The Gospel and being Gospel centred is the point of the Soma model. That’s why we do Gospel Communities, DNA groups, Sunday gatherings, and mission. In this first talk of our Soma Basics series – Gospel Centred, Toby Dedden brings us back to the foundation everything else is built on: the Gospel of Jesus.
It’s easy for our gaze to drift over time. This talk is a chance to stop, reset, and remember why we do what we do — and why it matters. Toby unpacks both the power of the Gospel (how it saves us in the past, present, and future) and the purpose of the Gospel (why we were saved in the first place). Together, these two things reshape everything — our priorities, our relationships, our everyday lives.
If your faith has started to feel either self-focused or performance-driven, this one is for you.
What you will learn
- Why we need to be Gospel centred — not just of church, but of your whole life.
- The three dimensions of Gospel power: past, present, and future salvation.
- Why being saved by Jesus isn’t just for your own benefit — and what God’s bigger purpose actually is.
- How to hold Gospel power and Gospel purpose together without your faith becoming either self-centred or a to-do list.
Chapter Marks
0:00 — Introduction: What is Soma Basics and why are we doing this series?
1:10 — The purpose of Soma put front and centre: it’s all about the Gospel
2:30 — What’s at the centre of your life shapes everything (the skateboarding story)
3:45 — Two things we’re covering today: Gospel Power and Gospel Purpose
4:10 — What is the Gospel? Tim Keller’s definition unpacked
8:00 — The work of Jesus: his life, death, resurrection, and ascension
11:10 — Gospel Power: the past, present, and future reality of salvation
16:30 — The present reality we often miss: the Holy Spirit at work right now
18:10 — Gospel Purpose: the woman on the plane who “didn’t need church”
20:00 — The four acts of the Great Story: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration
22:40 — Where we are in the story — and what that means for us
24:00 — The ministry of reconciliation: we are God’s co-workers
27:30 — Why we need both Power and Purpose — and what goes wrong without each
28:30 — Conclusion: a beautiful Saviour who rescues us to empower us
31:00 — What’s coming next week: Gospel Identity
Key Take Aways
- The Gospel is central: To avoid drifting, we must keep the Gospel central to everything we do. Without this “Gospel Centrality,” church activities easily become aimless or self-serving.
- The Three Tenses of Salvation: The Gospel’s power is holistic and all-encompassing:
- Past: We have been saved from the penalty of sin (death/condemnation) through Christ’s substitutionary death.
- Present: We are being saved from the power of sin as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Jesus in the mundane moments of life.
- Future: We will be saved from the presence of sin when Christ returns to restore all creation.
- Power Paired with Purpose: We are not saved simply for individual satisfaction. Salvation drafts us into “Act 3” of God’s cosmic story—the ministry of reconciliation. We are co-workers with Christ, participating in his plan to renew the world.
Transcript
Introduction: Putting the Purpose at the Top
[0:00] This series, “Soma Basics,” is about reconnecting with what we are doing as a church and why we are doing it. It’s easy for our gaze to drift over time. It’s like writing an essay; if you don’t keep the question at the top of the page, you eventually stop answering it.
[1:10] We are putting the purpose of Soma in bold at the top of the page: The Gospel. Everything we do—Gospel Communities, DNA groups, mission, and our Sunday gatherings—must come back to the Gospel. Over the next four weeks, we will look at Gospel Centrality, Identity, Life, and Dependency.
The Center Shapes Everything
[2:30] When I was a teenager, skateboarding was the center of my life. It shaped my clothes, my friends, and my decisions. Whatever is at the center of your life shapes who you are. While I still love skateboarding, it has no power to save me. Only the Gospel does.
[3:45] Today we are answering: Why is the Gospel central to everything we do? We’ll look at two things: Gospel Power (the means of salvation) and Gospel Purpose (the reason for salvation).
What is the Gospel?
[4:10] Tim Keller defines it this way: “God Himself has come to rescue and renew creation in and through the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.”
- Why do we need rescuing? Just look around. The world is broken, dissatisfied, and divided. Personally, our relationship with God is fractured by sin. We no longer walk with Him as we were created to do.
- What is the work of Jesus? It is His perfect life, His substitutionary death (taking the wrath we deserved), His miraculous resurrection (defeating death), and His ascension as King. [8:00] Because of Jesus, there is now no condemnation for those who believe.
1. Gospel Power: The Means of Salvation
[11:10] Romans 1:16 says the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. Often, we only understand two-thirds of this power. We need to see the past, present, and future reality:
- Past Reality: We have been saved from the penalty of sin (death). Jesus took that penalty 2,000 years ago.
- Future Reality: We will be saved from the presence of sin. Jesus will return to wipe away every tear and restore all things.
- Present Reality: We are being saved from the power of sin. This is the part we often miss. The Holy Spirit is active right now, breaking addictions, changing our hearts, and conforming us to the image of Jesus in our Monday-to-Sunday lives. [16:30]
2. Gospel Purpose: The Reason for Salvation
[18:10] I once met a woman on a plane who said she didn’t need a church because she “had Jesus.” While we are saved by Jesus alone, she was missing the purpose of that salvation. God doesn’t just save us for our own individual satisfaction; He saves us for a cosmic purpose.
[20:00] You see this purpose through the four acts of the Great Story:
- Creation: God made a good world for us to cultivate.
- Fall: Sin broke our ability to fulfill our purpose.
- Redemption: Jesus redeemed a people to Himself.
- Restoration: God will put the world right.
[22:40] We live between Act 3 and Act 4. The story is not yet complete. Jesus is continuing His work in the world through the church.
[24:00] Paul says in 2 Corinthians that God gave us the “ministry of reconciliation.” We are God’s co-workers. The purpose of the Gospel is that we get to participate in God’s Redemptive plan. It’s not just about “God’s plan for my life”; it’s about God’s glory and what He is doing for the world. [25:50]
Conclusion: Why Gospel Centrality?
[27:30] We need both Power and Purpose.
- If we only focus on Power, our faith becomes individualistic and “all about me.”
- If we only focus on Purpose, we turn the faith into a checklist of “works” and try to save the world in our own strength.
[28:30] When we have both, we see a beautiful Savior who rescues us in order to empower us to continue His story.
Everything we do at Soma—every dollar given, every meal shared in a Gospel Community, every DNA meeting—is because we believe in the power and purpose of the Gospel. It informs our clothes, our friendships, and our priorities.
[31:00] Next week, we will look at Gospel Identity: how this good news has existentially changed who we are.