The theme of the recent Acts 29 Boot Camp in Louisville, Kentucky, hosted by Sojourn Community Church, was ambition. Simply knowing how to plant and lead a church is not enough. Knowledge must come hand-in-hand with God-given ambition.

Audio Sermons

• Matt Chandler – Ministry for the Long Haul & Ambition
• Kevin Cawley – Decoding your City & Ambition
• Bob Thune – Discipleship & Ambition
• Russell Moore – Speaking Past Demons: Christian Preaching As Expository Exorcism
• Darrin Patrick – Leadership & Ambition
• Steve Timmis – The Church & Ambition
• Ed Stetzer – Church Planting & Ambition
• Dave Harvey – The Gospel & Ambition

Click here to learn more about the 2009 Conference.

written by Matt Adair

A Gospel-Centered Reader

Tim Brister and I have only been in the same room once (St. Louis in the fall of 2008) but I really appreciate the work he does on his blog and have enjoyed our interactions over the phone and through Twitter – plus, he shares an appreciation for the Alabama Crimson Tide, so he’s half a step away from sainthood.

So I’d be crazier than Mike Gundy (man, that video never gets old) to not pass along a series of resources that Tim has put together called A Gospel-Centered Reader. Whether it’s for your personal use or help in leading a group of people, you need to put this to good use:

1.  Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents
2.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration
3.  Together for the Gospel Statement (PDF)
4.  The Centrality of the Gospel by Tim Keller (PDF)
5.  The Biblical Gospel by D.A. Carson (PDF)
6.  Gospel-Driven Sanctification by Jerry Bridges (PDF)
7.  The Transforming Power of the Gospel – Steve Childers (PDF)
8.  The Gospel and the Poor by Tim Keller (PDF)
9.  Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson (PDF)
10. The Gospel Centered Life by Bob Thune (study)
11.  Gospel-Centered Ministry by Tim Keller (PDF)
12.  How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself by David Fairchild (Sermon MSS)
13.  The Gospel: Key to Change by Tim Keller (PDF)
14.  God Strengthens Us by the Gospel by John Piper
15.  Advancing the Gospel in the 21st Century Part 2 by Tim Keller
16.  Gospel-Centered Preaching by Steve Childers (not online)
17.  Gospel Christianity (1.0) (2.0) (3.0) by Tim Keller (studies)
18.  The Gospel in Its Many Forms by Tim Keller
19.  How Does the Gospel Save Believers? (Part 2) (Part 3) by John Piper
20.  Gospel-Centered by Joe Thorn
21.  Being the Church in Our Culture by Tim Keller (PDF)
22.  Preach the Gospel to Yourself by Tim Challies
23.  What Do I Mean by a Gospel-Driven Life? (Part 2 | Part 3) by John Fonville
24.  The Gospel-Driven Life by Harry Reeder III

Back in the fall we were trying to figure out a way for us to move to the South with a job.  I was working for a non-profit at the time, so one of the possibilities was to start a branch office in GA.  This is a fairly common practice for the type of business that we were involved in.  As my job came to a close it only deepened our desire to return to the South, but there was no job.  I sent a resume out to 20+ different businesses for jobs that I had little to no experience in.  At the same time we started up Grace Giving International with a handful of friends and was then offered a job as the Executive Director.  I loved the ministry and loved the people, so I took the job with the understanding that we would be moving to GA.  It was agreed upon and we moved.

At the same time, the economy was tanking.  Of course it had been tanking for awhile, but the effects were beginning to hit potential donors.  While our Board and specifically our President worked hard at pursuing donors, well, resources simply were drying up.  I volunteered for a pay reduction so that we could stay on task and not sink the organization.  That meant Jennifer and/or I needed to look for a job.  At the same time I was volunteering a small amount of time to New City Church downtown.  They hired me on a part time basis as the Executive Director of New City.

Shortly after I was hired, a position opened up to work with Macon’s City Watch program.  So I joined the City Watch Program to help the Coordinator out with business management and forward thinking.

That’s 1, 2, 3…jobs.  It’s pretty amazing how they intersect.

Grace Giving International – primary purpose is to help at-risk kids in hiv & poverty stricken areas to feed, educate and provide the tools necessary to be successful in life and reinvest into their areas.

New City Church downtown – primary purpose is to share the Gospel in our city because the Gospel is transforming and as people are transformed our city will be transformed and made new.

City Watch Macon – primary purpose is to unite businesses and residents in beautifying and protecting our city – think urban renewal.

At the center of all three of these jobs is the desire and purpose to redeem and renew. We know that when sin entered the world it corrupted man, plant, space and time.  When Jesus came into the world He came to make all things new.  It’s exciting to see the effects of sin be washed into newness.  Jesus showed us on the cross that it is incredibly hard work.  He paid the greatest price and then called us all into His mission – to redeem and transform.  It would be hard, but it would be worth it.

While I am still trying to get my arms wrapped around working and leading in three different organizations.  I have counted it as a privilege and an honor.

The culture shock has been sudden and slow.  Let me explain.  On one hand it is sudden – southern drawl, sweet tea, the obvious diversity in population, hot humid weather and family.  On the other hand it is slow – trying to acclimate to a religious society after living in a secular society for 15 years has been…difficult.  There are so many religious rules and ‘Christian’ expectations in the general public.  Everyone here has heard the Gospel a thousand times and have been dunked an equal amount.  But it goes beyond religion and creeps into traditionalism.  People here say ‘yes sir and nor sir’ and expect your children to do the same.  The big sins here are drinking, smoking, and not wearing your ‘Sunday best’.  Which I fail in all three – I love smoking a cigar, while drinking a beer, while wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt…I know, I know – scandalous.

Probably the biggest difficulty for me has been changing my mindset in dealing with cultural norms.  The issue of Baptism came up in a staff meeting on  Monday and I forgot that it was a cultural norm.  At FBC and even at VBC if you were baptized it was a big deal – you were sealing yourself to Christ – you were publicly committing yourself and expecting the Body to walk with you in this life.  It was a big deal.  Here it seems like a church status thing – like, you measure your success by how many people are baptized or how many people attend Sunday School.

On the flip side – people are incredibly kind here and outgoing.  People talk to me that I do not even know and they are not asking me for money.  I had gotten so use to walking down the street and not saying a word to someone that it always catches me by surprise when strangers say ‘Hey, how ya doin?’ as we pass each other on the sidewalk.  People wave to you when you are driving down the road – like, strangers, people you don’t know….wave to you.  It’s wonderfully odd.

Ministering in an urban context has also been a huge change.  While in Spokane I read some and was drawn to ministering in an urban context.  I took youth groups to downtown Spokane to work in the mission and other street ministries, but it wasn’t enough for me.  Now I’m in downtown Macon and I’m working and ministering and will be soon living in an urban context.  I have no idea what I am doing or even the right way to do it, but I love it.  I love interacting with panhandlers, street workers, and the corner drug dealer.  It’s exhilarating to have the opportunity to build a relationship with them for the sake of the Gospel.  It’s been a culture shock and I have a lot to learn.

After a year of praying, planning, talking and dreaming – Jennifer and I finalized the last details to move our family back to the South after a 15 year absence.  It honestly felt like we were moving to a new mission field and not necessarily moving ‘back home’ since we had never lived in the South as a married couple.  Our decision to move to the South was largely do to a subjective feeling that Jennifer and I both began with independently.  As we talked and prayed God began making it clearer and clearer that we were on the right track.  I had been hired by Grace Giving International as their Executive Director and the Board of Directors allowed us to move to GA to open a ‘branch office’.  My cousin Keith had launched a church plant in Macon, GA.  We had talked about ministering together on several occasions and this one just seemed to work out.  We told a couple of our close friends and they begrudgingly affirmed our move.  Obviously our family was ecstatic that we were moving to the South and were very skeptical that it would ever happen.

So, the boys and I put Jennifer and the girls on a plane in early December which launched us into ‘the plan’.  The plan was to send Jennifer and the girls early so that the boys and I could pack up the moving truck and do some work on the house.  We left just as a record setting snow storm hit Spokane and drove 4 days to get to Macon.

On one of those days we drove for 17 hours.  A lot happened in that 17 hours – prayer, deep conversations, moments of silence, and lots of caffeine to name a few.  It was a great time of reflection on the chapter in our lives that was coming to a close called ‘Spokane’.  Here are just a few of the highlights:

1. 1997 – Jennifer and I drove with our two cats, Moses & Delilah, from GA to Spokane, WA to close a chapter in our lives called England and begin a new Chapter called ‘Spokane’.
2. Shortly after arriving in Spokane we began our ‘church home’ search that began and ended with Faith Bible Church.  I would later be trained as a Pastor here by several remarkable men and develop friendships that will last until the end of time.
3. 1998 – After an almost 5 year run in the Air Force I said good bye to my beret, my rifle, and the soldier’s way of life.
4. I became a Small Group Leader and started meeting with a man that would change the course of my life.  John Smith spent a year with me discussing theology, my desire to become a Pastor, and began the arduous process of hammering me into a man.
5. I will never be able to express enough my thankfulness for our time at Faith Bible Church.  It truly was where Jennifer and I grew up spiritually.  I entered the Men of God program which was their pastoral training program in 98 and would spend the next 6 years trying to figure out who I am and what I believe.
6. 1999 – After 4 years of miscarriages, procedures, tears and prayer – Emma Ruth McConnell was born on April 22nd – healthy and happy!
7. 2000 – A year later on July 10th, Makayla Grace McConnell was born.  We were told she had club feet before she was born and that she had Down Syndrome shortly after she was born.  She had neither.
8. 2002 – Abigail Shea McConnell would be born on April 12th amidst an emergency c-section and many questions regarding her mysterious condition.  A few months later we would learn that Abby had an extremely rare syndrome that was terminal.
9. 2003 – On Feb. 11th Abby breathed her last and was ushered into the presence of our Lord.
10. 2004 – After Abby’s death we knew that we were not done parenting.  We became Foster Parents and met our fourth daughter – Aubriana Mia Hope McConnell.
11. I was also hired by Valley Bible Church in Spokane as a Youth Pastor and we began the second half of our journey in Spokane.  My spiritual development continued to be honed as we (the elders) did battle over major issues such as open theism, lordship salvation, Christology, and reformed theology.  I also met a new mentor in Ben Orchard and was able to learn much from a skillful shepherd.
12. 2005 – Arianna Marie Joy McConnell became our 5th daughter.  She is now ‘the favored one’ that the family calls Princess and as the baby of the family – she lives and loves it.
13. 2006 – Jennifer came home from an adoptive mom’s retreat with the crazy, hair-brained idea that we should adopt older sons from Ethiopia.  I quickly shot this idea down.
14. 2007 – In July we traveled to Ethiopia and picked up our new sons – Josiah, Noah and Caleb.  In one of the most incredible displays of love that I have seen – the body of VBC rallied around us and remodeled our home, threw a massive fundraiser, and showed us love at every turn.
15. 2008 – I was hired by the Board of Directors of a non-profit to help wrestle through some issues while I was still working part-time at Valley as the Family Pastor.  After the position and direction at the non-profit came to a painful close I was hired by Grace Giving International and the rest is, as they say – history.
16. I continued on as an Elder at Valley Bible Church until we departed.

There are so many other things that I was able to reflect on during those 17 hours like the countless men and women who invested countless hours as friends, brothers and sisters, and the many jobs that I held after the Air Force, and a major sin issue/addiction that had gripped my heart and almost destroyed my life, ministry and family.  It was an incredible 17 hours and it helped me close that chapter and focus on the chapter ahead.

While I do not recommend driving 17 hours straight, I do recommend taking time to reflect on what the Lord has done in your past to help reset your thinking and sharpen your focus for the future.  We are all vapor in this life – here for a moment and gone the next.  The question for me continues to be will I float in the air (stagnant and self-focused) or will I burn bright for a moment and then enter glory.

My answer: burn baby, burn!

I was so humbled to hear the urgency in his voice. This is a man who is still adopting little girls from 3rd world countries because he wants to give them hope so bad. Most people I know over 50 start dreaming about retirement and settling to ‘just be grandparents’. But here was a man who hears that there is 143 million children who have nothing and wanted to lay it all down for the sake of the Gospel in the lives of children. I was so choked up watching such raw passion from such a godly man that I needed to do something for me to process it. I put together a video called ‘The American Dream’. This is for you Dale.