It was good to spend a few days away from home with my son, Matthew, interacting with other like-minded men, and sitting under some great teaching from Marcus Serven and Scott Brown.

One of the themes of the Men’s Advance was God’s Sovereignty.  Understanding the providential working of God is essential for us.

Many times I hear the question, “If God is so loving, why do people suffer?”  Scott Brown answered that question with these points from Romans 8.

Reasons for suffering:

1. To demonstrate hope.
2. To demonstrate eagerness for adoption.
3. To demonstrate eager, persevering hope.
4. To demonstrate the help of the Holy Spirit in weaknesses.
5. To demonstrate that all things work together for good.
6. To conform us to the image of His Son.
7. To demonstrate His faithfulness in our glorification.

Matthew (age 12) asked some good questions based on the meetings on our drive back home.  Hopefully, seeds have been planted that will sprout and grow in both of us.

Matthew is getting some exercise during one of the breaks.

Panoramic view from the back porch of the meeting center.  Click the picture for a high resolution picture.

Another panoramic view of one of the meetings led by Pastor Serven (click the picture for high resolution).

On the Lord’s Day I was privileged to worship at Covenant Family Church, where my hosts attend.   Pastor Marcus Serven led us in a worshipful and reverent service as we brought our worship and praise to God.

I’m not sure who all these young men are, but Matthew enjoyed getting to meet them.

It’s a joy to see young ladies preparing for motherhood.

Back at my host’s home (Bringe family) I was privileged to hear some budding young musicians practice their craft.

Click here for a short video of some fife playing.

The Serven family will be and have been posting some details (see Men’s Advance 2008 entries) on the backroom activities that made the conference a great success.

I’m looking forward to a return visit to all these folks who made my time a blessed one.

God providentially arranged that Matthew and I would travel through a snow and ice storm when returning from St. Louis this past weekend.

While slightly dangerous as far as driving was concerned, it was a beautiful sight.

Even with the defroster on maximum, ice started to form on the windshield.

It looks like snow but it is ice granules.

Every branch is covered with ice. 

A car covered with ice. 

Many trees had limbs that broke from the weight of the ice.  This one survived. 

More thoughts and quotes on family life from the Puritans…

• 1.  They took the role of a father in family life seriously.
• 2.  The father was the head of the house.
• 3.  Family worship was essential.

Matthew Henry - Why give them [your children] a Christian Name if you will not give them the knowledge of Christ and Christianity?

Matthew Henry - Make a business of your family religion and not a by-business.  Let it be your pleasure and delight, and not a task or drudgery.  Contrive your affairs so as that the most convenient time may be alloted for both morning and evening for your family worship, so as you may not be unfit for it, or disturbed or straitened in it…

Matthew Henry - Houses that do not pray are a sty for swine rather than a dwelling house for rational creatures.

Phillip Dodderidge - [without family worship you give an] example of negligence and so may entail heathenism…on your descendents and theirs in ages to come.

Richard Baxter - [calls the neglect of a Christian education] inhuman negligence.

George Whitefield - To what greater degree of apostasy must he have arrived, who takes no thought to provide for the spiritual welfare of his family.

Thomas Manton - A family is the seminary of the church and state…

Jonathan Edwards - Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church…

 Scott Browns exhorts us not to neglect our families.

Matthew during one of the breaks.

James McDonald (husband of Stacy) paid us a visit with one of his sons, and gave me some good counsel on a few of my questions.

A few of the ladies that worked behind the scenes take a break to eat.  The food, decor, and service was outstanding.

View from the back porch.  A beautiful facility in a gorgeous location.

The Men’s Advance began on Friday with dinner.   After dinner we heard some inspiring words from Scott Brown and Marcus Serven.  Here are some great quotes…

Marcus Serven - The natural tendency of all children is to follow mother and father and play in the manure of life.

Marcus Serven quoting John Calvin - Let our children be fondly cherished, [and let] them to know that their father and mother love them and the Lord has placed them in a Christian family.

Scott Brown - We have been transformed by the degrading of our minds [instead of the renewing of our minds].

Scott Brown - Our bodies are the battleground for worldliness.

Scott Brown - If one person in the church presents their body to the world, the whole church is affected in some way.

Pictured in the foreground are Christopher Berkompas and Caleb Hayden.  I had some edifying talks with these two outstanding young men.

Pastor Serven addressing the men.

While here Matthew and I stayed with the Bringe family.  What a delight for us to stay with these folks.  God’s blessing is on this home.

A few days ago Matthew and I headed off to Missouri to attend an NCFIC pastor’s conference and the Men’s Advance Retreat.

While in Oklahoma we stopped at a McDonald’s that straddles the highway

Matthew in front of the Mississippi River. 

Posing in front of the St. Louis arch.

More pictures to come…