Do your difficult circumstances seem like God’s judgment for your sin? 8.Do you steer clear intimate relationships or small group discussions? 9.When you sin, do you get a vague sense that somehow there’ll be a price to pay? 10.Do you seldom think of the cross?

Old Paradigm (by Jerry Bridges)

New Paradigm (by Jerry Bridges)

Daily Preaching the Gospel to Self Everyday: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13 ESV) Sunday: But he was pierced for my transgressions of ________; he was crushed for my iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought me peace, and with his wounds I am healed. Like sheep, I have gone astray; I have turned to my own way; and the LORD has laid on him my iniquity. (Isaiah 53:5-6 ESV) Monday: He will again have compassion on me; he will tread my iniquities of ________ underfoot. You will cast all my sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19 ESV)

Daily Preaching the Gospel to Self Tuesday: Blessed am I, whose lawless deeds of ________ are forgiven, and my sins are covered; blessed am I against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7-8 ESV) Wednesday: There is therefore now no condemnation for _________ for me, as one who is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV) Thursday: And I, who was dead in my trespasses of ________ and the uncircumcision of my flesh, God made alive together with Christ, having forgiven me all my trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against me with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14 ESV)

Daily Preaching the Gospel to Self Friday: As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove my transgressions of ________ from me. (Psalm 103:12 ESV) Saturday: Though my sins of ________ are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18 ESV) Everyday: Christ’s work for me is finished! (John 19:30)