In our culture, and in the history of man in general, our brokenness and sinful nature leads to easily being offended. Our hardened hearts are quick to anger, resentment, and abandonment. This class looks at the healing power of Christ… and the healing power of an “unoffendable heart.”

“Three Things that Terrify Christians” are: praying in public, sharing the gospel, and finding it in the Bible. If you’ve ever worried about any of these, you’re in good company.

Christians are instructed to prepare a defense (Greek - apologia) for the faith that is within us. Over the centuries, many Christians have proposed a host of logical arguments for components of our faith - the existence of God, the reliability of Scripture, the reality of the resurrection, etc. Collectively, we call this work “Apologetics.”

In 2020, 47% of Americans reported belonging to a church - the first time in 80 years of polling that church membership dropped below 50%. We must recognize that the church in America is no longer a dominant part of the culture. What then does it mean to embrace our identity as a "spiritual minority" movement? Jim Gates leads a conversations on how the church today finds itself in the same situation as in Biblical times, and how Scripture is intended to teach us what it means to be an insurgent community.

We are a highly materialistic culture, and it is easy for us to forget about the spiritual world all around us. But Scripture speaks of angels and chariots of fire, of demons and exorcisms, of heavenly realities that intersect with our earthly experiences.

Partisan politics aren’t new to this election (or to this century of elections). Nevertheless, today the feeling of division along party lines in our nations feels almost like a tangible thing. How do we as a church work as a unifying force in a season of division? Of course, we look to Jesus. Our politics have nothing on 1st century Jewish culture. Into that world, Jesus brings a brilliant, original, and God-fearing method of dealing with the political divide. We discussed "Christ & Caeser: A House Divided," and together we learned from Jesus what a unique Christian witness might be in our world today.

This COVID season in the spring of 2020 has caused us to reinvent our daily routine.  We learned to do our jobs from home, teach our children from home, and even order our groceries from home.  In many ways, our homes were never more important.  During this turmoil, however, perhaps there was/is also an opportunity.  As we have read in the Book of Acts this year, the early Christian movement was a community of house churches.  Now, we are too!

The 2020 Winter L.I.F.E. class, “Leading Change Like Jesus,” looks at how Jesus offers an incredible example of how to lead a small group of people into an extraordinary force for change. Jesus models for us how to usher in a new future for a community, rooted in the promise and presence of God. Simply put, how can we learn to lead like Jesus?

The 2019 Fall L.I.F.E. class, “What Would Jesus Think (WWJT),” considers how to formulate a Christ-centered lens through which we read Scripture and interpret our daily choices. Our goal is not to provide a laundry list of answers to the difficult theological questions facing the church; instead, we will develop the skills and framework to determine our own beliefs, built upon the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Spring 2019 L.I.F.E. class, “Christ & (Film) Culture,” looks at a fascinating moment in American history.  Click on the button below for audio of conversations on the last vestiges of that nationwide culture, the surprising power of comedy and fear, why comic book characters are everywhere, and the significance of fantasy as a genre, all through the lens of the gospel and the Bible.

The Winter 2019 L.I.F.E. class, “Person and Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” explored what can typically be the most confusing of the Three Persons of the Trinity. What does Scripture say about the Holy Ghost, and how do we relate to God the Spirit? What does it mean that he lives inside us? What are these “spiritual gifts” and how do we as Presbyterians understand them? Click on the button below for notes and audio of a “spirited” discussion about the Holy Ghost.

The Fall 2018 L.I.F.E. class, “Jump Starting Your Heart” looked at critical spiritual disciplines, the practice of reconnecting with God, and how to keep moving forward on your spiritual journey.