A Household Gospel: Fulfilling the Great Commission in Our Homes

by Mathew B. Sims

In Scripture, parents are instructed to teach their kids how to love God and saturate their home with the gospel (Deut 4:9, 6:1-7; Eph 6:104). Husbands and wives are commanded to mirror Jesus in their marriages (Eph 5:22-33). We understand these commands in light of the gospel—in light of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:6). Jesus is the hero of our families.

That’s what A Household Gospel is about. It’s ordinary means rooted in an extraordinary gospel. It’s about starting the great commission in our homes. It’s about rehearsing the gospel story when we sit to eat, lie down to sleep, rise up in the morning, and everywhere in between.

Genres: Nonfiction, Faith

101 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2013

About the author

Mathew B. Sims is the author of A Household Gospel: Fulfilling the Great Commission in Our Homes and graduated with a degree in English Literature and a secondary emphasis in Creative Writing. He loves Classic Mythology, the Elizabethan age, Jane Austen, and fairy stories especially J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. His guilty reading pleasures are Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels and anything Michael Crichton.

He writes for CBMW Manual, Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Borrowed Light, and other publications. He also works as the managing editor at Gospel-Centered Discipleship and offers freelance editing and book formatting services. His home blogs are Grace for Sinners and Marginalia.

He’s married to LeAnn Sims who blogs at The Modest Homestead. They have three daughters (Claire, Maddy, & Adele) who are joyful, mischievous, and full of wonder (he’s outnumbered if you’re counting). They enjoy having fun—romping in the woods, swimming, singing, reading, and traveling. When the rabble-rousers are asleep, he enjoys watching a good movie with his wife. He loves reading, the outdoors, and cooking good food. He enjoys a good high altitude, single source coffee. He also runs (for good measure). And he’s a prodigal Apple geek.

Reviews

[Lee Button · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Sims writes with wholesome transparency on why and how fathers lead their families. He anchors his biblical principles firmly and compellingly in the Gospel. The length of the book (100 pages) makes its lessons more pointed and inviting. This is a read for every man who wants to honor God in his home, no matter what his age. Church leaders should consider this as pre-marital counseling and/or young parents required reading.

[JPaul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this book on the shelf for a few years. I’ve started and stopped it a few times. I think the beginning content while vitally important, was familiar thus I turned my mind off.

I recently saw a book with some similar topics and wanted to purchase it but I made myself read this one first. I’m glad I did. It was informative and had several good resources listed in the appendix. The author writes well and didn’t say anymore than needed to be said though he does seem to be well read on the subject matter. I enjoyed his use of quotes from various other authors.

If you need a short read on the gospel in the life of the family which touches on the topics of family worship, marriage and parenting, I recommend this one.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great book. Matt makes an honest and compelling argument as to why we should lead our families in worship. But he does not stop there, he also gives helpful advice on how to do this with out overcomplicating it. This is a great book for pastors and laymen alike.

[Michael Schmid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stresses the importance of the gospel in our daily lives - for ourselves, for our children and for our spouses. The gospel should permeate our day-to-day activities and attitudes. Mathew Sims gives helpful insights into his personal experiences and provides helpful ideas and resources for living gospel-centred lives.