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In this interview, Acts 29 Director Scott Thomas shares some great wisdom on the top 5 qualities for a successful church planter, some wisdom for those considering planting, and his “one thing” for church planters.

This one is a “can’t miss.” Tweet it up.

Be sure to check out Pastor Scott's recent post Am I a Church Planter? on the new Acts 29 site for more on the qualities of a successful church planter.

For more from Dustin Neeley, check out Church Planting for the Rest of Us.

Acts 29 Network

A network of churches planting churches for the glory of Jesus. Get more info.

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At the recent AMBITION Boot Camp sponsored by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY, I sat down with Dave Harvey, Director of Church Planting and Church Care for Sovereign Grace Ministries, to discuss discerning the call to church planting and the role of the church in that process, the balance between ambition and humility, and his ONE THING for church planters.

Dave is a great guy who drips with grace and wisdom and is a great gift to the Kingdom.

Check out Dave Harvey's new book, Rescuing Ambition.

For more from Dustin Neeley visit Church Planting for the Rest of Us

Vintage Jesus

A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.

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I sat down with A29 Pastor Kevin Cawley to talk about “decoding your city” and other church planting principles at the recent Ambition Boot Camp Sponsored by Sojourn Community Church. He has some outstanding counsel to increase our missional effectiveness in loving people toward the gospel.

Listen. Learn. Share.

For more from Dustin Neeley, visit Church Planting for the Rest of Us.

How NOT to Be a Missional Church

Jonathan Dodson gives three ways that churches miss the mark and engage in incomplete mission in his series How NOT to be a Missional Church.

I just realized I have a new spiritual problem.

Truth be told, I have had it for a while, but the light bulb just finally came on in my soul that illuminated what has been going on. I can get so caught up in trying to figure out why I sinned that I forget to repent of my sin.

Getting to the Root

As a “gospel-centrality” guy who believes that all true change begins at the heart level, I consider it a goal not just to stop doing something evil, but to try to figure out why I was doing that evil in the first place. My hope in doing so is to be led to as specific of an application of the gospel as possible, and to cut off the snake’s head and not just shorten his tail.

Theologically speaking, I believe this effort to deal with the root causes of our sin (Matthew 5:29) is a good practice modeled by Jesus, Paul, Keller, the Tripp brothers, and all of us who follow in their footsteps. However, practically speaking, even a good tool in the hands of sinners like us can do significant damage.

Gazing at Your Navel Instead of Jesus

I have found that in an effort to get to the root of my sin, I can become so navel-gazing that I cease to be cross-focused. I have found that I can get so wrapped up in the complexities and nuances of my sin and ‘how deep the rabbit-hole goes’ that I forget to repent of the fact that it was my fault that I climbed into the rabbit-hole in the first place.
I have also found, perhaps worst of all, that I can become so despairing or despondent because of my sin that I cease to be dependent upon the only One who can save me from that sin—Jesus.

Who Will Deliver Us?

And in those dark moments, thankfully, I am confronted afresh with the good news of the gospel: Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25) Most of us reading this can agree that we are wretched. But who or what is to save us from this wretchedness? Our self-evaluative introspection? Our repentance?

No. Neither is strong enough.

In Christ Alone

But Jesus is strong enough. And worthy enough. And holy enough. Only Jesus can save us from our sins and ourselves! In the midst of Paul’s own spiritual angst, this is the good news of the gospel that Paul himself is retelling and praising God for. In the midst of our own angst, we would be wise to follow suit.

So when you sin, repent—first! Then evaluate and seek to get to the root of what is going on. And when you find yourself confronted with your latest spiritual problem, whether it is like mine or not, ask yourself, “What good news am I retelling? Mine or Jesus’?”

Luke Sermon Series

The current Mars Hill sermon series traces the life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke. Watch the preview.

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I sat down to talk leadership with Bruce Wesley and Yancey Arrington from Clear Creek Community Church (A29) at the recent AMBITION Boot Camp, sponsored by Sojourn Community Church, in Louisville, KY. In Part One of this conversation, the guys shared why they joined A29 as an established church, how to keep a team together for the long haul, some reproducible principles for young leaders, and their “one thing” for church planters. Their experience together makes their perspectives unique and profitable.

For more from Dustin Neeley, visit Church Planting for the Rest of Us.

Acts 29 Network

A network of churches planting churches for the glory of Jesus. Get more info.

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At the recent A29 Louisville Boot Camp, I sat down with A29 Pastor Jason Martin from Austell, GA to talk about replanting a church, the counsel he would give to guys in similar situations, what it looks like with 5 kids, and his one thing for church planters. Great stuff, brother! Thanks for sharing with us.

Churches Helping Churches

Who will help local churches in the wake of catastrophes? You can. Learn more here.

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I sat down with Steve Timmis, author of Total Church and Acts 29 Director for Western Europe, at the recent Acts 29 Boot Camp sponsored by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY. He offers some amazing counsel for planters a couple years in as well as common mistakes to avoid. Thanks Steve for serving us so well.

Total Church

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis present a vision for churches centered on gospel community. Find out more.

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Georgia A29 Pastor Matt Adair talks about church revitalization, the difference between planting and revitalization, and his one thing for planters/revitalizers. He offers a helpful perspective we haven’t heard yet in our video interviews. Watch. Learn. Tweet.

I sat down with Matt at the recent Acts 29 Boot Camp hosted by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY.

Pastor Dad

Every dad is a pastor. The important thing is that he cares for his flock well. Pastor Mark Driscoll's new eBook offers spiritual insights on fatherhood. Get it here.

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At the recent Acts 29 AMBITION Boot Camp, sponsored by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY, I had the opportunity to talk with Acts 29 Pastor Jamie George, from Franklin, TN, about what has made his church merger successful and his “one thing” for church planters.

Also, Jamie will be speaking at an upcoming local event in Franklin, TN, called Honesty: Death to Performance.

Porn Again Christian

Pastor Mark Driscoll's frank discussion on pornography and masturbation is now available from Amazon. Find out more.

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My good friend Nick Nye, Planter/Pastor of Veritas Church in Columbus, OH, talks about what God has used in their life to help them be so effective from the outset, loving their city, and his “one thing” for church planters.

I sat down with Nick at the recent Acts 29 Boot Camp hosted by Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY.

Veritas is hosting an exciting event called Act Like Men in February. If you are in the region, you won’t want to miss it.

Re:Train

We are launching The Resurgence Training Center (Re:Train) to prepare leaders for ministry locally and around the world. Additional details and downloadable application form here.