Understanding, Accepting and Submitting to The Sovereign Almighty God, in the midst of Trial and Suffering

Bro. Tony DeLorenzo

Key Verse: ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM, AND BE AT PEACE: thereby good shall come unto thee. (Job 22:21)

In our class we will explore some foundational building blocks critical to developing and maintaining the Belief, Faith and Trust required to persevere through some of Life's most challenging situations.

1. Suffering & The Sovereignty of God - God is only truly known in our lives as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority and allow Him to transform us into the image of His Son.
2. The Suffering Servant - Fixing our eyes on Jesus. Reflecting on his earthly ministry and learning from the examples he set for us, specific to his suffering.
3. God's purpose for and the value of adversity in our lives- Understanding, accepting and learning how to be exorcised by our trials.
4. 17th & 18th Century views on adversity & suffering - What lessons can we glean from the past?
5. Our Identity in Christ - Understanding our identity and worth through the eyes of our Heavenly Father and His Son. The lens we use to examine our lives and the vision we set before us, will determine whether we find joy & healing in Christ to overcome our trials - or be overwhelmed and crushed by them.
6. The Prodigal Son or Daughter - When the child we raised, walks away from or deconstructs all they've been taught from their youth, it can leave us feeling like we failed. How do we navigate through one of the most heart-wrenching struggles parents and grandparents may encounter?
7. The Second Book of Job? - A close-up, honest, intimate look at some of the challenges & victories our family has experienced and the lessons we learned. Whatever your battle: Physical, Mental, Emotional or Spiritual, we hope this class will help motivate, encourage, comfort and support you in your journey toward God's Kingdom.
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The Sanctuary, Unsolved

Bro. Andrew Johnson

This week we will refresh our understanding of two foundational biblical subjects: the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple. While these topics are often presented with confident, settled models, our class will explore how the biblical evidence invites a more nuanced- and far more fascinating- picture than many realize.

We will take a careful look at the structures, furnishings, functions, and logistics of God's Sanctuary across both eras. Using fresh visuals, thought-provoking questions, and proposals developed through nearly a decade of personal study, we will examine the biblical text closely and honestly.

Along the way, we will also consider the healthy role that uncertainty can play in cultivating a living, biblical curiosity. How do we build Scripturally consistent working models (on any topic) while honestly acknowledging what we don't know and keeping our assumptions in check?

Seeing Ourselves as Others See Us

Bro. Todd Smoke

What if you could see yourself the way others truly do? These classes will encourage self-examination, self-awareness, and reflection through Scripture. We will explore what it means to imitate God, to walk in love not only in intention, but also in action. Do our words, attitudes, and behaviors reflect our calling? We will consider how our actions reveal who we are and what motivates our behavior. Practical examples involving gossip, conflict, and grudges will help us examine how our responses to these may reveal our character in the eyes of others. Most importantly, this is not a journey taken alone. As a community, we must look to one another, as Hebrews 10:24 urges us, to "provoke unto love and to good works." Through honest reflection and mutual encouragement, we may begin to recognize our blind spots and grow spiritually together.

Lessons From the Prophet Elisha

Bro. David Stanley

The Northern Kingdom of Israel had a procession of twenty kings who "did evil in the eyes of the LORD". During the fourth dynasty, in the reign of King Ahab, Elijah the prophet enters onto the scene like a storm sweeping over the nation. He invokes a three-and-a-half-year drought, proclaims God's triumph over Baal at Mount Carmel, and then flees from Jezebel to the cave in Sinai. The LORD then instructs him to anoint his successor, a young man named Elisha, who is presented to us as a stark contrast to the former prophet. Our classes for the week will focus on the major events of Elisha's ministry, gleaning lessons from the multitude of miracles performed in the presence of Israel and its neighboring nations.

The Beatitudes

Bro. Zak Vest

The Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus' most extensive and influential teachings. The opening section, known as the Beatitudes, is the focus of this class. The goals for the class are to look at the background for Jesus' teaching, to further appreciate the wisdom he is providing his disciples and to discuss how these teachings are applicable to our life in Christ today.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

Bro. Ken Wood

What thoughts go through your mind when you think about standing before Christ as our righteous judge? If you are like me, they are thoughts of fear, anxiety and even trepidation as we contemplate the possible outcomes. As we try to unravel what will transpire at the scene of the judgment seat, our goal in this class is to come away with feelings that are less about being fearful and anxious and more about having confidence and even boldness. As we go through everything we can learn from the parables of Jesus along with other relevant scriptures, as well as an historical perspective of the bema of that era, we pray it will leave us encouraged - taking to heart passages like our theme verse for this year's Bible School where Paul tells us - that in all things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37). Over the course of the week, we will consider what the Judgment Seat is and what it is not. What are the alternative views of the Judgment and the possible order of events that will influence our thinking about it? Besides the "what?", we will briefly touch on the other "W" questions - who, when and where. To further our understanding, we will also examine the related important scriptural principles of faith and works, justification and imputation, the book or books of life and finally and most importantly - grace and hope.