Post-T4G 2008 Thoughts
Having missed T4G 2006, I was excited to attend this recent one. Here are some of my random impressions and thoughts:
- R.C. Sproul is really getting old. He had to sit on a stool during his lecture/preaching.
- Al Mohler’s address was too over-the-head. I saw the heads of most of the attendees trying to keep their heads up to catch what Mohler was trying to say.
- Both Mark Dever’s and John MacArthur’s messages were dead-on for my ministry and personal situation. Mark Dever reassurred me to not compromise Scripture in favor of cultural situations. And John MacArthur’s testimony that if ministry was about him, his personality, his giftedness, his talents, etc., he wouldn’t make it in ministry.
- John Piper’s sermon was his usual excellence.
- Thabiti “Alphabet-Soup”’s message, I only heard the last 5 minutes because of a dinner engagement I had. But what I did hear of the last 5 minutes, it was powerful. I believe he is the ONLY speaker who received a standing ovation at the end. I’ll have to download the mp3 later to listen to his message in its entirety.
- Ligon Duncan’s message was also good, but I had already heard a similar address from him during PCRT 2005.
- My colleagues wanted to leave right after John Piper’s message because the drive back was an 8 hour drive (plus 1 hour for lunch and 1 hour for dinner) - thus a 10 hour travel we had estimated. So I didn’t get to hear C.J. Mahaney’s message. We left at 11am, and finally arrived in Rockville, MD at 10pm - an 11 hour travel. There was a 1 hour delay in traffic due to a major freeway accident where we had seen a fire truck, a police car, and a water tanker rush through the stalled traffic to get to a flaming semi. Although I wanted to see and hear C.J. Mahaney’s message, I’m glad we left early.
- I had the opportunity to meet with Bob Selph at ARBCA and discuss church planting sponsorship with ARBCA.
- I heard some people (including the Sovereign Grace guys) complain the worship being too boring compared to 2006. But it was still too charismatic for me.
- There was one pastor among the attendees who has been pastoring for 55 years - 7 years in one church and 48 years in his current church. Now, that’s impressive.
The audio downloads are already available at Sovereign Grace Ministry’s website. And best of all: it’s FREE!
