Archive for March, 2012


Mar 10

Photos from Friday at Clarus ’12

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Clarus 12

Though Clarus begins on Friday evening, we have a long standing tradition of gathering with area pastors to interact with our conference speakers. Today, 40 Albuquerque area ministers gathered for a lunch sponsored by Children Desiring God and an hour of Q&A with our speakers, D.A. Carson and Fred G. Zaspel. Here are some photos from that event followed by photos from Friday night.

Pastors Luncheon and Q&A

Friday Night

 

Mar 9

Clarus ’12 is Now!

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Clarus 12

Today begins our three day conference on “The Cross-Shaped Christian Life.” Across seven sessions, we will explore the myriad of ways in which the glorious work of Jesus Christ gives shape to our lives as those who are saved by and transformed by the cross.

Here are some Scriptures to read as a primer for the weekend ahead:

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which1 the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
–Galatians 6:14

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. . .
–1 Corinthians 15:3-4

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
–Luke 9:23-24

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

–Romans 8:32

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
–Hebrews 12:1-3

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
–1 Corinthians 1:8

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
–Philippians 3:7-11

The Books and Resources Room opens at 4:30 PM and the first session begins at 6:00 PM. Registration is available online and at the door.

Mar 7

Help for Preaching to Yourself

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Sermon Follow-Up

In Sunday’s message, “How to Really Talk to Yourself,” Ryan preached on the subject of preaching to ourselves from Psalm 42 and 43. In the course of his message, he mentioned two resources.

Here’s the quote Ryan read from a book by Martin Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure:

The first thing we have to learn is [that] we must learn to take ourselves in hand. This man was not content just to lie down and commiserate with himself. He does something about it, he takes himself in hand. This man turns to himself and says: “Why art thou cast down O my soul, why art thou disquieted within me?” He is talking to himself, he is addressing himself.

. . .I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing “ourselves” to talk to us! Do you realize what this means? . . .Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now man’s treatment was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul has been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: “Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.”

. . . You must say to your soul: “Why art thou cast down? – what business have you to be disquieted?” You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: “Hope thou in God” – instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do.

. . .The essence of this matter is to understand that this self of ours, this other man within us, has got to be handled. Do not listen to him; turn on him; speak to him; condemn him; upbraid him; exhort him; encourage him; remind him of what you know, instead of listening placidly to him and allowing him to drag you down and depress you.

Ryan also mentioned a helpful book by Joe Thorn, Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself. This book is comprised of short chapters, each several pages long and focused on an important matter for self-preaching. The chapters in this book fall along three sections, “The Gospel and God,”  “The Gospel and Others,” and “The Gospel and You.” Chapter titles are self explanatory: “Sing,” “Give Thanks,” “God Does Not Answer to You,” “Love Your Wife,” “Forgive,” and “Stop Complaining.” And that’s just a sample of the forty-eight chapters that make up this helpful little resource.

Neither of these books are available in our Resource Center, but both are available at Amazon here and here.

 

Mar 5

Clarus Week is Here: Conference Schedule

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Clarus 12

On Sunday, Ryan preached a sermon, “How to Really Talk to Yourself,” in which he said that preaching truth to ourselves is a main piece of the Christian life. Clarus, which starts this Friday, is something of a crash course for the kinds of things we should be saying to ourselves in the course of our daily self-preaching. Speakers D.A. Carson and Fred G. Zaspel will unfold the Scripture’s teaching on how the cross bears on every aspect of the Christian life. If you haven’t registered yet, click here.

In addition to nine publishers with hundreds of books, we will be joined by Children Desiring God, Peacemaker Ministries, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Here’s a schedule of the weekend with talk titles:

Friday, March 9

6:00 PM  Singing

6:15 PM  Welcome and Introduction

6:30 PM  Session 1 with Fred G. Zaspel
“B.B. Warfield on the Doctrine of Sanctification”

7:30 PM  Break

7:45 PM  Session 2 with D.A. Carson
“Living in a Difficult Time” – 2 Thessalonians 1

Saturday Morning, March 10

8:45 AM  Singing

9:00 AM  Session 3 with Fred G. Zaspel
“Serving as He Served” – John 13:1-17

10:00 AM  Break

10:30 AM  Session 4 with D.A. Carson
“The Saving Word” – James 1:12-25

11:30 AM  Break for Lunch

Saturday Afternoon, March 10

1:30 PM  Saturday Special Session: “Resolving Everyday Conflict,” with Rick Friesen from Peacemaker Ministries

3:00 PM  Afternoon Break

Saturday Night, March 10

6:00 PM  Singing

6:15 PM  Session 5 with Fred Zaspel
“Forgiving As Forgiven” – Matthew 18:15-35

7:15 PM  Break

7:30 PM  Session 6, Panel Discussion with D.A. Carson and Fred G. Zaspel

Sunday, March 11

9:00 AM & 10:45 AM  Corporate Worship with D.A. Carson
“Christians Living in the Last Days” – 2 Timothy 3:1-4:8

Mar 2

The Cross, Church Architecture, and Spiritual Disciplines

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Clarus 12

Over the past few weeks, we’ve posted excerpts from the free books that will be given to Clarus attendees during the conference (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3). The last book, compliments of Cruciform Press, has a title that matches our conference theme nicely.

Cruciform: Living the Cross-Shaped Life, by Jimmy Davis, is rich with quotes like these:

“Here in the 21st century we need more cruciform churches. Not lavish cathedrals but living communities of disciples being shaped by the cross into the shape of the cross for the glory of God and the good of our neighbors, the nations, and the next generation. Our best hope is to cooperate with The Architect, who promised he would build his church, as we join him to form our families, small groups, and churches into “cruciform communities.” Such com­munities visibly show and verbally share the message of the cross because they are made up of people who have been vibrantly shaped by that message.”

“At one particular point in my life I realized I had been practicing ‘cross-less devotions.’ I was working hard at spending time with God while forgetting the very gospel that permits and prompts me to do so. We are not to practice Bible reading, fasting, solitude, prayer, and other disciplines to make God happy with us but to make space to hear how happy God is with us because of Jesus. When I have a quiet time in order to get God to love me, I am a legalist who “slaves away” to earn the favor of God, not a loved son who enjoys fellowship with his Father. The purpose of spiritual disciplines is to make room in my life to “repent and believe in the gospel” . . .Cross-shaped spiritual disciplines enable me to hear God the Father say that I already have his accep­tance and approval through God the Son, so that I can now work with him in the resurrection power that God the Spirit supplies . . .When my spiritual disciplines are shaped by the cross, then whatever spiritual discipline I practice, my aim is the same: to feed by faith on Jesus Christ as he is offered in the gospel.”

Visit the Cruciform Press website for more books by this fine new publisher, and read about their unique vision for publishing. Conference discounts will be available on numerous books by Cruciform Press in the Clarus Books and Resources Room.

Clarus is a Regional Conference of The Gospel Coalition taking place March 9-11 with speakers D.A. Carson and Fred G. Zaspel. Visit the Clarus page for more information or to register for this year’s conference.