With Joshua Harris (we’re the same height, but he has a bigger head!):
With C.J. Mahaney (I aspire to always preach the cross like C.J):
With Eric Simmons (maybe I could be a hip singles’ pastor like him one day?):
“Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
–Hebrews 13:13-14
He is God’s final revelation.
He is the heir of all things.
He is the creator of the world.
He is the radiance of God’s glory.
He is the exact imprint of God’s nature.
He upholds the universe by the Word of His power.
He made purification for sins.
He sits on the right hand of the Majesty.
He is God enthroned forever with the scepter of uprightness.
He is worshiped by angels.
His rule will have no end.
His joy is above all other things in the universe.
He took on human flesh.
He was crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering.
He was the founder of our salvation.
He was made perfect in all his obedience by his suffering.
He destroyed the one who has power of death, the Devil.
He delivered us from the bondage of fear.
He is a merciful and faithful High Priest.
He made propitiation for sins.
He is sympathetic because of his own trials.
He never sinned.
He offered up loud cries and tears with reverent fear and God heard him.
He became the source of eternal salvation.
He holds his priesthood by virtue of an indestructible life.
He appears in the presence of God on our behalf.
He will come a second time to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
From T4G’08 Session VII: John Piper - How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice (at ~57min mark)
Today was the last day of the T4G conference. I didn’t post last night since I was sick with some sort of cold/flu infection that has left me barely able to speak. I tried to get more rest last night, though I was tossing and turning, going to the washroom constantly in the middle of the night and sweating lots from the fever. I woke up in the morning feeling slightly more rested, but still I could barely speak.
Nevertheless, I toughed it out and went to the last couple sessions of T4G to hear John Piper and C.J. Mahaney preach. The Lord blessed my soul through the words of these godly men of the Word: Piper exhorting us to suffer and go outside the camp of comfort; Mahaney calling us to joyfulness in our ministry and not just faithfulness.
All the mp3s of the messages have been posted here. Visit Tim Challies’ blog for session summaries & photos. And check out these videos that T4G has produced already:
From Day 1:
I have few words to explain what happened today, especially tonight. My first time at a Pastor’s Conference, and I cried at least twice — on the first day. The Holy Spirit is certainly working through the speakers, enabling them to truly and clearly expound God’s Word to the 5,000+ of us men (and some women). Soli Deo Gloria!
Here’s Challies on today’s sessions:
Sovereign Grace Ministries have just contacted me with the details about their special $50 registration rate SBTS/Boyce students.
They’ve given me a Coupon Code to register at $50, but they have requested that I not distribute this. Please follow these instructions instead:
**In order to receive the discounted Registration rate, please contact New Attitude via their contact page requesting the $50 rate using your SBTS email address. They will then email you the Coupon Code you should use to register!
*Online registration will close at midnight EST on May 5th*
(The first main session begins May 24 at 7:30 p.m. and the final session ends May 27 at 1 p.m.)
**PLEASE spread the news about this DISCOUNT to all your SBTS/Boyce friends!**
I would love to see D. A. Carson speak at the annual Campus Challenge conference in the future! Organized by Ambassadors for Christ in Canada, and currently run by friends back in Toronto, CC is an annual campus ministry conference that challenges students to further campus ministry. I myself have been tremendously blessed by CC, having served on the organizing committee for the past 3 years.
Why Don Carson? For one, he is one of today’s most esteemed evangelical scholars — especially in New Testament studies. Second, he has tremendous experience speaking to college students — especially knowledgeable of today’s young, Emerging generation. And third but not least, he’s originally Canadian (from Quebec)! And apparently, he won’t simply turn down a speaking invitation because it is small or relatively unknown.
I heard Don say this during a panel discussion at the 2006 Desiring God National Conference on The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, but I recently read it again in print from the book that came out of the conference. In speaking very passionately with tears about the small, rural pastoral ministry of his father, he concludes:
“I made a resolution when I was a young man that I would never, so help me God, for the rest of my life, ever accept or reject any speaking invitation whatsoever on the basis of either size or honorarium. I kept that promise. Otherwise you only will end up going to bigger and bigger and bigger things. There’s something dishonorable about that when Christ comes for the poor and the needy and start with the twelve, but one turns out to be a traitor, another denies him, and the rest run away. Don’t let this crowd fool you. Learn the best things from it, and rejoice in the encouragement.”
The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, ed. John Piper, Justin Taylor. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007. (174)
I wholeheartedly echo Carson’s words there — we must honor Christ by bringing the gospel to and serving God in ’small’ places in ‘fringe’ ministries.
It may be a far-fetched dream, but man, I would love to see Carson be the conference speaker for Campus Challenge one day, hopefully soon 
I would totally go back to Toronto for that! I hope someone from AFC would at least give it try and invite him — I know it’s a long shot, and it probably won’t happen for another few years, but there’s no harm in trying 
I am the worst sinner I know. But by the grace of God I am doing better than I deserve. (About me...)
