This morning during their chapel for students & faculty, my alma mater, Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia Beach, interviewed me via video Skype about church planting & my seminary experience. I was thrilled to report back and give back to the local church-based seminary that showed us by example how Christ intends to build his church for God’s praise. We are particularly grateful for Central Seminary because three members of Grace Church of Alexandria (Garrett & Amanda Lee & I) are graduates of the seminary and received excellent preparation for Gospel ministry there. As well, two others from the local church where the seminary is based relocated to the Washington D.C. area and are helping us plant Grace Church.

Gospel-Centered Ministry

During the interview, Pastor Jim Newcomer asked me what urgent matters I want to convey to men and women preparing for ministry. I responded, first, make the Gospel central to your every day and learn how to relate it to every area of your life. For the life, death, burial and ascension of Jesus Christ are not just for non-Christians. These truths are at the heart of how to live as a Christian and minister God’s incredible grace to others. That’s why in every sermon and Bible study at Grace Church we relate the cross of Christ to the practical issues and struggles we all have in daily life. That’s also why in the first Bible studies of Grace Church, we studied through the book Living the Cross Centered Life.

Intentional Discipling Relationships

Second, I stressed that the seminary students ought to make discipling relationships a high priority. Find trusted believers and invite them to jump into your life, probe around, and help you run the race for God even more faithfully. And always be looking around for people in your life whom you can love as Christ loved and help them grow in the faith. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. . .” This Scripture text and many others couple the faithful teaching of the Word with the need for genuine, meaningful loving relationships.

I’m deeply grateful for the years of close friendship and faithful Word-centered teaching the faculty of Central Seminary of Virginia Beach provided me. Here inside the D.C. beltway, we endeavor to provide to our community the same kind of Gospel-centered ministry and meaningful relationships that have benefited us.

Don’t just pray these for your lead pastor. Pray this way for every lay elders of your church, and in our case as a new church plant, our Leadership Team families. That includes Garrett & Amanda Lee, Shayne McAllister, Peter & Jessica Beninate, and Jonathan & Christy Matías. Here are Duncan’s 17 ideas:

“Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God’s word, God’s people, and God’s kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell’s gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God’s.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]’s ministry, to God’s glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]’s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.”

Thanks to Duncan for sharing this list at the Together For the Gospel blog and for G for bringing it to my attention.

Several of you have been asking me to share this never-before-seen recipe. After much contemplation, I’ve decided to disclose how you too can make this delicious Christmas brew. Micah Brandenburg, Dan Rundle, and Micah McCormick–you must promise me you will not try to gain fame by claiming this family recipe as your own.

(1) Place the following ingredients into a large pot:

- 1 fresh pineapple peeled and sliced into bite-sized cubes (put the large slices of skin into pot for flavor)
- 2 apples (sweet, such as Gala) sliced into bite-sized cubes with skin on (put cores into pot for sweetness)
- 2 oranges peeled and sliced into bite-sized cubes (place large chunks of peel into pot for flavor)
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 small jar of maraschino cherries (pour in 1/2 of the cherry juice but reserve the cherries)
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar (to taste)
- Add 8 to 10 cups water.
- Stir ingredients well.

(2) Bring the ingredients to a boil and keep it boiling until fruit is cooked (30 minutes to 1 hour).

(3) Serve a mix of the liquid and sliced fruit into previously-warmed mugs, placing a maraschino cherry gently on top of each drink.

(4) Enjoy in the company of friends and family as you contemplate the coming of Christ.

I’ve seen derivations of this which include soaked raisins, dried apples, and cloves. Perhaps one day I’ll try to add them and see how it tastes. Thanks, Dad and Mom, for the Guatemalan heritage and the “Caliente” recipe!

In April of this year my wife Christy and I along with Garrett Lee had the distinct pleasure of soaking up Gospel truth at Together For the Gospel ‘08 (T4G) in Louisville, Kentucky. Christy and I were exhausted because we’d just driven down from D.C. to South Carolina for my ordination exam at Heritage Bible Church (I got a good grilling…but I passed!) and then on to Louisville for the conference. Nevertheless, we were filled with joy in seeing so many friends in ministry there and being reminded afresh of the wonder of the cross through the preaching at T4G. Can’t wait till T4G ‘10.