As regular readers of this site know, C.J. is something of a hero in the faith to me. I have interviewed him on the blog before. His recent talk at T4G, like all of them, is available as an mp3 download, has been summarised by Tim, and I have included a few quotes here previously, along with a line from his opening prayer.

I was so very impressed with C.J.�s talk on all kinds of levels�perhaps most importantly because he resisted the temptation (which he admitted he felt) to try and impress his hearers by adapting his style to reflect that of the �professors.� (This is my new nickname for all the other T4G speakers!) Anyway, C.J. preached his heart out, and I know that for many who had ears to hear, his talk was one that reverberated, not just on that day, but also after the conference. His talk raises many questions about how seriously the rest of us really are about watching our lives, as well as our doctrine.

It is, as C.J. said, so easy to be accurate in doctrine, but difficult to kill sin in our lives. We know, though, that we have to do it�how can we preach without knowing some measure of victory over sin in our own lives? We also know, as C.J. highlighted, that we need others to help us. We are not all fortunate enough to be surrounded by a bunch of fanatical SGM pastors who will graciously rip us to shreds on command!

There is, however, a danger in C.J.'s talk which I think I remember him acknowledging. The danger is that we will all listen to the talk, and immediately attempt to copy the exact methods C.J. and his friends use. In our eagerness, a hot shop for legalism and condemnation could be born overnight! We would do well to remember that C.J. and his friends are precisely that�FRIENDS. Not just any kind of friends either, but friends who have been committed to each other for years now, friends who are warmly invited to speak into each other�s lives, friends who encourage as well as rebuke. Friendships like that do not happen overnight.

So, be encouraged, be challenged, and do begin to take small steps at making yourself accountable to those mature enough, gracious enough, and bold enough to begin to make this keeping watch over each other thing work. But, before that, make sure you are a part of a church where this thing can really work and where your leaders are some steps ahead of you in how they make themselves accountable. Knowing that your leader has people around him who will correct him if and when needed is probably as important as having such a group yourself. Don't slavishly copy C.J.'s method�instead find something that works for you!

I hope this challenge will live on in our hearts and memories for the months and years which lie ahead. We need preaching that affects hearts and not just minds, behaviour and not just beliefs, emotions and not just the intellect�in short, preaching that leaves us undone, but with no doubts about what we now need to do about it! Mahaney is just such a preacher, and surely qualifies as a gift to the whole Church in the Ephesians 4 sense! The other speakers at T4G certainly seem to think so. They credit the astonishing life's work of this ex-drug user who God miraculously saved as a token of God's amazing grace. For a man with such a background to be used in such a way brings great praise to our Redeemer, but then those of us who are familiar with our Bibles will know that such a story has been told before. If the greatest biblical apostle should have been a persecutor of the Church before his salvation, why shouldn't God confound the wisdom of the wise with a man like Mahaney? If we would just look within ourselves, we would, of course, echo Mahaney's obvious amazement that God would have saved him, let alone chosen him for any kind of ministry. Lest we be tempted to turn ministry into some kind of career, we would do well to listen carefully to this man of God who still doesn't have a degree to his name.