What people are saying.

  • “The Gospel is a gift, and so is this study. The words, perspectives, and heart contained in it are a praise to Him in a way that's only further supported by the fruit I've seen as a result of it, in me, my wife, and others who have been through it. I was first exposed to the study when my wife went through it for the first time, shortly after we got married. The change and growth in her was immediate and felt; she'd bring home notes every week about how much it was changing her perspective and giving her language to talk about her faith in a way that was accessible and opened her eyes to the work God was doing in her and others in the group. Being so close to someone who was growing like that made it inevitable that I would, too. We both felt a desire for more in our faith, and God has used this study to feed and grow that desire. In my three times through it (so far), Jesus has shown me where I struggle, where He wants to grow me, and the immense depth of His grace through the challenge of walking with Him through that growth. Leading a study is a hard job some days, but it's rewarding to see others grow closer to Him and see the Gospel in a brand new light. I plan to keep leading studies and going through it, because the message and His mercies are new every day.”

    — Ethan Bliese

  • “I was raised in the church by great Christian parents. I became a Christ follower at 14 and was serious about my faith from that point forward. My wife joined a Gospel study group when I was in my late 40”s. I remember her coming home one night and talking about repenting for our righteousness. I literally thought she was crazy and was even turned off by the study. About a year later, I did the study myself just to see what it was all about…and it literally transformed my life. It was like a light switch turned on, that Jesus not only saved me from my sins, but actually because of my righteousness. Somehow that eluded me my whole life. For the first time, I felt free, not only from guilt, but also from my striving. I learned about idols and how to walk by faith instead of earning. I have literally completed hundreds of different studies over my now 48 years as a Christ follower and the Glory of the Gospel study has been the most transforming study I have done. Putting on Gospel glasses I now see my life in Christ completely different. I no longer read the Bible for information or a checklist to be followed, and finally understand how my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

    - Brent Klopfenstein

  • “I never would have survived church planting had I not been deeply rooted in the gospel before I left. The Gospel Study drove out false belief that meeting the expectations of others, the size of our church, or how others perceived me were what gave me value and worth. Knowing the depth of my need but the infinite grace of Jesus kept me anchored in my identity without having to grasp at temporal things to satisfy my thirst for meaning. These are some words that describe the Gospel Study for me: Anchoring: I often think of a giant anchor holding a boat being tossed by the waves of the ocean. The anchor keeps it grounded unmoving. Freeing: The ability to be and do and become and live without fear. Released: Released from so much expectation, fear and the need to please and prove. I have a vision of deep roots. The message of the gospel goes below the surface. It grows underneath even when we feel we can’t see a difference on the surface. It changes our motivations and mindsets and our why…The internal rather than the external.”

    - Jamie Grant

  • “As someone who grew up as a Christian, this study opened my eyes to the flawed nature of my faith that I had learned growing up. As a child in a big family, I felt a lot of pressure to be “good,” so that I would be seen as a good Christian, son, brother, etc. That thought process continued percolating in the back of my mind even though I knew it wasn’t true. After going through the Gospel Study, I’ve been able to see the blatant falsehoods that I had been holding onto for most of my life and begin to reform my understanding of the gospel into the way Jesus intended it. This study forced me to reevaluate my relationships with others, my thinking and most of all my relationship with God. When I started the Gospel Study, I was in the midst of a season of growth and transition in my life. I was newly married and figuring out my first year of marriage, had moved across the state to a new city 6 hours from home, family and friends. I was trying hard to plug in feeling out of place, and I was faced with ongoing and ever-expanding chronic illness. It’s safe to say that even though not all the change I experienced was bad, I began to feel quite lost in this season. I wrestled with who I was in this new place, with new people around me, in my new role as a wife and with a broken body that I couldn’t always depend on. The Gospel Study could not have come at a better time! Before the Gospel Study, I thought the Gospel was Jesus loving me so much that he died for my sins, so I could be with Him forever and have eternal life. While this is most definitely true, what I didn’t realize is the Gospel has implications that reach far beyond my salvation. It is the Gospel that gives me my identity, my belovedness, my freedom from sin, the ability to let go of control and the blessing of getting to experience true joy. I learned that “trying harder” and manufacturing my own positive outcomes through good works and a tidy life negate the power of the Gospel. It is only when I come and warm myself at the fire of God’s love, that I truly begin to live a Christ-like life, void of fear, void of letting others know I don’t have it all together. I’m still learning and growing in this new season, but now, I know that God’s love for me didn’t peak when Jesus died and rose for me; rather, God’s love continues to cover my shortcomings each and every day, even as I mature and grow in my faith. There is never a day that my identity and worth rests on me. But only the One who created me and calls me His child defines who I am and what I am worth. The Gospel Study experience has profoundly impacted the past decade of my life. It reshaped how I approach relationships, marriage, parenting, church planting, and life in general. Despite growing up in church, I realized through the study that there was so much more to the gospel. I’ve discovered greater freedom, an identity more rooted in God, and less of a need to please others. A heart aligned with the gospel truly changes everything.”

    - Leslie Welke

  • “If you feel you’re missing something with your Christian walk – dive into this study book with some friends. Not your typical Bible study book, rather an in-depth examination of your life that will produce real change, if you’re willing to set aside time and deliberate contemplation for the Spirit to show you what it means to be a true follower of Jesus. As an instructor at a women’s prison, this study has profoundly changed the way I interact with my students, pushing me out of my old idol of productivity and performance into a world of meaningful relationships.”

    - Kristine Freshour

  • “The study created such a safe place to experience the Gospel in a fresh way in my own life, as I applied it all to the current circumstances going on. It was such a sweet gift to glean from the rest of the women as they shared so transparently and practically from their own lives. The study utilized the Gospel in the way God intended It to be used and brought beautiful fruit from our powerful time together!”

    - Margie Sauder

  • “As someone who grew up as a Christian, this study opened my eyes to the flawed nature of my faith that I had learned growing up. As a child in a big family, I felt a lot of pressure to be "good", so that I would be seen as a good Christian, son, brother, etc. That same thought process continued percolating in the back of my mind even though I knew it wasn't true. After going through this study I've been able to see the blatant falsehoods that I had been holding on to for most of my life and begin to reform my understanding of the gospel into the way Jesus intended it. This study forced me to reevaluate my relationships with others, my thinking and most of all my relationship with God.”

    - Jake Everly