Gospel-Driven Blog’s New Home

Gospel-Driven Blog has a new home!

The name of the new blog is Paramount Blog, which is the blog of Paramount Church. The name of our church and blog come from 1 Corinthians 15:3 where Paul said, “I delivered to you as of first importance (i.e., paramount) what I also received…” Our name seeks to capture and emphasize the gospel, which is the foremost truth of the Christian faith and life.

Even though the name and location has changed, the content and focus remain the same, which is the gospel!

I would like to thank everyone who has spent the last couple of years reading and following Gospel-Driven Blog. It has been a great joy to hear from so many of you. Nothing is more joyous than to hear how the Lord, through the gospel, has brought so much encouragement and freedom to so many.

Gospel-Driven Blog will remain. However, all new articles, quotes, etc… from this day forward will be posted on our new home. I would be very grateful for your prayers as we move forward in planting Paramount Church.

Church planting is a tremendous privilege and huge responsibility. Like Paul (2 Cor. 2:16), I frequently find myself asking, “Who is sufficient for these things?” The obvious answer is, “No one!” Neither gospel ministry nor the Christian life can be accomplished by human ability or human means. Apart from the grace of God, we are absolutely useless. We can claim nothing from ourselves, except our sin and misery.

Thus, Paul goes on to explain, “5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life, (2 Cor. 3:5-6). Our only sufficiency comes from God, who by His grace through the gospel and the Holy Spirit, has made us competent and given us life.

The gospel is always the issue. Here Paul extols and magnifies the dignity and sufficiency of the gospel. I am what I am and I serve in the capacity that I serve by grace alone (1 Cor. 15:10).

There truly is nothing more notable or glorious in the church than the ministry of the gospel. The gospel is paramount! It is my prayer that as you read Paramount Blog, you will continue to be encouraged and liberated by the Good News of Christ. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ so that the gospel becomes paramount in your life for God’s glory and your eternal joy. (2 Thess. 3:5)!

Gospel blessings!

John Fonville

Corrected Link

The link for Not Man’s Gospel, Part 10 has been corrected.

Free Online Access to the ESV Study Bible

Crossway is currently making the ESV Online Study Bible available free for anyone and everyone for a limited time through March 31, 2009.

For full access and free trial use of all the Online Study Bible features, users can create a login and password at www.esvstudybible.org/online. Email information will not be shared, nor will there be any obligation to purchase.

Be sure to take advantage of this great tool. I use it every day. Crossway encourages you to share this information with others–with the hope that many will benefit from this online resource and further experience the timeless truth of God’s Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality.

Welcome Alexandria Kathryn Fonville!

Alexandria Kathryn Fonville

Our beautiful baby girl was born yesterday, 2:01 p.m., 8.29 lbs., 20 inches.

“13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” (Ps. 139:13-14a).

New Gospel-driven Ministry Site

Through a mutual friend, I was just recently introduced to Miles Mckee Ministries. Miles, a native of Ireland, has a lot of helpful gospel-driven/centered/saturated articles. I encourage you to take a look:

Miles McKee Ministries and Is Jesus Enough/The Wednesday Word

Here is a brief quotation from one of his articles:

“…it is the gospel of Christ that is the primary force in establishing and confirming the people of God. The gospel will build Christians and make them sturdy, thus the gospel is the heart of genuine apostolic gospel ministry! It is when the gospel is ministered to believers that they find Christ to be precious; by the gospel, they discover the road to true holiness, spiritual strength and godly character.”

Amen!

Corrected Links

Several people have alerted me to some corrupted links for the Galatians series. I am not sure how the links were corrupted but they have all been fixed. Thanks to everyone for the notice. Please let me know if this happens again. Gospel blessings!

Billy Graham’s 90th Birthday

Today is Billy Graham’s 90th birthday. What a godly and consistent testimony we have had through the remarkable life of this man. His life and ministry have impacted countless thousands of lives. He was born on November 7, 1918 in North Carolina, my home state and birth place. As a fellow Tarheel, I grew up under the influence of Dr. Graham’s ministry through his brother-in-law (and evangelist), Leighton Ford.

Tullian Tchividjian, a grandson of Billy Graham has written a small, insightful tribute to his grandfather. Tullian, with his unique perspective writes, “Today we celebrate his life and the way he has spent it. He has preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to more people than anyone in history and I have the pirivlege of calling him “Daddy Bill.”

May we all thank our Lord and Savior for such a faithful man of God. May we all, by God’s grace, keep the gospel central in our lives and ministries and for the sake of His glory finish well!

A Tribute to Doyt Morris and the Philadelphia Athletics

Doyt Morris, Philadelphia Athletics, 1937

With the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays about to face off in the World Series, I thought it would be appropriate to give a tribute to my grandfather, Doyt Morris, who broke into the big leagues with the Philadelphia Athletics on June 6, 1937. Though his career was cut short (1937-1938) when he slid into third base and injured his shoulder, my grandfather was and is my major league hero.

I can vividly remember growing up as a boy and having “Gran” teach me how to play the game. It seems like yesterday that we were in my back yard on those hot NC summer days throwing a plastic baseball and learning to hit as he would throw pitch after pitch. As I grew up, he would attend my baseball and basketball games (Gran was also a basketball player, he was the team captain for both the baseball and basketball teams at Wake Forest University). I was always extra motivated to play when he would come to my games.

Regrettably, my grandfather died at a relatively early age on July 4, 1984. I have never forgotten that day, Independence Day. I was in my back yard helping my Dad with the yard work when I got the news.

I know our heavenly Father’s ways are perfect. But, I have always wished that Gran were still around. There was so much I wanted to ask him and learn about from his major league experience. As I type this tribute, I can’t help but to get a little choked up (no pun intended!).

The Philadelphia Athletics were a part of the American League. They have been proclaimed as “Philadelphia’s Most Successful Sports Franchise.” Just after their second year of existence in 1902, the Athletics won the American League pennant. The World Series had not yet been instituted. But the 1902 victory was the first of nine American League pennants and five World Championships the Athletics won. Pennants that were won include 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, and 1931. World Series that were won include: 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929,and 1930.

Moreover, the club produced such Baseball Hall of Famers as: Frank Baker, Chief Bender, Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Eddie Collins Sr. Jimmie Foxx, Nelson Fox, Lefty Grove, George Kell, Nap Lajoie, Connie Mack, Eddie Plank, Al Simmons, Tris Speaker, Rube Waddell, and Zack Wheat.

Due to a lack of sufficient funds, absence of a full minor league system, the age of Connie Mack and the growing popularity of the Phillies in 1950, the Athletics moved to Kansas City after being sold on November 5, 1954.

Even though the Athletics and Shibe Park (the home of the Athletics) are no more, they continue to live on not only in the baseball history books but also in the heart of a grandson whose grandfather was and is his major league hero.

(Source: Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society)

Link fixed on “The Cruciform Life” Post

The link is now fixed on The Cruciform Life post.

Greg Laurie’s Son Killed in Car Crash

This past Thursday, a good friend of mine contacted me and informed me about the death of Greg Laurie’s son who was tragically killed in a car accident (see LA Times article and Harvest Christian Fellowship).

I know Greg Laurie and all the Harvest Crusade staff. They are a great group of guys with whom I have had the privilege to work with over the years. My heart goes out to the Laurie family, particularly Christopher’s wife, Brittany and his daughter, Stella as well as their soon-to-be daughter due in November.

Condolences and thoughts for the Laurie family can be posted on Pastor Greg’s blog.

Also, Harvest Christian Fellowship has established the Christopher Laurie Memorial Fund. Proceeds from the fund will go to Brittany Laurie, and the soon-to-be daughter in order to assist them financially.

Please pray for the Laurie family during this very difficult time.