Godly Counsel

"First seek the counsel of the LORD." 1 Kings 22:5

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22

I cannot overstate the importance of seeking godly counsel, first from God and then from others. In preparation for our staff retreat as we sought to craft a strategic plan for 2009-2010, I sought counsel from the elders, godly friends, other pastors, and read several books.

I was honored a couple of weeks ago to meet with Greg Surratt, Founding and Senior Pastor of Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC. Seacoast is a multi-site church with 13 campuses and an average weekend attendance of over 10,000 people. After 21 years of leading Seacoast Church, Greg has a wealth of wisdom and experience. And I cannot tell you how much sitting down with Greg has helped me as I prepare to lead Graystone into our next phase of ministry.

Here are some of the books that I have sought counsel from this summer:

Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger

10 Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing by Geoff Surratt (Greg's brother)

Axiom by Bill Hybels

Killing Cockroaches by Tony Morgan

Simply Strategic Stuff by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan

Can We Do That? by Andy Stanley and Ed Young Jr.