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Gospel Threads
Why don’t authentic followers of Jesus passionately and consistently share Jesus with unbelievers? At least two reasons come to mind, and these reasons get at the heart of why this book was written.
First, some of us don’t share our faith because we don’t have a rm grip on the core truths of the gospel. Sure, we know Jesus died for our sins, and we see changes in our lives, but beyond that, things start to get hazy. We struggle to communicate what the Bible says about God or sin or salvation. That’s why this book provides a brief explanation of ve major truths, or what we’re calling “threads,” of the gospel. These threads include (1) the character of God, (2) the sinfulness of man, (3) the suf ciency of Christ, (4) the necessity of faith, and (5) the urgency of eternity. These are truths every disciple needs to know. We won’t share regularly what we don’t understand clearly.
A second reason we don’t share our faith, and this may be the primary reason, is fear. In many places around the world, there’s a fear of the repercussions of identifying with Jesus. As a result, persecution often silences the spread of the gospel. However, we don’t have that level of persecution in our own context, certainly not anywhere close to what many of our brothers and sisters around the world experience. Yet, we still fear.
We often fear rejection, and maybe even more than that, we fear awkwardness. The fear of awkwardness seems to be ingrained in our culture and in our relationships. We avoid awkward conversations like the plague. Talk about Jesus at the workplace or bring Him up with your neighbor out in the yard, and things can get awkward pretty quickly. But they don’t have to.
The “threads” of the gospel are not intended to be an awkward intrusion into our conversations. Instead, they can be woven into the fabric of everything we do and say. At the end of each chapter you’ll nd practical suggestions for weaving these threads into your everyday interactions. Remember, though, there is no formula for sharing the gospel that will guarantee results. Salvation is God’s work, so we must rely fully on Him as we share the only message that has the power to save (Romans 1:16). That’s what weaving gospel threads is all about.
First, some of us don’t share our faith because we don’t have a rm grip on the core truths of the gospel. Sure, we know Jesus died for our sins, and we see changes in our lives, but beyond that, things start to get hazy. We struggle to communicate what the Bible says about God or sin or salvation. That’s why this book provides a brief explanation of ve major truths, or what we’re calling “threads,” of the gospel. These threads include (1) the character of God, (2) the sinfulness of man, (3) the suf ciency of Christ, (4) the necessity of faith, and (5) the urgency of eternity. These are truths every disciple needs to know. We won’t share regularly what we don’t understand clearly.
A second reason we don’t share our faith, and this may be the primary reason, is fear. In many places around the world, there’s a fear of the repercussions of identifying with Jesus. As a result, persecution often silences the spread of the gospel. However, we don’t have that level of persecution in our own context, certainly not anywhere close to what many of our brothers and sisters around the world experience. Yet, we still fear.
We often fear rejection, and maybe even more than that, we fear awkwardness. The fear of awkwardness seems to be ingrained in our culture and in our relationships. We avoid awkward conversations like the plague. Talk about Jesus at the workplace or bring Him up with your neighbor out in the yard, and things can get awkward pretty quickly. But they don’t have to.
The “threads” of the gospel are not intended to be an awkward intrusion into our conversations. Instead, they can be woven into the fabric of everything we do and say. At the end of each chapter you’ll nd practical suggestions for weaving these threads into your everyday interactions. Remember, though, there is no formula for sharing the gospel that will guarantee results. Salvation is God’s work, so we must rely fully on Him as we share the only message that has the power to save (Romans 1:16). That’s what weaving gospel threads is all about.
64 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2017
36 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
David Platt
141 books1,058 followersDAVID PLATT serves as Lead Pastor at McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C. He is the founder and chairman of Radical (Inc.), an international ministry that serves the church for the cause of Christ—to glorify God by making disciples and multiplying churches among all nations. Resources from David Platt and Radical can be found at radical.net.
Books by David Platt include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, and Something Needs to Change, as well as the following volumes in the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series: Exalting Jesus in Matthew, Exalting Jesus in James, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, and Exalting Jesus in Galatians.
David Platt received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Along with his wife and four children, he lives in the Washington D.C. metro area.
Connect with David on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Books by David Platt include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, and Something Needs to Change, as well as the following volumes in the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series: Exalting Jesus in Matthew, Exalting Jesus in James, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, and Exalting Jesus in Galatians.
David Platt received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Along with his wife and four children, he lives in the Washington D.C. metro area.
Connect with David on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 13, 2025
just finished reading gospel threads. Feeling both very encouraged and convicted. This is probably one of the best books I’ve read. I would say everyone should read it. It explains and communicates the gospel (God’s character, sinfulness of man, Christ, faith, and end times) in a very concise and biblically sound way. Taught me new ways to explain things and reference the bible, but more importantly, it woke me up to the reality of the bible. It’s not a book that you read, feel good about yourself, and forget about; rather, it should make you want to take your faith more seriously.
“Surrender your life to God and ask him to make it count for the spread of his gospel in your city and to the ends of the earth. This is the only reasonable reaction for those who believe in the character of God, the sinfulness of man, the sufficiency of Christ, the necessity of faith, and the urgency of eternity.”
Praying that this would become true and real in our lives and that we would be constantly reminded of (for we are forgetful people).
“Surrender your life to God and ask him to make it count for the spread of his gospel in your city and to the ends of the earth. This is the only reasonable reaction for those who believe in the character of God, the sinfulness of man, the sufficiency of Christ, the necessity of faith, and the urgency of eternity.”
Praying that this would become true and real in our lives and that we would be constantly reminded of (for we are forgetful people).
April 17, 2025
One of those books that you keep in your bag everywhere you go and read every once in a while to remind yourself of the truth.
Definitely a solid read if you’re looking for something to help you reflect on or learn about the basis of Christianity and how it can practically be worked into your life through reflection and conversation. It helped me to consider many small things in ways I haven’t before, but I hope to revisit it again sometime.
Would we become people that thoughtfully weave the gospel into everything we are!
“Let the effects of sin inform the way you talk about salvation.” (p.30)
Definitely a solid read if you’re looking for something to help you reflect on or learn about the basis of Christianity and how it can practically be worked into your life through reflection and conversation. It helped me to consider many small things in ways I haven’t before, but I hope to revisit it again sometime.
Would we become people that thoughtfully weave the gospel into everything we are!
“Let the effects of sin inform the way you talk about salvation.” (p.30)
August 8, 2025
Short and easy. Feel better prepared and encouraged to have more faith conversations after reading
May 12, 2025
There is nothing more urgent than the salvation of the souls around us, and witnessing to those souls is the clear purpose of "Gospel Threads."
David Platt has created a simple formula for weaving your faith into everyday conversations in a way that invites conversation without being pushy or tiresome. It's a quick read with an important purpose. Whether you've been in church your whole life and the book serves as a refresher or you are new to the faith and seeking a brief overview of the Christian story with ways to implement your faith into your everyday life, "Gospel Threads" is worth setting aside a fraction of your time to digest.
David Platt has created a simple formula for weaving your faith into everyday conversations in a way that invites conversation without being pushy or tiresome. It's a quick read with an important purpose. Whether you've been in church your whole life and the book serves as a refresher or you are new to the faith and seeking a brief overview of the Christian story with ways to implement your faith into your everyday life, "Gospel Threads" is worth setting aside a fraction of your time to digest.
May 29, 2025
thank you crosscon for the endless copies of this book. a relatable, digestible, and useful book in equipping this generation to live missionally. the questions after each thread are so applicable and useful, i want to lend this book to everyone.
excited to read this time after time again as i grow older and need to be reminded of the truth of the gospel, God’s word, and our mission on earth as His disciples.
excited to read this time after time again as i grow older and need to be reminded of the truth of the gospel, God’s word, and our mission on earth as His disciples.
March 30, 2024
Fantastic, short read.
“We don’t have time to waste our lives, our families, or the resources of the church on a nice, comfortable, Christian spin on the American dream. There is an urgency to eternity.”
“We don’t have time to waste our lives, our families, or the resources of the church on a nice, comfortable, Christian spin on the American dream. There is an urgency to eternity.”
December 18, 2023
A concise and helpful book that motivates action for sharing the gospel with people who not yet trusted Christ. This could be a valuable book for a pastor to give to people to equip them and stir their hearts for evangelism.
I would have given it five stars if it had a little more Scripture in it instead of just talking about what Scripture says.
I would have given it five stars if it had a little more Scripture in it instead of just talking about what Scripture says.
June 18, 2025
Este recurso destaca la relevancia de doctrinas fundamentales para comunicar la fe a otros. En una época donde predomina el cristianismo cultural, abordar estas verdades desafía por completo el estatus quo de la iglesia posmoderna, que ha intercambiado la verdad por falsas promesas de autoayuda, psicología desde el púlpito, crecimiento personal y misticismo.
A través de cinco pilares de la fe cristiana, David Platt nos orienta en la comprensión de cómo estas verdades esenciales son significativas en la vida diaria, subrayando la belleza de cada una y fomentando su inclusión en nuestras conversaciones y prácticas cotidianas. Los cinco pilares del Evangelio son el carácter de Dios, la pecaminosidad del hombre, la suficiencia de Cristo, la necesidad de la fe y la urgencia de la eternidad.
David los expone de manera clara y precisa, y los aplica en el apartado titulado "Entrelazando el hilo". Aunque es un libro breve, está lleno de contenido que proporciona herramientas al lector para su evangelismo y su vida espiritual. Si sientes miedo de compartir tu fe con los demás o si eres nuevo en la fe y deseas profundizar en el cristianismo, este libro es ideal para ti.
A través de cinco pilares de la fe cristiana, David Platt nos orienta en la comprensión de cómo estas verdades esenciales son significativas en la vida diaria, subrayando la belleza de cada una y fomentando su inclusión en nuestras conversaciones y prácticas cotidianas. Los cinco pilares del Evangelio son el carácter de Dios, la pecaminosidad del hombre, la suficiencia de Cristo, la necesidad de la fe y la urgencia de la eternidad.
David los expone de manera clara y precisa, y los aplica en el apartado titulado "Entrelazando el hilo". Aunque es un libro breve, está lleno de contenido que proporciona herramientas al lector para su evangelismo y su vida espiritual. Si sientes miedo de compartir tu fe con los demás o si eres nuevo en la fe y deseas profundizar en el cristianismo, este libro es ideal para ti.
June 12, 2025
Este libro me hizo poder recordar la urgencia y necesidad como cristianos de poder compartir el evangelio a todas las naciones. Pero principalmente a las personas más cercanas, como: nuestros vecinos, familiares, amigos y todo aquel con quien nos topemos. Buscar oportunidades de llevar el mensaje del evangelio en cada conversación. Que belleza de libro, me confronto mucho, me animó y me alienta a tomar acción en esta tarea importante que el Señor nos ha designado.
December 22, 2023
This is a wonderful little book that breaks down the Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation, outline that we see in Scripture. Dad also throws in a section about the necessity of faith as well. Recommended to remind older believers of their purpose and to teach younger believers of their purpose.
May 27, 2025
Very quick but rich read. It reminded me of what the simple gospel is, and how it can easily be brought up in all sorts of conversations. I wish the book had given a couple examples of actual conversations in which the threads were woven, but I guess that’s something I will need to practice and discover with God’s help and lots of repenting. It’s time to deny self and seek God and others, because eternity is urgent.
May 31, 2025
95% of this book is a shallow systematic evangelical theology, with a couple of Gospel invitations. The actual content you would expect from this book is sequestered to bullet point lists at the end of each chapter and then a couple of pages at the end. The language is sloppy in many places. This would be a good book for an unbeliever or someone with weak theological grasp, but otherwise, it's useless.
Perhaps the other purpose of the book is for the author to show how the Gospel "weaves" into everyday life. I totally agree that it does, to be clear. But I couldn't help but roll my eyes again reading the same old lines about TV being distracting or the classic C.S. Lewis "liar, lunatic, or Lord" citation. You don't need to pay $11 to read these things; you've already heard and read them 100 times. Christianity doesn't give you a free pass to rush work and be uncreative. Rather, we should all the more do our very best with what we are called to do.
Let's put it another way; on the back of the book, it says, "Why do so many followers of Christ find it difficult to share the Gospel?". Apparently, the authors thought it was because they didn't understand basic theology. Otherwise, why devote nearly the entire book to it?
Perhaps the other purpose of the book is for the author to show how the Gospel "weaves" into everyday life. I totally agree that it does, to be clear. But I couldn't help but roll my eyes again reading the same old lines about TV being distracting or the classic C.S. Lewis "liar, lunatic, or Lord" citation. You don't need to pay $11 to read these things; you've already heard and read them 100 times. Christianity doesn't give you a free pass to rush work and be uncreative. Rather, we should all the more do our very best with what we are called to do.
Let's put it another way; on the back of the book, it says, "Why do so many followers of Christ find it difficult to share the Gospel?". Apparently, the authors thought it was because they didn't understand basic theology. Otherwise, why devote nearly the entire book to it?
January 10, 2025
This short little book is a summary of a sermon series that author David Platt preached in his church. It focuses on how believers should weave threads into everyday conversations for the purpose of evangelism. The book truly reads like an extended Gospel tract. Each of the five chapters helps the reader clearly understand key theological components of the Gospel message - the character of God, the sinfulness of man, the sufficiency of Christ, the necessity of faith, and the urgency of eternity. Platt does a great job of correcting some fundamental flaws in popular thinking, like showing Jesus clearly to be Lord, beginning evangelism with the holy character of God, and dismissing easy believe-ism. I particularly love how he handles the necessity of faith.
This book is good for all believers, urging them to engage in the everyday work of evangelism. It also would be good to give to a nonbeliever as the Gospel message is so clear and it is a quick, easy read.
This book is good for all believers, urging them to engage in the everyday work of evangelism. It also would be good to give to a nonbeliever as the Gospel message is so clear and it is a quick, easy read.
January 19, 2025
Firstly, I enjoyed this read. Going into it I was little fearful of jargon and exhaustive points being made over boilerplate information. However, it was concise and easily readable. This book can be read by any age.
From my understanding this book was an adaptation of a series of sermons. Something I was yearning for was direct quotes from the author’s sermons. Sometimes the book lacked color. It was very straightforward and formal, which can make it feel a little stale, especially because there was a decent amount of repeated themes and stances.
My favorite aspect of the book is the reflections after each chapter. This interactive element added significantly to my reading experience, I was able to chime in with my own notes and interpretations. This book is extremely practical for new believers, people interested in Christ, and even a reminder of the gospel for evangelists.
David Platt did a great job with this book. I will be reading more of him in due time.
From my understanding this book was an adaptation of a series of sermons. Something I was yearning for was direct quotes from the author’s sermons. Sometimes the book lacked color. It was very straightforward and formal, which can make it feel a little stale, especially because there was a decent amount of repeated themes and stances.
My favorite aspect of the book is the reflections after each chapter. This interactive element added significantly to my reading experience, I was able to chime in with my own notes and interpretations. This book is extremely practical for new believers, people interested in Christ, and even a reminder of the gospel for evangelists.
David Platt did a great job with this book. I will be reading more of him in due time.
January 14, 2025
Very solid, short, straightforward, and insightful! The gospel sharing strategy in the introduction is distinct from other evangelism, but it is awesome and it makes so much sense. When you have the opportunity to give a whole gospel presentation to your friend, that’s great, but really we should start by being intentional about weaving “gospel threads” through different conversations.
I appreciate how each chapter ends with a practical lists of things you can bring up in your conversations! However, after reading the introduction, I expected the book to be a lot more practical. There are some chapters where I have no idea what it would look like to weave that gospel threads through into a random conversation. It would be so helpful if the book had examples of real conversations with each gospel thread.
I appreciate how each chapter ends with a practical lists of things you can bring up in your conversations! However, after reading the introduction, I expected the book to be a lot more practical. There are some chapters where I have no idea what it would look like to weave that gospel threads through into a random conversation. It would be so helpful if the book had examples of real conversations with each gospel thread.
January 7, 2024
I admit that I opened this brief book… really a booklet, thinking this was going to be typical Platt. What I affectionally call “ Platt’s Proverty Gospel.” in other volumes, I have read Platt is generally pretty lights on law and gospel, but heavy on missions. Particularly foreign missions, at the cost of being soft on a local missions. Even though it’s short, this book has what his other volumes are missing: the Gospel. It is a little heavy on what the gospel is saving us from a not so much on what it is saving us too. Although there is one paragraph where he mentions that it is saving us to Someone. If I was to summit up, I would say that this book through its discussion of the work of Christ, is a little dose of what his other volumes are missing.
January 12, 2025
A short and concise book that explains key aspects/truths of the gospel. This book is filled with biblical truth and also references to scripture, yet it doesn’t give much practical advice on how to thread the gospel in daily conversation. I read this book thinking I could gain wisdom on how to connect biblical truth to different scenarios in my life, but it’s gives very surface level advice. That is where this book lost 2 stars for me. It felt more like an introductory gospel truth book than a book that teaches readers how to weave the gospel into real life conversation.
January 31, 2025
Really solid points throughout the book. It does a fantastic job showing the necessity for tying the Gospel into everyday conversations. Based on the title, I had expected to get practical advice on how to include the Gospel into those conversations, but that wasn’t necessarily the case. There were the weaving threads at the end of each chapter that gave some practical advice, but I would’ve liked more on that personally. Overall great book, just felt like I had a misunderstanding of what I was getting into
April 1, 2024
I highly recommend this book for everyone! If you’re not a Christian, this is a great resource into the basics of Christianity. If you’re a new believer or grew up in the Christian culture, this is a great explanation of terms you might have heard but that may have not been explained in such depth. If you are a believer, this a great reminder of the amazing truths of the gospel and a call to ensure our lives are lived for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
June 24, 2025
This was a simple yet solid read. The book is intended to be a short explanation of the gospel and an encouragement/guide to thread the gospel into your daily life and interactions with others. It is a good reminder and encouragement to every believer at any stage in their walk with the Lord. These are truths we need to take to heart and let flow out of our lives onto others. I highly recommend it!
September 15, 2025
The content in the book was ok. Probably nothing you haven’t heard before if you’ve found yourself in church very long (hopefully at least). It’s a refresher of the gospel and the basics of faith. The value in this book comes in the suggestions for practical application at the end of each chapter. The follow through is framed in a way that helps you focus on the important things and works for everyone.
December 9, 2025
This book is such a simple but profound reminder of the beautiful and glorious reality of the gospel! The purpose of this book is not to just know about the gospel but to let it seep down deep in your life and let it transform the way you live. I went through this book with two guys I am discipling and I saw God work through their hearts in opening their eyes to the beauty of the gospel and the urgency to share it!
December 4, 2023
Great book for a group study. I like the idea of weaving the gospel into everyday life and conversations. I think that the book makes it clear at the end that we need to be intentional about sharing the gospel or do we really believe what it says? I love David Platt’s heart for the unreached or lost. You can never go wrong with his books.
January 1, 2024
How does the Gospel look in your daily life? What does it look like lived out? David Platt shares with readers not only the simplicity of the Gospel (death, burial, and resurrection of Christ) but also its impact on those who believe it and receive this gift from God. In a concise conversation style reading, David Platt shares how the Gospel is interwoven in our everyday lives. A good read.
February 1, 2024
This is a great, little, straight forward book that walks you through the reason for the Gospel and how it should impact our daily lives. David Platt is always easy to read and straight forward in his writing. This could be given to a middle school small group and easily used but also be just as beneficial for any church age group.
January 3, 2025
Super short introduction or review of 5 important points of theology. Good bullet points about how to “weave these threads” into conversation at the end of each chapter. I really liked the reminder at the end of the section on the Urgency of Eternity to “Minimize your conversations about temporal things” and to “Maximize your conversations about eternal things”
January 8, 2025
this is one of the best under 100 page books i’ve read. an absolutely wonderful reminder of the depravity of man, the grace of God, and the urgency of eternity. so many truths put into ways i had never heard. great reminder for believers in Christ and what i would see as a good understanding of Christianity for non-Christians
thank you Dawson for bringing back from Cross Con
thank you Dawson for bringing back from Cross Con
March 8, 2025
Concise and helpful as a resource for starting Gospel conversations. The five pages in this book where Platt provides suggestions for how to connect theological truths to everyday conversation are the most helpful pieces of this work.
Not a bad resource, just not substantial enough for more than three stars.
Not a bad resource, just not substantial enough for more than three stars.
March 29, 2019
This is a helpful, little book by on how to weave aspects of the gospel story into your everyday conversations (i.e., playing the evangelistic long game). I recommend it to those looking for a concise summary of the gospel, as well as practical ways to share the gospel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews