Counseling Conference

I just finished day 2 of the IABC conference here in Easley, SC. So far I have found it to be more edifying than the conference I went to in Denver in 2005. The theme of the conference has been on relationships by the book. Last night we had a general session that talked about the progression that Adam and Eve had in committing the first sin and how we go through the same progression. The cure? Knowing and loving God's Word.

This morning I got to share my testimony and then we had a session about divorce and about how God hates it. It's interesting that the ESV does not have the same impact in its translation of Mal 2:16 as the NASB or the NIV. I'll have to ask Randy about that one. The second session was about remarriage and how it often happens when people have not been divorced for biblical reasons. It's not an unpardonable sin, but as pastors we need to examine that.

The workshops have been OK. I attended one last night on how to counsel someone with cancer. The key thing is to point to God's goodness. God may heal the person or not, but He is always good and He always does good, even when it doesn't feel like it. I went to a workshop about marriage that a friend of mine led. It was a good reminder of what marriage is supposed to look like and that it is a covenant, not a contract. The last workshop I attended was about preparing children for the world. The main thing I got from that is to model godly behavior and to look for teaching opportunities in everything.

The highlight has been the parenting seminar taught by Dr. Stuart Scott. My life and marriage have been shaped by his book The Exemplary Husband. Tonight's two sessions were about our children's salvation. He offered us a great encouragement from Isa 1:2 that God parented children, but they turned from Him. If children can turn from the perfect parent then they can turn from us too. Our job is to be faithful in raising our children. It's God's job to save them if it is His will to do so. I need to certainly pray hard for that and that reminds me of the need for that. My anchor must be in my savior, not my children's performance. It has to be all for God's glory.

I hope to write more tomorrow after the two sessions. If they're as good as these two were then I will certainly be blessed.