God has given teachers to the Body of Christ, that we might
learn His Word and His ways (Eph. 4:11). Yet He has also called
us to study His Word ourselves (Acts 17:11) for our long-term
growth in Christ (2 Tim. 3:16–17). If we are to handle
it accurately and not be ashamed (2 Tim. 2:15), we need to
know how to study it, not just read it casually. This class
will show you how to dig out the rich golden nuggets of the
Word for yourself. Your whole life will be different from now
on as a result of applying the skills you’ll learn in
this most enjoyable course. (2 units)
In this course, which is like a mini-Bible college, you will
go through the whole Bible and all the basic doctrines of Christianity
in a single year. You will learn basic theology, Biblical background
information, and Christian living, with answers to questions,
such as “How
do you know the Bible is the Word of God?” “Does
the Bible say Jesus is God?” “Can
people who never heard the Gospel be saved?” “What’s
wrong with sex outside marriage?” “How do you know
Christ will come again?” “Is Christ the only wayto
God?” “How should I study the Bible?” and
many more such questions. You will love having clear-cut answers,
and your faith will be stronger as a result. (6 units)
How should you interpret the various things you find in the
Bible? Would you, for example, cut off your hand, based on
Matthew 5:30? Some people, not understanding the principle
of hyperbole, have done just that. When Jesus told Nicodemus
he must be born again, Nicodemus pictured a grown person reentering
his or her mother’s
womb (John 3:1–8).
Certain cults use the Bible to come up with some rather strange
things. So how do you interpret and understand what God is
saying in different places in the Bible?
This course will teach you the
basic principles of biblical interpretation, sometimes known
as hermeneutics. You will enjoy, understand, and profit from
the Word more after taking this course. (2 units)
How’s your prayer life? How do you feel about your ability
to get answers to prayer? In the twentyfirst century, God is
emphasizing prayer in an unprecedented manner. In churches
throughout the world people are rediscovering the power of
prayer to communicate with God and to accomplish His work (Mark
11:23–24).
This
course may change your life and bring about the vision God
has placed in your heart for His kingdom. Come prepared for
a new day. (2 units)
God answers prayer. Practically everybody agrees. Yet many
things fall to the ground because the prayers of the saints
are missing. Evil kingdoms can be brought down and godly ones
built up through prayer. The Queen of Scotland once said that
she feared the prayers of John Knox more than all the armies
of the enemy. Praying Hyde and the intercessors in Britain
turned the course of World War II through their intercessory
prayers.
Furthermore, prayer is essential to protect Christian leaders
and front-line workers, who often get “picked off” by
the enemy due to lack of prayer. And intercessory prayer is
vital in healing, as even the American Medical Association
reported in its journal. Come and learn how you can be a world
changer through effective intercession. (2 units)
Peter tells us to sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always
being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give
an account for the hope that is in you . . . (1 Pet. 3:15a).
Yet we have all been “nailed” at times by articulate
atheists or crafty cultists who frame their unbelieving questions
in such a way that we’re at a loss as to how to answer.
This course will prepare you for battle: For the typical hackneyed
arguments and baffling conundrums that will come your way from
unbelievers. Your confidence will grow as you gain clear, concise
answers to such questions, and the skill to guide the adversary
to faith in Christ. (2 units)
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the centerpiece of all history,
the “desire
of all nations” (Hag. 2:7), has come. And He will soon
come again, and “from His mouth
comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the
nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads
the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty” (Rev.
19:15). In this practical course you will learn the prophecies
that He fulfilled so you can witness right out of the Old Testament.
And you will learn how to know and present Him in power to
the world today—the world that
will soon witness His mighty return to rule and reign. An incredible
course. (2 units)
Christianity continued to expand after the Book of Acts closed,
but it also became increasingly institutional after the first
century. By the year 500, all the freshness and spiritual power
of the church in Acts had been thoroughly expunged and only
a shell of formal religion seemed to be left. The church entered
the Dark Ages for the next 1,000 years. Though there were a
few lights here and there, darkness was pervasive. There is
much we can learn from this season of the church’s history,
to guide us towards the freshness of the early church and away
from the ruinous patterns that led to the Dark Ages.
Peter said, “Heaven must receive [Jesus] until the period
of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets from ancient time” (Acts
3:21). With the Protestant Reformation all things began to
be restored to the church, starting with basic issues, such
as salvation by grace through faith, the Bible for everyone,
the priesthood of all believers, and more. Beginning with Martin
Luther 500 years ago, lost ground from the church in Acts has
been steadily regained, until today we see nearly everything
in the New Testament happening in the church around the world.
Now, with the vast expansion of the church worldwide—and
fulfillment of the Great Commission in every people group on
earth within reach—the church has
entered its greatest moment, sensing the imminent return of
her Lord. This course will take you through the great revivals
right up to today, in the ongoing saga of the church of Jesus
Christ. (6 units)
Over half of all the people who have ever lived on the earth
are alive today. And even more than half of all the believers
that have ever lived are alive right now. God moved more
mightily in revivals in the 20th century more than ever before
in history. You will be excited as you learn the things He
has done in recent decades and is doing in the world today.
Come take this course to build your faith and to learn how
you can get into revival today! (2 units)
Throughout the book of Acts the Holy Spirit leads the way
in the spread of the Gospel (Acts 1:8; 16:6–10). Today,
He is still commander-in-chief of “God’s
army,” the militant church of God engaged in evangelizing
every creature in the world to fulfill the Lord’s
Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20). He is the one
who clothes believers with power from on high (Acts 1:8)
and performs mighty acts to convince nonbelievers that Jesus
is Lord. Missionaries have long known the need for God to
display Himself as more powerful than heathen gods in showdowns
(Acts 13:5–12). But today even “civilized” people
are more concerned with power
than truth, so that demonstrations of the power of Jesus
Christ by the Holy Spirit are more needed than ever. In this
class you will learn how to minister in the power of the
Holy Spirit. (2 units)
The Bible is our rock of truth, the first and foremost source
of information and revelation that God has given us in this
world. Without it we would be at the mercy of everyone’s
opinion vs. our own. Who could know truth? In the Bible God
has given us all the foundational truth we need to know,
from which we can reason out other issues not specifically
covered in the Bible.
Theology is the study of all that God
says in His word about the most important areas of truth,
such as the nature of God Himself, Jesus, the Holy Spirit,
sin, salvation, heaven, hell, the church, prophecy, and so
on. Theology takes each of the most important areas and outlines
the teachings of the Bible on that doctrine. It is an unusually
exciting course, because you suddenly see what the whole
word teaches on each doctrine so clearly that it practically
jumps out at you. You’ll
grow in your faith and in your relationship with God as a
result of taking this course, and your whole life will be
better and more stable.
The subjects covered are Bibliology, Theology Proper, Christology,
Pneumatology, Angelology, Anthropology, Hamartiology, Soteriology,
Ecclesiology, and Eschatology. (6 units)
One day the trumpet will sound and the world as we know it
shall end. Jesus Christ shall appear in the sky and every
eye shall see Him coming with great power and glory. The
greatest event in history— coming soon to your world!
Are you ready? Now is the time to get ready. This course
will electrify you and prepare you for the most important
day in your life and in history. Jesus Christ is coming again,
this time as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (2 units)
When Christ ascended to the Father, He gave gifts to people
by the Holy Spirit. These gifts are supernatural anointings
to easily do things that would otherwise be either difficult
or impossible, depending on
the gift. In this course you will learn about different types
of spiritual gifts, with a special emphasis on the ones in
Romans 12, which are often called the Motivational Gifts.
You will have the opportunity to learn your motivational
and spiritual gifts, and how to experience great joy as you
use them. This is an exceptionally enjoyable course, one
you’ll
remember all your life. (2 units)
God is the most wonderful person in the universe! To experience
Him is to find everything you’ve ever wanted and more.
Just one touch from Him fills you with joy and life in a
way nothing else can possibly do. As a result, the enemy
of our souls is busy lying about God, trying to get us to
believe awful things about Him. But truth is more powerful.
If you take this course, you will come to truly know God
in a way you never dreamed possible. And as a result, many
problems in your life will simply go away. Come for the blessing
of your life! (4 units)
We live in an age of unprecedented openness to the gospel.
Hunger for spiritual reality has never been greater. Yet,
often, pseudo-Christian cults get to the hungry people first.
These cults claim to follow the Bible, but in reality deny
salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ alone, substituting
instead salvation through their group and activities. So
what do you do when people you know get into one of these
groups? How do you witness to people who are in the cults?
These and many other questions are answered in this practical
course, preparing you for the encounters you are sure to
have. (2 units)
Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and other world religions are
rapidly increasing in the United States and are on the verge
of flexing their muscles in a way that will astound traditional
American Christians. What is the attraction of these groups?
How can we relate to each of them? How do we handle people
ca ght in their web? This class will look at the beliefs
and practices of each of the major religions with an emphasis
on strategies for winning them to Christ. (2 units)
Since 9/11 Islam has been one of the hottest topics in the
world. And rightfully so. Islam and Christianity are locked
in mortal combat for the human race. We can no longer ignore
Islam, but must understand it if we are going to effectively
reach these people, plus the ones they are evangelizing.
This course will be a shocker and an eye-opener. Very informative.
Don’t
miss it! (2 units)
A common thread throughout the Scripture is the reign of
God over all His creation, often referred to as the kingdom
of God. It is both present and future, earthly and heavenly,
personal and corporate, total and yet disputed. We are in
a battle to bring the reality of God’s rule into the
lives of people and of society, for Christ taught us to pray,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven (Matt. 6:10).
Understanding the kingdom of God will help us bring its reality
to the streets and neighborhoods of the city, pushing back
the kingdom of darkness that reigns there in so many ways
today. This is a strategic course in taking our cities for
Christ. (2 units)
The Bible teaches that we are engaged in spiritual warfare.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces
of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). It also says that though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but
divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (2 Cor.
10:3–4).
To bring down the fortresses or “strongholds” of
the city (crime, drugs, violence, poverty, discrimination,
demonic control, abuse, and so on) requires adeptness in
spiritual warfare, not just social and spiritual programs.
This course will teach the basics of effectively engaging
the enemy in spiritual warfare and prevailing. (2 units)
This course will present the biblical perspective of God’s
abiding purpose that His people participate with Him in bringing
His redemptive rule to all peoples of the earth; the historical
perspective of the progress and continuity of the Christian
movement in world history; the cultural perspective on crucial
issues of cross-cultural communication and service; and the
strategic perspective on understanding an overall strategy
of reaching the world’s unreached through
evangelism, church planting, relief, development, going,
sending, and prayer. (2 units)
Jesus Christ will have a victorious church at His return.
Bible-believing Christians amounted to just 1/ 4% of the
world’s
population in A.D. 100. They increased to 1% by 1500, 2%
by 1900, 3% by 1950, and today they constitute over 12% of
the world! This is a geometric curve, accelerating like a
rocket to the moon. The story of world missions is the story
of the advance and multiplication of God’s people around
the globe in these last days, and it’s more exciting
than anything else! Come prepared for an adrenaline rush
as you see the awesome works of God in our day as He prepares
the world for the return of His Son. (4 units)
Surveys have shown that a visit to your local Christian bookstore
will turn up very few books on God, but a plethora of books
on “self.” This course
is an in-depth study of the person of God the Father, His
existence and attributes, from the Bible and the creation.
Very refreshing. (2 units)
Jesus Christ, the greatest person who has ever lived. More
books and songs have been written about Him than anyone in
history—by far. This course is a
complete study of Him: His person and His work as the Messiah,
the Anointed One. An exciting course. (2 units)
As you may have noticed in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit
is the power of the church and the Christian life. In fact,
Jesus said it was actually better that He leave us so we
could have the Holy Spirit! This course is a thorough study
of the person and work of God the Holy Spirit with a special
emphasis on His ministry from the New Testament era onward.
(2 units)
A study of the theological foundations of church growth theory,
along with a critique of the (often pragmatic) practice of
growth methods among churches today. (2 units)
Many recalcitrant urban problems, as well as most of the “points
of light,” involve unseen forces. This course delves
into issues of discerning and appropriately responding to
such forces. (2 units)
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