Adult Sunday classes meet at 9:00 am. 

The Gospels

Teacher: Matt Smart
Track: Christian Scripture
Location: Chapel Room

Now that we are entering the New Testament in our Biblical Theology track, it is tempting to think of the Gospels as the beginning of a new story.

However, the only way to make sense of the story of the Old Testament is by viewing it in light of the life of Jesus. Jesus is not only the initiation of the New Covenant, He is also the climax and fulfillment of the Old Covenant. The life of Jesus and His teaching bridges the two “acts” of the story of the Bible into a cohesive whole. Only this perspective yields a fruitful, compelling and faithful understanding of both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

This class will examine major acts and events in Jesus’ life that help us understand the transition between the covenants and the continuity of the Bible as a whole. Jesus is central to the story of the Bible and a careful study of His life is essential in understanding every part of your Bible. Please join us for this study!

The Doctrine of Salvation

Teacher: Jonathan Threlfall
Track: Christian Beliefs
Location: Auditorium

Everyone agrees that human beings and the world at large is deeply broken. The question we want to know is: What will it take to make things right?
 
The answer to that question brings us to the doctrine of salvation. In contrast to every other religion and worldview, the Bible presents salvation as the work of God from beginning to end—that salvation is by grace.
 
But how does this grace work? In reply, we have organized this class around three central questions: What is salvation? What has God done to bring about salvation? How does God apply his work of salvation to my life, individually?
 
You can expect, at the end of this class, to have a firm grasp on the Bible’s teaching of what God has done to rescue his fallen creation, how this rescue plan is at work in your life, and how it will be completed in the new heavens and new earth

 

2021
SCHEDULE		 Jan 3 – Feb 14 Feb 21 – Apr 11 April 18 – June 6 June 20 – Jul 25 Aug 1 – Sep 12 Sep 19 – Oct 31 Nov 7 – Dec 19
CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE
(Biblical Theology)		 Covid-Canceled Minor Prophets Gospels Acts Letters 1 Letters 2 Revelation & Eschatology
CHRISTIAN BELIEFS
(Systematic Theology)		 Covid-Canceled Humans
(Anthropology)		 Salvation Sanctification The Doctrine of the Church
(Ecclesiology)		 The Doctrine of the Church 2
(Ecclesiology)		 Revelation and Eschatology
CHRISTIAN WISDOM
(Practical Theology)		 Covid-Canceled Marriage Parenting Parenting (Cont.) Missions Counseling Finances

 

PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW

The purpose of the Adult Sunday Classes is to educate and equip adults in three categories:

• Christian Scripture (major genres of the Bible)

• Christian Beliefs (essential Christian doctrines)

• Christian Wisdom (practical skills for Christian living)

These categories are taught in three concurrent tracks, so participants may choose which track to take. Each track is divided into typically seven-week modules. So, for example, the Christian Beliefs track begins with a module dealing with the Doctrine of the Bible and moves on to two modules on the Doctrine of God. The Christian Beliefs and Christian Scripture tracks each have fourteen modules, so they will repeat every two years. The Christian Wisdom track has seven modules, so it will repeat every year. This means that it will take five years for someone to complete all three tracks.

DESCRIPTION OF TRACKS

Christian Scripture:

In his wisdom, God has revealed himself in the Scripture—a library of sixty-six books, diverse in its array of literary genres and human personalities, yet unified in its divine authorship. The more we understand what the Bible is about and how to read it for ourselves, the deeper our joy will be in its Author. The Christian Scripture track aims to give participants a panoramic view of the Bible’s major themes as they unfold from Genesis to Revelation; to demonstrate how all of Scripture reveals Christ; and to provide participants with the skills to study Scripture for themselves. In fourteen modules, the Christian Scripture track covers the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Wisdom Books, the Major Prophets, the Minor Prophets, the Gospels, Acts, the New Testament Letters, and the Book of Revelation.

Christian Beliefs:

With the Bible as the foundation of our faith, we seek to know what the Bible teaches about various topics. We seek to know, for example, what the Bible teaches us about God, ourselves, and God’s plan to save us. This inquiry is the realm of Christian doctrine (beliefs). The Christian Beliefs track aims to provide participants with a basic grasp of the major categories of systematic theology; to give them a framework for thinking “Christianly”; and to increase their love for God and others so that their lives will be holier and more joyful. In fourteen modules, the Christian Beliefs track covers what Christians believe about the Bible, God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, Humans, Salvation, the Church, and Last Things.

Christian Wisdom:

Christian wisdom is not the mere accumulation of knowledge: it is the skill that puts that knowledge into action. This knowledge, moreover, is not just of facts, but of a Person: “Christ Jesus . . . became to us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). In Christ, therefore, we are enabled to navigate the complexities of life in this passing world. The Christian Wisdom track aims to demonstrate how Christian beliefs inform a variety of issues in everyday life; to teach participants the convictions necessary for navigating these issues; and to provide the practical skills necessary to do so. In seven modules, the Christian Wisdom Track covers marriage, stewardship, counseling, work, parenting, and evangelism.