Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2018

Teacher: Joe Neal In a world longing for justice, poets and musicians become prophets seeking the divine shalom. They long for what is broken to be made right in the world. In this class, we will examine stories and songs of injustice as they point to the Gospel of Jesus and help us communicate the Kingdom of God to a world hungry for redemption and peace.

Teacher: Jason Burnett Last September I finally went to my Elders and said: “I’m not ok.” Part autobiographical, part instructive, part group “therapy,” we will spend our time in this session looking at burnout in ministry, the terrifying moment of vulnerability to say “I’m not ok,” and how church leaders can help their ministers.

Teacher: Wilson McCoy Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Have you ever felt stretched thin by too many errands, demands, and responsibilities? How do we navigate stressful seasons in faithful ways? Join us as we explore Scriptural insights, the latest research in psychology, and spiritual wisdom to learn to move through overwhelm towards a more grounded and godly life.

Teacher: Drew Dixon Spiritual direction has grown in popularity in recent years. Is it a new fad or an ancient practice? Is it for the spiritual-but-not-religious crowd or can it serve followers of Christ? This session is an opportunity to learn about spiritual direction—what it is, where it came from, who it's for, and how it can be a critical resource for both church leaders and those who are wrestling with the church and their faith.

Teacher: Mitchell East The Church Fathers taught that God has perfect joy, which means that God, in his divine nature, cannot suffer. But this teaching flies in the face of a recent idea that God suffers alongside us. Which teaching is more faithful to Scripture? Which teaching holds good news for the suffering of the world? 

Teacher: Jarrod Robinson In a world that is always changing (at what feels like an ever-increasing speed), how can the church find new ways to remain faithful? This class will explore four key shifts that we need to make as followers of Jesus in order to empower our faith communities to effectively reach the outside world around us.

Teacher: Susan Giboney This class is developed for Seniors and those who minister to our senior citizen community. It will focus on understanding the thoughts and needs of our vital and precious Senior members and how to wisely tap their experience and skills. The content is developed from research and surveys of current Seniors, who will hopefully be enlightened and encouraged by the topic. This session is part of the Sunset Haven Senior Ministry Series.

Teacher: Holly Allen Our Covid experience has confirmed what we had already guessed: all children need resilience. This presentation builds a bridge between resilience studies and children’s spiritual formation, showing how spirituality intersects with most of the protective factors resilience scholars have suggested. It will also demonstrate four ordinary ways parents, grandparents, teachers, children’s ministers, and others can nurture children spiritually—ways that also foster the resilience children need to face the common troubles of childhood and to persevere when facing more serious adversities that may come their way.

Teacher: Michael Chaffin Of all the methods Jesus could have chosen to implement his messianic mission, he chooses...mystery. Jesus teaches wisdom in the Sermon on the Mount. Then he steps down and embodies his sermon. But he does so in surprising and even shocking fashion. Matthew 8-13 contains constant confusion over Jesus and his understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. What does this teach us about the Father and the Kingdom? And what are the implications for discipleship today? Come participate in a discussion of our erudite, yet elusive Jesus.

Teacher: Robert Perez After 32 years, Santa Paula Church of Christ (SPCC) has appointed and confirmed two elders. This class will focus on the process of how we moved to being a church with elders, as well as lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid.

Teachers: Jeff and Kera Hubbard, Bret Morris We aim to highlight that through the grace of Jesus we are new creations. Our old rhythms, habits, or addictions will be exposed for the false security and comfort that they are. Instead, through the grace of Jesus we can be made new, seeing and experiencing the world in new ways. The old is gone and the new has come. There is no other answers than Jesus in regards to who can comfort, forgive, empower, and lead us into the way life was intended to be.

Teachers: Josh Ross, Joshua Graves Love is the only legacy that matters. This two part class will explore what it means to love well and be loved. Howard Thurman wrote, "Love or perish." No human prior or since Jesus exemplifies what it means to live this kind of beautiful life like Jesus of Nazareth. If you want to be a better practitioner of love, these two sessions are for you!

Teachers: Josh Ross, Joshua Graves Love is the only legacy that matters. This two part class will explore what it means to love well and be loved. Howard Thurman wrote, "Love or perish." No human prior or since Jesus exemplifies what it means to live this kind of beautiful life like Jesus of Nazareth. If you want to be a better practitioner of love, these two sessions are for you!

Teacher: Soong-Chan Rah We are living through a once-in-a generation moment. The complex and myriad challenges we face as a church and as a Christian community requires a deeper theological reflection. In this session, we will engage in the necessary social analysis to better understand this historic moment. We will examine the lost spiritual practice of lament as an essential ecclesial expression that provides wisdom necessary for this moment.

Teacher: Soong-Chan Rah We are living through a once-in-a generation moment. The complex and myriad challenges we face as a church and as a Christian community requires a deeper theological reflection. In this session, we will engage in the necessary social analysis to better understand this historic moment. We will examine the lost spiritual practice of lament as an essential ecclesial expression that provides wisdom necessary for this moment.

Teacher: Ron Highfield What does the Bible mean when it says, “Jesus died for our sins” and proclaims Jesus as Savior? Believers often repeat these words without deep understanding. Many popular explanations of how Jesus saves, especially the role of his death on the cross, appeal either to emotions of pity and gratitude or present a cold theory of how a just and wrathful God punished Jesus in our place to “pay” for our sins. In these talks, I urge believers to move past both of these dead ends and view Jesus as our representative and champion who frees us from our wretchedness and enables us to realize our created greatness. He gives us a new beginning!

Teacher: Ron Highfield What does the Bible mean when it says, “Jesus died for our sins” and proclaims Jesus as Savior? Believers often repeat these words without deep understanding. Many popular explanations of how Jesus saves, especially the role of his death on the cross, appeal either to emotions of pity and gratitude or present a cold theory of how a just and wrathful God punished Jesus in our place to “pay” for our sins. In these talks, I urge believers to move past both of these dead ends and view Jesus as our representative and champion who frees us from our wretchedness and enables us to realize our created greatness. He gives us a new beginning!

Teacher: Don McLaughlin The world feels tired—too weary to care. Indifference is a word that is getting traction. People feel that they just don’t have it in them to care about war, politics, immigration, racism, or even re-engaging in a church. What do we make of the indifference we feel, and how do we overcome it to the glory of God and the good of the world?

Teacher: Don McLaughlin The world feels tired—too weary to care. Indifference is a word that is getting traction. People feel that they just don’t have it in them to care about war, politics, immigration, racism, or even re-engaging in a church. What do we make of the indifference we feel, and how do we overcome it to the glory of God and the good of the world?

Teacher: Rick Atchley The church of the future is going to look a lot like the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church of the past. And the churches that have a future will recognize this sooner than later.