Conference Reminder

Don't forget! The 9th annual Mid-Michigan Conference on Reformed Theology is coming up in just over three weeks. Make sure you take advantage of this great time of fellowship and teaching on October 27th.

The conference this year will focus on the theme of Genesis: Five Testimonies to Grace. The speakers (all pastors from throughout the region) are:

• Doug Graham (Knox Presbyterian Church) speaking on Adam
• Robert Dickie (Berean Baptist Church) speaking on Enoch
• Jason Roddy (Pilgrim Presbyterian Church) speaking on Abraham
• Mark Hudson (Tyrone Covenant Presbyterian Church) speaking on Jacob
• Hal Polk (Calvary Presbyterian Church) speaking on Joseph

If you would like more information (or would like to access audio from past years' messages), you can access the conference page on Calvary's website by clicking here.

Mid-Michigan Conference on Reformed Theology

One of my favorite events each year at Calvary is the Mid-Michigan Conference on Reformed Theology. Since 2004 we have hosted this annual conference the Saturday of Reformation Weekend. Our twin goals are providing excellent teaching as well as developing fellowship among like-minded Christians across our region. The eight previous conferences have largely succeeded in meeting these goals, and there is little doubt that this year's event on October 27th will further accomplish them.

Our theme this year will be Genesis: Five Testimonies to Grace, as each of the conference's five speakers will share with us from the Bible's opening book. Our speakers this year (all pastors from throughout the region) are:

• Doug Graham (Knox Presbyterian Church) speaking on Adam
• Robert Dickie (Berean Baptist Church) speaking on Enoch
• Jason Roddy (Pilgrim Presbyterian Church) speaking on Abraham
• Mark Hudson (Tyrone Covenant Presbyterian Church) speaking on Jacob
• Hal Polk (Calvary Presbyterian Church) speaking on Joseph

For more information (or to access audio from past years' messages), you can click here to visit the conference page on our church website. You can also download a brochure by clicking here. 

Love Jesus More Than Your Theology

I recently entered the "Twittersphere."  By the way, if you'd like to follow me, you can click here. What I have found on Twitter is that I have been blessed by the many edifying tweets I read on a daily basis.  This morning one such tweet that came from Anthony Bradley read, "The idolatry of precision & certainty tempts Calvinists to assume they have no blindspots."

This led to a discussion with my senior pastor, Hal Polk, in which he made comment that I found quite helpful.  The essence of it was that we always need to remember that though their theological constructs might not be as good as ours, many Arminians are far better Christians than we are.

Certainly, my prayer is that I might always strive to know truth and to know it truly.  But may I always love Jesus far more than my theology.

Take My Yoke Upon You

Yesterday at Calvary, Reverend Polk preached a wonderful message on Matthew 11:28-30, in which Jesus proclaims, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Two observations that he made which I found to be quite helpful were the following:

"We labor in Christ not hoping for some great reward, but because that great reward is already ours, not on the grounds of our works, but because of the faith he has already generated in our minds and hearts. We labor not because we’e anxious, but because we’re grateful, and that makes keeping the law a pleasure and not a burden."

and

"As Christians we are called to serve Christ in our lives as individuals, but we are also called to serve him together...The yoke Jesus speaks of not only binds us to him and his purposes individually, but it also binds us to one another."

These two facts inform how we are to respond to the grace of God, both in how we relate to him and in how we relate to each other. May the Lord use these truths in our hearts and minds this week to conform us to the image of Christ.