The Open Word

We continue our discussion of the global, universal flood as recorded in Genesis 7-9.

We continue our study on the Global Genesis Flood. There are a lot of evangelicals who deny there was a universal, global flood, instead seeing it a local flood only. In this study, we will continue to make the case that the flood of Genesis 6–9 was a global deluge, the effects of which are seen today.

We begin a multi-session study on the Global Genesis Flood. There are a lot of evangelicals who deny there was a universal, global flood, instead seeing it a local flood only. In this study, we will make the case that the flood of Genesis 6–9 was a global deluge, the effects of which are seen today.

We look at the descendants of Adam, as recorded in Genesis 5. The genealogies in this chapter connect the creation of Adam to the flood, a period of 1,651 years.

We continue our discussion of Cain and Abel along with the descendants of Cain as outlines in Genesis 4:17–24.

We begin a look at the account of Cain and Able in Genesis 4. 

We continue our look at the fall of man as found in Genesis 3, with a focus on the results of the fall both on humanity and the creation.

Although the initial creation of the universe by God was good, it did not take long for sin to enter. We begin a discussion of the fall of mankind as found in Genesis 3, looking at the reasons for it as well as its implication on God's perfect creation.

We continue our discussion of the creation of man in Genesis Chapter 2. We look at the uniqueness of man's creation as we have been made in the image of God.

In this session we focus on the creation of Man, God's crowning achievement. Secular scholars and scientists want to make man nothing more than the end product of evolution - an intelligent primate. the Bible paints a much different picture. Man is made in the image of God, which sets him apart from all of the rest of creation.

We complete our study of creation week by focusing on Days 6 and 7. On day 6, God created the land animals and man, and on day 7 He rested from all His work. This was not the rest of exhaustion, but the rest of accomplishment.

In this session we examine the first five days of creation: the creation of night/day, the atmosphere and separation of the waters, the emergence of dry land and vegetation, the sun, moon, and stars, and the creation of insects, birds, and swimming creatures. 

Although Genesis 1 goes to great lengths to portray the days of creation as literal 24-hour periods of time, many try to explain them away as long geological ages, or just figures of speech. In this session, we examine this question to show that the best way to view the days of creation as literal 24-hour days.

One of the common arguments for an old-earth view is radioactive dating techniques. In this session we look at the top three: Uranium-Lead, Potassium-Argon, and Carbon-14. We examine the presuppositions of each of the models to show their respective weaknesses, and make the case that they are not reliable indicators of age.

For those who hold to a creationist viewpoint, one of the arguments is whether the earth is as old as evolutionary models believe, or if the earth is only about 6,000 years old, as a clear reading of the Bible would indicate. In this session we look at this debate to make the case that the biblical record of 6,000 years is congruent with the teachings of Scripture. 

In the second session on the book of Genesis we explore various theories on the origin of the universe, including the Big Bang, Steady State, and Supernaturalistic views.

We begin a new series looking at the book of Genesis. In this session, we introduce the book, explore its background and importance in the canon of Scripture, and take a quick tour through it topics.

Paul finishes his conclusion to the book of Romans with some final exhortations regarding false teachers and those who cause division, followed by some final greetings to individual believers in Rome.

Paul continues his lengthy conclusion in Romans 16:1–16 by naming many of the people with whom he ministered and asks for greetings to be sent to them. Of note is Phoebe, whom Paul describes as a servant of the church in Cenchrea, the sister city of Corinth and the location that many think Paul wrote the letter of Romans from. Two other co-workers are noted, Priscilla and Aquila, who were fellow t...

Paul ends his letter to the Romans with an extended discussion of his plans to visit Rome along with personal greetings and a final exhortation. In this section of Scripture, he focuses on the first theme, that of his desire to visit Rome after taking aid to the saints in Jerusalem as the result of a famine in the late 50's AD (see 2 Corinthians regarding the collection he took for this relief eff...

Paul continues his defense of his ministry to the Gentiles, proclaiming that he had faithfully carried out God's commission to him as the Apostle to the Gentiles, of which the church in Rome was a recipient.

In this short section of Romans, Paul speaks of his ministry to the Gentiles by quoting several passages in the Old Testament that speaks of God's blessings being poured out on Gentiles, not just the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation had assumed, wrongly, that they were the only recipients of God's blessings, however, God had never intended His blessings to end with Israel, but to encompass all peo...

Paul encourages those who are strong in the faith to bear with the failings of the weak, not too see them as a burden. Christ did not come to please Himself, but to minister to others, and in the same way those who are strong believers are to help those weaker or more immature in their faith as an act of love to them so that together both the strong and weak may glorify God.

We complete our look at Romans 14 by examining the responsibility we have to not cause our brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble over those things that are no essential. The central theme is that we are to consider others over ourselves, because what may be fine for us is sin for others since whatever we do that is not of faith and violates our conscience is sin.

We continue our look at Christian liberty in Romans 14 by looking at the freedom we have in Christ which is bounded by the reality that someday we will all stand before Him and give an account. Our actions in the gray areas are not going to be evaluated by other believers, instead they will be evaluated by Christ. So instead of comparing ourselves to others, we need to compare ourselves to Christ...