Conference = Overload. Consequently, I've learned to distill my takeaways to just a few so that I still have them a week later. At the last Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels talked about axioms (proverbs) as powerful tools to condense and distribute values.
So with that in mind, I've condensed my takeaways from the Gospel Coalition National Conference '09 to a few axioms. My hope is to retain the axioms even if I never look back at my notes. What follows are my axioms and the speaker who's message I derived them from. (For direct quotes I have, oddly enough, employed quote marks.)
People who see idols everywhere preach the Gospel well.
(Keller; this quote was the most valuable to me for ministry.)
"Son, none of this depends on you... and so take courage."
(Piper; this quote was the most personally meaningful to me)
The faithful servant leader does not fight to win. He fights for the Gospel to win.
(Driscoll)
He who always raises his voice is ignored in a real crisis.
(Driscoll)
"Misdirected love expresses itself in misdirected energies and pursuits."
(Copeland)
"You can arrange the wood but only God can send the fire."
(Copeland)
"The neurotic rooster believes the sun is comin' up because he's crowin'".
(Copeland)
"Don't let the pulpit drive you to the Word. Let the Word drive you to the pulpit."
(By way of Keller--a Dutch proverb.)
"Even an apostle must read." (2 Tim 4:13)
(Spurgeon, by way of Duncan)
A faithful Gospel-centered life will not guarantee that you don't end up all alone.
(Duncan)
The only flex in the Gospel is found in the sacrifices of the messenger's life.
(Carson)
Hey Kevin,
One, of many, that I liked was "We must answer the questions that they are asking, then answer the questions they should be asking." -Ajith Fernando
Posted by: Steve Fuentes | April 23, 2009 at 10:27 PM
That's a great one, Steve. I missed Ajith so thanks for sharing it. Plan to listen to him when they post the mp3's.
Posted by: Kevin | April 23, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Tim Keller is one of the best Pastors that I know. (Listen to his sermon Lord of the Wine) I think every Pastor should listen to a free Itunes series from Reformed Theological seminary by Tim Keller and Edmund Clowney entitled 'Preaching Christ in a Post-Modern World. If you go to the Itunes store and look it up, you can download it for free. If nothing else, all Pastors should listen to the first one, the introduction. It may just change the way you preach.
My fav Keller quote
"Church is a hospital for sinners, not a trophy case for saints."
Coleen Sharp
http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/
Brighton, CO
Posted by: Coleen | April 24, 2009 at 04:24 PM