by Fred, Durban, South Africa
I recently attended the "Mandate" conference held in Durban, South Africa at Glenridge Church International where Mark Driscoll was the guest speaker. Lets just say it was AWESOME (to put it mildly)! I was spellbound as Mark reflected on how as men we were meant to worship God and reflect His glory. Mark also explained how our sinful tendency is to create idols, which enslave us and lead us to worship created things instead of God. The good news is that in His grace and goodness, God transforms us to be part of the Redemption that He so willingly orchestrates in our lives for His glory. Mark is a man's man. His ability to be bold and forthright about God's truth was refreshing and his protective love of his family (as shown by the numerous family life stories that he proudly shared) was heartwarming and wonderfully encouraging. I loved that he gave practical tips on living purposefully, for example making plans, etc. Also, Mark's portrayal of a powerful, strong and kind Jesus was soul-stirring. To Mark: Thank you for coming to South Africa and being a blessing to the body of Christ in this part of the world. Your visit has been a great encouragement. May you and your family be blessed as you live strong for God! You have stirred me to shake off spiritual lethargy and willingly pursue our great God. To Mars Hill Church: Through Mark your church has blessed other churches and inspired men (at least 2000 of them) to live godly lives. You understand teamwork within the body of Christ! God bless you, Fred