I had a really strong day and the conference has been very good. I haven’t been to a conference in a while, I have spent most of my time on mission trips and doing school work. Both of these have been very beneficial for me personally and for the church and the ministries that I lead. But, there is really no substitute for conferences that feed you personally and for your calling.
Today, Mark Driscoll opened the day teaching about the centrality of preaching in the church. He showed from scripture how preaching and teaching are central to what it means to be a church. Driscoll gave a general overview of the Bible and how preaching is how God calls people to Himself. He went on to give qualifications for a true church: 1) exaltation of Christ as King, Savior, and Lord. He is more than an example for us to follow. 2) Observing the ordinances of the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper, 3) utilizing church discipline, 4) preaching a pure gospel. These are the historical marks of a church that drove the reformation of the church. Much more to come from this session, just later.
CJ Mahaney spoke next and really challenged me as a pastor to be more graceful in difficult situations as a leader. The Lord really utilized this message to speak to me personally.
John Piper spoke during the evening session and spoke on “Why Scripture Matters.” The session was so full of meat that I am still chewing an hour later. I will try to post some thoughts on his topic at a later time also.
As soon as I find links for the sessions I will post them for you to listen if you desire. I am really thankful for the church allowing me the opportunity to attend this conference.
I am also thankful that Amy and the kids allow me to be away for this time of challenge. Pray for them while I am away. It is always a challenge for them for me to be away. Amy can more than handle it, but we love being with each other and we help each other with scheduling and accomplishing the daily tasks. When one of us is gone it puts pressure on the other one.
Thank you Amy!!!
