The Gospel of Luke: Arrival

The Gospel of Luke: Arrival

You know Jesus, Paul, and Peter, but do you know Dr. Luke? He was a first-century physician raised in Antioch, the city that was home to the local church that launched Paul's mission to the Gentiles. He became one of Paul's coworkers and traveling companions, traversing the Mediterranean region, making disciples of Jesus, and establishing churches. Though not an apostle himself, Luke was a close companion of Paul's and associated with many eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life.

Luke stands as one of the most influential yet unfamiliar figures of the New Testament. Working under Paul’s supervision, the Holy Spirit inspired the doctor to write almost one-third of the New Testament. Generated from his detailed research and experiences, he penned the Gospel bearing his name and Acts (some scholars theorize that he could have been the unnamed author behind Hebrews, too.) The Lord uniquely used Luke to set down a scriptural record of the life of Jesus and the subsequent ministry of the apostles. The Spirit's use of Dr. Luke to set forth sound doctrine for the church is often underappreciated.

This Sunday, November 10, we plan to begin our next sermon series studying Dr. Luke's Gospel. Through Christmas, we will consider his account of the arrival of Jesus, the long-anticipated Christ. Our journey begins this Sunday with Luke 1:1-4, “A Purposeful Preface.” Not only is this sermon series a perfect way to observe Advent and Christmas, but it is also a gospel opportunity for all. Around us are family and friends who would enjoy learning about Jesus’s arrival and his life-changing importance. Who can you invite to come along with you this Sunday to study Luke?

Proposed 2025 Ministry Plan & Budget

At the upcoming November 17 quarterly members meeting, the elders ask the church to approve the proposed 2025 ministry plan and budget. The elders, finance team, and staff have prepared a budget that reflects the church's biblical mission and our giving trends. I am thankful for the work of each of these groups in assembling this budget.

The budget is more than the numbers. It stands as a plan to undergird a vibrant local church ministry while engaging the world with the Gospel. You should notice that the proposed budget has been reduced by $52,000 from last year to more closely reflect the giving trends of our membership. Our prayer is that the church will give cheerfully, generously, and proportionally so that the church runs with a consistent surplus (income exceeding expenses).

As you consider this budget, also consider the important part you play in its support. Just as every member is vital to the life of our church, so too does the church need every member's generosity. Regardless of the size of our gifts, we are all to honor the Lord and his church with faithful, generous support that is proportional to our means.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

God’s Word Builds His Church

Do you trust God's word to build his church? This question is a massive one! The answer deeply shapes our church's philosophy of ministry. We operate with this leading conviction: The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to transform ungodly sinners into mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

Don’t take my word for it – this is what the Lord revealed to Paul:

“Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

The sacred writings, that is, Scripture, are the Spirit’s inspired instrument for salvation and sanctification. Everything you need to mature as a follower of Jesus comes from learning, interpreting, and applying the Bible in your life by faith.

As I stated, this has massive implications for how our church carries out ministry. We must feature God's word in our ministries if we are to see people born again and maturing as disciples. Here are several ways we depend on God to build his church through his word:

1.      Expositional preaching: preaching in which the point of the sermon is the point of the biblical text.

2.      Word-centered worship: worship elements are shaped deeply by Scripture and the directives of Scripture.

3.      Bible-guided discipleship: using the Bible as our primary resource for training disciples to learn to obey Jesus.

We believe that the Holy Spirit uses God’s word to build his church. Let’s pray for strong appetites to encounter God daily and congregationally each Sunday in his word.

Jonah 3: Obeying & Relenting

This Sunday, we will see what happens within Nineveh when Jonah preaches to the pagan city. What would you expect? Antagonism? Persecution? Laughter? Nineveh's quick repentance stands as a stirring example that challenges all to have consciences that are tender to God’s word. Pray for the preaching of the word this Sunday, come with warm hearts ready to worship, and bring an unbelieving friend to hear the gospel.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

New Spring Quarter Opportunities

New Spring Quarter Opportunities

This Sunday, March 5, there are several new opportunities the Spring quarter begins:

 New Equipping Courses:

• Spiritual Disciplines (David Trice & Rocky Stubbs, 2nd Floor Student Room)

• Sound Doctrine: A Study of Crestview’s Statement of Faith (Cole Barnes & Josh Roberts, 1st Floor Classroom )

• The Gospel Project: Gospels (Lee Ramseur, Fellowship Hall)

• Ladies: The Gospel of Mark (Brenda Trice, Fellowship Hall Classroom)

• Men: The Gospel of John (Alan Hausser, Fellowship Hall Classroom) 

 New Sermon Series:

• Ephesians: Living as Christ’s Church

ESL Class begins March 20, 6:30 PM

An excellent opportunity for cross-cultural evangelism and ministry is working with internationals who live in our community. Do you know that most internationals who visit America to study are never invited into the home of an American, much less a believer? I have heard stories of some who bring suitcases of gifts from their country of origin, excited to share them with new friends in the U.S., only to discover that no one cares for them after arriving. Crestview has been given a unique opportunity to provide ESL classes for international students studying at UGA Griffin.

If you want to befriend these students, consider serving with our new ESL ministry (English as a Second Language). Classes start on Monday, March 20, from 6:30 PM–8:00 PM and continue each month's 1st and 3rd Monday evenings. ESL class will meet in the fellowship hall. This class aims to teach conversational English and improve speaking proficiency. We can use you if you can speak English and be a Christ-like example.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Tricia Hill at triciadhill@gmail.com.

Foster Care Night, March 24

On Friday, March 24, from 5:30 PM–9:30 PM, we will provide a parent's night out for local foster families. Our church is coming alongside Families for Families, a local foster care ministry lead by Brian and Ivy Scoggin, to serve fostering parents. We will provide child care at the Crestview campus while parents get a much-needed night out.

You must be certified through Crestview's Ministry Safe program to volunteer for this opportunity. If you still need to be certified, you can start the certification process now and be ready to serve by the 24th.

For more information or to volunteer, text Angela Lawrence at 770-307-8027.

Elder Nominees Question & Answers

After gathered worship this Sunday, there will be a question and answer panel with the elder nominees: Rocky Stubbs, Cole Barnes, and Brandon Vaughn. This panel is an excellent opportunity to learn more about elder ministry, our church, and these men.

Called Conference Moved to March 26

As explained Sunday, the called conference initially announced for March 19 is being moved to March 26 to allow 30-day notice.

Updated Constitution and By-Laws Amendments

Minor adjustments have been made to the proposed Constitution and By-Laws Amendments. The most current proposed amendments are available: HERE

Proposed Updated Financial Policy

The proposed updated policy is available: HERE

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

The Blessings of Consecutive Expository Preaching

Church Family,

So long as the Lord wills, this Sunday will be a milestone day for us. You will conclude hearing, and I will finish preaching the entire book of Hebrews. We began Hebrews this past September. This Sunday will be our 27th sermon in this book. Praise the Lord for how we have freshly experienced together that “Jesus is Better”!

Featuring the consecutive expository preaching through books of the Bible, as you typically experience in Crestview’s worship gathering, is good for us all. Consider for a moment the blessings linked to diligently working through books of the Bible as we have done with Hebrews:

1.     Consecutive expository preaching safeguards God’s agenda against being hijacked by ours.

2.     Consecutive expository preaching makes it harder for us to abuse the Bible by reading it out of context.

3.     Consecutive expository preaching dilutes the selectivity of the preacher.

4.     Consecutive expository preaching keeps the content of the sermon fresh and surprising. There is healthy amazement each week as the congregation and the preacher encounter God in his word. When the text drives the sermon, remarkable discoveries await.

5.     Consecutive expository preaching makes for variety in the style of the sermon. The different genres of the Bible (law, narrative, psalm, epistle, etc.) require sermons to be shaped in different ways.

6.     Consecutive expository preaching models good nourishing Bible reading for the ordinary believer.

7.      Consecutive expository preaching helps us preach the whole Christ from the whole of Scripture. [1]  

What’s after Hebrews? We will return to the Psalms for the rest of the summer—looking at a different Psalm each week. Then, Lord willing, we will begin 2 Samuel in September.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas  

[1] Christopher Ash, The Priority of Preaching (Christian Focus: London, 2010), 111-121.

Summer Psalms & SBC Annual Meeting

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 25:1

This past week my family enjoyed a brief break together. We were able to escape to Tennessee for a few days of fun together.  These kinds of breaks are incredibly vital to me and my family.  I hope you will find time to do the same this summer at some point. I’m back in the office this week and looking forward to seeing you Wednesday and Sunday.

SUMMER PSALMS

This past Sunday Cole kicked off our new sermon series – Summer Psalms. Each week through August we will be studying a different psalm. For good reason, many consider Psalms their favorite portion of Scripture. Each one expresses God-glorifying, transparent perspective on the ups and downs of living by faith in close relationship with the Lord.  

You can make the most of this series by being aware of the specific psalm to be preached each Sunday. The preaching schedule is available on sermon cards in the worship center, and it can be found in the newsletter email each week. No one should arrive for gathered worship any week unaware of what is being preached that day. Read, reread, and reflect upon the psalm leading up to the Lord’s Day. Come with a mind and heart prepared to rejoice together as we worship through the text-driven preaching of God’s Word.  This week’s text is Psalm 25, “Follow the Lord’s Paths”.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION ANNUAL MEETING

Next week, June 14-16, is the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The meeting scheduled for Orlando last year was canceled due to COVID, so it has been two years since the SBC has convened. The SBC is made up of over 50,000 churches throughout the United States who share a common confession of faith and place a high priority on seeing the gospel advance in the world. Each summer these churches hold the world’s largest deliberative business meeting where messengers from local churches approve annual budgets, elect officers, and approve entity trustees (mission boards, seminaries, and agencies), hear reports, and authorize resolutions. Intermixed there is music, sermons, and a host of auxiliary gatherings. It is quite something to behold. I would encourage all church members - in particular church leaders – to make a personal goal to attending an SBC annual meeting at some point.

As a cooperating SBC church, it is my conviction that we have not only the privilege but also the responsibility to send messengers to participate. We have an obligation to supervise the use of our mission dollars. This year Cole and I and our wives will be attending. Please pray for this to be an encouraging time. Invariably I find myself encouraged in the Lord, better educated in our mission efforts around the world, and inspired by the fellowship we enjoy with like-minded churches across the country.

This meeting this year is shaping up to be one of consequence. Over 14,000 messengers are currently pre-registered, about double what is normal. The interest is due to several reasons: 1) Nashville is a popular and convenient location in the southeast, 2) it’s a SBC presidential election year with 4 announced candidates, and 3) controversial issues. One can expect to hear updates on how sexual abuse is being addressed in the SBC, social justice and critical race theory, and women preaching. While disputes and drama may make the headlines, THE most important thing that will take place next week is that we continue to fund and advancement one of the strongest, best-trained mission forces in the world. The Great Commission may not make the headlines – but it should. I hope it will. The best source of news next week related to the SBC can be found here: Baptist Press (National SBC News)

I ask for you to pray for the SBC next week. Pray that God is glorified, that believers will live in unity, that God’s Word will be loved and will drive every decision, and that the watching world will see Spirit-filled Christians model love, truth, and integrity.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

How To Listen To A Sermon

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:14-15

BEHAVE AS GOD’S HOUSEHOLD: NEW SERIES IN 1 TIMOTHY

This Sunday we begin the study of a new book on Sunday mornings – 1 Timothy. I will be preaching verse-by-verse through this first letter of the Pastoral Epistles. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, Paul penned a practical letter reminding Timothy and the church in Ephesus about how the church was to behave. As God’s Word, the letter is filled with truth that is pertinent for us today. Please pray for our church as we plunge into this new series and come as Spirit-filled listeners this Sunday.

HOW TO LISTEN TO A SERMON

A lot is at stake every Sunday when God’s word is read and explained. God uses the preaching of his Word to bring the dead to life and cause immature believers to grow toward maturity.  Still, let us admit, there are times it can be challenging to listen.  Here are 5 ways you can be prepared to listen this Sunday:

1.     Be prepared to listen. Arrive on Sunday with prayerful excitement about what the Lord will do. During the preceding days pray regularly for your pastor as he studies.  Pray for your church, for non-believers, and for yourself. Bring your Bible so you can track along with the passage. Many are helped by taking notes, so you may want to bring a pen and journal. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast, no one can listen if you are tired and hungry.

2.     Listen actively. During the sermon put your phone away and focus on the preacher and on your Bible. I recommend using a physical Bible, rather than an app on your phone. A paper Bible has no distracting notifications, the screen does not time out, and it requires no battery. Throughout the entire sermon keep your Bible open and follow along with the development of the message. Encourage the preacher with a friendly facial expression and eye contact. Nod in agreement and encourage him with “That’s right” and “Amen.”

3.     Listen with affections. The sermon is the high point of the gathered worship of the church. Your mind and heart must participate if worship is to be in “spirit and in truth”. As the sermon points you to the Lord, allow your affections to soar with awe, thanksgiving, and wonder.  When emotions of lament, conviction, and brokenness arise do not ignore them. They are God’s gift to you.

4.     Listen critically. Pay attention to the content of the sermon to verity it is rooted in the Bible and rightly setting forth sound doctrine (like the Bereans in Acts 17:11). Query the text. Is the sermon on point with the Scripture?  If it is, then such sermons may not be safely ignored. Accept faithful preaching as a message from the Lord.

5.     Listen to apply. Pay attention to ways the Holy Spirit use the sermon to pinpoint aspects of your life that need attention. The preacher may bring some helpful points of suggested application, but ultimately each person is responsible for listening and applying to their unique circumstances. Be doers of the word, and not hearers only (James 1:22).

In his second letter to his younger ministry partner, Paul charged Timothy with the immense importance of preaching the Word of God. May we approach the sermon this, and every, Sunday as Spirit-filled listeners:

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Preview of the Coming Weeks

I want to make you aware of exciting things happening over the next several weeks. Please begin planning now to be present and praying that all will glorify the Lord:

 SUNDAY, AUGUST 23

Jesus has promised that the church he builds is invincible. Despite this promise, in some hearts, the pandemic may have dampened enthusiasm for making disciples. At a minimum, COVID has upended familiar schedules, locations, and programs for evangelism and discipleship. This Sunday, I hope to bring a reassuring message from Matthew 16:13-20 reminding us that Jesus is always faithful to build his church. You will have the opportunity to witness the reality of this promise as Amanda Barnes publicly professes her faith through believer’s baptism. After the service, there will be a brief information and training meeting for all who serve on our Hospitality Team.  This team oversees greeting, set-up, and clean-up each time our church gathers. Any members interested in helping should attend.

 SUNDAY, AUGUST 30

Jason Lee will be with us preaching and updating us about our mission partnership serving the refugee community in Clarkston, Georgia. He is an elder with Clarkston International Bible Church and the director of The Acts 17 Initiative.   

 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

Annually, toward the end of summer, I preach a biographical sermon applying Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Past messages have featured Adoniram Judson, Lottie Moon, George Liele, John Newton, and others (listen to past messages here). This year I have chosen to focus upon the 18th-century missionary to the American Indians, David Brainerd. He was only active in mission work a handful of years before dying at the relatively young age of 29. Though his life was brief, his influence upon word missions was not. If you are finding it hard to make disciples amid hard times, you will discover Brainerd to be an inspiration.  

 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

With the arrival of autumn, and hopefully some cooler weather, we will begin a new expositional sermon series, “Behave as God’s Household.” We will study verse-by-verse through the New Testament book of 1 Timothy. We will see how the gospel leads to practical, visible changes in the lives of those who believe it.

For His Glory,
Pastor Thomas