More than a "repository of spiritual resources"

Tod Bolsinger has written a dynamite post on what the gospel is not (HT: SmartChristian blog). Most Christians, Tod says, don't really understand the fullness of the gospel:

. . . if you ask most Christians, what is the gospel or good news, they will probably tell you that it is that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who died on the cross for our sins.

But, they’d be wrong—technically. And that technicality makes all the difference when we consider what it takes to make our churches glimpses of heaven here and now.

You see, according to the Bible, the gospel, the good news, is NOT Jesus loves you so much that he died on the cross for your sins.
It is NOT God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son.
It is NOT trust in Jesus and you will be saved. (In fact, that is not news at all, but good advice.)

And while these are all absolutely true and (and the first two) incredibly great news, it is not the good news that Jesus was preaching throughout Galilee. Just think about it: He couldn’t have been preaching that he died on the cross for the sins of the world, because he was still alive preaching!

In its fullness, the gospel is about the Kingdom. Tod has written a fine post, one that brings perspective to wide-ranging misunderstanding in the church. I recommend you read it all.