Shepherds’ Conference recap

The Shepherds’ Conference is always a highlight for me, and one of the things I look forward to is reflecting over what I heard over those days — of assimilating a few ideas that will stimulate me spiritually to greater godliness and provided direction for ministry decisions in coming days. To that end, here are […]

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Shepherds’ Conference Reflections

A few remaining thoughts after the Shepherds’ Conference — Good preaching.  Good is not the correct adjective.  How about — exhorting, precise, convicting, penetrating, stimulating, passionate, articulate, helpful, equipping, joyful, consistent, and of course, Biblical. What impacted me in fresh ways this year was the similarities and the distinctions.  The preachers were all different — […]

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Session 8 – John MacArthur

What about the problem of evil in the world?  How about trouble in the world (Lk. 13)?  How will we help our people through trouble? Larry King — “I can’t believe in your God because there is just too much trouble in the world.” There is trouble in the entire world — even crime in […]

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Session 7 – Steve Lawson

“GUARDING THE GOSPEL” GALATIANS 1:6-10 Every generation of believers has had to fight for the purity and exclusivity of the gospel of Christ.  Starting in the 2nd century, Iranaeus, Polycarp, Ignatius, then Cyprian in the 3rd century, Athanasius in the 4th C., Augustine, Wycliffe, Hus, and Luther against the RC church, Calvin against Rome and […]

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Session 6 – Phil Johnson

This is an admonition from Paul to Titus, his son in the faith. I chose this text because of the tendency of pastors lately to use filthy jokes, erotic language and the like in preaching today.  The “pornification” of the pulpit.  The idea is that this is the “tool of contextualization.”  But Paul said otherwise.  […]

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Session 5 — Al Mohler

Preaching is central to the church and the gospel.  Preaching is the means by which God calls people into His kingdom and into the character of His Son.  By the preaching of God’s Word we are preparing people for eternity. Churches are measured by preaching.  Where there is no preaching, there is no church. He […]

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Session 4 — Rick Holland

Queen Mary — “I fear his [John Knox’s] prayers more than all the armies of Europe.” Knox’s bravery is a distant echo of apostle Paul — the bravest man who ever lived. Note the description of him in Acts 17 — where is the one who has upset the world?  Also 1 Cor. 11:23-28. When […]

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Session 3 — John MacArthur

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS FOR JOHN MacARTHUR’S 40 YEARS OF MINISTRY I just wanted to understand the Bible – I wanted a place where I would have to be disciplined to study it every week. I wanted to understand the New Testament – it’s never been about preaching, but to know about Scripture – what does it […]

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Session 2 — Tom Pennington

1 Corinthians 3:9-17 In 2005 George Barna wrote the book Revolution — one of the worst books I’ve ever read.  He pronounced the death of the church — people can fulfill the ideal of the life of Christ despite the fact that they rarely attend church. Is Barna right?  Is this a time for a […]

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Session 1 – John MacArthur

Rough notes from John MacArthur’s plenary session this morning — Two years ago started Shepherd’s Conference with “Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist needs to be a dispensationalist.” This year, “Why every self-respecting Calvinist, evangelical, Christian must be a 6-day Creationist” — the theology of creation. It used to be that whatever the Bible taught trumped all […]

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