There is a lot of hype about Pastor Mark Driscoll coming to town. Controversy is no strange thing to Driscoll. One side has him pegged as the “Cussing Preacher” and believes his philosophies are far too liberal for the pulpit. The other has him pinned him as a “Macho-Man” whose theology is too conservative for our increasingly open-minded society. But what most people miss is that he teaches principles about how to follow Jesus.

Tyler Daniels

Driscoll’s overall point is Christ.

Yes, he teaches Complementarianism, which means men and women were created equal but for different purposes. Yes, he believes that men should lead their families. Yes, he believes everyone is a sinner. But he preaches these, because they are biblical principles. Driscoll preaches that you can’t earn God’s love, but God loves you anyway which is why Jesus took the punishment for your sins on the cross.

And look at Driscoll, not as a pastor, but as a husband, father and follower of Jesus.

As a husband myself and a future father who has followed Driscoll’s teaching for years, I have learned things from him that have transformed the way I treat my wife. The principles he teaches, are the same principles Jesus taught thousands of years ago. As men, we are meant to have a deep love and respect for our wives that goes beyond ourselves. When it comes to our sex, our money, our time and our energy we are to treat them with such an unconditional love that it seems divine. And what has been my wife’s response? She shows me that same love.

Driscoll also treats his children, especially his daughters, with an affection that is truly rare for men in our society. He loves daddy-daughter dates and wrestling with his boys on the floor, according to his sermons. Jesus showed us this same unconditional affection at the cross, and we are left to respond. That is the message he is coming to give on Saturday.

What I respect most about Driscoll is he understands this life isn’t about his fame and reputation. Rather, he is always pointing people to Jesus. He says, “It’s all about Jesus. It’s only about Jesus.”  On his Twitter account, he says he’s, “A nobody trying to tell everybody about Somebody.” Jesus says in John 10:10 “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

I challenge you to investigate this man and his message yourself on his website, www.pastormark.tv. His message is that the world was not built for our glory but for God’s alone. And the great thing is, if we can humble ourselves to that truth, like Jesus, we get to share in that glory. Jesus gives us every good thing we have ever had and loves us in every way we could ever wish to be loved, even in our failures. The gift in the end is not the things he gives, it’s the Giver. Driscoll gets that.

— Tyler Daniels is a first year graduate student from Clayton majoring in public administration