Nashville Conference on the Church & Theology 2008

(Update: The recordings of NCCT'08 sermons are now available for listening or downloading. Click the audio link above to view the archive.)

After fifty years of "church growth" methodology, the Church's landscape is littered with countless relics of the latest and greatest models for ministry. But above all our attempts at "relevance" stands the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is our only message and our greatest relevance. We preach Christ crucified.

The Nashville Conference on the Church and Theology is an opportunity to rediscover the power of the Cross. NCCT 08 is a call to reformation. It is for preacher, leader and layman alike, all wrestling with the same questions. Can the church reach out without selling out? Can it address the culture without abandoning its core message?

A ministry of Community Bible Church

Dr. D.A. Carson

Dr. D.A. Carson once wrote, "I'd rather die than deny or disown the Gospel." This alone explains why Dr. Carson has been invited to be part of NCCT 08. His devotion to Christ, his impeccable scholarship, his love for the church and his pastoral heart all combine to make him one of the leading and most beloved evangelical leaders of our generation.

Dr. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity International Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author and editor of over forty-three books, including The Cross and Christian Ministry, A Call to Spiritual Reformation and Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church.

Dr. Steve Lawson

When asked about his life's calling Dr. Steven J. Lawson said simply, "I live to preach Christ." For those who have heard him, there's no denying this self-description. He is passionately committed to the exaltation of the Savior, the exposition of the Scriptures and the declaration of the unmerited grace of God.

Dr. Lawson is the founding pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. He is the author of twelve books and commentaries, including Famine in the Land: A Passionate Call to Expository Preaching, Made in Our Image and A Long Line of Godly Men. Dr. Lawson serves on the board of directors of The Master's College and Seminary and the ministerial board for Reformed Theological Seminary, and teaches with Dr. John MacArthur at the Expositor's Institute.

Tim Challies

Tim Challies is a leading evangelical blogger and editor of Discerning Reader (www.discerningreader.com), a site dedicated to discerning reviews of books that are of interest to Christians. His daily commentary is available at www.challies.com. A self-employed web designer, Tim lives in the outskirts of Toronto, Ontario with his wife and three children. His first book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, was recently published by Crossway.

Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith will be leading worship during the four later Saturday sessions. A Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Smith takes centuries-old hymn lyrics and sets them to brand new music. He encountered the ancient hymns as a student at Belmont University, and was part of the original Indelible Grace collection of re-written hymns, an indie project that sold tens of thousands of copies. In addition to contributing to subsequent Indelible Grace recordings, he released a solo EP (Even When My Heart Is Breaking) in 2004, and a full-length solo CD (All I Owe) in 2007.