Fight Club, the booklet
By Jonathan Dodson | July 8th, 2009 | Category: Gospel and Culture | Comments Off
After a two month delay, I was able to pick up the Fight Club: Gospel-centered Discipleship manuscript again. I have now finished the first draft. Several people are reviewing it. I will then edit it and we should be about two weeks away from going live with it. We will epublish it free first at The Resurgence, with a print on demand option. We are also working on a website that will expand upon the book through interaction, blogs, and articles. Then we’ll look to publish it hard copy. Here is a description of the chapters from the Introduction:
Chapter One lays out a biblical case for fighting the fight of faith, which I hope stirs you up to fight the fight of faith. Once the fighting begins, it is easy to slide into fighting people instead of sin. We start beating one another up with judgment, fighting the wrong things with the wrong motives. We fight against the church instead of with her.
Chapter Two explores where we go wrong in our fighting by uncovering legalistic and licentious patterns in discipleship.
In turn, Chapter Three calls us away from these extremes into a gospel-centered discipleship. With the gospel at the center of discipleship, we can live as Jesus intended—fighting the good fight of faith which leads to true change. However, if weren’t not careful we’ll start to fight on our own. Failure to grasp the community focus of the gospel can cut us off from the grace God gives through his people, the church.
Chapter Four reminds us that discipleship is a community project because the gospel is community focused. Jesus created and redeemed us as people in relationship, people who need one another in the fight of faith. Instead of fighting against the church, we can fight with her, to live a life that is motivated by all that God is for us in the Spirit and the Son.
In conclusion, Chapter Five offers a practical way to apply the gospel to everyday life. It is a call for Fight Clubs—small, simple, biblical, reproducible groups of people who meet together regularly help one another keep the gospel at the center of their discipleship. Fight Clubs have been crucial in my life and my church. I hope and pray that you’ll find them helpful too, that you’ll form a Fight Club and start fighting with the church, in the gospel, on mission, for the glory of God.
[...] 8, 2009 in Church Planting, Discpleship, Missional Community, Theology Here is an update on my booklet Fight Club: Gospel-centered Discipleship. Excerpt [...]
Really looking forward to using this in connection with our newly forming discipleship group at my church.
sometimes God has to fight against us before he can fight for us. We really see this in the life of Jacob (Genesis 32). I am looking forward to getting a copy. Where will I be able to get it?
This is very very very exciting!
Can’t wait to get a copy and spread the vision, bro!
Very excited to fight through the Gospel, and be coached along that path. Thanks for the emphases and continually pointing us past yourself.
[...] very excited to soon see a finalized e-book version of Fight Club: Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson. Jonathan is Lead Pastor of Austin City Life in Austin, [...]
[...] We had a simple supper tonight; Jeanine is with the littles (Zoe and Maxey) at a Jell-O fight with their swim team; Gabi is at “The Music Man” rehearsal; Alex and Hope are upstairs; and I am getting ready to review Jonathan Dodson’s manuscript for Fight Club: Gospel Centered Discipleship. [...]
[...] then finished reading the manuscript for Fight Club by Jonathan Dodson. I can’t wait for it to come out. It is slated to be online August [...]
What is the status on this booklet? Still haven’t seen anything on the resurrgence….
Looks like we are launching it August 1st, the day of a Fight Club conference that is unrelated but similar in theological and practical concern, by an Acts 29 church, Journey in Atlanta.
Every excited about this, Jonathan – looking forward to reading the e-book.
[...] Fight Club isn’t about bare knuckle boxing or Brad Pitt, but about small groups of people helping each other fight sin in gospel-centered relationships. Check out the Resurgence series promoting a forthcoming web-book by Jonathan Dodson. More info, including chapter summaries, can be found on Dodson’s blog. [...]