SBC President J.D. Greear Looks at What Unifies Christians with New Book

New Southern Baptist Convention president and bestselling author J.D. Greear will release his next book, "Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church's Renewal" (B&H Publishing), this June.

In "Above All," pastor and author Greear argues that the most pressing need today is not new programs, strategies or messages, but a return to keeping the gospel message above all. When he was elected president in June 2018 at the SBC annual meeting, Greear stated his presidential theme as "Gospel Above All" and expressed a desire to reflect on the gospel "again and again" during his term. "Above All" is also the theme for the SBC annual meeting in June 2019 in Birmingham, Alabama.

"It is the gospel that is the source of our renewal, and it is the gospel that should be our defining characteristic as a people," Greear said in his first presidential address to the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee at its fall meeting. "[The gospel] should be what people think about and talk about when they think and talk about us."

Greear says Christians should "want to remember the greatness of the gospel in such a way that it becomes of first importance, above all else." Thus the book is a roadmap for what this looks like in practice:

• Gospel Above All
• Gospel Change
• Gospel Mission
• Gospel Multiplication
• Gospel Hope
• Gospel Grace
• Gospel Above My Culture
• Gospel Above My Preferences
• Gospel Above My Politics

Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina, and is the author of several books, including "Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems," "Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved" and "Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary."

Greear was elected SBC president in June 2018 and is the youngest president in recent convention history. Greear is also the host of the national Moody Radio show, "Summit Life," which reaches over two million people a day.

B&H is supporting the release of "Above All" with a nationwide media campaign, special deals for churches and individuals to buy the book in bulk and online incentives geared toward supporting the book to be read and shared. For more information, visitGospelAboveAllBook.com.

LifeWay also released an eight-session Bible study, "Gospel Above All" with a Leader Kit, member book and teen edition, all of which are available for purchase now on lifeway.com.

"Dr. Greear has consistently called his church to keep the gospel central to all they do. We've also seen this message from him as he has taken the helm as president of the Southern Baptist Convention," said Jennifer Lyell, V.P. of Book Publishing and Merchandising. "Now, through these new resources, he lays out the blueprint through which we can all walk in such a way that the gospel is always central to every thought, decision and step in our lives."

J.D. Greear (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is pastor of The Summit Church, a gospel-centered community of more than 10,000 in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina. J.D. is the author of several books, including "Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems" (2018), "Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved" (2013) and "Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary" (2011). In 2018, he was elected the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the youngest in almost 40 years. J.D. and his wife Veronica live in Raleigh, where together they are raising four amazing kids, Kharis, Alethia, Ryah Layne and Adon.

 

 

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