Just about everything in the Christian world claims to be gospel-centered these days. Gospel-centered people tell us to live gospel-centered lives, practice gospel-centered worship, listen to gospel-centered preaching, join gospel-centered churches, read gospel-centered books, have gospel-centered marriages, and be gospel-centered parents. These are certainly good endeavors. God does want the gospel at the center of our lives and our churches.

But “gospel-centered” means many things to many people. It’s a creed that’s commonly claimed but rarely defined. What, then, does it look like to have the gospel—the good news of God’s astonishing mercy to sinners in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—shaping the culture and identity of our congregations?

Advertise on TGC

Watch or listen to this discussion as, Mark Dever (pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.), J. D. Greear (pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina) and John Onwuchekwa (pastor of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, Georgia) tackle such questions. Watch them reflect on the “gospel-centeredness” of their own ministries, share advice for church leaders, and more.

Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?

In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.

But the Gospels are historically reliable. And the evidence for this is vast.

To learn about the evidence for the historical reliability of the four Gospels, click below to access a FREE eBook of Can We Trust the Gospels? written by New Testament scholar Peter J. Williams.

Download your copy today »

J. D. Greear (MDiv, PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Under Pastor J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 12,000. He serves as a Council member for The Gospel Coalition, and recently served as the 63rd President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2018 through 2021. Pastor J.D. Greear has authored several books, including 12 Truths & a Lie (2023), Essential Christianity (2023), Just Ask (2021), What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (2020), Above All (2019), Not God Enough (2018), Gaining by Losing (2015), Gospel (2011), Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart (2013), Jesus, Continued… (2014), and others. He hosts Summit Life, a 30-minute daily radio broadcast and weekly TV program as well as the Ask the Pastor podcast.

John Onwuchekwa (MA, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a pastor at Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He’s the author of Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church. He and his wife, Shawndra, are the proud parents of one daughter, Ava.

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., the president of 9Marks, and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of many books, including Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. He and his wife, Connie, have two children.