In Jeremiah 2:13, God describes the sin of His people this way: “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Sin is not only that we do wrong, but that we are wrong at the deepest levels of our existence. We are not just imperfect, but morally and spiritually insane. Ultimately, our problem with sin is a problem with with God.

Here’s a helpful definition of sin by pastor, John Piper:

What is sin?
It is the glory of God not honored.
The holiness of God not reverenced.
The greatness of God not admired.
The power of God not praised.
The truth of God not sought.
The wisdom of God not esteemed.
The beauty of God not treasured.
The goodness of God not savored.
The faithfulness of God not trusted.
The commandments of God not obeyed.
The justice of God not respected.
The wrath of God not feared.
The grace of God not cherished.
The presence of God not prized.
The person of God not loved.
That is sin.
—John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions, 206

As we grow in our Christian life we grow in our understanding of how great a problem the problem of sin really is. A right understanding of sin, of course, helps us better understand what it is that Jesus Christ did for us: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

This week we published a series of three posts including videos from last year’s Clarus Q&A with speakers, G.K. Beale and Carl Trueman (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). The theme was, “Scripture: God Speaks,” and the questions ranged from how we got the Bible to how we should listen to sermons.

By way of reminder, Clarus ’12 is just around the corner, March 9-11, and will be hosted here at Desert Springs Church. Speakers, D.A. Carson and Fred G. Zaspel will address the theme, “The Cross-Shaped Christian Life.”

To whet your appetite for this year’s conference, enjoy this round up of fifteen 2-10 minute video clips from last year’s Q&A.

1. What is the relationship between Jesus as the Word and Scripture as the Word?
2. What is the relationship between the nature of God and the nature of Scripture?
3. Is Scripture personal or propositional?
4. Historically, what has the church considered to be the most essential Christian beliefs?
5. How did the Bible become the Bible?
6. Are some Bible stories just borrowed myths?
7. Are there contradictions in the Bible?
8. Why do we call the Bible inerrant?
9. Is the Bible clear? If so, then why so many denominations?
10. Recommended reading on the doctrine of Scripture.
11. What is the tribulation and are we in it?
12. Is the preaching of the Word of God the Word of God?
13. How should we listen to sermons?
14. Is the idea of a “quiet time” helpful or unhelpful?
15. Is newer technology helping or hurting the way we think?

You can also read the Clarus ’11 Recap for a summary of last year’s conference including photos and links to conference audio. And visit the Clarus page for more information or to register for this year’s conference.

This is the third installment in a three part blog series with videos from the Q&A with G.K. Beale and Carl Trueman on last year’s conference theme, “Scripture: God Speaks.” What follows are videos 11-15:

Question 11: What is the tribulation and are we in it?

Question 12: Is the preaching of the Word of God the Word of God?

Question 13: How should we listen to sermons?

Question 14: Is the idea of a “quiet time” helpful or unhelpful?

Question 15: Is newer technology helping or hurting the way we think?

Visit the Clarus page for more information or to register for this year’s conference, “The Cross-Shaped Christian Life,” with D.A. Carson and Fred Zaspel, March 9-11.

Yesterday we posted part one of a three part blog series with videos from the Q&A with G.K. Beale and Carl Trueman on last year’s conference theme, “Scripture: God Speaks.” What follows are videos 6-10:

Question 6: Are some Bible stories just borrowed myths?

Question 7: Are there contradictions in the Bible?

Question 8: Why do we call the Bible inerrant?

Question 9: Is the Bible clear? If so why so many denominations?

Visit the Clarus page for more information or to register for this year’s conference, “The Cross-Shaped Christian Life,” with D.A. Carson and Fred Zaspel, March 9-11.

With Clarus ’12 a little over one month away, we’ve decided to whet your appetite for this year’s conference with some clips from last year’s Q&A with speakers G.K. Beale and Carl Trueman. Over the next few weeks we will release three post of five videos each from the Q&A on last year’s conference theme, “Scripture: God Speaks.”

Question 1: What is the relationship between Jesus as the Word and Scripture?

Question 2: What is the relationship between the nature of God/Scripture?

Question 3: Is Scripture personal or propositional?

Question 4: Historically, what are the most essential Christian beliefs?

Question 5: How did the Bible become the Bible?

Visit the Clarus page for more information or to register for this year’s conference, “The Cross-Shaped Christian Life,” with D.A. Carson and Fred Zaspel, March 9-11.