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Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church’s Renewal
Is gospel Christianity dead?
Pundits are writing the obituary of historic, orthodox Christianity, but pastor and author J. D. Greear (Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart) believes the postmortems are premature. Jesus promised to build his church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The church is not going away.
Along with this promise, Jesus gave clear instructions for how the church would prevail. He promised to build it on the rock of the gospel.
The most pressing need for Christianity today is not a new strategy. It is not an updated message. It is a return to keeping the gospel above all.
Pundits are writing the obituary of historic, orthodox Christianity, but pastor and author J. D. Greear (Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart) believes the postmortems are premature. Jesus promised to build his church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The church is not going away.
Along with this promise, Jesus gave clear instructions for how the church would prevail. He promised to build it on the rock of the gospel.
The most pressing need for Christianity today is not a new strategy. It is not an updated message. It is a return to keeping the gospel above all.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2019
55 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Greear
69 books223 followersJ.D. Greear, Ph.D., did his degree work in Christian and Islamic theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is Lead Pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. The Summit’s vision is to plant 1,000 churches in by the year 2040. Currently, they have planted 11 and have several church planting teams stationed around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 28, 2022
ABOVE ALL: The Gospel Is the Source of The Church's Renewal by J. D. Greear
"The Gospel Prayer
Because I am in Christ…
1. I have done nothing that could make you love me less, and nothing I could do that would make you love me more.
2. You are all I need for everlasting joy.
3. As you have been to me so I will be to others.
4. As I pray, I'll do so according to the compassion you've shown at the cross and the power you demonstrated through the resurrection."
p xi
Instead of a review I am recording segments of the book that I want to remember.
"Paul rejoices that in the gospel we have the ultimate possession (the fullness of God), have experienced the ultimate love (at the cross), have received the ultimate victory (deliverance from sin and death), and possess the ultimate assurance (Jesus now sits at the right hand of God controlling all things for my good)."
p27
"Christians should be known for their excessive love toward their neighbours and the nations."
p 131
"Those of us who believe the gospel will always oppose ideas that relegate others to any kind of subhuman class. There's only one race of people: human. Only one model of man: the image of God. If we believe the gospel, we always have to resist all forms of racism because to fail to do so is an assault on the God behind our gospel."
p145
"As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
The trauma from yesterday's past is present in today's tensions."
p151
"... the ground is level at the foot of the cross."
p163
"The Bible teaches us about three great common factors all humans share:
All men and women are created equal because they are each alike made in the image of God.
All ethnicities suffer from a common problem – sin.
And all of us look toward a common hope - Jesus.
The gospel creates a new humanity, a redeemed race made up of all colors, in Christ's image."
p165
"If we confess the gospel faithfully, we are unstoppable."
p211
"I confess that...
'Jesus is the Lord of the whole earth, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God, that one way of salvation for all people, the one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved...Since the beginning of time, there's only been one race of human – sinner – and one Savior, Jesus.'"
p213
"The Gospel Prayer
Because I am in Christ…
1. I have done nothing that could make you love me less, and nothing I could do that would make you love me more.
2. You are all I need for everlasting joy.
3. As you have been to me so I will be to others.
4. As I pray, I'll do so according to the compassion you've shown at the cross and the power you demonstrated through the resurrection."
p xi
Instead of a review I am recording segments of the book that I want to remember.
"Paul rejoices that in the gospel we have the ultimate possession (the fullness of God), have experienced the ultimate love (at the cross), have received the ultimate victory (deliverance from sin and death), and possess the ultimate assurance (Jesus now sits at the right hand of God controlling all things for my good)."
p27
"Christians should be known for their excessive love toward their neighbours and the nations."
p 131
"Those of us who believe the gospel will always oppose ideas that relegate others to any kind of subhuman class. There's only one race of people: human. Only one model of man: the image of God. If we believe the gospel, we always have to resist all forms of racism because to fail to do so is an assault on the God behind our gospel."
p145
"As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
The trauma from yesterday's past is present in today's tensions."
p151
"... the ground is level at the foot of the cross."
p163
"The Bible teaches us about three great common factors all humans share:
All men and women are created equal because they are each alike made in the image of God.
All ethnicities suffer from a common problem – sin.
And all of us look toward a common hope - Jesus.
The gospel creates a new humanity, a redeemed race made up of all colors, in Christ's image."
p165
"If we confess the gospel faithfully, we are unstoppable."
p211
"I confess that...
'Jesus is the Lord of the whole earth, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God, that one way of salvation for all people, the one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved...Since the beginning of time, there's only been one race of human – sinner – and one Savior, Jesus.'"
p213
October 1, 2019
Good rallying cry to the confidence and hope we have in the supremacy of the gospel message. God’s kingdom will most certainly come.
Encouraging exhortations to that end. First half is mainly setting forward that the gospel is what should drive and define the church and its mission. Second half focuses on particular categories of things we are tempted to place as having greater precedence than the gospel (or at least equal to). The three categories Greear addresses: culture, preferences, and politics. He addresses each by focusing on particular examples of each —black/white racial division in the American church, worship wars, and US political parties and policies. By nature of the size of the book, he can only dip briefly into each of these. Though I would want to quibble/refine his comments on musical worship, these chapters are really useful; they’re limited in usefulness only by their brevity in discussing issues that volumes have been written and need yet to be written about.
Great book to give to someone just being introduced to the way the priority of the gospel should shape a a Christian’s life. Probably unsatisfactory for someone already persuaded, and looking to delve deeper in.
Encouraging exhortations to that end. First half is mainly setting forward that the gospel is what should drive and define the church and its mission. Second half focuses on particular categories of things we are tempted to place as having greater precedence than the gospel (or at least equal to). The three categories Greear addresses: culture, preferences, and politics. He addresses each by focusing on particular examples of each —black/white racial division in the American church, worship wars, and US political parties and policies. By nature of the size of the book, he can only dip briefly into each of these. Though I would want to quibble/refine his comments on musical worship, these chapters are really useful; they’re limited in usefulness only by their brevity in discussing issues that volumes have been written and need yet to be written about.
Great book to give to someone just being introduced to the way the priority of the gospel should shape a a Christian’s life. Probably unsatisfactory for someone already persuaded, and looking to delve deeper in.
August 7, 2019
If you are a Christian desiring to dive deeper into the gospel and are passionate in seeing a spiritual renewal in the church, then you need to grab your copy of J.D. Greear's 'Above All: The Gospel Is The Source Of The Church's Renewal'. It is a book for such a time as this.
See full review at: http://www.entrustedbygod.org/2019/08...
See full review at: http://www.entrustedbygod.org/2019/08...
July 22, 2019
This book by Pastor Greear was a really good read about the vital importance of the Gospel and how it interweaves through all aspects of our lives. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, what he did on the cross for you and me, and the salvation available to all who believe should be front and center of everyone's life, not just pastors and those "in the ministry." I appreciated his ideas on evangelism and sharing the Good News. I also, as someone who has worked in the political world for 14+ years (as a Congressional aide), appreciated his chapter on politics, it was really clarifying and I was in 100% agreement with him! A good book to read to refresh our minds to the Gospel Truth!
July 23, 2019
“If the gospel is not above all, it loses its power to change us, our families, our neighborhoods, our places of work, and our world. In fact, if the gospel is not above all, it’s not even the gospel anymore.” (p 4)
Pastor Greear has written this book to expose how less important things have “displaced the gospel as the main focus” of the church. After a carefully written description of the gospel he identifies the effects of returning the Gospel to its primary place. The book is built on these marks.
The Gospel promotes change. “When the gospel gets ahold of our hearts, we can’t keep it to ourselves.” We don’t see this or hear this because “too many preachers are big on oratory and small on the gospel.”
The Gospel and mission. The numbers of people in a church are not the measure of success. Success is measured by how many Christians are making and training disciples. Greear does not stop with oratory here but suggests 3 commitments that will lead to success.
Gospel multiplication. This chapter has an excellent description of the church doing greater works than Jesus. Three convictions motivate those works.
Gospel grace. The author graciously presents the common perils of judgmentalism. “The antidote to judging is a culture saturated with gospel grace. A culture that feels like Jesus.”
The Gospel must be above culture, preferences, and politics.
One of the best parts of the book is its illustrations. They are personal, sensibly chosen and reasonably applied.
Living with Gospel above all will cost us. The challenge is to ‘occupy ourselves not so much with what we are losing but with how much we are gaining.’
Pastor Greear has written this book to expose how less important things have “displaced the gospel as the main focus” of the church. After a carefully written description of the gospel he identifies the effects of returning the Gospel to its primary place. The book is built on these marks.
The Gospel promotes change. “When the gospel gets ahold of our hearts, we can’t keep it to ourselves.” We don’t see this or hear this because “too many preachers are big on oratory and small on the gospel.”
The Gospel and mission. The numbers of people in a church are not the measure of success. Success is measured by how many Christians are making and training disciples. Greear does not stop with oratory here but suggests 3 commitments that will lead to success.
Gospel multiplication. This chapter has an excellent description of the church doing greater works than Jesus. Three convictions motivate those works.
Gospel grace. The author graciously presents the common perils of judgmentalism. “The antidote to judging is a culture saturated with gospel grace. A culture that feels like Jesus.”
The Gospel must be above culture, preferences, and politics.
One of the best parts of the book is its illustrations. They are personal, sensibly chosen and reasonably applied.
Living with Gospel above all will cost us. The challenge is to ‘occupy ourselves not so much with what we are losing but with how much we are gaining.’
February 13, 2021
I went through 3 highlighters in a book that is barely over 200 pages long. That’s how much this spoke to me. As a pastor wrestling with how to teach people that the Gospel really is more important than every idol we hold dear - preferences, politics, rights, programs, etc. - I found this book invaluable.
I am making this book a must read for my elders and staff. Cannot wait to read it again and discuss with them. Then, every small group in our church is going to be invited to go through the study.
Thank you, J.D., for courageously putting your voice out there that speaks to and for so many of us.
I am making this book a must read for my elders and staff. Cannot wait to read it again and discuss with them. Then, every small group in our church is going to be invited to go through the study.
Thank you, J.D., for courageously putting your voice out there that speaks to and for so many of us.
January 7, 2020
3.5 stars. Overall, a pretty good book. Guys, the gospel is what brings growth. My advice and Greear’s is to keep the main thing the main thing and let God do what he’s promised to do.
“Think about this: The gospel is the one thing in the New Testament, other than Jesus himself, that is referred to directly as the power of God. Not contains the power of God. Not channels the power of God. The gospel is itself the raw, unstoppable, death-defeating power of God.”
“Think about this: The gospel is the one thing in the New Testament, other than Jesus himself, that is referred to directly as the power of God. Not contains the power of God. Not channels the power of God. The gospel is itself the raw, unstoppable, death-defeating power of God.”
June 1, 2020
G. Wallace in FL
I have been blessed by J.D. Greear’s books. Above All has been no exception. Somehow no author leaves me convicted, encouraged, and emboldened all at the same time like Greear has. Thank God for his ministry. And thank God for this reminder that the gospel ministry commissioned by Jesus is above all our preferences, politics, and cultures. I would recommend this book to all believers.
I have been blessed by J.D. Greear’s books. Above All has been no exception. Somehow no author leaves me convicted, encouraged, and emboldened all at the same time like Greear has. Thank God for his ministry. And thank God for this reminder that the gospel ministry commissioned by Jesus is above all our preferences, politics, and cultures. I would recommend this book to all believers.
April 7, 2020
So good! He repeats a few of the stories from his other books, but the clear language, and excellent stories and clear communication of the gospel being above all, makes this a stirring and challenging read. Good for soul care, or just to motivate anyone to do more effective outreach. Great book to read through Passion Week.
February 2, 2021
Keepin’ the main thing the main thing.
J.D. brings us back to the reality that the Gospel of Christ should be the center of all we do and strive for in this life. J.D. used humor, his personal life experiences,and Biblical truth to keep me engaged from Introduction to Conclusion. Great book for every Christian who desires to please God and win the lost.
J.D. brings us back to the reality that the Gospel of Christ should be the center of all we do and strive for in this life. J.D. used humor, his personal life experiences,and Biblical truth to keep me engaged from Introduction to Conclusion. Great book for every Christian who desires to please God and win the lost.
December 16, 2021
A challenge to the church and each believer to keep the gospel and the work of making disciples primary. Greear makes an important distinction about the role of individual believers in areas like politics vs the role of the organized church. I’m surely challenged to raise the gospel message to highest priority. As “The Chosen” folks say, “people must know.”
November 21, 2025
Curious to hear how Christians and The Church should function in our day? This is the book for you! It’s not the popular way and we’ve been criticized quite a bit for this perspective, but I believe it’s God’s way and will continue to press forward in living in light of the Gospel. This was quite encouraging and affirming for me in a hard season in church leadership.
Read
November 10, 2019Difficult to get through, but I found some good exhortation in the “Gospel above my culture” and “Gospel above my politics” chapters
June 22, 2020
100% spot on...challenged me to but the gospel above all I do or think.
January 28, 2022
Great book!
August 2, 2025
I enjoyed this book. I’m a member of a SBC church and thought JD’s take on the topic is much needed. I’m strongly considering hosting a small group study around the book.
September 1, 2025
Repetitive!! But who doesn’t want to hear the gospel on replay. This book allowed me to feel conviction, but also fueled my desire to share the gospel with others
July 4, 2019
Jesus, during his time on earth, said a lot of things that are important for Christians to understand. Some of them are fairly easy to understand, others not so much so. One example is found in the gospel of Matthew (16:18) “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. (ESV)
He wasn’t saying that the forces of hell would not be able to destroy the Church (although that’s also true) but rather he was saying that the power of the Gospel, of the Church, is so strong that regardless of the walls put up by the enemy, nothing could keep the Gospel from being proclaimed, nothing would be strong enough to keep the church from advancing.
And that’s a message that bears repeating because so many of us seem to have forgotten that little fact. In so many parts of the world the gospel has been dummied down, and is just a small part of one’s worldview or culture. In this country, it often seems that we’re so afraid of offending someone that we ignore the gospel, almost as if we’re ashamed of it, instead of boldly declaring it.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: “16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17. NIV), and Jesus himself gave the church her marching orders (see Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8)
It seems though, that instead of looking for a church where the Gospel is boldly proclaimed, we are more prone to pick a church that matches our preferences, our politics and our culture. I’m glad that Greear addressed these things because they are things that tend to divide us, and weaken the face of the church. Individual Christians or churches don’t have the power to weaken the gospel message, but when others see us as the face of Christianity and we present ourselves as a divided and weakened church, the perception is that the Christian Church is slowly sinking.
This is a book that needs to be read, with a message that needs to be heard about the power of the gospel. As Christians we need to remember that the gospel comes first, and brings hope, grace along with instructions for how we should live as representatives of our Savior, who has sent us on a mission to change the world. If we address these issues with individuals, and see meaningful change, then the church as a whole can begin the renewal process, a process of restoration that takes her to the place where Jesus intended her to be, and to prevail, even against the gates of hell.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for being a part of a bloggers’ program. I was not required to write a positive review—just an honest one based on my own opinions.
5/5
He wasn’t saying that the forces of hell would not be able to destroy the Church (although that’s also true) but rather he was saying that the power of the Gospel, of the Church, is so strong that regardless of the walls put up by the enemy, nothing could keep the Gospel from being proclaimed, nothing would be strong enough to keep the church from advancing.
And that’s a message that bears repeating because so many of us seem to have forgotten that little fact. In so many parts of the world the gospel has been dummied down, and is just a small part of one’s worldview or culture. In this country, it often seems that we’re so afraid of offending someone that we ignore the gospel, almost as if we’re ashamed of it, instead of boldly declaring it.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: “16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17. NIV), and Jesus himself gave the church her marching orders (see Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8)
It seems though, that instead of looking for a church where the Gospel is boldly proclaimed, we are more prone to pick a church that matches our preferences, our politics and our culture. I’m glad that Greear addressed these things because they are things that tend to divide us, and weaken the face of the church. Individual Christians or churches don’t have the power to weaken the gospel message, but when others see us as the face of Christianity and we present ourselves as a divided and weakened church, the perception is that the Christian Church is slowly sinking.
This is a book that needs to be read, with a message that needs to be heard about the power of the gospel. As Christians we need to remember that the gospel comes first, and brings hope, grace along with instructions for how we should live as representatives of our Savior, who has sent us on a mission to change the world. If we address these issues with individuals, and see meaningful change, then the church as a whole can begin the renewal process, a process of restoration that takes her to the place where Jesus intended her to be, and to prevail, even against the gates of hell.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for being a part of a bloggers’ program. I was not required to write a positive review—just an honest one based on my own opinions.
5/5
July 3, 2019
Is gospel Christianity dead? This is the question the new book from J. D. Greear seeks to answer in an ever-increasing secular society.
The Gospel is the Source
Author J. D. Greear is pastor of The Summit Church. They number more than 10,000 and are based in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He is also the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention, noted to be the youngest in almost forty years. As a prominent pastor and president, it is quite fitting for him to give priority to the gospel.
He looks at the gospel and how it relates to the church, the world, the individual, and personal relationships. There are nine chapters and a conclusion to clock in at just over 200 pages. It is a quick and casual read.
The Church’s Renewal
The most helpful and interesting chapters for me were Gospel above My Culture, Gospel above My Preferences, and Gospel above My Politics. Greear leaves these chapters for the end of the book and they are the most relevant to our present reality. He does not dive into the controversies. Instead, he challenges the reader to think through these issues with a gospel lens.
While he backs up his points with the Bible, he does not preach you a sermon. The book is filled with stories, anecdotes, and quotes. It is written in a conversational tone suitable for a casual reader.
Above Programs, Politics, Preferences, and All Other Priorities
Greear dedicated the book to “the 1,102 Summit Network planters and international missionaries who have put comfort aside and left their homes because they believe the gospel really is above all.” After reading this book, I see Greear’s passion for the gospel. I am inspired and encouraged to have the same.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the Above All in exchange for an honest review.
The Gospel is the Source
Author J. D. Greear is pastor of The Summit Church. They number more than 10,000 and are based in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He is also the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention, noted to be the youngest in almost forty years. As a prominent pastor and president, it is quite fitting for him to give priority to the gospel.
He looks at the gospel and how it relates to the church, the world, the individual, and personal relationships. There are nine chapters and a conclusion to clock in at just over 200 pages. It is a quick and casual read.
The Church’s Renewal
The most helpful and interesting chapters for me were Gospel above My Culture, Gospel above My Preferences, and Gospel above My Politics. Greear leaves these chapters for the end of the book and they are the most relevant to our present reality. He does not dive into the controversies. Instead, he challenges the reader to think through these issues with a gospel lens.
While he backs up his points with the Bible, he does not preach you a sermon. The book is filled with stories, anecdotes, and quotes. It is written in a conversational tone suitable for a casual reader.
Above Programs, Politics, Preferences, and All Other Priorities
Greear dedicated the book to “the 1,102 Summit Network planters and international missionaries who have put comfort aside and left their homes because they believe the gospel really is above all.” After reading this book, I see Greear’s passion for the gospel. I am inspired and encouraged to have the same.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the Above All in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2019
Overall, Greear does a fantastic job at making this accessible. He's funny, but not at the cost of his message. This is a topic that is so important today, as the church seems to be losing its focus on the Gospel. At times however, it seems that Greear is just repeating himself, but overall a very enjoyable book!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews