Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2018

Teachers: Chris Goldman, Piper Ditzler Deconstruction of faith is a critical discussion in our time impacting everyone. Reconstruction of relationships seems out of reach to so many. Division and disbelief is running rampant. Avoiding the conversation is simply not an option. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the Northwest Church Worship Band and Chris Goldman will explore these two topics through scripture, story, music, live art, and suggestions for a more hopeful tomorrow. (Wednesday - Deconstruction; Thursday - Reconstruction).

Teacher: Jeff Walling Everywhere we look student ministry is facing the changes and challenges brought by: technology, ecology, politics, and pandemics. Anchoring our ministry to students in the nature and teaching of Christ has never been more important. Youth ministry leaders from across the country will share current research and offer practical advice on keeping Christ at the center of ministry to teens in areas like identity, gender issues, and creativity in teaching.

Teachers: David Fraze, Walter Surdacki Don't know how to be involved in youth ministry? David and Walter draw on over 60 years of youth ministry experience. They will help you see how you can partner with your youth minister and help your youth ministry thrive. You don't have to be a great public speaker or devote every weekend to be a small group leader either to get involved! They will help you see different "in front and behind the scenes" ways you can support and serve.

Teachers: Billy Curl, Tyson Moore Passing the proverbial torch in ministry must be done carefully between ministers. Billy Curl served 40+ years as the minister of the Crenshaw church of Christ in Los Angeles, California and then successfully retired after having discipled, trained and prepared his successor Tyson Moore. Their story has encouraged many in the African-American churches of Christ across the nation.

Teacher: Dan Zink The fast pace and high demands of today leave little time or energy for togetherness in our relationships. This workshop will focus on deepening connection in relationships with friends and spouses to better ground us in love for each other even when time and energy are limited. Hosted by the Boone Center for the Family.

Teacher: Lisa Parnell I remember being taught as a child that prayer is our way of talking to God, and Scripture is how God talks to us. But each can seem so one-sided and separate. What if prayer could be more like a conversation, a dialogue between God and us? Prayer Trails are an interactive, experiential way of conversing with God while walking through nature. They have proven meaningful and memorable for teens and adults alike. This class will outline the process for making a Prayer Trail and allow you the opportunity to "walk" a virtual Prayer Trail yourself. God is waiting to connect with you...come and see.

Teacher: Andy Wall God has always called his people to live in community. But God surely knows how hard it is for us humans to get along! If you’re aching for a greater sense of unity in our churches, come explore how Jesus’ ministry, the power of the cross, and the canon of Scripture provide a powerful rationale for unity in the midst of our diversity.

Teacher: Jim White Often overlooked because of its brevity, the book of Philemon gives us a glimpse into Paul’s heart, psychology, and doctrine. Paul puts into practice his teaching from the Corinthians letter to bring together two former adversaries. Learn from this shortest of Paul’s epistles the way to gently restore one who has strayed.

Teacher: Shane Hughes

In this session, American church historian Christina Littlefield will explore how one American pastor yoked the evangelical pietism of his Northern Baptist youth to the social justice platform of the Progressive Era, helping to develop the 1908 Social Creed of the Churches. Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) was one of the leading voices of the early evangelically social gospel. However, he grew up in a conservative household in Rochester, New York and spent zero time thinking about the social conditions of the industrial age, until he began ministering to German immigrants in Hell’s Kitchen, New York in the 1880s. The frequency of funerals for children convinced him the Gospel should serve the whole person, body and soul, and the whole of society, not just the church. He grounded his theological vision in the social justice calls of the Hebrew prophets and the kingdom of God rhetoric of Jesus Christ.

Teacher: Kindy De Long  

Teacher: Kyle Sapp There’s a thing that swallows you. It holds you together while it’s tearing you apart. Lately, that thing seems like ministry. In the midst of political division, pandemic madness, and the usual chaos, it has become increasingly difficult to believe ministry matters. In this class, we will discuss the intersection between ministry wounds, burnout, and the God who says, “My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is perfected in weakness.” Together we will discuss ways we can heal, rest, and be drawn closer to God in the midst of communal suffering and pain.

Teacher: Amy Bost Henegar How do we proclaim the good news of Jesus in an increasingly complicated world? How can we craft sermons that speak words of life for weary hearts and troubled minds? We will ask these important questions and more, seeking God's wisdom for the sacred vocation of preaching.

Teacher: Nick Perez Did God know about COVID-19 before it existed? Various models of divine foreknowledge seek to explain what God knows and when God knows it. This class will explore several of these models and apply them to the global pandemic.

Teacher: Martha Highfield This is the remarkable story of how a series of determined missionary women initiated and shaped Church of Christ healthcare missions in southeastern Nigeria. The stories of nurses Glenna Peden, Mary Kelton, Grace Farrar, Iris Hays, and Nancy Petty reveal how each did what she could to overcome inexperience, conflict, and cultural challenges while relying on faith, family, and community.

Teacher: Bryan Fojtasek If you had to describe God in a single sentence, how would you do it? Did you know there’s a passage in the Bible (Exodus 34:6) where God does exactly that? This description of God’s heart was so comforting for the Israelites that they kept repeating it for thousands of years in all kinds of adverse situations! This class will take a deep-dive into how God reveals his heart to Israel at a crucial moment in their history, and then make practical applications to church life, family life, and our relationship with God.

Teacher: David Ayres Why are you still a member of Churches of Christ? It seems that, for many of us, that question has become increasingly difficult to answer. For those in our churches who are all too aware of our tradition’s shortcomings, it can be difficult to speak convincingly about the gifts our heritage has to offer. It often feels as though we escaped our bondage to rigid sectarianism only to wander aimlessly in the wilderness of relentless self-critique. Join us as we imagine what it might look like to offer our churches a positive vision for who we are and who we can still be.

Teacher: Bryan Schackmann Scripture invites us into a world where we are encouraged to create alongside our Creator. Unfortunately, we often spend more time consuming instead of creating. How can you reclaim God's call on your life to create meaning in deep and profound ways?

Teacher: Jonathan Guevara El ministerio de Jesús y del apóstol Pablo tuvieron una singularidad, la persecución. Es común encontrar en el nuevo Testamento las dificultades que atravesaban aquellos que decidían llevar el mensaje de salvación. ¿Qué los motivaba? ¿Por qué estaban tan apasionados? Hoy en día la predicación del evangelio se ha tornado opcional para muchos creyentes. ¿Qué los desmotiva? En esta lección encontraremos la magnitud del mensaje que Dios ha encomendado a los creyentes y motivos para llevarlo por doquier.

Teacher: Caleb Borchers The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most financially successful film franchise in the history of Hollywood, and 12 years from its founding continues to be a major shaper of popular culture. These superhero tales not only entertain and distract, but they also have a moral vision which shapes cultural understandings across the globe. In this session we'll look at some of the spiritual lessons that one can derive from this franchise and evaluate the ways these lessons support and challenge a Christian understanding of the world.