⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read
How the Gospel Shapes a Christ-Centered Home
Show Summary:
The gospel is not only the foundation of our salvation—it is the power that transforms every part of the Christian life, including the home. In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins explains how the gospel shapes family life by forming hearts of forgiveness, cultivating humility, producing sacrificial love, restoring relationships, and placing Christ at the very center of the home.
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Anchor Text
Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Episode Notes
The gospel is not merely information to believe—it is the power of God that reshapes our hearts and reorders our relationships. A gospel-shaped home is not a perfect home, but a redeemed home—where sinners saved by grace learn to live out that grace with one another day by day.
Five Marks of a Gospel-Shaped Home
- The gospel forms hearts of forgiveness.
Because Christ forgave us, we forgive quickly. We let go of bitterness, release grudges, and bury sins at the foot of the cross. - The gospel cultivates humility.
Christ’s humility shapes our posture in the home—pride decreases, listening increases, and arguments soften as service grows. - The gospel produces sacrificial love.
Husbands and wives learn to love like Christ. Parents lay down preferences. Children learn to love by example—comfort gives way to compassion. - The gospel restores relationships.
Because reconciliation is possible in Christ, the home becomes marked by confession, repentance, and forgiveness—moving toward one another, not away. - The gospel makes Christ the center.
A gospel-shaped home is Christ-centered: Scripture woven into daily life, prayer as a natural response, and church life prioritized as part of the family’s rhythm.
Key takeaway: A gospel-shaped home is not a sinless home—it is a home where grace, truth, repentance, and forgiveness flow from hearts changed by Christ.
Call to Action
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Stand firm on the Word of God. Cling to Christ. Let the gospel shape every room of your home.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
