Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, Kentucky with a group of some of the pastoral staff and small group leaders at Lighthouse. The Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference is aimed at equipping pastors and other church leaders, and this year’s theme celebrated the upcoming 500th birthday of the Protestant Reformation.
It was a wonderful time of hearing from God’s Word and fellowship with some of the other men at Lighthouse. Each day of the conference was jam-packed with singing, sermons, break-out sessions, and times of fellowship, but here are a few of my take-aways from this year’s T4G:
This was my first time at T4G and one of the things that I looked forward to most was the corporate worship time. It certainly did not disappoint. It’s quite an experience joining in theologically-rich, God-glorifying song with ten thousand other voices and one piano. One of the new hymns that I loved was “He Will Hold Me Fast.”
2. The Faithful and Passionate Preaching of God’s Word
What a treat it was to sit under the preaching of such gifted men like John Piper, Mark Dever, John MacArthur, and Matt Chandler! Each of the messages left me in awe of a great and sovereign God. One thing that they repeatedly emphasized was the need for theological precision. These men’s examples impressed on me the weighty need to faithfully preach the Word. I thought Kevin DeYoung’s sermon on sanctification was particularly helpful and worth listening to. (All resources will be available at www.t4g.org) Here is a clip of Kevin Deyoung’s message on “Heaven without Holiness”.
3. The Legacy of the Reformers
In light of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses which ignited the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, many of the speakers mentioned the contributions of the reformers in defending the faith and the authority of Scripture. Even to this day, their radical lives challenge us and instruct us. David Platt’s message (another one worth listening to!) addressed this very point, as he talked about what compelled the reformers to give their lives and how we consequently ought to live.
4. Fellowshipping Together
I loved fellowshipping with the rest of the group over delicious barbecue, encouraging conversations, and even yelling in excitement as we were watching Kobe’s final game at midnight in our hotel room. The week at T4G was a blessed opportunity to talk with people I don’t otherwise often get the chance to talk with (including the guys at Zoe!) and it was an awesome reminder of God’s gracious gift of the church family.
Looking forward to T4G 2018!
– Francis
