As I write this, I am sitting in Starbucks (Chris, don't hate me, bro) in Warner Robins reflecting on the happenings of 2010 and dreaming about what God might have in store for 2011.

2010 brought many changes for the Lyons' family.  We went from living in Kentucky where I was serving as the Lead Pastor of an established church and heavily involved with academic work at Southern Seminary to launching out on the unpredictable journey that is church planting.  Though this adventure has, at times, been extremely difficult, Lori and I are thankful for God's calling on our lives to plant NCCm and look forward to what is to come in the future. I know that 2010 has come with many changes and challenges for many of you, too.

Ready or not, 2011 is here, and with it will most assuredly come many challenges and opportunities.  As we prepare for the year ahead, I want to share a few suggestions that might help us be intentional in regards to NCCm and our personal relationship with Jesus this year.

1. Be intentional about cultivating your personal spiritual health - Though there are many means that God might use to cultivate our affections for Jesus, here are a few suggestions that all of us should seek to apply to our lives in some way or another in 2011.

A. Prayer - Be intentional about taking time each day and asking God to deepen your faith and love for Jesus.  Pray that every aspect of who you are would reflect the goodness and grace of the gospel in your life.

B. Scripture reading - There is no substitute for reading your Bible. Reading and meditating on Scripture is absolutely essential to our spiritual growth and maturity. So, be intentional about reading your Bible this year. For some great ideas about how to be intentional with your Bible reading, check out this blog post by Justin Taylor (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/12/31/bible-reading-plans-3/). In this post, Taylor offers a very helpful survey of various Bible reading plans.  I encourage you to choose one of the plans and commit to it as a guide for your Bible reading this year. Nothing helps us stay faithful to reading our Bible like a good plan.

C. Outside reading - Commit to read a book (or 5!) this year. Though all types of reading can be helpful, I would encourage you to consider reading one of the many books that we will recommend on Sunday's as we preach through various portions of Scripture and address various topics. Generally, you will find these book recommendations inside the bulletin during our Sunday gatherings.

D. Times of solitude and reflection - In the midst of all the craziness that is most of our lives, it is good and helpful to seek occasional times of quiet and solitude for the purpose of reflecting on God's goodness and grace in our lives.  These do not have to be long, extended periods of time. Perhaps a 30-minute walk alone every once in a while could accomplish this.  For me, these times are absolutely necessary for my spiritual health. I encourage you to consider seeking such times this year.

2. Pray for and be intentionally involved with NCCm - God is the one who must build his church. Though we are responsible for thinking, planning, and working hard in order to see NCCm grow and flourish, in the end, we are totally dependent upon the Lord for any of our efforts to be of any real value.  Through prayer, we express our total dependence upon the Lord.  Pray that Jesus would be honored through the efforts of NCCm, that many people who are not yet followers of Jesus would become followers of Jesus through the outreach efforts of the people of NCCm, and that all of us who are a part of NCCm might press further into Jesus as our source of hope and satisfaction more than ever before.

Think through how you might best serve Jesus at NCCm.  We don't want to simply be a cool place to come on Sunday. We aim to be a community of believers who are on mission for Jesus. We believe firmly in the biblical teaching that every believer who is a part of NCCm has a role to play. Think through what your role is and get involved. Don't wait for someone to come to you. Be proactive and dive in!

Conclusion

I know I've written a lot. For those of you who have actually made it to this point in the reading, allow me to summarize: let's be intentional in 2011 - intentional in our relationship to NCCm and intentional in cultivating our own affections for Jesus.

I am super-excited about what 2011 has in store.  Let the journey begin!