Nine Marks

I'm a fan of 9Marks Ministry. I think they are biblical. This video quickly explains the connection of the 9 marks.

Reading on the Plane

Over the next couple weeks I should be on several planes equalling close to 60 hours. Yes, 60 hours! I have decided to take three books with me. Have you read any of these?

The Hole in our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton

Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets you Free by Tullian Tchividjian

A Few Prayer Requests

In just a couple days, God-willing, I will board a plane for the first flight toward Myanmar. I have a few prayer request I'd like to make known as we leave.

1. Please pray for safe travels

2. Please pray for the gospel of Jesus Christ to go forth

3. Please pray that our luggage and materials arrive on time

4. Please pray that our teaching and preaching times would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish great things for the name of Christ

5. Please pray we do not get sick

6. Please pray we make it back safely

7. Please pray for our family and church family as we go

I'm sure there are many other items to pray for, but as I, and one other church member, board the plane for Myanmar, we greatly appreciate your prayers.

Preparing for Myanmar

In just a few more days I leave for Myanmar. I am extremely excited to be back with my friends there, and look forward to making new ones. While there I will have the opportunity to preach 6 times and teach 6 times. Below is the list of my sermons and teaching topics:

Sermons:
Luke 9:18-27 - Take up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
Luke 9:57-62 - Be Devoted in your Pursuit of Christ
Luke 14:25-35 - The Cost of Discipleship
James 1:1-4 - Joy in the Trials
Philippians 3:8-11 - To Know Christ and to Make Him Known
Romans 10:13-17 - Sent to Preach

Teaching Topics:
God's Word is Sufficient
God's Spirit is Active
God's Son is Worthy
God's Gospel is Powerful
God's Name will be Great
God's Harvest is Plentiful

Would you please pray for me as I finalize my preparations for these talks? Would you please pray the gospel would be clear?

Five Things Christians Look Forward to in Eternity

I had the privilege of preaching a funeral for one of our longterm members today. The funeral was actually a celebration of God's grace. I mean, it was actually a celebration of God's grace in his life. The family and friends who gathered together today rejoiced that our brother had departed from the body is now present with the Lord. During the message I shared 5 things Christians can look forward to in eternity (which our dear brother is already experiencing). Here are those 5 things:

1. No More Pain or Death
1. Revelation 21:4 – He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
2. The Presence of Christ
1. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – ⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2. Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
3. Friends and Family Members who are in Christ (I took the fact that this verse says from every tribe and tongue and language and nation to include those who've gone before us in Christ)
1. Revelation 5:9-10 – ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰ and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
4. Everlasting Joy
1. Psalm 16:11 – You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
2. Matthew 25:23 – “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
5. The Glory of Jesus Christ
1. Revelation 21:23 – And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Sunday Sermon

Yesterday morning we continued our study through Galatians. As Paul continues to unfold the doctrine of justification by faith alone, he also helps understand the place of the law. You can listen to that sermon here:

The Promise-Keeping God - Galatians 3:15-22

Evening sermon wasn't recored.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Alston clan!

Sunday's Sermons

Yesterday morning at CLBC we continued our way through Galatians. This was our seventh sermon in this book. The message was, "Perfected by the Spirit" from Galatians 3:1-9.

Last night we concluded our series through The Gospel of Luke. This is a fantastic book! There are 102 messages recorded in this series (and several others that didn't get recorded for one reason or another). My last message is from Luke 24:36-53, "Jesus Appears and Ascends."

Five Areas I have Focused on for Revitalization

When I first came to CLBC in September 2010 I was told the road ahead would be difficult. There was much change and refocusing that needed to take place. If I'm honest, I came into this more blind than with a particular plan. In fact, after 27 months I really don't know that I have a plan at this point! However, I did consult several friends to ask for advice. I read books and articles, and talked with pastors, church planters, church revitalizers, and church re-planters. Through the process I was connected with Joe Thorn, whose story and situation is different than mine, but he suggested 5 areas to focus on that were of great help. Below are those five things. I feel fairly confident that he and I would apply these differently given the fact that our contexts are different. However, I found them extremely helpful. By the way, I found advice from others very helpful as well. These just seemed to sum up where I felt I should focus.

I have been asked by several people through email, Facebook, twitter, or phone calls to share what I have focused on in attempting to revitalize our church. In the upcoming posts I plan to share some of what I did in an attempt to implement these things, but for this post here are those 5 areas.

1. Gospel Recovery and Centrality

2. Missions Emphasis and Strategy

3. Worship Culture and Structure

4. Leadership Development and Deployment

5. Community Life Defined and Implemented

Sunday's Sermons

Here are the two sermons from this past Sunday:

AM - Justified by Faith - Galatians 2:16-21

PM - Burning Hearts - Luke 24:13-35