Harbor, Pepperdine Bible Lectures

Christians can fall into a life of practical deism. We should be aware that the Gospel is the message of Jesus and should be accompanied by the power of Jesus.

With the love commands to love God (Deut 6:5) and neighbors (Lev 19:18), Jesus distills the heartbeat of God’s will for flourishing relationships. We’ll look at how these commands are reflected in prayer life and embody the ten commandments. We will learn some challenging and surprising things about these commands. For example, Jesus wasn’t the only one who believed this – according to Luke 10:25-...

When we consider God, we often think in terms of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. However, growing up in our Restoration Heritage, I rarely heard teaching on the Holy Spirit. This third person of the Trinity was a mystery and a concept I rarely gave much thought to. When it did come up, it seemed to be more eery and something we were leery of. This class will take a practical, biblical look at how...

This workshop will equip participants with Christian contemplative meditation practices derived from the African American experience that can enrich everyone's intimacy with Christ.

Boundaries are not barriers to love—they give relationships shape and direction, allowing room for clarity, respect, and life-giving connection. Yet many Christians struggle to set limits because of confusion about forgiveness, self-sacrifice, or what “loving like Jesus” really requires. In this 50-minute session with the Boone Center for the Family’s Relationship IQ Program, we will explore how b...

Love is often misunderstood as passive or permissive, yet Scripture presents it as the most demanding and transformative path of all. This session reframes biblical love as the foundation for faithful presence, resilient relationships, and gospel-centered influence. Discover why love remains God's chosen way forward—especially when the path is costly.

Why do we create new translations of the Bible? This workshop will bring out rare Bibles from Pepperdine’s Special Collections (including the first edition of Campbell's 1826 version) for an interactive discussion on how translations not only affect the way we interpret the Bible, but are acts of interpretation themselves. Join Jamey and Nick as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Alexander Camp...

Many of our churches seem to be operating with a flawed assumption: if we just tell people everything they need to know, they’ll figure out the rest and eventually become mature disciples of Jesus. But most leaders recognize that more information doesn’t always lead to a transformed way of life. While Biblical knowledge is essential, knowledge without action doesn’t produce maturity. So how can we...

Ancient Christians were careful and creative readers of their Bibles. Using Genesis as a case study, this class will introduce several different methods that early Christians used to interpret Scripture--historical/literal, typological, allegorical, and moral--and consider how these methods might enrich and inspire churches today.

Learning to Navigate Forgiveness, Shame, and Rhythm.

This lectureship explores the unbroken pattern of God’s provision as revealed in the details of creation and experienced in the life of the believer. From the feeding of the birds of the air to the clothing of the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:25–34), Scripture presents nature as a living testimony of God’s sustaining care. What God continually does for creation, He faithfully extends to His peop...

In this deeply honest and hope-filled message, Lin and Julie invite women into a sacred conversation about vision—not as a nice idea, but as a lifeline when everything familiar has been shaken. Rooted in Proverbs 29:18, Scripture, and their own lived stories, they speak about what it feels like when a woman loses sight of who she is, what she is here for, and whether the dreams God once whispered...

Doug Peters will interview attorney Mike O'Neal, a Church Legal Specialist, about the most important legal best practices for church leaders. Attendees will receive a free church legal resource document. There will also be time for Q&A and an opportunity for leaders to schedule a free confidential 1-hour appointment with a Heritage21 attorney during Harbor.

Don't Miss the Moment explores post-quarantine data trends revealing the greatest opportunities for church growth through intentional intergenerational ministry. This workshop equips leaders with practical, data-driven insights to help congregations reclaim momentum, strengthen discipleship across generations, and build a sustainable future.

Someone once said, 'we will never be able to say anything more true than the claims our living make.' This is a call for embodied testimony. What is the true, good, and beautiful story of our counter-cultural witness, reflected in how we view and treat people made in the image of God?

This class honestly examines the divide between Churches of Christ and Christian Churches, what it has cost us, what is possible, and what Scripture demands of us. We will name the obstacles clearly and explore practical paths toward the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17. Come ready to reckon with our division — and to imagine what a shared future could actually look like.   021-v3.1

Fri May 9, 2025 - 11:00 AM Presenter(s): Tim Spivey This sermon emphasizes the importance of Matthew 25, particularly the parable of the sheep and the goats, highlighting the call to compassion and service to others. Tim suggests true service comes from one's identity as a follower of Christ rather than fear of judgment. Service to the needy should be motivated by the understanding of being served...

Fri May 9, 2025 - 9:45 AM Presenter(s): Bob & Liz Perez Come and explore the Parable of the Sower from the perspective of the three gospels. Digging deeper into the scripture, we will tether back and forth between Matthew's focus on the soil, Mark's emphasis on the seed (the Sower), and Luke's take on perseverance. Thomas Long calls this "a 3-D reading of the gospels." Wow, so much to plow thr...

Fri May 9, 2025 - 9:45 AM Presenter(s): John Alan Turner

Fri May 9, 2025 - 9:45 AM Presenter(s): Alan and Sharon Beard A married couple serving as leaders of two churches share what they've learned about simultaneously investing in an aging legacy church of Christ while planting a new one on Pepperdine's campus.

Fri May 9, 2025 - 9:45 AM Presenter(s): Rudy Hagood This session will discuss what I call the four stages of racial integrity. Although we will be discussing unity, unity does not happen merely because we discuss it. Christian unity only happens when we are on mission. My friends, we haven’t won, until we are all ONE. Jesus made unity with us his mission. That is the only reason we are unified wit...

Fri May 9, 2025 - 9:45 AM Presenter(s): Scott Lambert