Honor

Sam Allberry

So much of what can be most beautiful about our churches is summed up in that single (and often overlooked) word: honour. Adam Ramsey's book offers compelling insights that will help us all to make our church communities better reflect the love and glory of Jesus. This is vital to the health of our churches, and a vital key to having an impact on the world around us.

Carolyn Lacey

Surely one of the most neglected commands in the Western church is the command to outdo one another in showing honour (Romans 12:10). In a culture obsessed with self-love, self-promotion and self-fulfilment, the call to value others above ourselves can sound unreasonably hard and possibly harmful. Adam Ramsey helps us understand why honour among members and leaders is essential for the health of our churches, and how it can be a beautiful witness in our communities. He offers a compelling vision of a prayerful people committed to humble love, thoughtful encouragement and Christ-exalting service. This is a people I want to be part of! I pray this book will be widely read and that the church of Christ will shine more brightly as a result.

“A great and necessary book. A must-read for Christians.”

I’ve quite been enjoying the Love Your Church series from The Good Book Company. Its newest addition, Honor, convicts and encourages the reader to live honorably, recognizing that “true honor is based in a faithful response to the greatness of God’s authority and the goodness of God’s love.” (Pg. 28)

I appreciate the word illustration that the author gives on pg 28:
“Biblical honor towards God is a three-legged stool that includes how we think about him (sound doctrine), how we live before him (faithful obedience), and the motive the produces each of these (genuine love). He then goes through each of these detailing the importance of them and the associated problems with not them. This chapter had me nodding along and making lots of notes in my book. Seemingly small, but actually significant distinctions that few people really focus on - which is a foundational part of the problem that leads to false teaching, and insincere, inauthentic, loveless, and transactional obligations rather than faithful, Spirit-powered obedience from a grateful heart with a genuine love of the Lord.

The author rightly hammers home Biblical honor, its vital importance, and does so with wit and vulnerability throughout the pages. With the current state of society, everyone would do well to read this book and strive to live out its message of living honorably.

One of the most convicting parts of the book came in chapter 4, focused on Romans 12:14, 17-18, and the admonishment from Paul to live honorably which is impossible without the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. The encouragement to bless others, seek their good, and love them because that’s how Christ loved us when we were his enemies is something I think we’d all do well to be reminded of every day.

As with the other books in this series, there are reflection points at the end of each chapters and discussion questions at the end of the book that would make this a great book study with others.

“Clear and Encouraging”

In this new book in the Love Your Church series, Adam Ramsey explores what honor looks like in different contexts, and why it is important for church members and leaders to honor each other and build one another up in love. He acknowledges how leaders have abused the concept of honor, like by demanding unthinking loyalty from church members or treating their interns like personal servants, but he defends the concept of honor as valuable and important for the Christian life, regardless of how people have misused it.

He writes about how churches should honor God above all, addresses the importance of being humble and excelling in care for one another, and writes about how the church can provide an honorable witness to the world. He then writes about ways that leaders should honor the people they shepherd, and explores how churches can rightly honor good leaders. This final chapter communicates how important it is for church members to respect their leaders as individual people, rather than treating them like consumable resources, and Ramsey encourages readers to pray for their leaders and to deal with conflict appropriately, instead of spreading rumors or making unfair accusations. I also appreciated the point he made about respecting the pastor's wife and other family members, instead of treating them like additional, unpaid staff.

This is a solid resource that covers core concepts about honoring and caring for people in the context of the local church. This book is pretty basic, but it expresses important themes in an accessible manner, and Ramsey consistently points the reader to Scripture while also providing contemporary examples for how people can live out these teachings. This would be especially helpful for new believers, and for churches that are studying the basics of Christian community.

Note: I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

“Great to read with your small group”

Honor; Loving Your Church by Building One Another Up by Adam Ramsey.
This book was one that I really enjoyed reading. I think Ramsey does a great job explaining what honor is and how to live an honorable life while also discussing some misconceptions about honor. At the end of each chapter I think there is a clear vision on how to practically live out what you just read. This book is for everybody as there is much wisdom that can be gained from reflecting on how honor affects our churches as well as our personal lives and our walk with God. At the end of the book there are discussions questions for each chapter to go through in a small group. I think it would be especially useful to read this with a small group at your church in order to have that accountability and celebration with others.
This book is one in a larger series of Love Your Church and has been one of my favorites in the series so far!
Oh and it must be mentioned that Ramsey from the very beginning spells honor, honour to follow the Australian-English spelling, perhaps the title should have been honour; loving your church by building one another up ha.

“Who do you honor?”

What does it mean to honor someone?

The dictionary explains honor as regarding another with great respect. Not merely a positive thought about them, nor considering them kindly, but with the highest respect and esteem.

Who are the people in your life whom you honor?

I'd put my husband and parents on that list; my pastors, missionary friends & leaders, and previous mentors. They would be those who have had an impact on my life, those I look up to and desire to emulate.

When we think about the highest respect we give others, it's often reserved to the special people in our lives. In this book, the author challenges us to bestow that exceptional consideration to ALL our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“A right understanding of honour is vital to healthy churches. Its presence or absence is a barometer for humility—and God has made clear again and again that any community of professing Christians that is not marked by humility is opposed by him.”

Highly recommend!
{full review here:https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/honor-loving-your-church-by-building-each-other-up-book-review}

“Great Resource”

"Honor" is a great book that talks about why it’s important to show respect and value to each other in our churches. The author, Adam Ramsey, shares a clear and inspiring vision of what an honoring church looks like, both inside and in the community. The book includes questions to think about and a guide for group discussions, making it perfect for reading with friends or at church. This book is part of a series that helps us understand how to be a loving and supportive church family. It encourages us to care for each other, serve together, and honor one another in a way that shows our love for God.