From One Degree to Another

The conference ended yesterday morning with Ramez Atallah, secretary of the Bible society in Egypt.  The DG Conference always ends with a missions emphasis so that we can be reminded that all we’ve gained in this conference is meant to be deployed in God’s mission to bring all peoples into enjoyment of Himself.  Here’s my few tweets from this session.  Ramez had a gripping story that roped me in and I was drawn to listen at times rather than get a note down.  Here’s my few tweets:


#dgpascon Ramez Atallah, secretary of Bible society in Egypt, is speaking now…


#dgpascon a Christian leader has to have vision, seeing things others don’t see, and point people towards this


#dgpascon pastors must trust God’s sovereignty


#dgpascon church in Egypt was planted by John Mark (who wrote the Gospel of Mark) who was martyred and used in spite of weakness


RT: Ramez Atallah: “When I came to understand the gospel for the first time, I knew that this was what my peopled needed.” #dgpascon


After this session, we got on the road and returned home.  I’m still processing all of these notes, as you can see, but feel really blessed by God to have gotten to enjoy this conference.  

After lunch, Piper came and gave a biography on J.C. Ryle.  This talk really helped show what manhood looked like in the life of a historical figure.  Manhood requires courage.  Here’s my tweets:


#dgpascon time for @JohnPiper ‘s bio of JC Ryle #bringit


#dgpascon God has given Christianity a masculine flare


#dgpascon the masculine feel of Christianity is liable to serious misunderstanding and abuse.


#dgpascon 8 features of masculine ministry…1) masculine ministry puts men at head to take the first bullets of criticism


#dgpascon 2) masculine ministry seizes full-orbed doctrine, pressing it into life of people


#dgpascon Ryle took on jellyfish clergyman who lacked doctrinal nerve


#dgpascon 3) masculine ministry brings out rugged aspects of Christian life // sanctification is war!


#dgpascon 4) masculine ministry takes heavy, weighty things (like hell) and never shrinks back from the truth of it


#dgpascon 5) masculine ministry heralds the Scriptures with urgency and forcefulness


#dgpascon 6) masculine ministry welcomes cost of courageous leadership w/o grumbling & complaining for progress of church


#dgpascon 7) masculine ministry publicly & privately promote mobilizing people (women), fully engaging all people in ministry


#dgpascon 8) masculine ministry models caring for wife and children for the good of the church


There are moments as Piper was speaking that I was filled with praise to God for the faithful life of Ryle.  But, deeper still, I recognized the calling upon my life requires courage and boldness as well.


After this session, we had a break for dinner, then, Doug Wilson returned for an evening session on Father Hunger and the Church.  My tweets:


#dgpascon the Gospel means you are privileged to carry your sin around like David carried Goliath’s head (in victory)


#dgpascon we need teachers, instructors & fathers but acknowledge we have One Mediator between God & man. Don’t let them step in between.


#dgpascon role of fatherhood in church esv.to/1cor4:15-16 church & family are not plan a & plan b but plan a & plan a


#dgpascon we need fathers because we can only learn some things by imitation. God designed it this way.


#dgpascon our job as fathers is not to get them to live by the standard but to love the standard


#dgpascon we’re scared by masculine piety


#dgpascon two kinds of authority: of office & of blessing, fruit of death and resurrection, taking responsibility


#dgpascon worship of God the Father fills checkbook: it fuels spiritual responsibility


#dgpascon when we call people to the Father … We are calling people to be like Him


#dgpascon do you want traditional, godly fathers without God the Father? you are dreaming. We were made for this…


#dgpascon when you come to worship corporately, you come to a person (the Father),through Jesus, and are affected, battling unbelief


Again, Wilson brought great God-honoring, Gospel-filled truth.  We need to raise the standard for manhood in the church and not apologize for it.  God has made us for this.  In fact, the power of the Holy Spirit magnifies Jesus because He brings us to the Father.  This direction shows us what our lives were meant for: the glorify the Father.  We reflect this reality in church life.  

On Tuesday, we kicked off the morning with a sermon from Crawford Loritts entitled Lessons Learned from his father.  My tweets:


#dgpc Crawford speaking about his human father’s “signature over his soul” ending up in esv.to/gal5


#dgpascon greatness has to do with staying power…passing on integrity to another generation…not pop fads


#dgpascon manhood is not a private matter but public… Manhood is the desired destination we are meant to arrive in, a holy continuity


#dgpascon wanted to be like my father…not 4th member of Trinity. He wasn’t perfect. He had integrity.


#dgpascon manhood is based on responsibility: being courageous, faithful, keeping promises


#dgpascon being father and husband means doing things we don’t feel like doing to keep our responsibilities


RT: Every 28 days a woman is reminded of who she is. A man knows he’s a man only when a key man tells him so. @CrawfordLoritts #dgpascon


#dgpascon a real man embraces responsibility


#dgpascon out of struggle comes strength: sacrifice for what’s important


#dgpascon out of strength comes discipline: don’t do what you feel like


#dgpascon out of discipline comes integrity: we should speak once // 3 things not tolerated: dishonesty, disobedience, disrespect


#dgpascon respect is incubator for honor


#dgpascon out of integrity comes inheritance: how people treat you should never define you, don’t let people recruit u to insecurities/fears


#dgpascon “do right” – all we have to give to next generation is what we’ve become


#dgpascon don’t minimize Spirit’s work producing Christlike character in you esv.to/gal5:22-23


Crawford’s talk was largely biographical, but really helped demonstrate what a life devoted to Biblical manhood looks like in flesh and blood.  It was very helpful.


After Crawford, Darrin Patrick, lead pastor of The Journey Church in STL, spoke on Being and Building Men for the Local Mission.  My tweets:


@darrinpatrick #dgpascon esv.to/Gal 5:16-6:2 scariest thing about being leader is when you lead, people follow


#dgpascon we produce and reproduce what we are @darrinpatrick


#dgpascon how do we build men as God is building us as men? Spiritual fruit = spiritual freedom = biblical masculinity


#dgpascon false teachers said Jesus + Law, Paul is writing Galatians to fight this, giving Biblical view of obeying, working from acceptance


#dgpascon botanical metaphor in esv.to/Gal5 is the most masculine thing in the Bible – explains how men change


#dgpascon struggle for holiness is sign of Spirit’s presence… Fruit grows painfully and interdependently


#dgpascon don’t measure you maturity by comparing yourself to others but by looking to Jesus


#dgpascon you can’t legislate inner character esv.to/gal5:23 law can only deal with results not source … Fruit is inward


#dgpascon only Spirit can do spiritual transformation not mere behavior modification.


#dgpascon God’s growth is gradual. Spike it: esv.to/gal5:24 we are as loved and accepted by Father as Jesus is


#dgpascon crucify your flesh, kill it. Helpful to know what you’re hunting. esv.to/gal5:16-18 under law = accept me b/c of this


#dgpascon key to killing flesh is physical flesh: you need some brosesv.to/gal6:1-3


#dgpascon fruit grows in environment of brotherhood. Men who are surgeons not butchers, cutting to heal carefully, setting fractures


After Darrin’s session, my heart was super-encouraged by Gospel truth.  My greatest need as a man is the Gospel.  Darrin pointed us here and and while there is some work to pursue in obedience, the Gospel makes it possible and richly explored.  


This wrapped up Tues AM.