Course Offerings

The book of Second Corinthians can be read as the apostle Paul's autobiography. In this letter he reveals both his attitude and the secrets he learned in serving the Lord. The key to his serving life is that he became a "savor" (or aroma) that attracted and affected others. He said, "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Desiring to serve is a normal response to loving the Lord with our whole heart. We will continue our study of our brother and Apostle Paul’s testimony of how he learned to serve. The text will be the second letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. In the winter term, we will read chapters four and five. We will also include excerpts from messages that brother Titus gave to a group of brothers and sisters who were learning to serve. The course structure will be the teachers’ sharing as well as discussion groups to consider both Paul's teaching and experience.

This semester we will look at the life and living of George Whitefield (1714-1770). Whitefield was a charismatic gospel preacher from the 18th century of Christian church history who was instrumental in helping hundreds of thousands of people come to faith in Jesus Christ and encourage many to have a practical life and living before others.

Whitefield was born into the Anglican Church of England, but his ministry and labor would not be limited to any official church membership, social status, or citizenship. George Whitefield's life of service in the gospel would see him cross oceans and travel countless miles over land during his lifetime in order to help many souls from the British Isles and those of the colonies of North America to come to have genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whitefield would be instrumental in the Christian revival during this time period; known eventually as the "Great Awakening". We hope to be encouraged and strengthened by looking at such a selfless pattern of one who poured out their life in service to helping others come to know the Lord and practically live a life for others around them.

What are the most important foundational truths that will help you grow healthily with the Lord? It is amazing that people can be in church for years and not have these foundations. They like “church” but are missing some very important pillars of truth. You may ask, “Should I find them in Job or Revelation or Ephesians?” If you are not sure, this class is definitely for you. Just like all books are not the same, all truths are not the same. Some are main and plain. Others are less important, but still true. This class will cover nine main and plain truths that are crucial for every believer to know. This class is not a “new believer’s series.” If it were, the topics would be different. It is not a class for raising up “spiritual marines.” If it were, the topics would be very different again. Instead, this class is intended to give the normal believer a foundation in crucial truths that can help them grow in a healthy way with Christ and in the church life.

This will be an asynchronous class, meaning students can progress through the class at their own pace. Recorded lectures by Rex Beck will be made available for students to view according to their own schedule. Pre-work and “fellowship” office hours will be with James Reinarz.

God's way, in working with man, is to work through man. In other words, God desires to use people to convey His thoughts, His intentions, and His desires to both His people and the world at large. Our person is able to become a unique medium through which God can speak special words to meet unique situations of specific times. Join us as we spend nine weeks in the Minor Prophets, considering who these prophets were--their person, their background, their environment--and how God used that to convey His heart to His people.

The epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus, commonly referred to as pastoral epistles, were written by an older apostle to two younger and relatively newer believers who were his spiritual children and whom he had raised up in the Christian faith. His epistle to Philemon, who was probably also Paul’s spiritual son, but an older brother and elder of a church, is sometimes referred to as a “prison letter” (written in a Roman prison). These epistles reveal heartfelt outpourings, revelation of the truth, how to discern healthy teaching, how to have a proper and godly living before the Lord, proper companionship, growth in ministry and love and care for fellow believers without discrimination, instructions and admonitions for any believer, young or old, who desires to love, follow, grow and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and become pillars in the church life. It is a one year (three semester) pastoral journey, covering 1 Timothy (Fall Semester 2022, already over), 2 Timothy (Winter Semester 2023), and Titus and Philemon (Spring Semester 2023). By the end of the Spring Semester 2023, our expectation is that every student would desire to be a Timothy, a Titus and a Philemon, seeking to live a pure and prayerful life before the Lord, not afraid to exercise the gift the Lord has given to each one, hungry to know and enjoy the word of God, and eager to share the word with others for their salvation. More than that, the example of Paul, Timothy, Titus and Philemon can inspire us not merely to focus on our own spiritual growth, but to help and raise up others in the Christian faith to become pillars who in turn can raise up or lead a church.

Les épîtres de Paul à Timothée et à Tite, communément appelées «épîtres pastorales,» ont été écrites par un apôtre plus âgé à deux croyants plus jeunes et relativement nouveaux qui étaient ses enfants spirituels et qu’il avait élevés dans la foi chrétienne. Son épître à Philémon, qui était probablement aussi le fils spirituel de Paul et un frère plus âgé et un ancien d'une église, est parfois appelée une «lettre de prison» (écrite dans une prison romaine). Ces épîtres révèlent des effusions sincères, la révélation de la vérité, comment discerner un enseignement sain, comment avoir une vie correcte et pieuse devant le Seigneur, une bonne compagnie, une croissance dans le ministère et l'amour et le soin des autres croyants sans discrimination, des instructions et des avertissements pour tout croyant, jeune ou vieux, qui désire aimer, suivre, grandir et servir le Seigneur Jésus-Christ, et devenir des colonnes dans la vie de l'église. Ce cours est destiné aux nouveaux croyants, bien que tous soient sans aucun doute les bienvenus. Il s'agit d'un voyage pastoral d'un an (trois semestres), abordant 1 Timothée (semestre d'automne 2022, déjà passé), 2 Timothée (semestre d'hiver 2023) et Tite et Philémon (semestre de printemps 2023). À la fin du semestre de printemps 2023, nous nous attendons à ce que chaque étudiant désire être un Timothée, un Tite et un Philémon, cherchant à vivre une vie pure et priante devant le Seigneur, n'ayant pas peur d'exercer le don que le Seigneur a donné à chacun, affamé de connaître et d’apprécier la parole de Dieu, et de partager la parole avec les autres pour leur salut. Plus que cela, l’exemple de Paul, de Timothée, de Tite et de Philémon peut nous inspirer non seulement à nous concentrer sur notre propre croissance spirituelle, mais à aider et à élever les autres dans la foi chrétienne pour qu'ils deviennent des colonnes qui, à leur tour, peuvent élever ou diriger une église.