I made it home from Banner late Thursday night and spent most of the day yesterday recovering and readjusting. What a blessing it was to be able to attend! Several times before I even registered for the conference, I almost changed my mind about going. Even after I registered I had second thoughts. Our enemy is crafty, but thanks be to God that the Spirit enabled me to overcome such temptation. Being fed by the fellowship with brothers and by the wisdom of the speakers was just what my soul needed.

On the way home we stopped for dinner and Rev. Welsford asked me to sum up the conference for him in three words or less. After talking him into giving me a fourth word, I said it was, "take my calling seriously". The theme of the whole thing was, "A Preacher's Task," and throughout the speakers focused on the calling and duty of the preacher in shepherding and feeding their flocks. Seeing all of these Christian soldiers gather at this event this week (some even being wounded from fierce battles) reminded me of just what the Lord is calling me to. I am not fit in and of myself for the task, that is sure. But I came away with a greater confidence and hope that God is much bigger than my deficiencies and is more than able to overcome any part of me that gets in the way of serving him.

To serve him faithfully, I must rest in his grace and take my calling seriously. This first hit home when speaker Craig Troxel reminded us Tuesday night of the picture painted for us in the words of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress where Christian comes to the Interpreter's house and sees the men pouring water on a flame trying to put it out. But as they poured the water on it, they were unsuccessful. Why? Because there was another Man pouring oil into the flame on the other side and it was keeping the flame burning. Here we see that our Great Lord and Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is feeding the flame by the sufficient provision of the Holy Spirit (represented by the oil). So it is with us as men called to serve. Paul calls Timothy (and us) to "fan into flame the gift of God" in 2 Timothy 1:6. Surely we must fan the flame with our exercise of the gift that God is given but we must not forget that we did not light the flame. As Rev. Troxel put it, "we are called to fan what we cannot kindle." Oh that I would ever remember that the gift given to me by God is not of my own inherent ability but a precious gift; a gift given for the use and sake of the Giver of that gift. To take my calling seriously, I must serve to glorify and honor God in humble dependence and thankfulness.

On Thursday morning, Rev. Ian Hamilton spoke to us regarding the minister's character. He exalted the Lord Jesus as the ultimate model of true servant ministry by unfolding Isaiah 42:1-4 for us. From this passage he revealed four things that we must behold and imitate of the Servant Jesus: (1) His complete dependence on God, (2) His unyielding faithfulness to God, (3) his personal humility before God, and (4) His unimaginable grace that magnifies God. This was a fantastic message and I was specifically challenged by the calls to practice grace (not just preach it) and to have a deep and sincere heart for God's people. To take my calling seriously, I need reflect the ministry of the Servant Jesus in my own life and truly love and care for God's people in a way that they know that their good is of the utmost importance to me. The people I will be called to minister to must know and see in my life that I have a deep commitment to serve them - not just in word but in deed.

And this is but just a sampling of the way God worked in my heart this week...