In this post, Chris Hanna summarizes the exciting conference sponsored by PRTS last week.
Last week was the fifth Puritan Reformed Conference and about 500 people from around the world turned out for it.
Dr. David Murray opened the conference on Thursday night with a stirring message from God’s Word on Living Positively: Cultivating Faith in a Negative Culture. Dr. Michael Barrett followed with a powerful message on Living Out Our Faith from Colossians 3:1-17.
Everyone returned Friday morning to the Prince Conference Center with expectations of being blessed under the preached Word. The Lord used Dr. Ian Hamilton’s opening message to wonderfully remind us that Christians are living by the means of God’s grace and that it is He who bends the cosmos to beautify His children.
Dr. Joel Beeke presented a historical-theological overview of 17th century Puritan William Gouge entitled, Living in the Family: Thoughts from William Gouge. Christians living in the 21st century would do well to reexamine Gouge’s profitable instruction on marriage and raising children in a Christ-centered home.
After the lunch break on Friday, Rev. Brian Croft wisely and tenderly led us through Proverbs 5, in his address on Living Morally in a Sexually Immoral World.
This year’s breakout sessions included insightful and practical addresses from Rev. Croft on Living through Sickness and Death, Dr. William VanDoodewaard on Living the Christian Life in the Workplace, Rev. John Tweeddale on Living on Things Above: John Owen on Spiritual Mindedness, and Rev. Brian Najapfour on Living Evangelistically.
Dr. Hamilton gave the day’s final address on Living by the Spirit’s Sanctifying Ministry. This warm, rich, experiential message lifted hearts and minds in contemplation of the glorious work of the Holy Spirit in shaping the people of God after the image of Jesus Christ.
Saturday morning started off with the annual prayer meeting. This year’s gathering was led by Cornelius Van Kempen.
Rev. John Tweeddale brought the opening address and offered us practical lessons from the book of Judges in his helpful and convicting message on Living Hopefully in Hard Times: Slouching toward Canaan.
Dr. Gerald Bilkes in his closing address, Living in the Furnace of Affliction, masterfully pointed out that what we experience by way of suffering in this life is not to be considered strange, but necessary for the removal of the dross of this earthly life, for our loving heavenly Father desires to see in us the reflection of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Both audio and video recordings of most of the addresses can be found on the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary’s page of SermonAudio.com.
A special thanks goes to Steven Lee and his team at Sermon Audio for live streaming this year’s conference and for posting the recording online.
Several ministries participated in the conference. In addition to Sermon Audio, exhibitors included The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Credo Books, Jubilee Women’s Ensemble, Practical Shepherding, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Reformation Heritage Books, Sermon Audio, Trinitarian Bible Society, and 20Schemes.
Reformation Heritage Books sold over $12,000 worth of Reformed, experiential, Christian literature. Banner of Truth Publishing and 20Schemes Ministry both addressed seminary students in a special breakout session. And, once again, the Jubilee Women’s Ensemble blessed everyone with a season of special music on Friday evening.
Thanks for an outstanding conference. All the talks were very informative and a blessing to hear. I attended Dr. William VanDoodewaard’s talk on Living the Christian Life in the Workplace. That was a very good talk with lots of very useful information. He was gracious enough to talk some more later that evening to me personally and I was grateful for that. Take care and God bless !!
Don’t forget the always beneficial Q&A time and much time spent in wonderful Christian fellowship!
It was a pleasure to be with you to introduce PRTS students and those who attended the PR Conference to the work of planting gospel churches among Scotland’s unreached poor (20schemes.com). Thanks again for the hospitality and the invitation. It was a very enjoyable conference. I look forward to being back with you next year, Lord willing.
It truly was an awesome event that blessed my wife and I greatly. I hope that we are able to attend future conferences. Many thanks to all those responsible.