Devoted
Conference
About the Conference
The Devoted Conference is designed to serve young adults in the local church by facilitating fellowship between like-minded ministries. Its purpose is to strengthen the biblical convictions of young people through the exposition and application of the Scriptures, and to equip a new generation to be wholly devoted to God, His Word, and His Church in an age of distraction, deception, confusion, and compromise. This conference is a ministry of Twin City Bible Church, under the oversight of its elders, and in keeping with its doctrinal statement and philosophy of ministry.
Why Devoted?
“Devoted” is the biblical language of sanctification and sacrifice.
For ancient Israel, that which was “devoted” to the Lord was set apart as most holy, not to be sold or redeemed (Lev 27:28-33). It belonged exclusively to God and it was to remain so forever. It was given to the priests for special, and not common use (Num 18:14). Negatively, in the conquest of the Promised Land, all that would potentially draw Israel’s heart away from their God was to be “devoted” to the Lord for destruction (Josh 7:1-5; 1 Sam 15:21). In Solomon’s dedication of the Temple, his plea for God’s people in 1 Kgs 8:61 was that their hearts would “be wholly devoted to the Lord our God.” Jesus would say in Matt 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
In every generation, we are in desperate need of young men and women who are not divided in their allegiance to Christ, but fully devoted to their God.
Theme for 2021
Devoted to the Scriptures
This year’s theme seeks to encourage a greater, deeper, more precise, and more courageous devotion to God’s Word. This will not just be a conference about Bibliology, the study of Scripture. We want to address many of the subtle ways in which devotion to Scripture can often be undermined, even for those who may be familiar with it (Gen 3:1). We want to affirm that being devoted to God necessarily means being devoted to “the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27), interpreting it rightly (2 Tim 2:15), believing it humbly (Isa 66:2), and practicing it diligently (Jas 1:22-25). And in keeping with our first annual conference, we want to continue to proclaim that true devotion to God’s Word is preserved and protected in/by the Church, which is the only “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).
Speaker for 2021
Jonathan Anderson
Jonathan was born in 1978 in Junction City, Kansas. He graduated from The Moody Bible Institute in 2000, The Master’s Seminary in 2005, and earned a Ph.D. in Christian Preaching with research in hermeneutics from The Southern Baptist Seminary in 2019. Jonathan married his wife April in 2002 and they have four sons, Micah, Owen, Miles, and Derek. Jonathan served as a pastor at Grace Immanuel Bible Church in Jupiter, FL for fifteen years, where he also taught as a professor at The Expositors Seminary.
Jonathan joined the pastoral staff at Grace Bible Church in Tempe, AZ in October of 2020 and continues to serve as a professor for The Expositors Seminary in the Greek department. Jonathan is passionate about church history, old books, and was the founder of the Ekklesia Conference.
Schedule
November 5-7, 2021
4:00-7:00 PM, Check-in & Registration
7:00-8:30 PM, Session #1
8:30-9:00 PM, Debrief & Prayer
9:15-11:00 PM, Fire Pit Fellowship
7:15-8:15 AM, Breakfast
8:30-10:00 AM, Session #2
10:15-11:45 AM, Session #3
12:00-1:00 PM, Lunch
1:00-4:15 PM, Group Activity & Free Time
4:30-5:30 PM, Session #4, Q&A
5:30-6:30 PM, Dinner
6:45-8:15 PM, Session #5
8:15-8:45 PM, Debrief & Prayer
9:00-11:00 PM, Fire Pit Fellowship
7:15-8:15 AM, Breakfast
8:15-9:15 AM, Pack, Clean, & Check-Out
9:30-11:00 AM, Session #6
11:00-11:30 AM, Debrief & Prayer
11:30-12:00 PM, Departure
Resource for This Year
How Readest Thou?
by J.C. Ryle
In a day when the authority of Scripture has been questioned and come under attack by many both inside and outside the church, this small book is a welcome read to those concerned and interested believers, showing us just how important the Bible truly is, how no other book in the world is like it, how it provides comfort and hope, its impact on humanity, and so much more. Additionally, Bishop J.C. Ryle concludes his “tract” on the subject by offering practical advice for reading the Bible daily.
An Article to Read
"Subtle Ways to Abandon the Authority of Scripture in Our Lives" by D.A. Carson
In this penetrating and insightful article, Carson highlights for us ten ways we can easily undermine the authority of Scripture without outright denying it. His list is as follows:
- An appeal to selective evidence
- Heart embarrassment before the Text
- Publishing ventures that legitimate what God condemns
- “The art of imperious ignorance”
- Allowing the categories of systematic theology to domesticate what Scripture says
- Too little reading, especially the reading of older commentaries and theological works
- The failure to be bound by both the formal principle and the material principle
- Undisciplined passion for the merely technical or unhealthy suspicion of the Technical
- Undisciplined confidence in contemporary philosophical agendas
- Anything that reduces our trembling before the Word of God
Participating Churches
It is our conviction that attendance of this conference is secondary to involvement in the local church.
Registration Now Open
Questions? Email info@devotedconf.com
Conference Location
Ridgecrest Conference Center
1 Ridgecrest Dr
Ridgecrest, NC 28770
Ridgecrest is a premier Christian conference center, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, less than a day’s drive from over 15 states, and just outside of Asheville on I-40. Everything you need for your stay is provided on site so you can focus on the conference itself. Learn more about Ridgecrest.