I had the privilege in attending last week’s T4G conference. I traveled 5.5 hours with three other Grace Church elders from NE Ohio to Louisville, KY. This alone was worth the price of admission because of the camaraderie such a trip builds among leadership. I thoroughly enjoyed this time with my co-laborers and the discussions that transpired during our time together. (I might comment of the benefits of such leadership getaways in a future post.)
The conference line up was second to none, from fabulous speakers to awesome worship, and the bookstore was a reader’s paradise! But there were three specific individuals whose messages or ministry really impacted me during my brief time in Louisville.
Bob Kauflin: I have admired Bob’s ministry, commentary on worship and music for several years now and the quality and theological soundness of music produced at Sovereign Grace Ministries really ranks up there with the Gettys and Stuart Townsend. This was the first time to sit under Bob’s leadership and it was a treat. I appreciated the balance of passion and biblical focus of his worship leading efforts, which was simply a breath of fresh air for me. I cannot say enough regarding Bob’s involvement at T4G. I trust he will back in 2010.
R.C. Sproul: There is no one more passionate, more dedicated or more visible than R.C. Sproul on the issues of justification by faith and the atoning work of Christ. I have seen Sproul at numerous conferences in past years, but I never saw him more articulate or passionate than on his talk topic: The Curse Motif of the Atonement. I would not begin to give it justice in trying to summarize his message; you will simply have to listen to it yourself (here). After listening to R.C., you should walk away with a greater appreciation of your salvation because of the great sacrifice of Christ’s atoning work to satisfy God’s holy wrath towards our sin. As long as we are on earth and no matter how hard we try, we will never come to a complete comprehension of God’s love towards his elect…. a humbling thought for me.
John Piper: Piper simply operates in a different realm; his ministry, his calling, his preaching and his writings are inimitable. He gets it. He understands and lives out the call of “deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 – ESV). He understands the grand faith of the prophets of old and the selfless sacrifices of the early church leaders, many who were martyred for their faith and devotion to the Gospel. His message, How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice, reflects his ministry mindset. Most of us are clueless and therefore will never live out the radical, devout, reckless abandonment of self to fulfill the high call of Christ, and not only “do” ministry, but to do it “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13: 12,13). To quote another blog: “John Piper is NOT where we are. Woe unto us.” Listen to Piper’s T4G message for yourself (here).
