I really enjoy reading Mark Bertrand’s Bible Design and Binding Blog. I recently asked him a question and he gave his opinion and had his readers answer on opening a new Bible. If you’ve ever wondered what is involved in rebinding an old Bible that’s falling apart, this blog is for you.

I have mentioned to some of the incredible power of the sung word we experienced at the conference. Bob Kauflin, who led the music portions of the service, has posted on the songs we sang.

Information continues to abound on Together For The Gospel on the web. I thought Tim Challies wrap up of the conference brought together some of the information well.

For today’s marriage Monday, I want to press a thought that comes from the overarching scope of Scripture. When God matched you with your spouse, He gave you a person who complemented you. Remember when Eve was first shown to Adam in Genesis 2, he confessed “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken from man.” God has given your spouse to you as a tool for your holiness. How often do you avail yourself to this tool?

Often, we think that we have a pretty good grasp on how we are doing spiritually and in other areas of our lives. We tend to give ourselves very good ratings at living the Christian life, honoring God and serving others. It would honor God, though, and serve our souls well if we brought our God-given complement into that discussion. Ask your spouse how it appears you are exercising your role in marriage? Ask your spouse where you could improve in communication? Ask your spouse how you could serve them better? Ask your spouse to expose some weak areas of your life. These exercises will not only expose you to God’s grace (since God opposes the proud but graces the humble) but will allow you to grow in godliness and please the One who has allowed you to enter marriage with that spouse in the first place.

Yes, I know it seems amazing that this is already up, but the audio from this year’s conference is already up and available (for free).

There are so many reflections I have on T4G, I really don’t know where to begin. So, in no order of importance, here are some reflections/info:

• I really enjoyed things better having Elders from my church with me. When I attended 2 years ago, I went by myself and hung out with friends, which was very cool, but frustrating in driving home application. Time spent with the Elders made this conference all the more sweeter.
• Session 1 from Lig reminded me of the importance of systematic theology and the central role it must play in my life and in my church
• Session 2 from Thabiti pointed our leadership to the racial issue that exists and how we need to be wiser in pointing our people to love others.
• Session 3 was vintage MacArthur with clear teaching on depravity.
• Session 4 enouraged me to strive for clarity with the Gospel (preached by Dever).
• Session 5 was one of the best sermons I’ve heard from R.C., pointing us to the OT idea of curse and how Christ became a curse for us.
• Session 6 from Mohler said, “The Gospel has been under attack and will continue to be, so be vigilant.”
• Session 7 from Piper exhorted us to live the Christian life in a radical way and thus shine and salt the earth (by embracing suffering).
• Session 8 from C.J. prepped us for the return home by pointing us to applications in fighting for joy in ministry.
• It was great to see so many old friends, too. Friends I haven’t seen since seminary, brothers who were a part of my wedding and fellow “marching partners in the campaign to advance the Gospel.”
• I am so grateful to Crestview for allowing me to have the privilege of attending.
• I am so honored that my wife (who is roughly 7 1/2 months pregnant) would joyfully serve our family and take care of Andrew and encourage me all week. Thank you love for allowing me to have a great week, you continue to express grace to me.
• I am thankful for the Elders here to correct, exhort, rebuke and encourage when needed.
• I am thankful to God, ultimately, for calling me to minister for His glory. Lord, I don’t deserve this expression of mercy. Help me honor You all my days.
• Almost forgot (which is amazing with my bibliophilic tendencies) to mention the books we got: new books from Packer, Carson, Kauflin; an ESV; books on the atonement, biography from Thabiti, summary of T4G 06, Exploring Christianity, Dever’s book on evangelism, Mohler’s latest, Sproul’s book on the atmonement, updated Gospel According to Jesus from MacArthur, Piper on Justification, a book commenting on the Emergent church and David Wells latest. Whew, what incredible offerings. I also bought some books, so have a bag just of books. What a kind God we have.

Besides all this, though, I really am anxious to return to Hutchinson and to the church I love. We have an exciting Lord’s Day ahead of us, basking in the glory of Christ’s work for us on the cross. That is where I long to be.

Well, the Elders and I have made it to Corydon, IN (home, incidentally, of the only Civil War Battlefield in Indiana). We are about 25 minutes out of Louisville. We left at 7AM today and drove all day. After the change to Eastern time, we got in here at 7PM. So it was a full day of sitting and we are happy to be out of the car. Together for the Gospel registration starts tomorrow morning at 10AM. We plan to get over there around Noon, register, browse the bookstore, and then plunge right in. We are grateful that God has provided us safety today. Furthermore, we had some great discussion on the road. Often, we are hurried and unable to discuss items deeply. We were able to do that today. What a blessing.

At any rate, we are ready for things to get rolling. Pray for us. We want this time to be especially profitable for the Gospel.

Freddy T asks if we are sissys? Here’s the test…

Todd Pruitt posts a helpful summary from Paul Tripp’s recent conference at his church on marriage. Most notably, he demonstrates how marriage, this side of heaven, is always a war between two kingdoms. Here’s a snipet of how he describes this:

Each of us are busily building, advancing, and defending a kingdom. The problem is that I am born with a sinful bent to build, advance, and defend my own kingdom; a kingdom unto myself. My wife, because she is a sinner like me, was born with this same bent. Obviously, when two people who are each trying to rule their own kingdom marry, conflicts will occur.

Check out this post, it is a helpful reminder of how our seeking our own agenda can affect our marriages.

John MacArthur writes on how parents provoke children to wrath. The ones he includes are: overprotection, favortism, pressing them toward unreasonable achievement, discouragement, parent’s failure to sacrifice for kids, not letting them grow up at a normal pace, using love as a tool for reward or punishment and, finally, abuse. God, keep us from these things.