Blog

Winter 2019

Honoring God In a courtroom, the judge is referred to as “Your Honor.” Chivalrous men vow to protect their ladies’ honor. High-achieving students work to make the honor roll. At a small bed-and-breakfast, guests might find a basket of snacks and be trusted with paying on the honor system. This English word is very old, with its first usage being traced to the thirteenth century. Honor means “fame earned,” recognition based on merit. An appointed or elected jurist, a chaste person, an exceptional student, and trusted clientele gain a reputation by past behavior. More than any human being, God has earned his fame. This quarter is designed to explore how the Bible teaches us to express honor to God. To do so, these lessons will focus on three studies from Scripture. David and Mary Express Honor In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus defends the assassination of Caesar as a noble deed. […]

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Fall 2019

Responding To God’s Grace Our times are marked by dramatic changes in how we relate to each other, both as individuals and as communities.The days of tight-knit neighborhoods are a distant memory in many parts of the world. Families transplant themselves cross-country. A single mouse-click can dissolve an online friendship. Marriages often don’t last. The new normal frequently comes at the price of loyalty and permanence, qualities the authors of the Scriptures might have referred to as “faithfulness.” A God Worth Knowing The word faithfulness simply doesn’t have much currency in our time. Before we fault cultural shifts for our fragile relationships, we should recall the opening pages of Scripture. Sin’s curse disrupted all relationships, especially our relationship with God. Alienated from God, humanity hatched countless false religions throughout the world, each searching for truth about the Creator. Against that backdrop of confusion, alienation, and idolatry, God revealed himself and […]

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Summer 2019

The covenant with God Human relationships are built on interpersonal agreements. We formalize these agreements as contracts or covenants. Covenants promise that debts will be paid or services will be performed regardless of the situations in which the parties may find themselves after the contract is finalized. At times, a party to a contract may be deemed a poor risk. That person may have a history that does not provide adequate assurance that he or she will be able to meet the obligations of a covenant. Situations such as these may require a guarantor or cosigner. The guarantor assumes the responsibility for terms of the covenant when a party defaults on the agreement. During this quarter, we will develop a clearer understanding as to why our relationship with God through Christ is expressed as a covenant. Guarantee of Payment Let’s face it: human beings have a dismal “credit rating” with […]

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Spring 2019

Discipleship and Mission “So, what do you do?” Within moments of meeting a stranger, this question is likely to be asked. Our culture makes one’s job tantamount to identity. What you do is what you are. The words vocation and avocation describe activities that shape individualities. Typically, the former refers to career, the way one earns a living. The latter usually describes side interests—activities that are enjoyed but are not central. This unit turns this usage on its head. For the believer, one’s true calling has nothing to do with earning a living. Careers are avocations while our true vocation is following Jesus. Whom We Study Our true vocation begins when we heed the call of Jesus to be a disciple, the issue of our first unit this quarter. A disciple is a learner. To be successful in our ultimate calling, we must be shaped, trained, and changed in the […]

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