New Churches Podcast | Season 1 | Episode 776

How to Make Gospel-Centered Applications

Tony Merida & J.D. Greear

Episode 776

Host Tony Merida chats with pastor, author, and long-time ministry partner J.D. Greear to discuss the implications of addressing the heart as we preach the Word of God. Here’s how the gospel reaches beyond moralization and leads to real life transformation.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • How gospel-centered preaching moves our congregations from shame to empowerment
  • Why adoration is the end goal of all parts of Sunday service
  • Our New Testament examples of how to read the Old Testament
  • The impact of relaying all pulpit messaging back to Christ
  • Why our motivations are shifted through Christ-exalting worship

Helpful Resources:

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Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

When we fall on our faces and allow our gospel approach to say, “The rest of my life is Yours,” our desires change beyond a mere perspective change. Resurrection power flows from a rebel who comes to believe in the gospel. — J.D. Greear

When affections change, everything changes. Behavior follows. It’s not wrong to address behavior, but we want to do more than that in our preaching. — Tony Merida

If you are strong enough and bend an iron rod, you may create some bend in it, but eventually your strength will fail and it will go back to its original shape, or you’ll break it in half. The gospel is like a blowtorch that heats the rods of our hearts so that God’s commands become natural and not burdensome. — J.D. Greear

It’s so important in preaching that we’re not just transferring information, but leading people to adoration. — Tony Merida

We’re aiming to read the Bible how Jesus did, like in Luke 24, when He went back to the Old Testament and explained how everything ultimately points to the gospel. We are learning to see these stories, even New Testament applications, through a gospel lens. — J.D. Greear

It’s right to point out good wisdom and the law when relevant to the text, but we need more than that in our application. Christ-centered preaching with gospel-centered application always offers hope and plugs our people into the power of Christ. — Tony Merida

Published on October 10, 2023

About the Podcast

New Churches Podcast

The New Churches podcast offers practical answers to your real ministry questions. We aren’t going to provide lofty pie-in-the-sky theories. Instead, we are going to help you in your real ministry context, with your real thoughts, questions, and issues.

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Meet the Authors

Tony Merida

Vice President, Planter Development Send Network

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C, and is the Vice President of Planter Development for Send Network. He also serves as a Board member for The Gospel Coalition. Tony has written several books including, The Christ-Centered ExpositorLove Your Church, and multiple volumes in the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series. He’s happily married to Kimberly, and they have five children.

More Resources from Tony

J.D. Greear

J. D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Under Pastor J. D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 10,000, making it one of Outreach magazine’s “top 25 fastest-growing churches in America” for many years running. He has authored several books, including Essential Christianity: The Heart of the Gospel in Ten Words (2023), Just Ask: The Joy of Confident, Bold, Patient, Relentless, Shameless, Dependent, Grateful, Powerful, Expectant Prayer (2021), and What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? (2020).

More Resources from J.D.