I had meant to write something more substantive about Together for the Gospel, but failing that, and as a suppliment to this post, here are —

Things I liked about Together for the Gospel 2008:

• Books. Who doesn’t like free books?
  • Band of Bloggers
    • Christ is All: The Piety of Horatius Bonar ed. by Michael Haykin and Darrin Brooker
    • The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (Puritan Paperbacks, Abridged)
    • Walking as He Walked by Joel Beeke
    • reThink by Steve Wright
    • Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry ed. by Tom Ascol
    • When I Don't Desire God by John Piper
    • Young, Restless, Reformed by Collin Hansen
    • A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur
  • Together for the Gospel
    • English Standard Version (ESV) Compact Bible
    • The Truth of the Cross by R. C. Sproul
    • Culture Shift by Albert Mohler
    • If You Could Ask God One Question by Paul Williams and Barry Cooper
    • The Gospel & Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
    • The Faithful Preacher by Thabiti Anyabwile
    • In My Place Condemned He Stood by J. I. Packer and Mark Dever
    • The Future of Justification by John Piper
    • Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin
    • Pierced for Our Transgressions by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach
    • Why We’re Not Emergent (by Two Guys Who Should Be) by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck
    • Preaching the Cross by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C. J. Mahaney, & Albert Mohler
    • The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur
    • The Courage to be Protestant by David Wells
    • Christ & Culture Revisited by D. A. Carson
• Community. It was exhilarating to be surrounded by thousands who were not only thinking about the same things I do, but, in many cases, thinking the same things about the things I think about as I do.
• Fellowship. Although there was not nearly enough free time, it was wonderful to visit with like-minded Christians. The immediate familial bond was evident, from the kind words we received from some, to the good-natured insults we — that is, I — received from others.
• Music. The songs were very well-chosen, and Bob Kauflin did an excellent job leading the singing. It was so moving to sing these great hymns of the faith in unison with thousands of brothers and sisters.
• Preaching. Oh, yes, there was preaching. You can, and should, go here to download the General Sessions and Panel Discussions. Be prepared to be encouraged, challenged, and convicted.
• Ligon Duncan. Duncan demonstrated why faithful pastoral ministry cannot exist without sound theology.
• Thabiti Anyabwile. Have I mentioned that I can pronounce his name? Thabiti Anyabwile. See there, I did it again. I spelled it right, too, even though spell-check disagrees. Thabiti gave the best message on “race” that I have ever heard, saying what I have believed for years, but applying it in ways that have never even occurred to me.
• John MacArthur. MacArthur was, as always, MacArthur. His message, The Sinner neither Able nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability, left me feeling like a sinner, and all the more grateful for the grace of God and the cross of Christ.
• Mark Dever. Dever spoke on Improving the Gospel. In short, you can’t, so don’t.
• R. C. Sproul. Sproul is one grand, magnificent old man. Due to the vertigo he suffers from as a result of a stroke a few years ago, he was wheeled in and out of the auditorium, and sat behind the podium. Yet, as he preached, there was no hint of frailty. He preached with all the passion and drama that those who have listened to him for years have come to expect.
• Albert Mohler. Can there be any doubt that Mohler is the smartest man in the world? Mohler dismantled the arguments against Penal Substitution with great clarity.
• John Piper. Piper is one of those uncommon preachers whose passion is not a substitute for substance.
• C.J. Mahaney. What is one to think of Mahaney? I’m afraid he is one of those people who I wouldn’t want to meet before noon.