Sunday, May 25, 2008

NewAttitude 08: The Word

What a great day. Spent it with two other wonderful ladies here in L-ville, and we went to the Sovereign Grace Ministries New Attitude Conference. For those unfamiliar: NA is a conference for college, singles, and young marrieds. This year it was on the Word of God.
Over at the New Attitude site you can find more info, but I just want to share some things from today's sessions:
Mark Dever: pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in DC. He is also a graduate of Duke, Cambridge, Southern, and more. So, pretty much - he's really smart. He spoke on skeptics and the Bible, the authority of the Bible for believers, and shared some of his testimony of how God led him out of agnosticism. The tough challenge he gave us at the end was: what part of the Word are you not obeying (where it doesn't have authority in your life)? Wow - way too many to name. God, purify me of those areas - cleanse me with your grace and your Word. Help me to love it more and more and see more and more of you!
Al Mohler, President of Southern Seminary here in L-ville. One of the most brilliant people I have ever met. Today - he got to do the only Q/A session and people flew in droves to the mics, though we only got to about 6 questions in an hour. His main purpose behind the questions he wanted: whatever would help them share the gospel more with the people the come in contact with. A heart for the gospel and academia. Brilliant. God - thank you for Mohler's hear and mind.
CJ Mahaney, former pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, MD and founder of Sov Grace. I was excited to hear this one because he was speaking on God's Word and our feelings. He preached out of Ps 42 and how we need to talk to ourselves more than we need to listen to ourselves: this is also found in D Martin Lloyd Jones, Tripp, and Jerry Bridges. Fantastic of course. I wish more pastors in SBC churches preached with the same passionate heard as an "uneducated (no college, seminary)" man would - that they would preach from their souls out of a love for a Savior - yes, this would come across in delivery. What good stuff. Stuff I need to hear every day! He told us to call God out on his promises! He will do them - He said he would do them didn't he? Classic CJ sermon!
Music was good and cross centered - very Sov Grace style. So good to be in a building where people were free to shout, raise their hands, clap, jump up and down, - all while singing theological deep and cross centered songs. Go figure?
Anyway - glad I had that bit of Sov Grace today. The Word - so precious!

1 comment:

My Daily Bread said...

Sounds like my kind of church!

God bless

Stephen