Honor: Loving Your Church by Building One Another Up

by Adam Ramsey

How to be a church whose members and leaders value and encourage each other in humility and with integrity, reflecting Jesus. A right understanding of honor is vital to healthy churches. It’s a word that’s mentioned hundreds of times throughout the Bible. But what does honor really look like for us in everyday church life? Who should we honor, and how? Adam Ramsey brings a fresh understanding of true honor in our churches. He paints a vision of an honoring church that captivates your mind and heart―a church that shines brightly in the community because of the way its members value and respect each other and their leaders and, above all else, bring honor to God.

Genres: Church

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2024

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the best ways you can participate in Pastor appreciation this month is to read this book and take it to heart. So well done.

[Benny Abrahams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel very thankful to have spent around 15years being blessed by the friendship, pastoral care, and leadership of Adam Ramsey. This book captures his heart for seeing more God-honouring, people loving and gospel-centred churches. When I saw his next book would be titled: Honour, a part of me cringed a little and, as Adam explains in this book, that is a result of the ways this biblically commanded practice has been misused and sometimes even abused in many church environments.
It was refreshing to have this set right in my mind. Using scripture, stories and humor, Adam clearly and helpfully communicates what practicing honour rightly in our church communities should look like for God’s glory and our joy.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Ramsey’s years as a faithful pastor and church planter have given him unique and essential insights into the posture we ought to have as Christ-followers: honoring one another, honoring our leaders, and in so doing, above all, honoring God.

[Amber Thiessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

{full review here: https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/ho...}

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 Adam Ramsey's new book, Honor: Loving Your Church by Building One Another Up, he challenges us to bestow that exceptional consideration to ALL our brothers and sisters in Christ.

*Thanks to The Good Book Company for the complimentary copy of the book and the opportunity to post an honest review

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Outdo one another in showing honor " - what would life look like if we actually tried to do this?

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This book is part of the Love Your Church series, which is designed to help individuals and small groups grow in love for their fellow church members and cultivate healthy cultures within their congregations. This book focuses on the concept of honor, and Adam Ramsey explores what this 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.

Ramsey acknowledges the hang-ups that some people will have with this topic, and he shares examples of how leaders have abused the concept of honor, like by demanding unthinking loyalty from church members or treating their interns like personal servants. However, he defends the concept of honor as valuable and important for the Christian life, regardless of how people have distorted and misused it for personal gain.

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.

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

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does showing honor to each other honor God? In Honor, Adam Ramsey writes on loving your church by building one another up.

Ramsey does an excellent job of explaining the importance of honoring each other as a motive of love for Jesus. It is also memorable, as Ramsey shows how honor is applied in our head (doctrine), hands (actions), and heart (affections).

I was most moved to read how honor is connected to humility. Self-righteousness and self-condemnation can be eliminated when we are humble. One way to practice humility is to confess our sins to one another – something I want to do more of in my life.


A Reciprocal Relationship

Arriving early and gathering thoughtfully are ways to show honor to each other in the congregation. And a church that honors each other is attractive to outsiders.

Ramsey concludes with the need to honor our leaders but also for the leaders to honor the congregation – a reciprocal relationship that I think we should be seeing more of in the church today.

This book is an excellent read for both church leaders and members. It shows how everyone can contribute to a church where respect and honor thrive. With biblical wisdom, both leaders and members can build a church that genuinely reflects Christ’s love and attracts others.


I received a media copy of Honor and this is my honest review.

[Angus Mcfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met the author of this little (100 page) volume when visiting the Gold Coast last year where he is the minister of my brother-in-law’s church. It’s an excellent read on a worthwhile topic. I found the book to be written in a practical way while keeping to the New Testament tests which mention the topic. There is general advice, as well as some big chunks in relation to leadership, good and bad.
While I think the topic is worth discussion, honour as it would have been lived out in most first century cultures is not really discussed in the book (i.e. as the counterpoint to shame). I don’t think this distracts from the exposition, but it would be an interesting angle to explore on a second read or as part of a study.

[Cindy Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the part of the Love Your Church series, to equip Christians to love the church family in the areas of belonging, welcoming, gathering, caring, serving, honouring one another, witnessing, and mission.

This is the first book in this series that I've read, and I was really encouraged by it. I've been reminded what "honour" actually is, and how we are to always honour God in our relationships with others. Ramsey also reminds us that by honouring others in church appropriately helps us to grow as a church and to be a beautiful witness our communities.

This is a good resource for any Christian looking to grow in his/her humility and godliness to better serve the church, and will make a good book to read together in small groups!

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kari McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good and helpful. I was hoping for a few more concrete applications and suggestions.