LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Fluency As a Discipline
Submitted to Dr. Benjamin Forrest,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN-520
Spiritual Formation
by
Luke Rainey II
June 30, 2021
Contents
Summary........................................................................................................1
Applied Review …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1-3
Fluency As A Discipline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3-4
Bibliography...................................................................................................5
ii
1
Summary
The book Gospel Fluency is a book with a main point of moving a person from being an
unbeliever to a believer. The writer of the book does not intend to mean that we Christians are
unbelievers, but we have areas in our lives that we do not trust God in. The writer states that
there are spaces in our lives where we do not fully trust God and do not believe that what he
achieved through Christ is enough to deal with our past, present or future1. The writer seems to
make the point that although we know who Christ is, we fail to apply him to every area of our
life. We are sometimes hypocrites. Vanderstelt writes that God wants to save us from our
unfaithfulness and sanctify us to become more like his son2. He stresses the point that “we need
the Gospel, and we need to become Gospel fluent people”3. Becoming fluent in the Gospel is
something we have to practice everyday until we allow God access to every area of our lives and
have faith for him to deal with any situation in our lives. Each day we should get better and
better.
Applied Review
This book applied to me. There are areas in my life sometimes that I do not render to
God. It hit home. In chapter two the book discusses how we sometimes we focus on everything
and everyone but God. We need to let God change us from the inside out. Sometimes as a single
father I find myself facing financial difficulties and I do everything I can to solve the problem. I
even get desperate at times and take out loans just to make ends meet. This is an area of my life
where I do not trust God. I am an unbeliever that God will provide for my every need. The
Bible states, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet
1 Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017, 20
2 Ibid., 21
3 Ibid., 23
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your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of
you by worrying add a single hour to your life” (Matthew 6:26-27 NIV)4. This would be how I
would be more Gospel fluent. This is how I would speak the Gospel to myself. In addition, I
realize God wants me to be a better steward of what he blesses me with.
In chapter two the author discussed how we are not communicating the Gospel to others
correctly. We only share Gospel in snippets and the Gospel does not speak to that individual
person lives or situations5. They do not receive the Gospel as good news. I think when speaking
to someone about the Gospel we must first listen carefully to what the person has to say and find
a way to share the Gospel with them where it will be applicable to their lives or situations. If we
are to use Gospel fluency as a discipline, we have to become better listeners. In that way we are
better able to give the people we encounter the good news they desperately need.
In Chapter seven the author discussed the fear of sharing the Gospel. This fear can be
brought on by many reasons to include not being able to properly articulate it or fear of rejection
or fear that someone will not come to Jesus out of your inadequacy to share the Gospel. This has
been one of my fears. Especially when talking with my family about God. Not my children. I
speak the Gospel to them on a regular. I am talking about brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles.
They confess that they have faith in God but like the author states in the first chapter they really
don’t, and this is evident by the manner in which they live their lives. I am not being judgmental
but just simply acknowledging the fruit that I witness from them. I am often afraid to speak the
Gospel truths to them out of fear that they will become defensive. Because they think they really
are living a life of Christ. However, Christ does not support fornication, drunkedness, arguing
4 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version.
5 Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency, 38.
3
and fighting. I really care about my family so I must find a way to speak the Gospel to them in a
manner in which they will receive it.
This month have been declared by popular society to be “pride month.” This month is
being celebrated by the lesbian, gays, transsexual, bisexual and others as a month of celebrating
their sexual status. This is a war. Like the book states it is not a war of “flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”(Ephesians 6:12). The text states that
“our weapons have divine power to set people free, destroy sinful thoughts and behaviors, and
demolish demonic strongholds” 6. It seems the Christian faith is embracing these new changes. I
am of the opinion that God does not change his mind on sin. If we speak the Gospel truths on
these situations we are certainly to be persecuted by that community and their supporters.
However, the truth has to be told but in a way that it will be received. That is a delicate situation.
None the less the war has to be fought.
Fluency as a Discipline
It is important to note that as a believer and child of God that we share the Gospel to
others in a manner in which they will receive it. We must be proficient in the Gospel and able to
listen to those we speak to and be able to communicate the Gospel in ways that applies to their
lives and circumstances. Make the word live within them. However, gospel fluency is not just
about evangelism it is also a discipline. We as individual Christians must allow God access to all
of our lives. We must have faith that his work through his son can save us. We must practice
this daily but submitting those areas of our lives to God. Personally, I will practice this
discipline. I want to trust God in all areas of my life. I know that God is the answer to all
problems.
6 Ibid., 103
4
