Ben Zornes
First off we had the pre-conference seminars. The “Sexual Apologetics” for Church Leaders, taught by Pastor Doug, was full of wisdom, insight, and provoking encouragement as to how to stand firm for biblical truth in the midst of a sexually confused generation.
Some quotes from the Pastor Doug:
- The point is to win the person, not the argument; but this doesn’t mean we don’t pursue the argument!
- God created a world in which He is the God of that world, & in which logic & reason are subservient to Him!
- God couldn’t create a world in which He was not God.
The ladies had a “Dangerous Women” seminar. A lot of great sessions from the Femina Girls.
Dr. Tim Edwards laid the theological groundwork for the rest of the conference, teaching that the Psalms are filled with teaching on creation. In essence, the Scriptures are primarily a book to instruct us, not merely inform us. Thus, defending creationism is not merely about scientific proofs (though those have their place), it is about defending God’s story of redemption.
ND Wilson spoke on “Fantastical Realism”, and made the case that Christians must understand that we live in a world that is God’s. So, we must learn to not be apologetic for this reality. Darwinism wants to be in the position of naming the animals, when God has given dominion to His Son and His people.
Dr. Gordon Wilson offered “7 Evolution Busters”. The burden of proving how the universe came into being in the Darwinian model is impossibly heavy. Whereas Christians have a firm starting place, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1).”
Dr. John Sanford, a geneticist from Cornell University, spoke on genetic entropy, in a talk entitled “All Creation Groans”. His expertise in genetics showed the incredible fact that mutations are not moving in a direction favorable to supporting the Darwinian worldview.
Pastor Douglas Wilson wrapped up the weekend with a stirring reminder: “Darwin as Wrecking Ball”. Our culture has begun to be shaped more and more by the mindset that we are simply matter in motion; rather than the glory of being made in the image of man. We as Christians must stand firm in teaching the world that Scripture is authoritative in all things for all things.
We had a blast, and hope that as the sessions are made available online (stay tuned), those who could not attend can be encouraged as well! Looking forward to next year’s GraceAgenda– 500 Years of Reformation (March 31-April 1, 2017)!