Greg Kedrovsky
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Why are we here... starting a new church? I believe that one of the most important things we can do, being a brand new church, is to clarify our purpose: Why are we doing this? By defining our purpose and always keeping that purpose in the forefront of everything we do, we can (hopefully) avoid the many pitfalls that get ministries side-tracked today. Our purpose (as a church and as individuals) is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In this message we focus on what the Bible says about what we are to do in order to fulfill our life's purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Where do we start in order to understand discipleship? If discipleship refers to being and making disciples, then a good place to start would be with the term "disciple." What is a disciple? What does the Bible say about disciples? That's our question that we intend to answer in this message. The question can be answered easily enough: A disciple is a Christian, a saved believer. But that answer needs some further explanation... (Click here for written outline.) |
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Our biblical definition of a disciple now helps us to define biblical discipleship. Since the term disciple, in the Book of Acts, refers to a true believer (a Christian), then discipleship refers to the process that believer goes through to becoming like Jesus. Discipleship, then, is as we have said before: The normal Christian life because it is the “norm” that God expects from all His children (it begins with the new birth and continues with spiritual growth/maturity). Discipleship, in its most general terms, is God's work of restoring His image in lost man. (Click here for written outline.) |
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There is one more term we need to define in our study of discipleship: "Discipling." This new term is not hard to understand, but we also need to remember just who is responsible for "discipling." The answer is simple: Every disciple is responsible for discipling. In this message we review many of the principles and passages we've looked at before, but it's necessary in order to tie up some loose ends and move on to the next part of our study on discipleship: The Biblical Philosophy of Discipleship. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In this message we take a look at what the Bible says about the "means" of evangelism, since that is how a disciple is made (in the sense of "created")--it's the first step in the discipleship process. What are the components of the process that God uses to save a sinner (to "evangelize" the sinner)? These components are the "means" God uses to save a sinner; there are four general components of the process through which God saves a sinner. (Click here for written outline.) |
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What are our responsibilities in this process of God saving a lost sinner? There are two and they are our "goals" in evangelism. These two goals are what God expects of us in the initial work of making a disciple (salvation). Our two goals (God's two expectations for us in evangelism for which He will judge us) are these: [1] Go: God expects us to go out into the world, to seek out sinners and be among them; [2] Sow: God expects us to “sow the seed” of the Gospel by speaking (witnessing) to those lost sinners. (Click here for written outline.) |
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There are five means of edification -- five components in the process of spiritual growth in Christ-likeness: #1: Identification with Christ; #2: Knowledge of the Bible; #3: Obedience to the Bible; #4: Enduring Suffering; #5: Living an Exchanged Life. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In this message, we finish up our study of the Biblical Philosophy of Discipleship by looking at the goals of edification. What is "our part" in growing in Christ-likeness or helping others grow? We have four goals that we are expected to accomplish: God desires for us to commit to the word of God, the local church, the fellowship of believers, and the ministry. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In this message we take a look at the Great Commission and its application to us today. The Great Commission (the mission the Lord gave to His Apostles before He returned to heaven) is often misunderstood. Some say it was only for the Jews and not for the Church among the Gentiles. Others say we should apply the Great Commission literally, word for word. How should we understand the Great Commision. Is it for us today or isn't it? (Click here for written outline.) (Click here for an additional written outline on the Anachronisms in the Great Commission: In this message we take a look at the Great Commission in its doctrinal context. If we don't understand a little bit about the doctrinal context of the Great Commission we are going to find ourselves guilty of twisting Scripture (wresting it out of its proper context) and committing "anachronistic" errors by placing people and events out of their proper historical and chronological location. |
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By "exposition" we mean "expository preaching." We plan on working through the book, verse by verse, from beginning to end in its proper, biblical context.. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Ephesians is a book about our lives "in Christ," and that phrase ("in Christ") is key to Ephesians. "In Christ" we have life: Spiritual life, new life, abundant life. We are no longer dead in sin. "In Christ" we are called to live a life that is different--a life that is worthy of the name we carry. Ephesians is going to teach us about that new life we have in Christ and about that new life we should live because we are in Christ. And we begin in our study of the Book of Ephesians with chapter 1, with the first two verses of greeting. (Click here for written outline.) |
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With this message we start the second major passage of Ephesians 1: Our Blessings in Christ (v3-14). Here we look at what Ephesians 1:3-6 has to say about the glory of God the Father in the blessings we have received in Jesus Christ: Our Election in Christ: We Have Security (v4); Our Predestination in Christ: We Have Hope and Purpose (v5); Our Acceptance in Christ: We Have Liberty and Confidence (v6). (Click here for written outline.) |
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Ephesians is a book about our life in Christ. It speaks of both what we have in Christ (the new life in Him) and how we should live in Christ. In chapter 1 of Ephesians Paul reminds us of the New Beginning we had (and have) in Christ. In the moment we are saved (placed in Christ), we receive all spiritual blessings. In this message, we take a look at two of the blessings that glorify Christ: Our forgiveness and our redemption. (Click here for written outline.) For questions and answers on this sesson, Click here. |
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What's the "key" to making right decisions in order to live for the right things in the "here and now"? Much of the time we get caught up in the things we have to do just to make a living in this world. What can help us live above all of that? What can motivate us to live for the Lord? I think one of the most important keys to right living in the here-and-now is a knowledge of the future. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The one final blessing that Paul mentions in Ephesians 1 is the blessing that glorifies the Spirit. It is the seal of the Spirit in the believer. What is this "seal" and what does it mean for our lives today in Christ? We look at what the Bible says about the seal of the Spirit and how it indicates a finished transation in the past, the security of our salvation in the present. amd the full redemption of our bodies in the future. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In our study of Ephesians, we've come to one of the two great prayers in this book: Ephesians 1:15-23. The second is found in Ephesians 3:20-21. These two great prayers of the Apostle Paul are like two big fingers pointing out two big problems we have today. 1. We don't think big enough. 2. We don't believe God wants to do great things ... through us. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Paul finishes Ephesians 1 with a prayer. He prays, not that God would give the Ephesian saints what they do not have. He prays that God would show them what they already have in Christ. This is because our new beginning in Christ is just that: It is just the beginning! God has much more in store for the Christian than just salvation (and salvation is grand!). (Click here for written outline.) |
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We are not going to attempt great things for God until we know what we can expect from God. There is much more to the Christian life than salvation (and salvation is grand!). And we need to know three specific things if we are going to grow beyond just the beginning. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Sin is the greatest evil and therefore calls for the greatest hatred and the greatest punishment. This is where Paul starts in Ephesians 2: We were born in sin and we have sinned, therefore in time past (before knowing Christ), we were the the objects of God's hatred and punishment. Yet God in Christ took the greatest evil and through the greatest sacrifice brought forth the greatest good: His glory in our salvation. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We see that, before our salvation in Christ, we were condemned to suffer God's wrath. We condemned ourselves to wrath by the wicked things we have done. And we were condemned to wrath by our very nature (we were wicked people). The problem is that every sinner has deceived himself into thinking that sin is not so bad and that he, the sinner, is relatively good. What we need is a clear understanding of ourselves so that we will look to God for salvation. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We laid down the black cloth (and it could not be any more black), and now we get to set the diamond of God's goodness on that black background and see just how good He is. We have spent the time looking at ourselves in the mirror of God's word, and now it's time to turn our focus to God. Ephesians 2.4 starts with, "But God..." and I don't think there is any other phrase in the Bible that conveys as much hope for lost, sinful man as this one. (Click here for written outline.) |
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What must a sinner do to be saved? Can he "do" anything? Or is it God who does it all for him? We have seen our need for God to intervene in our lives to save us: In time past, before Christ, we were dead in sins and condemned to suffer God's wrath (v1-3). But God, because He is kind, intervened in human history and in our lives personally, and He saved us (v4-7, esp. v7). We are going to see just how God wrought that change in us. (Click here for written outline.) |
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When God gave us life, he also gave us an eternal purpose for which to live. God has changed us (made us new in Christ) in order to give us the privilege of making an eternal difference with our temporal lives. We look at three things: 1. God's Purpose in Us: Created for Works. 2. God's Purpose for Us: Works Ordained for Us. 3. What God's Purpose Requires of Us: Preparation and Diligence. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We need to remember how it was in time past, before God changed us in Christ. Why...? So we will always draw near (and stay near) to God, and so that we will love Him fervently. (1Jn 4:10, 19) We need to remember our "good ol' days" before Christ so that we remember just what we have in Christ now and what awaits us in Christ in the future. There is one word that describes our life before Christ (a life without God and salvation): Despair. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The great change (our peace and nearness with God vs. enmity and distance from him) is brought about by Christ Jesus, our "Peace Offering." Before Christ we had no hope, we lived in despair: deprived of hope (v11-12) but now (v13) in Christ Jesus our relationship to God and our eternal destiny are very different. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We have come to a passage in Ephesians that shows us how God has brought about the great change we have in Christ Jesus. Remember: We who were dead in sin have been made alive in Christ. ... How? By God's grace appropriated through faith in Jesus Christ. Now we are going to see that we who were in time past far off -- separated from God by sin -- have been made nigh to God in Christ. God ends our separation by abolishing the law and then by preaching the gospel. (Click here for written outline.) |
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God has changed us in Christ. In time past we were far from God, without hope in this world. But now it's different: Now, because of Christ's sinless life and sacrificial death we have been reconciled to God (made near, now no longer His enemies). God has changed us in Christ and that means: Life is now different. What does that mean...? If we are different (changed, made new in Christ), then we will (we ought to) live differently. (Click here for written outline.) |
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An introduction to Ephesians 3 and a study on biblical dispensations. We find out what dispensations are, what they teach us and how to apply them to our study of the Bible. |
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We take a look at the dispensation that was given to Paul and his primacy to us in the Church Age. |
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Paul defines the revalation given to him. That mystery is most specifically about Jew and Gentile now being equal in the Body of Christ. We get to participate in it by the gospel given to Paul. We look at two things -- The mystery of the Body of Christ and the gospel given to Paul. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Paul's ministry was God's grace given to him to make us (Gentiles) wise. Ministry -- A gift of grace. Ministry today -- Revealed through Paul. When Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah and King, God started something new: The Church Age. What you personally do with that knowledge and understanding is totally up to you. Paul has primacy for us today: It is wise to learn from him and then follow him. (Click here for written outline.) |
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God's purpose in the Church is His glory, so live for His glory (and you will find yourself enjoying God both now and forever!). God is glorified by the Church. Why did God allow Satan to sin? Adam to sin? Israel to sin? ... us to sin? The Church glorifies God by manifesting his wisdom. The Church glories God by manifesting his kindness. God is glorified by the church members. We can glorify God on earth by finishing the work he gave us to do. We can glorify God by following Paul's example. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Exercise yourself unto godliness -- diligence and effort are required on your part. (Click here for written outline.) |
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If you desire to be filled with the fullness of God, and to glorify him and enjoy him forever, Christ must dwell in your heart. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Paul's exhortation and example of a worthy walk in our new job. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The essentials of a worthy walk in our new vocation. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Be filled with God so that your diversity as a member of the Body of Christ can bring unity in the mission of the Body of Christ. (Click here for written outline.) |
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To labor in unity we need to follow God-given, godly leadership. (Click here for written outline.) |
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To labor in unity we need to follow God-given, godly leadership in the mission. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Our church will invest in men, ministry, and the mission. What will you invest in? (Click here for written outline.) |
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God has a plan for your life (Eph 4.11-12): He wants to perfect you -- conform you to Christ's image. In Ephesians 4.13-16, Paul finishes out this thought by showing us the goals of the Christian life. There is one ultimate goal (the "finish line" of the Christian life) and there are daily goals (those steps we need to make an effort to take each day in order to reach the ultimate goal and "win the prize"). What is it that God expects of us Christians as we strive to follow Christ? (Click here for written outline.) |
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Walk not as other Gentiles, in mindless vanity and self-centered behavior. Lost people (the "other Gentiles") don't want Scripture and prayer in the schools ... they don't want the Ten Commandments in the Supreme Court ... they don't want people to "invade their privacy" and "shove their religion down their throats" (so they come with "no soliciting" laws to keep the religious fanatics a good distance away). (Click here for written outline.) |
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Your new lifestyle is a result of deliberately learning Christ. In Christ, we are risen from the dead. That means that there is -- or should be -- a change of lifestyle (our walk) because we have had a change of life (our salvation in Christ). (Click here for written outline.) |
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God has called us to walk differently than the other (lost) Gentiles (Eph 4.17). He wants us to walk worthy of the mission he has given us to do on this earth (Eph 4.1, 12). What, exactly, do we need to do in order to change our walk? Well ... it's a lot like changing your clothes. You put off the old, dirty garments, wash yourself, and then put on the new, clean ones. We examine what Paul teaches about how to practically change our lifestyles so that we live more and more like Christ each day. |
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We look at four specific areas where Paul tells us we need to "put off" the old way of doing things and "put on" the new, Christ-like way of doing things: lying, anger, stealing, and the tongue. We take a quick look at two (the first and the last) and then spend a good amount of time on the other two. The two we spent the most time on were anger (which is not the problem, but rather what you do after you get angry is the problem) and stealing (and we took the opportunity to talk about ... tithes and offerings! Oh, no! Run away! Run away!). |
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We finish up our study of Ephesians 4, the first practical application chapter of the book. Our new life in Christ ought to affect our walk (our life and lifestyle). How is that? |
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The central theme of Ephesians 5 is seen in verse 8. Since we are light in the Lord (what He made us at salvation), we ought to live (walk) like it in the world. (Click here for written outline.) |
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You are a child of light, so walk like it. Wake up and separate from darkness! In Ephesians 5 Paul exhorts us to walk as children of light. We need to walk in a way that is worthy of our vocation (Eph 4: our "job" to be and make disciples). And that means we need to walk as the children of light that we already are in Christ (Eph 5:8). (Click here for written outline.) |
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The entire first half of Ephesians 5 is about the Christian's relationship to the lost world around him. The chapter itself deals with us walking as the children of light that we are in Jesus Christ. And that means we should live sanctified lives, separated unto the Light. Christian, wake up and be light in the darkness of this world! (Click here for written outline.) |
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Do not underestimate the influence of the world in which we live. This world exerts a tremendous influence on us daily (constantly!). If you are not watchful, sober, careful, vigilant ... you will find yourself carried away by the world system, living for things that have no eternal value. Open your eyes and pay the price to redeem the precious little "free time" you have! (Click here for written outline.) |
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Because the days in which we live are evil (v16b), we need to live wisely and that means living spiritually -- filled with (controlled by) the Spirit, not anything else. We took advantage of Paul's mention of drunkenness in this passage to take a quick run down the rabbit trail of what the Bible says about alcohol. How very important for a Christian to understand his liberty (and/or lack therefore) with regard to booze! (Click here for written outline.) |
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Our days are evil ... our time is limited ... and our mission is urgent. Wherefore, we need to live wisely, and that means being spiritual (v17-18). Ephesians 5.18 contains the only commandment given to Christians regarding the Holy Spirit. God commands us to be filled with the Spirit! What does that mean? How do we do that? Is this something mystical for the super-spiritual? Or is this something very practical for each and every one of us? (Click here for written outline.) |
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Ephesians 5.21 is a verse that serves as a bridge from the filling (v18) we saw before and the instructions about key relationships that follow (Eph 5:22---6:9). The filling of the Spirit will result in mutual submission among the brethren (and the submission of Christians to others in key relationships). (Click here for written outline.) |
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Marriage pictures the relationship between Christ and the Church, therefore a proper understanding of that relationship is essential for a proper understanding of marriage. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We look at the role of the wife as a picture of the Church. The wife is to submit to her husband (v22), to be subject unto him (v24), and to reverence him (v33b). (Click here for written outline.) |
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Husbands, love your wives in a way that reflects a proper and biblical theology of Christ's love for his Bride, the Church. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Ephesians 6 is a chapter that deals with our daily spiritual warfare. When we hear "spiritual warfare," we often think of Satan, demons, and scary things that happen in the spirit world (and we'll talk about all this later). But, the main focus of this chapter (the main focus of our spiritual battles) is on our daily lives -- how we live day to day. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We talk about the spiritual warfare that parents have to face as they raise their children. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The first of two messages on "servants" -- a lesson on what we ought to be like as employees. We may not be perfect, but we should strive to adorn the gospel we preach. |
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As we go to work each and every day, we need to remember that God expects us to do our jobs in a way that adorns the Gospel and brings glory to the name we wear as Christians. We examine the expectations God has for the Christian in the workplace: (v6-7) God expects us to work with prudence. (v8) God expects us to work with perspective. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In the instructions God gives to masters, we can see his expectations for the "boss" in the modern day workplace. |
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In order to be victorious in the daily spiritual battles of the Christian life, we must obey the commands to be strong and put on the whole armour of God. |
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Most of God's people today don't care about the Mission. People are not involved in rescuing the perishing; they are those who quit. They failed to stand fast. They were deceived by the wiles of the devil. They are out of the warfare. As we continue our study on spiritual warfare, we need to be aware of two essential elements to survival in our daily battles -- two elements that are ultimately essential to our fulfilling of the Mission. 1. We must know our enemy (who he is and what he does). 2. We must know our objectives (both defensive and offensive). (Click here for written outline.) |
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Truth is vital in our spiritual warfare against the devil. We must receive the truth of God in Scripture alone and rest on Scripture alone as the truth of God. (Click here for written outline.) |
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God has given us his righteousness as a breastplate. His righteousness is imputed to us (fully, completely, permanently) at the moment of our conversion and salvation. Now, having received that righteousness legally and positionally, we need to live like it practically and personally! |
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What can we learn from a pair of shoes? What can we learn about our preparation in the gospel of peace? The Roman soldier wore what we might call "sandals" ... They were tied on to the soldier's feet with numerous straps. They had thick leather soles embedded with hobnails or bits of rock for increased traction. And, because they were leather, they would become more and more comfortable with constant wear. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The shield of faith can quench all the enemy's well-aimed, personal attacks against you but you must raise up that shield to block each fiery dart. We look at the fiery darts of the enemy and the faith that protects us like a shield. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Our minds are where the spiritual battle is fought and the helmet of salvation is what we have to protect our minds. We look at the fact that the enemy will attack the minds of both the lost and the saved and at the need for Christians to learn and use scripture to protect themselves. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We are never to "keep back the sword" (Jer 48:10). We look at how we are to allow the Spirit of God to wield the word of God and how we are never to let anyone take the sword out of our hands or tell us to put it away. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We continue our study on the sword of the Spirit focusing on how the enemy seeks to take the sword out of our hands through pragmatism and intimidation. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We are looking at the seventh piece of our armor -- prayer. We look at three different aspects of prayer: the description of Biblical prayer, the defensive aspect of Biblical prayer and the ultimate direction of Biblical prayer. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Tychicus is a good example of the "Christian soldier". We look at how we should be like Tychicus -- a faithful minister in the tasks we've been given to do in the ministry. (Click here for written outline.) |
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In this last sermon on Ephesians we look at three things that Paul mentions in his benediction -- peace, love and grace. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We look at some questions regarding the King James Bible and the original languages. |
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This course is designed to give the Bible student the necessary information and skills he needs to study the Scripture. Even though some of the teaching might seem complicated at first, with diligent application of the principles found herein, the student will find that the subject matter will become second nature to him. If we want to know God and understand his plan and purpose, we need to study the word of God. And that means that we need to be able to study the Bible in its proper context and according to the biblical rules of interpreting Scripture. And that is precisely what we aim to do in these lessons on "How to Study the Bible." We aim to lay a firm foundation of Bible knowledge upon which we can continue to build for the rest of our lives. |
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In the first few topics of study in "How to Study the Bible" we are going to lay the foundation for what comes later. In these first few studies we are going to learn the fundamentals (the rudiments) that are necessary for what comes later. In this study we are going to take a good look at ourselves to see what God requires of us as students of his Scriptures. If we do not meet the requirements, our study of the Bible is not going to be very profitable. Then, in the next study, we are going to go over the rules of Bible study. If we do not follow the rules, we are going to find ourselves disqualified for having twisted God's word to make it say something it does not. These first two studies, then, will be our firm foundation on which we will build later on. |
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In order to keep ourselves from twisting scripture (1 Peter 3:15-16) and to know how we should strive lawfully (2 Timothy 2:5) as we study our Bibles, we need to understand the "rules" of Bible study. In this study we learn the first four rules of Bible study: 1. In order to determine the meaning of any verse or passage you have to determine its context. 2. Understand that the Bible is written to three groups of people -- Jews, Gentiles, and the Church. 3. Rightly divide the word of truth -- Let the Bible tell you where the divisions are. 4. Every passage has three applications -- historical, doctrinal, and personal. |
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In this study we picked up the list of rules of Bible study where we left off with rule number 4. There are three applications of scripture -- historical, doctrinal and personal. Other rules: 5. God chose every word and event in the Bible to teach us something. 6. God has revealed three different plans -- for the universe, the earth, and the individual. 7. Types and pictures. 8. The Bible is of no private interpretation. 9. The individual words of the Bible are key to understanding the Bible. 10. Always give the Bible the benefit of the doubt. |
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More rules of Bible study: 11. Never forget the consistency of the Bible. 12. The rule of first mention. 13. The rule of last mention. 14. The rule of full mention. 15. Take the Bible "normally" -- as it is written. |
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Even more rules of Bible study: 16. Always be willing to change. 17. Numerology -- Numbers in the Bible are important. Other rules not mentioned on the audio: 18. Never base a doctrine on a question. 19. Never base a doctrine on one verse or passage. 20. Pay attention to the warnings in the Bible. 21. Don't violate other rules of Bible study or Scripture to try to understand a difficult passage. |
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We go over the theme of the Bible -- The kingdom and the struggle for the throne of creation. We look at how the Bible and history break up into eight "scenes" or "ages": 1. Genesis 1--2 -- Eden and the innocence of man. 2. Genesis 4--7 -- Adam and the direction of man by his conscience. 3. Genesis 8--11 -- Noah and the establishment of human government. 4. Genesis 12--Exodus 18 -- Abraham and the election of a family. 5. Exodus 19--Matthew 27, Hebrews--Revalation 19 -- Moses and the law. 6. Matthew 28--Philemon -- The church and the grace of God. 7. Revelation 20 -- The millennium and the messianic kingdom on earth. 8. Revelation 21--22 -- Eternity and the everlasting kingdom. |
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We start digging into Daniel's seventy weeks to help us understand the things to come. |
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This study focuses specifically on the Tribulation, and takes a look at the following elements of that coming time of testing on the earth: 1. Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church; 2. The Two Main Purposes in the Tribulation; 3. The Abomination of Desolation; 4. The Mid-Trib Rapture; 5. The Post-Trib Rapture. |
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We finish up our survey of things to come. We take a look at the following events: 1. The Second Coming of Christ. 2. The Millennial (Messianic) Kingdom. 3. The Great White Throne Judgment. 4. The New Creation 5. Eternity Future. And then we do a quick overview of the Book of Revelation, which is a history book that records the future history of all these things to come. Pretty neat! |
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We start a new section in our series on "How to Study the Bible": Old Testament Survey. We begin the study by looking at God's hand in the structure of the Bible itself, especially looking at the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. And then we start our walk through the Old Testament books by doing a quick overview of each of the five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. |
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Continuing our walk through the books of the Old Testament, we spend our time in the history books from Joshua to Esther. There is a lot of history -- a lot of doctrine that teaches of future events -- and a lot of practical application for us today. We also had a couple of very good questions at the start of the Bible study, and those are also included in the audio files. |
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This is the third part of our Bible study on the Old Testament. We are doing a quick overview and survey of each book in the Old Testament, seeing how they all fit together historically and contextually (within the over-arching theme of the Bible: the Kingdom). |
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We finish up our survey of the Old Testament by looking at the Minor Prophets. Most of the prophets preached during the time of apostasy in Israel that we see in 2 Kings, right before God took His people off the land in judgment. There are a lot of parallels in the Minor Prophets to the situation we see today in Christendom, right before God takes us off the land -- in the Rapture. |
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We start our survey of the New Testament books by looking at some elements of the structure of the New Testament, and then we dive right into the Gospels. Why do we have three "synoptic" Gospels and then John? Which was written first? Does it matter? What can we learn from all that? Additionally, we had a couple good questions at the beginning of the study. For example: Where in the Bible can we find the concept of a "calling" (i.e., a calling to be a pastor or missionary)? Two books mentioned in this study: 1. "Is That You Lord?: Hearing the Voice of the Lord, a Biblical Perspective" by Gary E. Gilley (deals with the issue of callings, mystical promptings, etc.). 2. "Why Four Gospels?" by David Alan Black (deals with the issue of why three synoptic Gospels). |
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We focus on the Book of Acts. We do a review of the Gospels to help us understand the historical and dispensational context of Acts, and then walk through the Book of Acts itself, seeing the transition from Israel to the Church -- from the Jews to the Gentiles. And we have time to do an overview of the foundational Book of Romans. Next lesson we pick up the survey where we left off by looking a 1 Corinthians, a book full of what not to do in the local church. |
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Romans through 2 Thessalonians: We continue to walk through the New Testament, surveying each book in its context. We look at the Church Epistles and then end with a brief overview of their structure as an organized whole (i.e., they were not just randomly placed in the order we see them in). |
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1 Timothy through Revelation. We finish up our survey of the New Testament looking at the Pastoral Epistles, and then the Hebrew (General) Epistles. |
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How to "Rightly Divide" the Word of Truth: We start a study of what is commonly called "Dispensations" -- what Paul calls "rightly dividing the word of truth" in 2 Timothy 2:15. Click here to download the outline (fill in the blank), and Click here to download the chart that we'll be using for this entire study on Dispensations. It is not an exhaustive study, but rather an introduction to the topic. |
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How to "Rightly Divide" the Word of Truth: We continue our study of dispensations in the Scripture with two key dispensations: Law and Grace (the dispensation of Moses and the Law, and then that of the Church and grace). There is a lot of practical application in the study of both of these dispensations, and I hope you find it edifying! |
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How to "Rightly Divide" the Word of Truth: Continuing our study on dispensations, we look mostly at the Millennium. |
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How to "Rightly Divide" the Word of Truth: This is the last lesson on Dispensations and we take some time to talk about how to apply our knowledge of the Dispensations to practical aspects of Bible study and discernment. |
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The Kingdoms in the Bible: We begin a study on the Kingdoms in the Bible, and the forms those Kingdoms take. We see the physical kingdom (called the Kingdom of Heaven) and the spiritual kingdom (called the Kingdom of God). |
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The Kingdoms in the Bible: We finish up our study on the Kingdoms in the Bible. We do a quick review to set the context and then look at what the Bible has to say about the kingdoms of this world (what they are, who is running them, and what we as Christians can expect as we live in them -- until Christ comes and fixes this wagon). |
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The first of two parts: A brief overview of Matthew and the transition that occurs in that book (from the Old Testament to the New). |
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The second of two parts: A brief overview of Matthew and the transition that occurs in that book (from the Old Testament to the New). |
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The first of four parts: A brief overview of Acts and the transition that occurs in that book (from Israel to the Church, from the Jews to the Gentiles). |
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The second of four parts: A brief overview of Acts and the transition that occurs in that book (from Israel to the Church, from the Jews to the Gentiles). We touch on several unbiblical experiences that manifest themselves in modern-day churches that refuse to believe (in practice) in the sufficiency of Scripture: tongues, dreams, visions, direct revelation, etc. |
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We are looking specifically at the transition taking place in Acts and the implications that has on our right understanding of the content of the book. We focus mostly on Acts 2 and a key prophey of "end times revival" mentioned by Peter as he quoted Joel 2. But we also move forward in the book and go into the major portion dealing with the shift in focus from Israel to the Church (Acts 8--9). |
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We finish working our way through the chapters, and then take some time to look at some of the more important implications of the transition on doctrine that is taken (many times out of context) out of Acts. We address two specific questions, one at the first, and one toward the end: 1. What are we to do with the sign gifts mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians? Are they for us today? 2. There seem to be various ways to receive the Spirit of God in the Book of Acts. Which is for us? |
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We continue our study of the books of transition in the Bible by looking at the Epistle to the Hebrews. We begin with its context, then we take some time for a brief overview of its content, and afterward begin a look at the chapters in a little more detail. |
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We start off with some questions then continue our study of the transitional book of Hebrews. |
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We complete our study of the transitional book of Hebrews and begin our study of key words and phrases. |
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We continue our study on the key words and phrases in the Bible. We take a look at "the day of the Lord" / "that day", "the day of Christ" / "the day of the Lord Jesus" and start looking at "those days". Click here for a time-line of key words and phrases. |
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We finish "those days" and cover "time of trouble" as we continue our study of key words and phrases. |
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We start off with a bunch of questions then continue our study of key words and phrases. |
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We wrap up our time looking at key words and phrases in the Bible. |
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We kick off a new section in our series on how to study the Bible -- pictures and types. |
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We continue our study of pictures and types in the Bible by taking a look at creation. |
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We look at the second category of pictures and type, those found in creation as we finish our study on how to study the Bible. |
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A high level overview of the book, its main characters and themes. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We continue with our introduction to the Book of Esther with a bit of a history lesson. We look back at the history of the nation of Israel to see how they got to where they are in the Book of Esther. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We take a look at how the ordering of the books of the Bible, the order of events in Esther and the order of prophecies all line up. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We look at the personal application that we can make to better walk with and serve the Lord. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We look at the phrase "made a feast" and what they can teach us about what's going on in the book of Esther as well as our own lives. |
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Some of the pictures in these verses and some of the passage's common misconceptions. |
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Three specific desires the king has for his bride and how they picture what Jesus Christ wants of His bride, the church. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Queen Vashti's disobedience and how it pictures the church in the last days. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The results of Vashti's disobedience and the end of her marriage and the applications we can make to our own lives. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The consequences Vashti's disobedience and how it pictures the church today. (Click here for written outline.) (Click here for written historical timeline.) |
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The wrong solution. |
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God's divine provision after man's useless proposal and how the pictures in Mordecai and Esther apply to our adoption and new birth. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We take a look at Hegai and how he is a picture of christians today. (Click here for written outline.) |
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What happens when the king puts his plan into action. We see how the attractions of the world look good and can provide personal gratification but they cannot solve man's problems. (Click here for written outline.) |
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King Ahasuerus is getting married! We take a look at a key passage, when the king finally meets Esther, and take a look at the doctrinal application as it applies to the nation of Israel and the personal application as it applies to the salvation of a lost man. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Mordecai as a picture of the Holy Spirit and a few things about giving the Holy Spirit control in our lives. (Click here for written outline.) |
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We finish up Esther chapter 2 by looking into the phrase "those days" and see how Esther is a prophetic picture of the days of the Tribulation. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Haman in history, in prophecy, and as a picture of our flesh. (Click here for written outline.) |
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How he got to his position of authority and how that applies to our lives today. |
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The servants' reaction to the king's decree and what that pictures for us. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Haman's reaction and response to Mordecai's refusal to bow to him. |
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The first interaction between Haman and Ahasuerus and how it is a picture of how we interact with our flesh. |
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How Haman prepares and presents his plan. A good picture of how our flesh seeks to deceives us. (Click here for written outline.) |
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How Haman gets his power and provision what this doctrinally pictures and how it's also a picture of how our flesh gets its power and provision. (Click here for written outline.) |
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The consequenses of the king's decision and what Haman's purpose pictures for us. (Click here for written outline.) |
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How the decisions we make have wide ranging effects and at the prophetic picture we can see in the events leading up to "that day", the second coming of Christ. (Click here for written outline.) |
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An overview of Esther 4 by taking a look at how Mordecai works through Esther to reach Ahasuerus and what it pictures for us. (Click here for written outline.) |
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A great picture of how the Holy Spirit works in us when we make bad choices. |
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How the king's decision affects the Jews and what it pictures for us. We also take a couple of nice little trips down two different rabbit trails. (Click here for written outline.) |
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A look at a new character in our study - Hatach the chamberlain. In Hatach we see a great picture of the word of God and how it works in our life between us and the Holy Spirit. (Click here for written outline.) |
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A great picture of our charge as Christians as we dig into Mordecai's response to Esther. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Esther's response to Mordecai's charge is a great picture of how we can quench the Spirit of God. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Mordecai's response to Esther is a great picture of what happens when we vex the Holy Spirit. We also get a good reminder that we really miss out on participating in God's plan when we refuse to obey his word. (Click here for written outline.) |
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Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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Dr. Kent Hovind is among many "creation scientists" who misrepresent those of us who teach a gap of time and space between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2. They claim that the gap theory became a convenient method by which theologians compromise. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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This is the first part of a lesson on the nine biblical reasons why there has to be a Gap between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2. The notes offered are a very (!) rough draft. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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This is the second part of a lesson on the ten biblical reasons why there has to be a Gap between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2. You may have noticed that since the last post I’ve added a reason. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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Ezekiel 28: So far in our study we’ve seen quite a bit of biblical evidence for a Gap between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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Where else could it have happened? Isaiah 14: This lesson is the last half of the study on Lucifer’s rebellion which took place in the Gap. We’ve already seen his original state in Ezekiel 28:11-19. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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What happened during those six days of Genesis 1? We know that something had to have happened between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2. When God made the heaven and the earth in Genesis 1.1, it was perfect, beautiful, and habitable. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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What do the anti-gappers say? In this study we take a look at the ten most common objections to the teaching of a Gap between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2: Romans 5.12 teaches that sin and death entered our world through Adam, not through Lucifer. Click on the link above for embedded MP3 audio with printed notes; click on the links at right for audio only. |
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