Harbor, Pepperdine Bible Lectures

Have the past few years left you not just tired, but weary? Me too! Let’s talk about it. Teacher: Ben Fike

How to be a leader in a valley of dry bones. Teacher: Brad Cox

Teacher: Jenn Gash

En esta presentación, Alejandro Ezquerra explorará los elementos y habilidades que deben desarrollar aquellos interesados en proveer cuidado pastoral en la iglesia, en el hospital o en cualquier circunstancia. In this talk, Alejandro Ezquerra will introduce some Clinical Pastoral Education elements and practices to ministers and people interested in developing better skills to minister in times of...

Every week, preachers face the pressure of coming up with something new to say about a book that has been talked about for 2000 years. Originality is an essential element for effective communication – but what can we possibly say that hasn’t already been said before? In this class, we will explore how and why good preaching endeavors to gain a fresh hearing for an old, old story. Teacher: David Ay...

The Sermon to the Hebrews begins by telling us that God spoke in the prophets and today speaks in the Son. The Son, and the Spirit, continue to speak. The sermon claims that Jesus, and the Spirit, is speaking in the Psalms. We will explore Hebrews “sharp sword” which is none other than Jesus and the Spirit speaking in the Psalms, Today. Teacher: Bobby Valentine

The relationship between Jesus and children is the topic of sermons and deep theological papers. It’s been imagined through art and is joyfully described in time-worn songs. While our society clamors for the attention of our children, this workshop will provide practical ways of leading children into life with Christ. Teacher: Shannon Rains

Over the last several years working with college students and teaching adult Sunday School classes, I’ve been saddened by the large number of Christians who cannot articulate the basics of their faith. They may know several Bible stories and carry around a generic ethic of “love others,” but they don't know what the essentials of the Christian faith are. Because of this, they are unaware of how th...

Hosted by the Boone Center for the Family. One of the most powerful and transformative relationships we will ever have is the covenant relationship of marriage. God designed something special and sacred in marriage as a gift, and yet marriage can be difficult and painful. As human beings, it is easy to grow apart rather than together as we work through the struggles of life, family, and ministry....

How do you preach sermons that are authentic, biblical, and culturally sensitive? Drawing from Lee’s book, Preaching God’s Grand Drama, this session explores practices of attentiveness that ground sermons in biblical theology, local context, and global realities. Teachers: Sara Barton, Ahmi Lee

Discouraged? Weary of hearing how our churches are shrinking, aging, and becoming irrelevant? Come hear why we believe there can be hope for the future of our tribe. And hear how you can be a part of this exciting movement. Teacher: Pat Bills Panelists: Jovan Barrington, Cyntha Ownby, Doug Page

It is said Jesus did not speak "except in parables.” The parables are part of what made Jesus a master teacher. This class will discuss the nature of parables, how they hide and reveal, and how one might teach or preach from the parables. Teacher: Mark Manassee

What would it mean for us to become more and more like Jesus—not based primarily on our behaviors—but instead flowing from our deepest desires? What if we learned how to want what God wants? For us? For the people around us? Teacher: Jarrod Robinson

You will recognize the characters in these six stories; you will smile, laugh, and feel some of the grief along the way. And you will get glimpses into the varied texture of our lives—the unexpected people who bless us, the desert experiences, the need for forgiveness, the gifts along the way, the surprises of grace. Teachers: Leonard Allen, Darryl Tippens

Part 2 of this class considers how the historical lives of Christians and the leadership can inform our own consideration about leadership in the church today. After a brief review of the results from part one and surveying some exemplary trends in church history, we will focus our attention on the particular context of the Church in the US to consider how the past provides wisdom for our present...

This class includes a hybrid of teaching and panel discussion exploring the virtue of sharing Christ with our neighbors. Teacher: Neil Reynolds Panelists:

Ministry is tough! It's critical that ministers attend to their own resilience as well as have a framework and tools that can help them support their congregations in being resilient in challenging times. Pepperdine's RISE program will be shared and possible applications from parenting workshops, youth ministry, adult classes, sermons, and pastoral conversations will be suggested. Teacher: Connie...

Fundamentalism is a reactionary phenomenon informing believers of every religion around the world. So, what is it? What fruit has it borne? And how should an understanding of fundamentalism change our ministry, especially preaching? In this session we’ll briefly discuss fundamentalism, what it is, where it comes from, how it has shaped Christian’s interpretation of the Bible, behavior, and rhetori...

Humanity is captivated by the aesthetics of our world. What captures the eyes usually captures the heart. Images flood our minds and hearts through multiple channels. So what do we do when the IMAGE of God has been distorted? Why have we opted for creation rather than the creator? This distorted image of God forms an image of ourselves, others and the way we see the world. Can we recapture & r...

What does it take to be an effective leader in a local church, nonprofit, or ministry environment? This is a question that countless churches have wrestled with, whether it's in the context of recruiting volunteers to serve in existing ministries, installing elders to shepherd the congregation, or searching for new ministers to love and lead the church. This class will explore a simple but essenti...

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Kids and students today may not sound like the apostles, but the next generation is hungry for spiritual experiences. In this class we'll reinvestigate the example of Jesus, rediscover prayer practices worth passing on, and restore the priority prayer should have among God's people now and in the days to come. Teacher: Taylor Walling

Psychiatrist and award-winning author Curt Thompson, along with Luke Norsworthy, will discuss God's transforming work of taking our grief into a lasting peace that surpasses all understanding. Suffering is a defining reality of life. Yet so many of us are so focused on avoiding discomfort that we've never learned how to actually suffer. But what if we could move from anxiety to durable hope? This...

When we appreciate that human beings are lovers, and that our loves are shaped by rituals and routines—“liturgies”—then we should recognize afresh what is at stake in the practices of Christian worship. This session will explore the ways in which worship is the heart of discipleship and how we can be intentional in creating (re)formative worship environments. Teacher: James K.A. Smith

Hosted by the Boone Center for the Family Teachers: John Philip and Karen Louis

Most Christians I know are dreading this fall’s presidential election. “It’s going to be bad.” “We’re going to lose friends.” “I’m worried about my church.” “The world is going to fall apart if the other team wins.” How might the apostle Paul coach a church entering in this season? By taking a careful look at how Paul approached the fault lines threatening to fracture the Christians in Rome (with...