gospeliscious glossary

Gospel Agility: nimbleness at applying grace and truth in varied contexts.

Gospel Climate/Culture/Ethos: the atmosphere or environment created when a gospel dynamic is occurring between two or more people. (This is usually sensory: you feel safe, you taste grace, you see love and tenderness, you hear empathy, and you smell a sweet aroma that is pleasing to Christ.)

Gospel Dance: the movement of faith (belief in Christ’s finished work on the cross), repentance, and love. (The Dance Partner is the Holy Spirit.)

Gospel Dynamic: the interaction that occurs when two or more people speak and behave with each other, with the gospel dance (faith in Christ, repentance and forgiveness, love, and the other fruits of the Spirit) as the primary motion and force driving the exchange.

Gospel Fluency: ability to speak the language of grace and truth contextually to a variety of hearers.

Gospel Identity: being IN Christ and all that comes with it: adopted, beloved, accepted, a citizen of heaven, at peace with God, etc.

Gospel Lens: a perspective for viewing life through grace and truth.

Gospel Lyrics: the actual language (words) of Christ’s work on our behalf (Scripture, paraphrases, and catchy phrases of grace and truth).

Gospel Massage: the practice of kneading gospel truth into hearts (our own and the hearts of others).

Gospel Operating System: A person has a gospel OS when they respond to life, somewhat unconsciously, from a gospel paradigm. The gospel is not just a concept or truth; it is a way of thinking and a way of life.

Gospel Relating: living from a new identity IN Christ. The Spirit empowers us to live and love in this world AS Christ would. The gospel becomes a behavior, a way of relating.

Gospel Song: what a heart experiences when it hears and grasps the value and beauty of Christ’s work (words of grace and truth become music to your soul).

Gospel Singers: those who hear the gospel song

and sing it to others around them through words, actions, and yes, even literal singing.

Gospel Tool A reusable visual diagram, or framework, for seeing through a gospel lens: your own heart, God’s heart, God’s Story, the person of Jesus, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. It gives you steady footing and freedom for your unveiled journey.

Napkin Test: an easily drawn visual, on a napkin, placemat, i-Pad, etc., that reveals your under-standing of a concept and how it is usable for coaching your own heart or another’s with an aspect of the gospel. Question: Do I know it well enough that I could sketch it on a napkin and use it as an interactive tool for my heart?

Stiff Wind Test: Fig leaf messages can soothe only temporarily; they provide no substantial footing or rootedness in identity. We say, fig leaf comfort cannot pass the Stiff Wind Test. God’s word and the gospel CAN!

Good News Test: when grace and truth, spoken aloud or internally to your heart or to another, sound like REALLY GOOD NEWS to your soul. Yes, the gospel both challenges and comforts, but is always good news.

Exhale Test: when hearing the good news of grace and truth leads to a deep sigh of relief For example, at the end of a sermon or Bible study, I know I have heard the gospel if I heard GOOD NEWS, which produces an exhale of reassurance.

Personal Arsenal of Truth and Beauty: a collection made from words, objects, nature, music, art, etc., that lifts our eyes to see God, his story, & the cross of Christ. What helps my heart to wake up to who I am and whose I am in Christ will be different from what helps yours. The truth is the same, but the pointer is personal to each individual’s story and sensibilities.

God’s Story of Grace: The Bible is God’s special revelation of his heart and purposes. It is a love story that is the framework for our entire reality. Four key worldview questions are answered in this story: How did it all start? What went wrong? How will it be fixed? How will it end? CREATION, FALL, REDEMPTION, RESTORATION

Two Rail Fence Education Model (Rowan): a model recognizing that knowledge can remain detached from everyday life and experience if it is not integrated from the head, to the heart, hands, feet etc. At Unpolished Press, we like to say, “Taking truth from head to heart to how we live!”

Leaky: The age-old problem of forgetfulness is an ongoing struggle. Truth of the gospel and God’s acts of love and rescue are easily forgotten, especially when we are afraid or in crisis. For example, after a 10 plague rescue, the Israelites forget the power of God at the Red Sea.

Skewed Lens: Our lens is our perspective. It is shaped by many influencing factors (no two human lenses are the same). Even the wisest among us do not see perfectly. We are all skewed until we see Christ face to face.

In Commons: We can relate to all humanity, regardless of time, place, age, or culture, because we share a common story line and a common desire to see the brokenness of the world healed. We are all loved, skewed, and leaky.