Resolved 2011

As always, Resolved was a great kick-start to my summer: AMAZING convicting messages that exposed my lack of devotion to the Lord and awakened more of a desire in my heart for the things of the Lord, incredible, Christ-exalting worship, sweet fellowship with dear friends and family, delicious meals in Palm Springs, and several fun trips to Starbucks/the pool/the shops in Palm Springs, etc. Some of the highlights from this year, was our belated Father's Day lunch with dad at a Mexican restaurant in town, my annual Brooke and Mama Lucy sleepover (our third year in a row!), and having my cousin Augusta ("Gussie") fly in for the conference from Napa Valley.

I call Resolved a "tiny piece of heaven." It is always a bit sad returning to the "real world" after such a refreshing, 4 days away spent with like-minded believers.

I am excited for tomorrow, since Crossroad's first Superstudy of the summer will feature a parting sermon by Rick Holland :) It's like a little taste of Resolved all over again!

But in the meantime, here were some of my favorite points from the sermons I got to hear at Resolved (my family and I unfortunately missed Al Mohler's and CJ Mahaney's last messages on Monday night, as we headed home Monday afternoon).

If you would like to listen to the Resolved 2011 messages firsthand, go here: http://www.resolved.org/media/

SESSION 1: RICK HOLLAND: HEBREWS 12:

"Can you identify the sin that so easily trips you up and entangles you? Satan feeds the opportunity for this sin, at every angle."

"Unless you are running the race, you won't know what's tripping you up."

"Postponed obedience= simple disobedience."

"You cannot look to Jesus and the world simultaneously for very long."

"He is where your faith must rest, not behavior modification or more activities."

"What is between you and Jesus?"

"Christ Jesus is the life of all the graces and comforts of a Christian in this world...without Him, these graces would die, or to speak more properly, they would have no existence." -John Fawcett

SESSION 2: JOHN MACARTHUR: PSALM 19:

"Endeavor to live each and every day- so that whatever God wills to do with our lives, will have its fullest expression."

"True joy is tied to obedience."

"Resolve from the Word of God: this is the way of joy, and this is the way I will walk- by the grace of God."

"When you can see clarity in horror [trials], the Word of God has captured your heart."

"Worship is theological, or produced by truth. You can only worship to the level that you comprehend the glory of God."

"The Word of God is our greatest pleasure, our greatest protector, our greatest provider, our greatest reward, and our greatest purifier."

"The Word keeps you back from sin that dominates you."

SESSION 3: AL MOHLER: ROMANS 12:

"If we believe God's will is perfect, than we will believe it is superior to any other will for our lives- we won't want anything else."

It is God's will for...

-You to be born
-For you to die
-You to grow
-You to be the gender that you are
-You to believe in Christ
-You to follow Christ as His disciple
-You to trust and obey the Scriptures
-You to respect and obey all authorities
-You to be married, Genesis 2
-You to be faithful to marriage and children
-You to be deeply involved in the local church
-You to lead
-You to evangelize
-You to do everything to the glory of God

"Are we known more for who we are, or who we follow?"

"Marriage calls out in you the very best of Christian virtues, it conforms you to Christlikeness and holiness."

"There are lives that will be less holy, if you do not use the giftedness and leadership roles the Lord has given you."

"Following God's will, is not trying to figure it all out, but faithfully obeying all that He has revealed."

SESSION FOUR: JOHN MACARTHUR: ISAIAH 6:

"What kind of a person is God looking for in a time of crisis? Someone who has a clear vision of His divine sovreignty and a vision of his own sinfulness."

"God's not looking for perfect people. He's looking for penitent people."

"This is all that God ever asks for, 'Let me be holy enough to be useful.'"

SESSION FIVE: ALL SPEAKERS: Q&A:

"God has never used any man who has a low view of God." -Steve Lawson

"The Gospel dismantles self-reliance and self-understanding." -Rick Holland

"We don't need mental correction, we need redemption." -Al Mohler

"Are you desiring something holy and good? Then GET IT. This generation of Christians is indecisive." -Al Mohler

SESSION 6: CJ MAHANEY: JUDE 22:

"Our remaining sin isn't passive, it's active."

"I richly deserve wrath for eternity, but I have become an object of His mercy. Mercy that was on full display at the cross. 'In my place, condemned He stood.'"

"Mercy properly understood, should have a humbling effect on us."

"Do you have a theology of suffering, to prepare you for suffering? 'When you cannot trace His hand, you must learn to trust His heart, Spurgeon."

"Feel the Father's FIXED grip. He's not letting go."

SESSION 7: STEVE LAWSON: EPHESIANS 1

"To have Christ is to have everything. 'In Him the fullness of His riches dwells.'"

"God chose us- not because of us- but in spite of us."

"Every molecule in this universe was prescripted by this eternal will of God."

"He has overriden our fallen will, and chosen a people to be His posession forever."

"He did not die for an anonymous, nameless group of people. He died for those He predestined before the foundation of the world: you and me."

"The higher our view of God, the higher our worship should be."

"The predestined can never fall away from or out of saving and enabling grace sealed shut eternally in Christ."

SESSION 7: RICK HOLLAND: LAMENTATIONS 3:

"Define your success by faithfulness- not results. Those belong to God."

"Either you believe God is COMPLETELY sovreign or you believe in a God with problems and limitations."

"God will never pursue His glory and purposes at the extent of the good of His people."

"Satan is not the captain of hell- he is the chief captive of hell. He too is subject to the will of God."

"Man's dislike of God's sovreignty, arises from his suspicion of God's heart."

"God's sovreignty is either your greatest comfort or your worst nightmare."

"The problem of evil is the cry of the soul for heaven...'there's a better place to be than here.'"

"Thy Maker will be my Husband and the Father to our children." -Mary Love, in a letter to her husband, before he died

"All things here below are but dung and dross- in comparison to things in heaven." -Mary Love

SESSION 8: STEVE LAWSON: EPHESIANS 5:

"God does not accomodate to our culture: we must raise to His standard of holiness."

"There are only two families in this world: Satan and God."

"The direction of our walk, is the trajectory of our walk!"

"Believers are confessors and repenters, because we are children of light."

"If your religion hasn't changed your life, you need to change your religion."

"If you please God, it does not matter whom you displease. And if you displease God, it does not matter whom you please."