God blessed our Pure in Heart Conference yesterday with about 200 men, women, and teens in the main sessions (and 70 or so children in the nurseries and the IBC Kids Sessions with Gospel Illusionist Wesley Rinehart). Many parents attended the main sessions with their middle or high schoolers, allowing great follow up conversations.
Guest Speakers Garrett Kell and Caitlin McCaffery really connected with powerful biblical and practical messages. Pastor Garrett’s combined session on Pure in Heart: 6 Strategies for Fighting Sexual Sin is worth every Christian hearing, as he passionately addresses keys for knowing God and battling any temptation. Here is the link to Garrett’s message:
Building on Matthew 5:8, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God, Garrett challenges us to:
1. Pursue purity to get God.
2. Cultivate honest community.
3. Refresh your soul in Jesus.
4. Get radical in fighting your sin.
5. Consider sin’s consequences.
6. Remember that the Gospel is for believers.
Interweaving fascinating illustrations and his personal life story, Pastor Kell’s message will be a tremendous help and challenge to any believer. Because we as believers died with Christ and have His indwelling Spirit (Romans 6-8), we can say “no” to sin and yield the members of our bodies to glorify God.
During his session for men, Garrett elaborated on Strategies including “making a plan to resist sin.” He shared that his own phone is so dumbed down that he could not view pornography on his phone if someone put a gun to his head and commanded him to find it. He isn’t able to download and any app on his phone without his wife first putting in the password. He is that committed to avoiding temptation.
He also wisely advised parents about having a plan to protect their children. As parents of seven kids, he and his wife have set up six layers of technology protection. He strongly advised against giving any of our children a smart phone with free access to the internet without significant controls and occasional “inspection.” Pastor Garrett has published an article to help parents with this subject called The Porn Talk: Nine Ways Parents Can Lead Children. Check out the realistic and practical advice for every parent at this link:
This article challenges us to have a Gospel atmosphere in our homes—we’re all sinners, we all need Jesus, and God’s grace not only forgives but empowers every believer of any age to desire to please Him.
May the Lord help each of us to be committed to purity of heart that we might see and know our gracious God in an ever-growing way.