The winner of the last T4Free question is Brian Main of Warren, Ohio.

In his answer to the question, "Piper is going to talk about radical Christian Sacrifice. Provide a true example of radical Christian sacrifice.”

Brian wrote:

“My friend's mom used to cry when she returned to college after visiting home. As her daughter became more intent on pursuing missions in a Muslim country, it was not easy for the mom. But she grew to see the need for such work. After 9/11 she said to her daughter, ‘You need to hurry up and get back over there. They need you.' She sacrificed much by encouraging her daughter - now married and carrying baby #3 - to remain on the mission field. For many, sending your kids can be a bigger sacrifice than going yourself.”

Registration closes this coming SUNDAY NIGHT.

We have to have time to finalize plans for all kinds of stuff. So if you have friends who want to come, we’re in the Convention Center (it’s gigantic) but we’ll have to close registration to work on the specific preparations. Praise God for all the planning coming together. Bob and I have even agreed on all the hymns! (He's been a joy to work with.) Pray for the speakers as they work on their talks. I don’t like mine right now. And pray for all who are planning to come, that God would bless His work and encourage His ministers.

The 2006 T4G promo videos are completed and can be seen here:

Lots of great book title ideas from all of you on what to name a book with this year's T4G sermons. We'll probably continue to weigh a number of them when we come to actually deciding on a title. Thanks again for your input!

In the meantime, a free T4G registration goes to the first entry which came in, simply because (whether or not we use it) it satisfies the criteria of all good titles--it's both creative and concise:  Sound Systems or Sound Doctrine? Subtitle: "The triumph of truth over technique."

That answer comes from Larry Knowles of Vernon, Vermont. Congratulations, Larry!

AS FOR Question NUMBER 8, it's extremely tempting for me to select the brave brother who nominated the Baptist Hymnal as the "most read book" (aside from the Bible) among the T4G 08 attendees. But I decided to base my decision on statistics. Out of 59 answers provided, several went to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress; several to John Stott's Cross of Christ; a couple to C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity; and several to CJ's books. Ten votes were placed for J. I. Packer's Knowing God. But a whopping TWENTY went to John Piper's Desiring God. If over one-third of the answers went to Desiring God, it's not unreasonable to think that it may be the most read book among T4G attendees.

So the question becomes, which of the twenty nominees shall we credit with the best answer? Whether it's the best or not, we're going with Andy Naselli's short and sweet proposal. Naselli, who lives in Deerfield, Illinois, writes, "This richly theological and warmly devotional best-seller has been the means for sending countless Christians on a trajectory towards theology that is increasingly joyful, robust, God-centered, Christ-exalting, and gospel-treasuring." The only thing missing from Naselli's answer is the additional descriptive "hyphen-making"!

Thanks to everyone for their answers.  And be praying for the conference, and particularly the speakers as we (I!!!!) work on our addresses.

Registration will be open until March 30, 2008. However, there are only about 300 registration spots left. Registration will close when all the spots sell out, so be sure to register soon if you plan to attend.

With the last question for a free T4G 08 registration, we turn to the inspirational. Are you ready? Here it is:

Piper is going to talk about radical Christian Sacrifice. Provide a true example of radical Christian sacrifice.

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

Okay, we're down to the second to last free T4G 08 registration contest question. Here it is:

What Christian book (other than the Bible) do you think has been read by the most people attending T4G 2008, and why?

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

  PS--TELL YOUR FRIENDS--Registration closes soon.

Is Steven Hall of Coarsegold, CA.

The question was answering the question of Al's T4G address "Why Do They Hate It So?"--substitutionary atonement.

Steven's answer is:

Substitution is offensive because it means:

1. I am guilty (actual, real guilt—whether I feel it or not)
2. I am accountable for who I am and for my actions
3. I am unable to do it myself
4. I am a sinner, not sick or not meeting my potential
5. It means I am guilty of Adam’s sin—federal headship
6. My sin was so offensive to God, it took the death of His Son to pay for it
7. God has not regenerated them
8. Salvation is all of grace
9. God executes judgment for sin

We look forward to Al's answer at the conference.  Pray for our brother as he prepares to address us.

Friends, okay, we're really serious about this question because we need some help! A number of us have gone back and forth trying to come up with a good book title for the 2008 talks, once those talks are converted into a book--Lord willing--by Crossway. And we've not found any title that everyone likes. So what do you have for us? That's question # 7. Take a look at the list of talk titles for the 2008 conference, and then suggest a book title for a book comprised of those talks.

Instead of giving you the usual 24 hours, you have all weekend on this one. We'll cut it off sometime on Monday. What do you got?!

Here's the rest of the rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
4. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

[See post below for context]

But Mark, some of my PCA colleagues would say that I already am!

Your friend,

Lig

True to form, Al Mohler has given his T4G talk a provocative title: "Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution." Today's question for a free 08 conference registration is

Why do you think the doctrine of substitution, as Al Mohler's talk puts it, is hated so?

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

is Matt Rawlings of the Sovereign Grace church of Greenville, South Carolina. 

How approrpriate that a SovGrace pastor would best advise CJ on what to have in the final talk at T4G!  There were a lot of good answers, a good number giving similar answers.  Anyway, here is Matt's cousel to CJ:

"Confidence in God's Care for His people, even when you feel yours is no good.
Often, we loose sight of the fact that pastoral care is ultimately not about our care but it’s about us being agents of God's care for His people.
We can become too focused on our abilities (or lack thereof) in mediating God's care to others. In response, we become despondent when we see our inadequacies. What we need to see though, is God's more than adequate care more than anything else - after all the church is full of God's people - not our people."

Now that's a word we all need to hear.  Thanks, Matt!

We have a few more free T4G '08 registrations to give away before they close. Here's today's question:

Of the four T4G hosts, who is most likely to change their mind on a theological issue and what issue would it be?

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

David Martin of Southport, Indiana gave us the best answer to the question

What is the most awkward/unexpected/funny moment you have had when interviewing for the job of pastor?

We had a good number of funny, sad, interesting answers.  Wow!  There are some . . . interesting situations out there!  But, here's the one we picked:

"While interviewing . . . , a lady asked "the" question.  Innocently, she wanted to know what my thoughts were on Santa Claus and his being a part of the Christmas program as had always been the tradition at this church.  I was caught a bit off guard, but responded that I did not see the necessity of bringing Santa into the church and confusing the message of Christ with that of the culture.  Immediately, what had been a good interviewing session went deafeningly quiet and . . . , I did not get that pastorate because of my postion on Santa Claus."

Lesson:  watch out for your Clausology?

“It is because we are committed to Evangelism that we must speak in antithesis at times. If we do not make clear by word and practice our position for truth and against false doctrine, we are building a wall between the next generation and the gospel. The unity of evangelicals should be on the basis of truth, not evangelism itself. If this is not so, "success" in evangelism can result in weakening Christianity. Any consideration of methods is secondary to this central principle.”

Francis Schaeffer

Here's chance # 4 for a free T4G 2008 registration. Help CJ write his talk "Sustaining a Pastor's Soul." What point do you think must be included in any talk with that title?

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

The winner of our question why the local church is better than a pastors conference IS

moving to New Jersey soon,

but now resides in Franklin, TN.

Reid Monaghan is the winner!

And the winning entry was:

Top Ten Reasons Local Churches are better than pastors’ conferences:

1. It is OK your pastor is not named “John” or “Mark”
2. Deacon cage matches - learning to forgive and be forgiven
3. You have to be rich to go to conferences – the poor are welcomed in local churches (hopefully)
4. The Lord’s Table
5. Scripture - You find out God has given many teachers to his church – beyond the 7  guys who are invited to every reformed conference
6. All mission is local
7. Where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came – (again, hopefully)
8. Pot-Lucks
9. Special music – or not
10. People meeting Jesus

For this next question, we may have to post a number of the top answers. Still, we're looking to give a free T4G registration to the top answer. And the question is…

What is the most awkward/unexpected/funny moment you have had when interviewing for the job of pastor?

Contest rules:

1. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
2. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
3. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
4. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime afterwards.
5. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
6. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

A lot of you (maybe around 200?) sent in a lot of answers.  I have to tell you they clustered around the following:  Jesus Christ ("I am of Christ"), Paul, a great one on one of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, various other people from Scripture, Luther, Calvin, (a few Sibbes, thank you!), Edwards, Whitfield, Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones.  I would love to tell you more about the entries, but I'm working on some talks I'm supposed to give out at Golden Gate Seminary, and in Sacramento on Wed. & Thurs of this week, so I can't do that.  Just know that we appreciate all the entries and hope that God will use the speakers we DO have to bless and encourage those who gather at T4G.

Now, on to the winner.  The winner is Joey Asbury of Greenwood, Indiana.  He said that he wasn't at T4G 06 but recently watched the videos on Ligonier.  (Thanks, Ligonier!)  And that he'll look forward to coming this year.

And here is his entry:  "I would like to hear George Whitefield preach for two reasons. 

1. Whenever I hear the term “Together for the Gospel” I think of the great quote by Whitefield.

"Father Abraham, whom have you in heaven? Any Episcopalians? No! Any Presbyterians? No! Have you any Independents or Seceders? No! Have you any Methodists? No! No! No! Whom have you there? We don't know those names here! All who are here are Christians."

2. I would love to hear a man who could preach a Spirit-filled gospel message to 5,000 without the aid of a microphone."

Well, in heaven.  But isn't it wonderful to sharpen our gratitude for some of the faithfulnesses that God has shown us in servants past.  Let's pray that God make us fruitful servants in our own time.

Time for more fun.

For a free registration to Together for the Gospel 2008, here is today's question:

Why are local churches better than pastors' conferences?

Here are the slightly revised contest rules:

1. Questions will be posted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
2. Post your answer in the "comments" section.
3. Your answer must be accompanied with a working email address.
4. Each question will remain open for 24 hours.
5. The winner's name and answer will be posted sometime . . . hmmm . . . afterwards.
6. Winner receives free registration for him/herself or a friend.
7. Responses must be in 100 words or less.

We'll try to post the winning entry from the first question soon!

So I/we will need a little more time to sort through these!   We'll get back to you . . .  Soon!

Thanks for your understanding!