As part of my role with The Gospel Project, I have the privilege of talking with leaders and volunteers from churches of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds to help them decide if The Gospel Project is the right study for them. Almost without fail, I come back to three common ideas that everyone needs to know about The Gospel Project as they’re considering it for their church:
1. It’s all about Jesus.
It might seem like a cliché to say “it’s all about Jesus,” but that’s the whole reason why The Gospel Project exists. This is a study where, no matter where we are in the Bible’s storyline, we aren’t waiting to get to Jesus because He is always there—He is present in every story within the bigger story. So whether you’re studying Genesis, 2 Kings, Malachi, Matthew, or Revelation, you’ll see how every passage in the Bible points to Him.
2. It’s helpful for all ages.
This study is helpful in so many different ways, but let me outline three:
- It helps all ages see how the Bible makes sense. I’ve had many conversations with men and women over the last several years about how they grew up perceiving a disconnect between the Old and New Testaments; they thought the two Testaments didn’t have much to do with one another. But when they started to study the Bible with the understanding that, as Jesus said, the Scriptures “testify about me” (John 5:39), they have each had this light bulb moment—this instance when the pieces start to fit together and they see the beauty and power of God’s plan of redemption unfolding in the Old Testament.
- It creates a greater sense of unity in the church. Every person, from the youngest to the oldest, can learn the same truths about Jesus from the same passages of Scripture at the same time in age-appropriate ways with these resources. Everyone is being shaped by the gospel, seeing how Christ is at the heart of every passage of the Bible, and all are encouraged to play their part in the mission of the church.
- It makes family discipleship easier. Parents are better equipped to disciple their kids from the overflow of what they themselves are studying in Scripture, knowing that their children, no matter their ages, studied the same thing.
3. It’s flexible for your needs.
There’s no such thing as a truly plug-and-play Bible study or curriculum. They don’t exist. And that’s okay because if they did, they probably wouldn’t work for you. Physical meeting spaces, meeting times, technology, and local context affect how you use the content of any study. That’s why there are so many options for activities, discussion questions, suggested time structures, themes, videos, and scripts. Whether you’re serving 20 children or 200, 5 students or 50, 3 adults or 30, our goal is to give you resources you can use in your context to fulfill your mission—the church’s mission—of making disciples.
Small Things that Make a Big Difference
Why do I believe these are some of the most important things you can know about The Gospel Project? They I’ve been a small group leader and Kids Ministry teacher for 14 years, using many different studies and resources. And the one that’s consistently born the most fruit has been The Gospel Project, in part, because of all these reasons. I have seen this Christ-centered focus work in the lives of the people I serve. I’ve seen it lead to deeper discussions between families (including my own). And its flexibility has freed me from having to worry about if I have the right space and more on what really matters: helping those I serve love Jesus more.
Have you had a chance to see The Gospel Project’s Bible studies for all ages?
