Need some Weekly Wisdom? Here are my favorite resources of the week.
Verse of the Week
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise [Proverbs 6:6].
Book of the Week
Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches by Mark Clifton
This book was a resource I heard from NAMB. I have been talking with friends about what it would take to send a team to replant and revitalize a church that was dying. Very interesting read.
“In Reclaiming Glory, Clifton draws not only upon his own burden for revitalizing dying churches but also upon years of church replanting experience to offer passionate counsel for how to breathe new life into a dying church . . . all for the glory of the God who is building his church upon the immovable rock of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Favorite Quotes:
- As he was about to depart from this earth, he didn’t ask his disciples to gather larger crowds or to raise large sums of money or to construct great buildings. He commanded us to make disciples (6).
- We replant churches to reclaim God’s glory in a tangible way in our communities…You give people a living picture of what the gospel looks like – what was once dead is now alive (18).
- God can only replant a dying church if the people are willing to seek him, his glory, and his plan above all else (30).
Podcast of the Week
Racial Harmony – Sermon by Matt Chandler at The Village Church
Every year, we pray about three topics: racial harmony, the sanctity of human life and the nations. It’s a catalyst to remind us about the importance of robust prayer and the ministry of Jesus Christ, giving us a renewed resolve to carry us through the rest of the year.
Quote of the Week
Aimless, unproductive Christians contradict the creative, purposeful, powerful, merciful God we love.John Piper
Post of the Week
Have Bible Quoters Replaced Bible Readers? by Russell Moore
I’ve never really known how to identify the scope of the biblical illiteracy facing us until I read this past weekend a sentence that perfectly articulated what I had noticed, in David Nienhuis’ very helpful new book A Concise Guide to Reading the New Testament (Baker). Speaking of the students in his college New Testament classes, Nienhuis writes that they struggle with the biblical material “because they have been trained to be Bible quoters, not Bible readers.”
Song of the Week
I was sent a link to Charity Gayle’s album this week by a close friend. Let’s just say that it has been on repeat in every room of our home. I love the gospel, honest, simple, longing type of feel that comes across on almost every single track.
Tip of the Week
Team brainstorm.
Our staff did a fun exercise the other week. We each had projects that we were working on, and so we took time together to help brainstorm how to accomplish the three main steps for each person. The only catch? We only had 2 minutes per item and the person whose task it was couldn’t speak during their turn. It created some great synergy as we came up with great ideas, and it created some great unity as we reiterated that all of our jobs impact everyone else’s. If you’re part of a team, work like it!
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
You must be logged in to post a comment.