Kidney Stones and Hardness of Heart

…the child of God has not total and final hardness of heart, but has a sensibleness of it, he feels and sees it.  Total hardness feels nothing, but a Christian that has hardness of heart, feels that he has it; as a man that has a stone in his bladder, feels and knows that he has a stone.  (Sibbes, The Tender Heart, 41-42)

I have never had a kidney stone.  But I can say with a pretty firm confidence that I do not want one.  This quote leads me to ask myself whether or not I grieve my occasional hardness of heart towards the Lord as I would grieve a kidney stone? 

Does an absence of strong affections for Jesus cause me pain like passing a kidney stone would?

Don’t Drown in Biblical Illiteracy, Get on the Arc

An amazing resource for any serious Bible student is Biblearc.com.  If you are unfamiliar with arcing then head over to bible arc and check it out.  I will warn you, arcing is a huge brain strain, but the payoff is wonderful. 

A new part of Bible Arc is Arc Blogs.  I would highly recommend learning how to arc (for the full experience you should pay 10 bucks and join) and then journeying through these Arc Blogs.  It will assist your Bible study and really help to make the Bible come alive. 

For more on this check out the DG annoucement.  Or watch this video:

Wish I Could Go

 

Will you be attending this year?

Links for the DG Pastor's Conference

This Conference was amazing. I also was honored to get to meet John Piper. It was only brief-- actually only long enough for me to shake his hand and to tell him thank you for his ministry--but it was a wonderful experience. (His light is also borrowed). Here are the links you need:

Session 1: The Pastor as Son of the Heavenly Father by D.A. Carson
Session 2: The Call to Courage by Crawford Loritts
Session 3: The Pastor as Son of an Earthly Father by D.A. Carson
Session 4: Evangelist Bill Piper: Fundamentalist Full of Grace and Joy
Session 5: The Pastor as Father to His Family and Flock by Carson
Session 6: Fathering a Pioneer Mission Ministry by Greg Livingstone
Session 7: Q & A by All Speakers

Tuesday's Breakout Session: Strategy for Fatherhood by Gregg Harris

Or you could just go here, and visit on the links straight from DG.

Desiring God's Pastor's Conference Post 1

I will not give you summaries, DG has effectively shared those. I merely want to share a few observations and blessings (in no particular order) from this conference, thus far.

1. D.A. Carson is far more Canadian than I ever knew. It took me about 10 minutes to figure out what a den-a-stee (dynasty) was.
2. There is a reason for the phenomenal young Harris men. Josh, Joel, Alex, Brett, Isaac, and their 7 year old brother (can't remember his name) have a phenomenal God-centered, intentional, father named Greg Harris.
3. Crawford Loritts, I believe, is missing a knife. At some point during his preaching, one flew forth and cut my heart. (I find, though, that it is not Crawford's knife, but it comes from the knife set that each of us are given in the powerful Word). Make certain to listen to his sermon. If you are a man listen to this. If you know a man listen to this.
4. David Michael (I had lunch with him) is a wonderful humble man of God. Generations of passionate worshippers will owe much of their theological training to God using David and Sally Michael.
5. John Piper will stay later than anyone else to pray for brothers in Christ. This man models the message! Thank God for the John Piper's of the world.
6. I actually can turn down books. The Pastor's Conference bookstore is phenomenal. I figured if I got out with under 50 bucks I'd be succesful. So far I've only gotten two books. If I can only resist the temptress tomorrow.
7. Steve Burlew of Banner of Truth is a really nice guy.
8. The worship here is vibrant. You actually can combine contemporary and traditional, and have nobody notice, because the focus is so unbelievably God-centered that you can't tell which is which.
9. God is really big and beautiful and grand and glorious and I am a very shallow small hypocritacal God-belittiling sinner; and yet because God is such a great beautiful-glorious-majestic-merciful-compassionate-amazing God I am His Son because of the Cross. Wow! I can't help but pray that the Lord might cause me to camp out under the Cross (obviously not to depreciate any other aspect of the Gospel)!
10. I am ever excited about being a father; and yet trembling at this awesome task. To think that I will reflect Almighty God to my son. Therefore, I have also learned anew
11. I really really really really really (ad infinitum) need God's mercy.

DG Pastor's Conference

I am very excited about this upcoming week. Early Monday morning my pastor and I will be heading off to the Desiring God Pastor's Conference. We will be returning late Wednesday evening. I will certainly miss my wife and child but am very happy to be attending. I will be having lunch with David Michael on Tuesday (unless plans change); so, I am very much anticipating that. I will not be at youth group on Wednesday night, Chris will be taking my place again. I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow, and then again later next week. Be praying for safe travel and for the conference. Also, if any fellow bloggers are going send me a comment and let me know you'll be there.