Phil Miglioratti breaks down the secret of great churches and communities with a Biblical formula.

The Great Commission plus the Great Commandment added to a Great Commitment, multiplied by Great Collaborations results in Great Communities.

Read the whole thing.

Three principles that can help you succeed when you fail.

1. Fail in the Place You’ll Eventually Succeed
2. Fail Around People Who Will Catch
3. Fail Knowing It (failure) Doesn’t Define You

And when you do fail at something, take heart; you’re not alone. Others in higher positions, who have succeeded, have also failed spectacularly. So try something new. Don’t be afraid or defined by that moment. Surround yourself with friends and family who support you. Be in Scripture and prayer. In the providence of God, there is a purpose in failing.

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If you have any questions, visit oneyearchallenge.org.

Check out this infographic summarising Jude from a different perspective.

See the full-size image here.

This week’s Monday Music comes from Brazil! We have a OYC site in Goiania!

From John Piper’s Reading the Bible Supernaturally:

The Bible itself shows that our ultimate goal in reading the Bible is that God’s infinite worth and beauty would be exalted in the everlasting, white-hot worship of the blood-bought bride of Christ from every people, language, tribe, and nation. In other words, each time we pick up the Bible to read, we should intend that reading would lead to this end.

Jeff Robinson shares why Jesus calls us to love him over our families — because the cost of following Jesus is worth more than anything in the world.

We may be scandalized by the “hate” speech, but I suspect in stumbling over Jesus’s plain talk, we can miss the real scandal of this text: There will be rivals warring for supremacy over the throne of our hearts, but our love for King Jesus must defeat every one.

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Karl Vaters reminds us that when sharing the gospel, being loud is not necessarily the same as being heard. Let’s strive to share the gospel by speaking gently, listening intently and by loving in an engaged way.

…the message of the gospel is far more often a lower case message of hope, peace and truth than an uppercase message of PANIC, ANGER and FURY…The voice of Jesus was more often quietly compelling than shockingly loud.

Read the whole thing.

If you have any questions, visit oneyearchallenge.org.

Dr. John Oakes answers a question that a disciple has about free will and God’s will, and encourages us to be sensitive to his will.

Life is complicated and we cannot figure out the exact cause and reason for everything which happens. Our job is to trust in God’s providence and to do our very best to be sensitive to what his will is and to move in a direction consistent with his will as we understand it, the best we can.

Read the whole thing.