Pastor Mark Driscoll

Pastor Mark Driscoll was the second speaker. Pastor Mark started Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA. His church has a regular attendance of 6,000 members and has been open since 1996.

He spoke on suffering. For God to use you, you must be wounded deeply. Sufferings cause us so much pain, we must know how to use it to our advantage. His sermon was titled "The Six Benefits of Suffering"

1. Sanctification (vs.1) - Sufferings can hurt so deeply, We must think more deeply about it. Jesus suffered so we could become more like Him.
2. Stewardship (vs. 2-6) - Suffering reminds us that we are stewards of a great mystery. We know what the mystery is. We must make the mystery known!!
3. Serving comes from suffering (vs.7) - Jesus is our suffering servant. When we are weak, we are strong. This is something that is going to be very hard for us to wrap our head around. But, we are closest to God when we are weak and suffering. He makes us strong. We are able to serve others through our suffering, ie. Women who are raped can serve other women who have been raped.
4. Speaking comes from suffering (vs. 8-9) - Paul is preaching out of his losses of imperfections. You must talk about your pain and suffering.
5. Showing comes from suffering (vs.10-12) - Paul treasures nothing above Jesus. he has joy because no one can take away his most prized treasure. :-) The invisible God is made visible through the church.
6. Sustaining comes from suffering (vs.13) - Do not loose heart. We must learn how to suffer well.

How will you use your suffering to help and minister to others?


Point four is the hardest one for me to accept. I do not like talking about my pain. It is something that I am getting better at, but I have the hardest time talking about where I have come from and what I have been through. But, I did not get the opportunity to go to the conference to not take what I learned and use it to my advantage.