The Shepherd's Conference

Tuesday, we (Bob H, John B, Richard Ashby, Ron Spencer and myself) leave for Los Angeles to attend John MacArthur's 'Shepherd's Conference'. We will be there through Friday evening and will return home Saturday morning.

This will make the 5th Shepherd's Conference I've attended. John B and Richard will see their fourth and Bob, his third. We eagerly look forward to what we see and hear each year and it always proves to be one of the high points in our ongoing education and study.

I've always viewed it as an inexpensive opportunity to sit under the teaching of some of the great theological minds of our times, the ones that people will be reading about for many years to come. This year, we will hear MacArthur and his staff, Phil Johnson, Rick Holland and others. Al Mohler will be there as will Steve Lawson and Tom Pennington.

We chose this conference as one of those we aim for each year for a number of reasons:

First of all, in spite of what you may like or dislike about John MacArthur (I like him and my respect grows greater for him each year), he manages, every year, to bring a balanced and Scripturally sound group of men together to minister to pastors and church leaders. All the teaching is straight out of the Bible and we get to be blessed by men who have devoted their lives to relating the truth of God's Word in a clear and concise style.

Secondly, these three days are a huge return on the cost of the conference. MacArthur's congregation takes tremendous care if us, feeding us and coddling us throughout the day. The days themselves are jammed pack with sessions, workshops and lectures. We begin at 8AM and go solidly until 9 PM and later every day. There's literally no time for sightseeing or recreational activities like is found at many other conferences. John M. has told us before, "We only have you with us for a short while. We're going to cram as much into that time as we possibly can."

Third, we will come home with a host of new materials and resources. Frequently, the stuff we pick up in California has major impact on the things we teach and share throughout the year.

Finally, we all, somehow, come back exhausted but refreshed and energized. Our batteries have been taxed, drained and recharged all at the same time.

I'll be blogging daily on the conference, starting Wednesday evening, if you would like track along with us.



There are more conferences coming up. Early Spring is the time of year for this. We will go to Louisville for the 'Together for the Gospel' conference in April (15th - 17th). This one features Al Mohler, Ligon Duncan, CJ Mahaney, Mark Dever, John MacArthur, John Piper and RC Sproul. It promises to be one of the best we've ever attended!

In May, we go to Alistair Begg's 'Basics 2008' conference, in Cleveland Ohio. This is another powerhouse of teaching and study. Last year we took 8 guys with us and we hope to have a larger group this year. The dates are May 12-14. We drive there, leaving Monday morning and returning shortly after dinner Wednesday evening. If you're interested in joining us, let me know. I promise you will not be disappointed!