T4G '08 Duncanian Debrief, part one

by lduncan

Thanks again to all of you who have blogged about, or emailed us, or written comments here on the T4G site about your experience at T4G last week. That you have been helped and encouraged brings us much joy because our desire and aim was bound up in serving you and encouraging radically Gospel-oriented life and ministry.

For those of you interested, Tim Challies has a good roundup of T4G resources here. The Christian Post weighed in on T4G here. Collin Hansen (Christianity Today) has offered his account here. Ken Sande (Peacemaker Ministries) gives his take here. And Marshall Shelley (Leadership) submits his mostly positive assessment here.

I plan to walk through a review of T4G here on the blog over the next few days (and maybe weeks) and share some things I learned, and comment upon some particularly meaningful points of edification of which I was a beneficiary.

Posted on April 24, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

T4G '08 Booklist

by lduncan

A bunch of you have asked for a list of the books that we gave away at T4G last week. Matt Schmucker has come to my rescue with the list. Thanks Matt! Oky friends, here it is:

Posted on April 22, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

T4G Books

by lduncan

One of the things i love about T4G is that pastors get lots of really good books, really good books for free! In fact, when you come to T4G, you pretty much make your registration costs back in books. I loved this picture of the stack of T4G book giveaways, by Peter Privitera at "Crossway Life."

Posted on April 21, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

Gratefulness

by lduncan

Friends, just a quick word of thanks to all of you who joined us for T4G'08. I'll be doing some reflecting on what happened in our midst last week, in the days to come on this blog. But for now, let me simply express (on behalf of all of us who had the privilege of serving you at T4G) my appreciation for your fellowship with us in Louisville. Your fellow servant, Ligon

Posted on April 20, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

wwWelcome to Louisville! Pray for our time

by mdever

wLess than 48 hours.  That's not much time together every other year, but praise God for the fruit that He has given us over these last two years from the small investment of time we made in April of 2006. 

Now, we're here again.  And more have joined us.  (And, we're glad to say, in a larger space!)  Much will be the same, but there will be a few new things.  Not least among those is a GREATLY expanded bookstore, which we're sure pastors will appreciate.

Pray for us as we finish preparing our messages.  And thank God for the hundreds of volunteers who got here at their own expense yesterday morning in order to do set up for the bookstore, prepare registration today, and do other things to enable us to meet together in a way that we hope to you   will just seem natural and effortless.  OK, almost effortless.  I guess you did have to get to Louisville!  If you can find a volunteer at Registration, the bookstore or elsewhere to thank, thank them, too!

Again, on behalf of Ligon, CJ & Al, welcome to Louisville.  We look forward to once again being together for the Gospel!

Posted on April 15, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

Pray for us

by mdever

We (the speakers) are all working on our messages.  Pray for us.  And pray for our time together next week.  Many thanks!  We're looking forward to seeing all 5,000 of you there, together for the Gospel!

Posted on April 9, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

Last T4Free and T4G REGISTRATION CLOSES SUNDAY

by mdever

The winner of the last T4Free question is Brian Main of Warren, Ohio.

In his answer to the question, "Piper is going to talk about radical Christian Sacrifice. Provide a true example of radical Christian sacrifice.”

Brian wrote:

“My friend's mom used to cry when she returned to college after visiting home. As her daughter became more intent on pursuing missions in a Muslim country, it was not easy for the mom. But she grew to see the need for such work. After 9/11 she said to her daughter, ‘You need to hurry up and get back over there. They need you.' She sacrificed much by encouraging her daughter - now married and carrying baby #3 - to remain on the mission field. For many, sending your kids can be a bigger sacrifice than going yourself.”

Registration closes this coming SUNDAY NIGHT.

We have to have time to finalize plans for all kinds of stuff. So if you have friends who want to come, we’re in the Convention Center (it’s gigantic) but we’ll have to close registration to work on the specific preparations. Praise God for all the planning coming together. Bob and I have even agreed on all the hymns! (He's been a joy to work with.) Pray for the speakers as they work on their talks. I don’t like mine right now. And pray for all who are planning to come, that God would bless His work and encourage His ministers.

Posted on March 25, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

Promo Videos

by mdever

The 2006 T4G promo videos are completed and can be seen here:

Posted on March 24, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

Winners of T4Free #7 and #8

by mdever

Lots of great book title ideas from all of you on what to name a book with this year's T4G sermons. We'll probably continue to weigh a number of them when we come to actually deciding on a title. Thanks again for your input!

In the meantime, a free T4G registration goes to the first entry which came in, simply because (whether or not we use it) it satisfies the criteria of all good titles--it's both creative and concise:  Sound Systems or Sound Doctrine? Subtitle: "The triumph of truth over technique."

That answer comes from Larry Knowles of Vernon, Vermont. Congratulations, Larry!

AS FOR Question NUMBER 8, it's extremely tempting for me to select the brave brother who nominated the Baptist Hymnal as the "most read book" (aside from the Bible) among the T4G 08 attendees. But I decided to base my decision on statistics. Out of 59 answers provided, several went to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress; several to John Stott's Cross of Christ; a couple to C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity; and several to CJ's books. Ten votes were placed for J. I. Packer's Knowing God. But a whopping TWENTY went to John Piper's Desiring God. If over one-third of the answers went to Desiring God, it's not unreasonable to think that it may be the most read book among T4G attendees.

So the question becomes, which of the twenty nominees shall we credit with the best answer? Whether it's the best or not, we're going with Andy Naselli's short and sweet proposal. Naselli, who lives in Deerfield, Illinois, writes, "This richly theological and warmly devotional best-seller has been the means for sending countless Christians on a trajectory towards theology that is increasingly joyful, robust, God-centered, Christ-exalting, and gospel-treasuring." The only thing missing from Naselli's answer is the additional descriptive "hyphen-making"!

Thanks to everyone for their answers.  And be praying for the conference, and particularly the speakers as we (I!!!!) work on our addresses.

Posted on March 21, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

T4G REGISTRATION TO CLOSE

by mdever

Registration will be open until March 30, 2008. However, there are only about 300 registration spots left. Registration will close when all the spots sell out, so be sure to register soon if you plan to attend.

Posted on March 19, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

LAST T4FREE QUESTION!

by mdever

With the last question for a free T4G 08 registration, we turn to the inspirational. Are you ready? Here it is:

Piper is going to talk about radical Christian Sacrifice. Provide a true example of radical Christian sacrifice.

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

Posted on March 19, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

T4Free question #8 (NEXT TO LAST ONE!)

by mdever

Okay, we're down to the second to last free T4G 08 registration contest question. Here it is:

What Christian book (other than the Bible) do you think has been read by the most people attending T4G 2008, and why?

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

  PS--TELL YOUR FRIENDS--Registration closes soon.

Posted on March 17, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments