"Married....Now What?"

Ep. 151 "Living the Theological Life: God's Genetics" - 1 John 2:28-3:3

False teachers have been a threat to God’s people since the beginning. Their influence will only end when Christ comes back to receive His bride. In this section, John gives some practical signs to recognize those who try to undermine the gospel and lead believers astray. The key for the people of God to spot them is to listen to what they say and see how they are connected to other believers. Fin...

Most people will slowly save money throughout their careers for the day when they can’t work anymore. Retirement is relatively new in human history but it has become a staple in the West. Workers will make financial sacrifices today to save and hopefully secure investment income later in life. Similarly, God’s word teaches us that the worldly sacrifices we make today will produce an eternal reward...

The term "Christian" was first use to describe the followers of Jesus in Acts 11. The term initially meant "little Christs." The Bible says that as believers progress in their faith, they will naturally start emulating God's character (fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5). In this lesson, Pastor Philip Jackson continues his series on living out practical theology in everyda...

When a person first comes to faith, learning about God seems daunting. Challenges arise as we compare our knowledge of scripture with others and measure our “success” by how well we answer difficult questions. Often, this leads to insecurities that can ultimately drive us away from the very things God meant to heal us. In this lesson, we will explore what the apostle John saw as the foundation of...

As the debates around Jesus continued, the political climate in Rome became more complicated when it fell to the Goths in 410. For the first time in 800 years, the “eternal city” was sacked. In response, the church had to bring order and the fractures between Rome and Constantinople began to grow. The first major sign of division happened about 100 years after Constantine embraced the faith (Counc...

After the condemnation of Arius at Nicaea in 325 the church continued to debate about who Jesus was. If Nicaea (325) decided “how it happened,” Constantinople (381) debated “what happened.” The big question to be answered regarded the work of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation of Christ. But, as Christianity became more popular in the empire political pressure began to grow on the church. The stak...

The importance of the deity of Jesus cannot be overstated. As believers spread the gospel around the world, many followed Paul’s example by using cultural similarities to convince people of the truth. They leaned on Greek culture and the worldview of some of the great philosophers who taught that a supreme being ruled the world. While this was an effective evangelistic tool at first, eventually so...

When God finished creation, He said that it was, “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Since then, His enemies have tried to poison our view of the created world and undermine it. Healthy believers have learned to see these tactics for what they are, an attack on God’s redemptive work in the world. Even now, God is working in the lives of His people to show them how to live out their salvation. But as His rede...

Jesus teaches that a Christian, like a tree, is recognized by its fruit. Paul provides a clear explanation of the differences between fruits of the Spirit and fruits of the Flesh. Our diligent work is required, not for our salvation, but for the cultivation for the Spirit to work in our lives. We have to ensure that we are planting good seeds for good fruit. Otherwise, we are letting the world sow...

There end of the earth has been written about extensively, but very few authors acknowledge that they don’t really know how events will unfold. But for believers, God has given us instructions that help us navigate the difficulty of living in a broken world. As the world gets more chaotic, the people of God will be put on display to illustrate the greatness of their King and the security of His ki...

Our culture is built on fierce individualism. But God’s strategy stands in stark contrast to the American dream. As progress through life, it becomes more evident that we can’t do it on our own. How do we make time for all the things that are supposed to matter? What if our church life and our work life were not meant to be separate? What if that was God’s plan all along? Find the handout here .

The Doctrine of Salvation is central to the Christian faith. After our rebellion against God, He could have easily destroyed us and started over. But this doctrine teaches us that’s the opposite of His character. Instead, He gave us a choice to be with Him and then went out of His way to save us after we chose to rebel. Find class notes here .

In a world that says anyone can be anything they feel like being, it is easy to forget that humanity was made intentionally and purposefully in Creation. The chaos around us is a result of our own rebellion against such an identity. We do have hope to return to what we were made for, in an even better way… Find class notes here .

The Holy Spirit is always in the action of our lives. Since creation, He has been working in the universe to draw humanity’s attention to Jesus. Without Him, we will lose sight of the presence of God in our lives and grow anxious. This is true before, during, and after salvation. In this lesson, we will discuss the importance of the Holy Spirit and how He watches over us every day. Find the Handou...

The Doctrine of Jesus is the core of the gospel. Understanding who He is teaches us the fullness of God’s character, the lengths He will go to be in relationship with us, and gives us strength to face the lives He has given us. In this lesson, Pastor Philip Jackson discusses how the doctrine of Jesus impacts our lives.

Mankind has been searching for God since the beginning of time. The Doctrine of God is essentially an organized collection of man’s observations about Him in Scripture. The Bible says a lot about who God is. In this lesson, Pastor Philip Jackson covers a broad overview of the Doctrine of God and how it fits into the Christian Life.

God’s word is the foundation of our belief because without it we wouldn’t know anything about Him. Establishing a doctrine of Scripture is the first important step for faith. Without believing that it is actually what it claims to be (a message from God), it is no different than any other ancient text. For any other discussions to happen about faith or theology, the question of the credibility of...

Ep. 133 "The Year of Knowing God" - Hebrews 5:11-6:8

As Jesus finished his ministry, He gave His disciples three last assignments. This event would later come to be known as the Great Commission. It was an important moment for God’s people because Jesus delegated His authority to them so that they would spread the good news of the gospel and teach others to follow Him. In this lesson, Pastor Philip Jackson teaches about what it means to live the lif...

In our generation, people tend to think of evangelism as more like sales than discipleship. The gospel is presented as a sort of “limited-time offer” that needs to be accepted immediately.  But Jesus doesn’t take that approach. He tells the growing crowd following Him that to be His disciple was a death sentence and they should be absolutely sure if they want to follow Him. In this lesson, Pastor...

Ep. 130 "Godly Work" - Ecclesiastes 2:18-26; 3:9-13

"Under the New Law" - Colossians 2:16-23

Ep. 128 - Colossians 1:1-23

In the context of the suffering that we endure as children of God, we have a means to focus ourselves on what will bring healing. God does not simply relegate us to wait out our suffering alone. He has given us a community and a purpose to help us endure. In this passage James uses a series of rhetorical questions to give instruction about how to face the trials of life together. Find the Lesson h...