Chris Gonzalez
Tempe, AZ

Music

Album(s) of the Year: The Fray: How to Save a Life.
I don’t listen to much unknown hip music like you, Brent. But I heard a couple of The Fray’s songs on the radio and downloaded the CD last month. The whole CD is great.

Music “Find(s) of the Year”: Eva Cassidy: Live at Blues Alley
I asked my friend for some unknown hip music so I could be like Brent. She recommended her friend Eva Cassidy. Eva died of cancer a few years ago, but she could sing the blues.

Movies

What are movies?

Reading

Book(s) of the Year: My first thought was C.J. Mahaney Humility: True Greatness. But I think it was technically released at the end of 2005. This is one of those small books. But unlike Jabez, it packs a powerful punch and is replete with Scripture. It tears your arrogant heart out on every page, pounds it with the gospel, and returns it to you broken and moldable.

Book “Find(s) of the Year”: John Stott: The Cross of Christ. I read somewhere that this is the definitive book on the atonement. So I read it. I can not overstate the impact this book has had on me.

Author of the Year: Tim Keller. The only thing I read from Keller this year that was technically a book was his contribution to Worship By The Book. But I was hugely impacted by his “Centrality of the Gospel” article early in the year. From there, I read and listened to everything of his that I could get my hands on. Thank you to Tyler Johnson for introducing me to Keller. Thank you to Steve McCoy for his Tim Keller resource page.

Pop Culture

Person of the Year: I am going to have to disagree with Time. The person of the year is not “You.” Maybe Bono? He sure has had an impact this year!

Faith

What theological Truth(s) has particularly “hit home” for you this past year? The Centrality of the Gospel. I love what you said the other day, “I want you to be thinking about how the Gospel has come to bear on all of the choices you make.” That is the theological truth that has riveted me this year. The Gospel does come to bear on all areas of life.

What have you been meditating on throughout the year? Colossians 1:15-23

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

In what areas have you grown the most this year and why? Having and communicating a compelling vision in ministry.

Has any particular Scripture really impacted you this year? Colossians

Misc.

George Mason rolling over UConn and just about everyone else in the NCAA tournament.