‘The culture shifts, but we stand on an unshifting foundation,” Ed Stetzer told the audience at the Pastors’ Conference. “The question is, Will we live as salt, or will we take on another flavor, maybe bitterness?”

North Carolina pastor Tony Merida joined a panel discussion on preaching, where participants answered questions about preparation, sermon length, and the appropriateness of personal illustrations.

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee opened his Pastors’ Conference message with humor: He no longer has to pay for a cell phone tracking app, because if he loses it, “I’m just going to call the government and say, ‘Hey, where is my phone?'”

The choir and orchestra from First Baptist, Houston, led the audience in a moving anthem about the blood of Jesus.

People stood to their feet and sang along with a familiar hymn: “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”