Christians have long enjoyed an absurd love affair with white-washing biblical saints.

The church is a home for the family of God. It’s not a mall, a café, a coffee shop, or Amazon. It’s where we usually don’t get what we want, but what we need.

Where once we confessed reliance only in ourselves and our own power, now we confess reliance on Christ alone. So, for our relationship before God, our confession of faith matters.

“Standing firm in the confession we share should not exclude us from inviting others into it.”

Our goal is to proclaim the genuine good news—that’s what “Gospel” means—of Christ’s forgiveness for you. We do not offer you better tips, techniques or checklists. Instead, You Are Forgiven is sermons by faithful pastors who will clearly show how you cannot be forgiven by your own efforts, no matter how well you do on your homework, your checklist of tasks. But they will also show how you are actually and already forgiven because Jesus has done all that is needed, for you!

The following is an excerpt from Chad Bird’s new book, Your God Is Too Glorious: Finding God in the Most Unexpected Places (Baker Book, 2018).

Even now we sing as we live in His gifts, and await His second Advent—His second-coming.

These studies can expose some very disturbing truths about Christianity in America.

Your church is not healthy. If they were healthy, they wouldn’t need someone to heal them.

Christianity is not a solo endeavor. Not a private relationship between Jesus and me.

The angriest people I meet are former Christians.

Our goal is to proclaim the genuine good news—that’s what “Gospel” means—of Christ’s forgiveness for you. We do not offer you better tips, techniques or checklists. Instead, You Are Forgiven is sermons by faithful pastors who will clearly show how you cannot be forgiven by your own efforts, no matter how well you do on your homework, your checklist of tasks. But they will also show how you are actually and already forgiven because Jesus has done all that is needed, for you!