This week I am headed to Indianapolis for The Gospel Coalition National Conference. Looks to be a fun week with a great lineup of speakers and a wonderful theme: “Alive Together: Faithful Living in a Faithless Age” (a study of the book of Ephesians).
In addition to catching up with friends over coffee and meals, my schedule is filled with a number of breakout sessions and panel discussions. Here are the highlights over a very busy two days on Tuesday, April 22, and Wednesday, April 23:
1. TGC Breakout Sessions. I am part of two different TGC-sponsored breakout sessions, and also one for RTS (see #2 below):
Tuesday, 3:30PM. I am joining my wife, Melissa, for a joint breakout session entitled, “Parenting with Hope in an Anxious Age,” where we will discuss biblical principles that serve as the foundation for the practical decisions we make as parents, while anchoring our hopes and expectations on Christ rather than our child’s behavior. The session will draw upon Melissa’s amazing book, Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age (Harvest House, 2024).
Wednesday, 2:30PM. I am joining my friend, Jen Wilkin, for a breakout session entitled, “Recovering the Riches of Revelation.” This should be a blast as we will dive into the various aspects of Revelation, what makes it so wonderful and so difficult (at the same time), and how it proves to be on of the most Christ-centered books in the Bible. Buckle your seat belts!
2. Reformed Theological Seminary. RTS has a big presence at TGC this year, including Ligon Duncan, Scott Swain, Gray Sutanto, Irwyn Ince, and myself.
Wednesday, 6:30PM. Reformed Theological Seminary is hosting a breakout session entitled, “Who is God? Exploring God’s Names and Christ’s Identity in Scripture.” My friend Scott Swain will give the first half of our breakout on the names of God in the OT, and I will give the second half on: “Is Jesus the God of the Bible? High Christology in Early Christianity.” I am really excited about this breakout and hope you will come be a part of it.
3. The Keller Center. A number of the fellows for The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics are present at TGC, so there will be a number of different gatherings.
Tuesday, 4:30PM. I am participating in a “Fire Side Chat” where we are raising awareness of the great ministry that TKC is doing.
Tuesday, 9:00PM. The Keller Center Fellows are gathering together for a special time of fellowship and catch-up.
4. Panel Discussions. It’s always fun to get together with fellow participants to discuss important issues or topics:
Wednesday, 12:30PM. I am on a panel discussion hosted by the Good Book Company, entitled, “How to Have Healthy Disagreements in Your Church.” This should be a very important conversation, given the fracturing we are seeing in the church right now. Fellow panelists are Alistair Begg, Gavin Ortlund, and Jen Wilkin.
Wednesday, 4:45PM. I am participating in a panel discussion with my friend Michael Keller on the topic of “Finding Purpose in the Pain of Church Hurt.” The event is being hosted by Anchored Virtual and moderated by Rebekah Hannah. Given some of the challenges in church leadership we’ve seen over the years (see my book, Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church), I think this will be a critical conversation.
5. Hanging out at the Exhibit Hall. The exhibit hall is a great place to see the latest books, learn about various ministries, and catch up with old friends. In particular, I will be doing the following:
Tuesday, 2:00PM. I will be at the booth for The Good Book Company to promote the God’s Word for You Commentary series, to which I contributed the volume on Hebrews. Andrew Wilson and Sam Allberry are doing the same, but I think at different time slots. Come say hello if you are around!
Wednesday, 3:30PM. I will be joining my RTS colleagues Gray Sutanto and Scott Swain at the Reformed Theological Seminary booth for a “Meet and Greet.” If you are around, come say hello and we would love to tell you what’s happening these days at RTS!
So, this will be a very busy 48 hours in Indianapolis. Hope to see you there!