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Faithmapping: A Gospel Atlas for Your Spiritual Journey
Most of us emphasize one aspect of Christianity over another. Competing voices tell us that the Christian life is all about this or that: missions, discipleship, worship, the cross, or the kingdom. It’s as if we are navigating the Christian life with fragments of a map—bits and pieces of the good news—rather than the whole picture. If we put those map fragments together, we discover a beautiful, coherent picture. Faithmapping invites Christians to see that map, exploring a whole gospel that forms a whole church who carries that glorious news to the whole world.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Daniel Montgomery
26 books9 followersDaniel Montgomery is founding pastor of Sojourn Community Church, a multi-site congregation with three campuses in Louisville, Kentucky and one in New Albany, Indiana. Sojourn began in 2000 with about sixty people and has grown into a community of nearly four thousand. Daniel now serves Sojourn as pastor of teaching, leadership, and church planting. He has served on a leadership task force for the Southern Baptist Convention and on the board of directors for the Acts 29 church planting network. In 2011, Daniel cofounded the Sojourn Network to multiply churches in North America and beyond. He is the coauthor of Faith-Mapping (Crossway, 2013).
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 16, 2014
Though it offers nothing ground-breaking (and certainly doesn't claim too), 'Faithmapping' is an incisive, grace-soaked and missionally-minded introduction to the Christian faith. There were a number of phrases and sentences that stopped me in my tracks ("It's one thing for a King to die for his people. It's another for him to die for rebels."). As well, the threefold approach to expounding the gospel (Kingdom, Cross and Grace) was effective in articulating its nuance, sufficiency and beauty. In short, 'Faithmapping' would be a wonderful resource for anyone lost in the sometimes monolithic nature of the church, looking to find their place in God's story and in His people. Or, as the basis for a sermon series. Recommended.
February 3, 2013
I feel pretty darn blessed to be under the leadership of these dudes at Sojourn, which has been a life-changing church for my family.
Of all the good stuff in this text, this simple quote is my favorite: "Some will be sent to the ends of the earth, but most of us are just sent next door" (184). That's a basic concept--and one that many of us have heard before--but it's definitely easy to forget.
Looking forward to a second read and small group discussion.
Of all the good stuff in this text, this simple quote is my favorite: "Some will be sent to the ends of the earth, but most of us are just sent next door" (184). That's a basic concept--and one that many of us have heard before--but it's definitely easy to forget.
Looking forward to a second read and small group discussion.
January 1, 2019
This book is a good introduction into how "the Gospel transfers us from the familiar territory of self-centered living into a glorious wilderness a beautiful and strange place where we're invited to explore the wonders of who God is and what He's done..."
Montgomery explains
the Gospel
-of the Kingdom
-of the Cross
-of Grace
the Church
- Worshippers
-Family
-Servants
-Disciples
-Witnesses
the Whole World
Montgomery puts together this 'Faithmap' as a whole-picture guide for the Christian to know where he is headed. He contrasts this whole-picture to his quote from Yogi Berra in the introduction, "If you don't know where you are going, you might end up somewhere else."
So he brings Biblical understanding for the Christian about the Gospel, the Church and the World.
I found it refreshing.
Montgomery explains
the Gospel
-of the Kingdom
-of the Cross
-of Grace
the Church
- Worshippers
-Family
-Servants
-Disciples
-Witnesses
the Whole World
Montgomery puts together this 'Faithmap' as a whole-picture guide for the Christian to know where he is headed. He contrasts this whole-picture to his quote from Yogi Berra in the introduction, "If you don't know where you are going, you might end up somewhere else."
So he brings Biblical understanding for the Christian about the Gospel, the Church and the World.
I found it refreshing.
May 13, 2017
Montgomery and Cosper give a rather robust description of the gospel and the church, and they do so in ways that help readers "map" some of the key components of both. For that, I think the book is quite worthwhile. They draw on diverse thinkers, and that gives the book an appeal outside of any particular theological tribe. Some solid material here.
February 13, 2013
I usually don’t include blurbs about books in my review but this sums up the book so well: “The missional focus of this contribution to the gospel-centered movement is a breath of fresh air” Ed Stetzer (“The gospel that saves us motivates us to live on mission” [p. 19]).
Montgomery and Cosper have sought to provide a map of the gospel within a missional framework. The book separates neatly into three parts: gospel, church, and world. As they concisely explain, “[Faithmapping is] an exploration of a whole gospel for a whole church for the sake of the whole world” (p. 17).
Part 1 tackles the under-estimated and under-appreciated gospel. They’ve argued the church has argued for parts of the gospel successfully but rarely has she put all the pieces together. They argue for three components for a whole gospel: kingdom, grace, and cross.
In regards to the kingdom, says Montgomery and Cosper,
It’s an incredible plan. The ruler of the kingdom suffers for the subjects. He humbles himself and lives among them, suffering under the same injustice, encountering the same competing kingdoms. Jesus encountered the authority of the kingdoms around him, all the while preaching that God’s kingdom was here, and was greater than all these others. He suffered under Pilate’s kingdom. He suffered under religious corruption—a kind of kingdom. He suffered under Satan’s kingdom, subject even to death. Yet in humbling himself, he flips the whole world on its head, and this crucified and downtrodden one becomes the name exalted above every name. (p. 38)
This section has a strong focus on repentance (“change our allegiance” p. 40).
The gospel of the cross focuses on what you might typically see emphasized (justification, reconciliation, righteousness, sacrifice, and union with Christ) in Reformed circles.
The cross is not peripheral. It’s not something that we encounter at the beginning of our Christian journey and move beyond as we mature in discipleship. It’s the center of our faith, the hub from which every good thing flows. (p. 65)
The gospel of grace wraps up the whole gospel. They say,
The gospel declares that our right standing with God and our continued life in his kingdom is all a gift of his grace. Life with God comes by grace. The cross is given to us by grace. We have life with God not because of anything we have or could have done or anything we have failed to do but because God has freely given it to us at Jesus’s expense. We are safe, we are accepted, we are loved because God has made it so by his grace. Period. (p. 80)
They’re praising the scandalous grace of God that takes dirty, rotten sinners like you and me and welcomes us into his family. The great equalizer. This grace motivates us to live for God.
I wanted to share a descriptor from each of these gospel pieces to give you a taste of what you can expect in these sections. My only thought in these section was, “I think they’re right, but I wonder if they might have missed the unifying element?” God’s covenant in Christ encapsulates all of these gospel pieces. It’s the glue. God makes a covenant as a King ruling his kingdom bringing peace by the terms of this covenant through justification, freeing former rebels and slaves, and making them sons and daughters. Just a thought.
Chart A
Part 2 talks church. They argue the gospel “changes us from the inside out” (p. 24) and, therefore, the church is called to go out with the gospel (part 3). In the section about the whole church, they cover worshipers, family, servants, disciples, and witnesses. They argue the gospel has changed the how and where of worship. There’s a strong emphasis on missional worship (gathered vs. scattered) a point which I loved. They discuss the benefits of an explicit liturgy and connect that with our daily living (see chart A). I had never made this connection and found myself meditating on the implications. Consider how the liturgy of your church lends itself to strengthen your gospel living when scattered. In much of this section, the categories mentioned at the start of this paragraph are unpacked in terms of living the “resurrected life” (pp. 168-69) outside of the confines of the church. Living on mission.
Part 3 examines the different “locations” (loosely defined) where we live these truths out (home, work, recreation, restoration, and multiplication). After the relatively large amount of space spent on gospel and church, I felt this last section needed more. I wanted more from it. The content in it was good, but it could have been explored more fully.
Faithmapping is worth reading and reading well. The conversation surrounding the gospel isn’t going anywhere so it’s important we understand the different arguments being made and how they actually fit together. This book could be used with great results as a study for a group of elders. But it could also be used in a lay small group. The outline is precise which makes staying on track while reading easy. Plus the topics discussed are essential for Christian living and are presented in a way that lends themselves for in-depth discussion.
Montgomery and Cosper have sought to provide a map of the gospel within a missional framework. The book separates neatly into three parts: gospel, church, and world. As they concisely explain, “[Faithmapping is] an exploration of a whole gospel for a whole church for the sake of the whole world” (p. 17).
Part 1 tackles the under-estimated and under-appreciated gospel. They’ve argued the church has argued for parts of the gospel successfully but rarely has she put all the pieces together. They argue for three components for a whole gospel: kingdom, grace, and cross.
In regards to the kingdom, says Montgomery and Cosper,
It’s an incredible plan. The ruler of the kingdom suffers for the subjects. He humbles himself and lives among them, suffering under the same injustice, encountering the same competing kingdoms. Jesus encountered the authority of the kingdoms around him, all the while preaching that God’s kingdom was here, and was greater than all these others. He suffered under Pilate’s kingdom. He suffered under religious corruption—a kind of kingdom. He suffered under Satan’s kingdom, subject even to death. Yet in humbling himself, he flips the whole world on its head, and this crucified and downtrodden one becomes the name exalted above every name. (p. 38)
This section has a strong focus on repentance (“change our allegiance” p. 40).
The gospel of the cross focuses on what you might typically see emphasized (justification, reconciliation, righteousness, sacrifice, and union with Christ) in Reformed circles.
The cross is not peripheral. It’s not something that we encounter at the beginning of our Christian journey and move beyond as we mature in discipleship. It’s the center of our faith, the hub from which every good thing flows. (p. 65)
The gospel of grace wraps up the whole gospel. They say,
The gospel declares that our right standing with God and our continued life in his kingdom is all a gift of his grace. Life with God comes by grace. The cross is given to us by grace. We have life with God not because of anything we have or could have done or anything we have failed to do but because God has freely given it to us at Jesus’s expense. We are safe, we are accepted, we are loved because God has made it so by his grace. Period. (p. 80)
They’re praising the scandalous grace of God that takes dirty, rotten sinners like you and me and welcomes us into his family. The great equalizer. This grace motivates us to live for God.
I wanted to share a descriptor from each of these gospel pieces to give you a taste of what you can expect in these sections. My only thought in these section was, “I think they’re right, but I wonder if they might have missed the unifying element?” God’s covenant in Christ encapsulates all of these gospel pieces. It’s the glue. God makes a covenant as a King ruling his kingdom bringing peace by the terms of this covenant through justification, freeing former rebels and slaves, and making them sons and daughters. Just a thought.
Chart A
Part 2 talks church. They argue the gospel “changes us from the inside out” (p. 24) and, therefore, the church is called to go out with the gospel (part 3). In the section about the whole church, they cover worshipers, family, servants, disciples, and witnesses. They argue the gospel has changed the how and where of worship. There’s a strong emphasis on missional worship (gathered vs. scattered) a point which I loved. They discuss the benefits of an explicit liturgy and connect that with our daily living (see chart A). I had never made this connection and found myself meditating on the implications. Consider how the liturgy of your church lends itself to strengthen your gospel living when scattered. In much of this section, the categories mentioned at the start of this paragraph are unpacked in terms of living the “resurrected life” (pp. 168-69) outside of the confines of the church. Living on mission.
Part 3 examines the different “locations” (loosely defined) where we live these truths out (home, work, recreation, restoration, and multiplication). After the relatively large amount of space spent on gospel and church, I felt this last section needed more. I wanted more from it. The content in it was good, but it could have been explored more fully.
Faithmapping is worth reading and reading well. The conversation surrounding the gospel isn’t going anywhere so it’s important we understand the different arguments being made and how they actually fit together. This book could be used with great results as a study for a group of elders. But it could also be used in a lay small group. The outline is precise which makes staying on track while reading easy. Plus the topics discussed are essential for Christian living and are presented in a way that lends themselves for in-depth discussion.
November 21, 2019
I picked this up because I really like Mike Cosper. I found it to be bland. The best part was about how the gospel has triune elements of the kingdom, the cross, and grace.
October 3, 2013
There’s a lot of talk about being “gospel-centered” these days.
But what exactly does that mean? Some emphasize the work of Christ on the cross. Others talk about God’s kingdom. Still others focus on grace as the essential message of the gospel. It’s so typical. We tend to narrow our focus to one aspect and lose the big picture.
Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper bring these three aspects of the gospel together and lay out how it informs and transforms every facet of our lives in Faithmapping: A Gospel Atlas for Your Spiritual Journey.
“Faithmapping is our attempt to identify that ancient path through the wilderness by mapping out our mission. We want to illustrate the connections between what God has done in the gospel, who we are as the church, and how we are to live in the world. It’s an exploration of a whole gospel for a whole church for the sake of the whole world.” p. 17
Using the work of theologians John Frame and Tim Keller as a springboard, the book explains that there are three lenses we view the gospel through that are all equally true and central to the Christian:
1. The gospel of Christ (the historical truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, paying for our sins).
2. The gospel of sonship (God’s radical, transforming grace, his acceptance of us on the basis of what Jesus has done, not what we do).
3. The gospel of the kingdom (the cosmic redemption project inaugurated by Christ’s coming).
The problem is that we have a tendency to latch onto one of them to the exclusion of the others. This leads others to react to the overemphasis on that aspect and overcorrect toward one of the others. And thus, a cycle of overreaction and overcorrection begins. The authors of Faithmapping set out to lay out a plan – a map, if you will – to keep all three aspects in balance:
“Rather than somehow pitting the cross of Christ against the kingdom of Christ or the grace of God for centrality in the message of the gospel, we want to hold them all together, arguing that they are all ways of talking about the gospel, and that they lead to one another if you understand them properly.” p. 20-21
The book is divided into three parts: The Whole Gospel, The Whole Church, and The Whole World.
Part One explores each of these three aspects of the gospel thoroughly and details why each one is essential to a full understanding of the gospel.
Part Two unpacks how this “whole gospel” transforms our entire identity from the inside out. This section breaks down five different facets of our identity and explores each one in detail:
Worshipers
Family
Servants
Disciples
Witnesses
Part Three, which contains just the final chapter, brings everything together and makes the connection between our gospel-formed identities and the world we inhabit. Five dimensions of the world in which we live out the gospel are identified and discussed in practical terms:
location
vocation
recreation
restoration
multiplication
“If we think of salvation as a far-off promise, something we’ll hopefully ‘fly away’ to one day, we miss out on the beautiful things God is doing right now, redeeming and transforming our ordinary, everyday lives. When we talk about gospel transformation, we’re talking about our world: the one where we wake up in the morning, earn our living, raise our kids, and go to bed at night…
It’s a practical dynamic, and one that demands that we ask and pray how to live it out, how to make the connections between the gospel and the world we inhabit.” p. 196
Each chapter ends with a “Map It” section that has suggested questions, prayers, and readings, making it perfect for individual or group study.
Faithmapping is a must-read!
It clearly addresses something that I’ve seen over and over again – the tendency to latch on to one aspect of the gospel and downplay the others – which causes all kinds of confusion, division, and fads. Everyone has a fragment of the map. The authors bring those fragments together into a whole, showing how each is interrelated and dependent on the others.
It’s not just an academic theological tome on the nuances of the gospel. The book is theologically rich and thorough, and yet simple and incredibly practical.
As I read, I kept thinking (and sometimes saying!), “Yes! Exactly!” I was encouraged, convicted, and motivated by every chapter. I started out highlighting favorite passages to share with you, but there are too many! You’ll just have to read the book!
“The map lies open on the table. Hopefully you can see how it all fits together. One glorious gospel, in three aspects, forms one church with five identities, who lives out those identities in all the dimensions of their world. The map lies before you not as an obligation, but an invitation to explore.” p. 216
Thanks so much to Crossway for a review copy of this title! I received no other compensation and was not required to give a positive review.
But what exactly does that mean? Some emphasize the work of Christ on the cross. Others talk about God’s kingdom. Still others focus on grace as the essential message of the gospel. It’s so typical. We tend to narrow our focus to one aspect and lose the big picture.
Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper bring these three aspects of the gospel together and lay out how it informs and transforms every facet of our lives in Faithmapping: A Gospel Atlas for Your Spiritual Journey.
“Faithmapping is our attempt to identify that ancient path through the wilderness by mapping out our mission. We want to illustrate the connections between what God has done in the gospel, who we are as the church, and how we are to live in the world. It’s an exploration of a whole gospel for a whole church for the sake of the whole world.” p. 17
Using the work of theologians John Frame and Tim Keller as a springboard, the book explains that there are three lenses we view the gospel through that are all equally true and central to the Christian:
1. The gospel of Christ (the historical truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, paying for our sins).
2. The gospel of sonship (God’s radical, transforming grace, his acceptance of us on the basis of what Jesus has done, not what we do).
3. The gospel of the kingdom (the cosmic redemption project inaugurated by Christ’s coming).
The problem is that we have a tendency to latch onto one of them to the exclusion of the others. This leads others to react to the overemphasis on that aspect and overcorrect toward one of the others. And thus, a cycle of overreaction and overcorrection begins. The authors of Faithmapping set out to lay out a plan – a map, if you will – to keep all three aspects in balance:
“Rather than somehow pitting the cross of Christ against the kingdom of Christ or the grace of God for centrality in the message of the gospel, we want to hold them all together, arguing that they are all ways of talking about the gospel, and that they lead to one another if you understand them properly.” p. 20-21
The book is divided into three parts: The Whole Gospel, The Whole Church, and The Whole World.
Part One explores each of these three aspects of the gospel thoroughly and details why each one is essential to a full understanding of the gospel.
Part Two unpacks how this “whole gospel” transforms our entire identity from the inside out. This section breaks down five different facets of our identity and explores each one in detail:
Worshipers
Family
Servants
Disciples
Witnesses
Part Three, which contains just the final chapter, brings everything together and makes the connection between our gospel-formed identities and the world we inhabit. Five dimensions of the world in which we live out the gospel are identified and discussed in practical terms:
location
vocation
recreation
restoration
multiplication
“If we think of salvation as a far-off promise, something we’ll hopefully ‘fly away’ to one day, we miss out on the beautiful things God is doing right now, redeeming and transforming our ordinary, everyday lives. When we talk about gospel transformation, we’re talking about our world: the one where we wake up in the morning, earn our living, raise our kids, and go to bed at night…
It’s a practical dynamic, and one that demands that we ask and pray how to live it out, how to make the connections between the gospel and the world we inhabit.” p. 196
Each chapter ends with a “Map It” section that has suggested questions, prayers, and readings, making it perfect for individual or group study.
Faithmapping is a must-read!
It clearly addresses something that I’ve seen over and over again – the tendency to latch on to one aspect of the gospel and downplay the others – which causes all kinds of confusion, division, and fads. Everyone has a fragment of the map. The authors bring those fragments together into a whole, showing how each is interrelated and dependent on the others.
It’s not just an academic theological tome on the nuances of the gospel. The book is theologically rich and thorough, and yet simple and incredibly practical.
As I read, I kept thinking (and sometimes saying!), “Yes! Exactly!” I was encouraged, convicted, and motivated by every chapter. I started out highlighting favorite passages to share with you, but there are too many! You’ll just have to read the book!
“The map lies open on the table. Hopefully you can see how it all fits together. One glorious gospel, in three aspects, forms one church with five identities, who lives out those identities in all the dimensions of their world. The map lies before you not as an obligation, but an invitation to explore.” p. 216
Thanks so much to Crossway for a review copy of this title! I received no other compensation and was not required to give a positive review.
February 19, 2017
It is essentially "Tim Keller for dummies." Really really good intro of gospel content and gospel life for people.
August 25, 2016
Popularly renamed 'Keller for dummies', Cosper/Montgomery's contribution to gospel centered literature is a welcome addition to the 'class.' Faith Mapping: A Gospel Atlas to Your Spiritual Journey begins with 'the whole gospel' wherein we are introduced to three facets of the gospel as found in scripture: Kingdom of God, the Cross, and Grace". This section sets the framework for all that follows. This, in my opinion, is the most helpful section of the book. Its usefulness, clarity, and freshness assisted by the 'map it' summary pages at the conclusion of each chapter where we apply what we have read into our lives. The second section, 'the whole church' introduces the reader to 5 identities we live out of everyday in all the dimensions of our world. Specifically, as worshippers, family, servants, disciples and witnesses. Frankly, this read more like a 're-tread' of what others have written, and they acknowledge as much. Their final chapter on 'witnesses' I found particularly worthwhile thought, with its emphasis on neighborly love as an outworking of the whole gospel. Finally, the last section, concludes with an invitation: envisioning us for how the gospel is transforming our location, vocation, in restoration and multiplication, as we carry the gospel into the whole world.
February 3, 2013
I feel pretty darn blessed to be under the leadership of these dudes at Sojourn, which has been a life-changing church for my family.
Of all the good stuff in this text, this simple quote is my favorite: "Some will be sent to the ends of the earth, but most of us are just sent next door" (184). That's a basic concept--and one that many of us have heard before--but it's definitely easy to forget.
Looking forward to a second read and small group discussion.
Of all the good stuff in this text, this simple quote is my favorite: "Some will be sent to the ends of the earth, but most of us are just sent next door" (184). That's a basic concept--and one that many of us have heard before--but it's definitely easy to forget.
Looking forward to a second read and small group discussion.
May 3, 2014
This is a book in the practical category of 'how do we do church' in this day and age. This is a book along the theme of many. It doesn't have a 'wow' factor to it, yet it is a solid read, practical, and it is also a quick and easy read. I think it would be a good read for those who are part of a traditional church but sense the need for something more.
January 11, 2015
This book navigates one through this life reminding us who we are as human beings and followers of Christ and what our purpose for journeying through this world is. Daniel and Mike did a great job in giving us a 360 degree look at the Gospel and the Church. They urge us to press on and to continue making an impact upon the Whole World.
October 3, 2014
A clear and helpful map for our calling as followers of Christ on a mission. It is basic, clear, and practical in the best ways. I particularly appreciated how Montgomery and Cosper try to pull together three important strands of our Christian life -- salvific, sonship, and kingdom. They faithfully pull together what is often unnecessarily pushed apart: cross and kingdom.
August 14, 2013
Really good. Appreciate how these guys relate all of the theology of God and the Gospel back to a local church context. Great book for someone to develop and/or refresh their love of theology, and their engagement in their local church family.
December 16, 2016
A good book that breaks down the three areas of the gospel (kingdom, cross, grace) and explains the reason not only why we need each but how all three work together. Over emphasizing one area hurts fully living the life God has called us to.
January 23, 2013
A book that reinforced that as a church we can all work together.
February 24, 2013
What a delight! Eye-opening, clear and beautiful. A must read for all!
October 13, 2019
Loved the organization of this book. Very clear in the pictures it paints of the gospel and uses a lot of scripture, which is what I prefer. Easy to read as well.
May 13, 2013
A fine book. A written exploration of the identities we possess in the gospel. This really comes from the core of what Sojourn Community Church presents in their membership classes.
August 28, 2013
Great, encouraging read about God's work in Louisville through the ministry of Sojourn. This is a great primer for discipleship and mission in relation to the local church.
January 2, 2015
An absolute fantastic read! This book lays out Christian beliefs and shows how they infiltrate every facet of our lives. A good reminder that it's not about religion; it's about a relationship.
Want to Read
May 14, 2017I love the concept of the map to guide us. I need a "to finish" bookshelf, as I'm going to have to set this aside for a while. I borrowed it form my church library, and have been slowly working my way through it, but it takes some thought. I've had it for several weeks, and know I will not have time for the next few weeks, so will return it and give another reader a chance, and pursue again later this summer.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews