Discipleship & Spiritual Formation: Intermediate Study Bundle

by Greg Ogden; Logos Mobile Education; Bobby Conway; Frederick Cardoza II

and

7 more

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2014–2021

Overview

In the Discipleship & Spiritual Formation: Intermediate Study Bundle you’ll build a deeper understanding of the Christian life and discipleship. You’ll learn essential ingredients for life transformation for empowering believers in ministry with a historical understanding of disciple making. You’ll also view ethics through an evangelical lens and unpack the Christian life from a kingdom perspective with an emphasis on work, money, rest, and play. These courses will help you develop a rounded view of biblical discipleship and gain practical insight into leading discipleship and spiritual formation ministries.

Product Details

• Title: Discipleship & Spiritual Formation: Intermediate Study Bundle
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
• Courses: 10
• Video Hours: 61

ED101 Introducing Discipleship

• Instructor: Greg Ogden
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 8

Dr. Greg Ogden examines what it means to be a disciple and how disciple-making can occur in the church context. In three major sections, the course considers the church’s missional mandate and core theological challenges to carrying it out, biblical models of disciple-making as seen in the ministries of Jesus and Paul, and the application of disciple-making models in the context of the local church.

As Dr. Ogden describes, “You will walk away from this course with a way to go about making (and) reproducing disciples in your church. That’s the takeaway.”

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course
• The Purpose and Mission of the Church
• Using Proximity Searching to Research the Mission of the Church
• A Summary of “Imagining a New Church”

Unit 1: Discipleship as an Emphasis in the Church

• Our Historical Moment: The Apostolic and Christendom Paradigms
• Our Historical Moment: The New Apostolic Paradigm
• Our Historical Moment: Responding to Marginalization
• Our Personal Failure: Assessment
• Our Personal Failure: The Next Generation
• Our Theological Challenge: The Missional Mandate
• Using Morphology Searches to Find Greek Constructions
• Our Theological Challenge: The Gospel That Leads to Non-Discipleship
• Our Theological Challenge: The Gospel That Leads to Discipleship
• Definitions of Discipleship

Unit 2: The Missional Mandate

• Jesus’ Definition of a Disciple: Go
• Analyzing the Biblical Text with the Text Comparison Tool and Visual Filters
• Jesus’ Definition of a Disciple: Baptizing (Part 1)
• Jesus’ Definition of a Disciple: Baptizing (Part 2)
• Jesus’ Definition of a Disciple: Baptizing (Part 3)
• Searching the Church Fathers for Theological Ideas
• Jesus’ Definition of a Disciple: Teaching
• Using the Sermon Starter Guide to Find Helpful Illustrations

Unit 3: The Biblical Model of Discipleship

• The Paradigm Shift Question (Part 1)
• The Paradigm Shift Question (Part 2)
• Focus on a Few: Internalization
• Causes of Superficiality: Diverted Leaders
• Using Root Searching and Greek Lexicons to Study Words Used Once
• Causes of Superficiality: Diverted Focus, Diverted Call, and Diverted Discipleship
• Focus on a Few: Multiplication
• Jesus’ Manner of Making Disciples: Life on Life
• Searching the Words of Christ for Commands
• Stages of Discipleship
• Paul’s Model of Making Disciples
• Infancy and Childhood in Paul’s Empowerment Model
• Adolescence in Paul’s Empowerment Model
• Adulthood in Paul’s Empowerment Model

Unit 4: The Tested Method

• Eric’s Story
• The Relational Approach Versus the Programmatic Approach to Discipleship
• Creating Groups in Faithlife to Share Prayer Requests
• The Relational Approach Defined
• The Relational Approach Illustrated
• The Traditional One-on-One Model of Discipleship
• The Micro-Group Model of Discipleship
• Transformational Elements: Intimacy and Transparency
• Stages of Trust: Affirmation
• Stages of Trust: Walking Together during Difficult Times
• Stages of Trust: Being Reflective Listeners and Confession
• Transformational Elements: Truth in Community
• Sharing Reading Plans and Community Notes with Faithlife Groups
• Transformational Elements: Life-Change Accountability

Unit 5: Criteria for a Good Curriculum

• Characteristics of Good Discipleship Curriculum: Transferable
• Characteristics of Good Discipleship Curriculum: Progression
• Discipleship Essentials: Growing Up in Christ
• Using Notes to Do Inductive Bible Study
• Discipleship Essentials: The Message of Christ
• Discipleship Essentials: Becoming Like Christ
• Discipleship Essentials: Serving Christ
• Characteristics of Good Discipleship Curriculum: Final Considerations

Unit 6: Practical Steps in Implementing a Discipleship Strategy

• The Role of the Leader: Steps 1–4 in the Disciple-Making Process
• The Role of the Leader: Steps 5–10 in the Disciple-Making Process
• The First Few Meetings
• Growing a Disciple-Making Network
• Summary of Critical Implementation Points
• Leaving a Legacy

Unit 7: Supplementary Sessions

• Definitions: Mentor, Discipler, Sponsor, and Performance Coach
• Definitions: Spiritual Friend and Spiritual Director
• A Predictable Pattern for Transformation

Dr. Greg Ogden (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a writer, speaker, and discipleship teacher. He served as the academic director of the doctor of ministry program and associate professor of lay equipping and discipleship at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. For 23 years, he served as a pastor with the Presbyterian Church (USA). During that time he developed a discipleship program used by over 15,000 people. He is the author of the popular Essentials Series, including Discipleship Essentials, Leadership Essentials (with Dan Meyer) and The Essential Commandment, as well as Unfinished Business, and Transforming Discipleship.

PD101 Our Identity in Christ

• Instructor: Elyse Fitzpatrick
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 2

Grow your identity in Christ further with this course from renowned author and biblical counselor Elyse Fitzpatrick. God has the power to transform lives through his love. In this course, learn what the Bible says about our identity in Christ, including how we are chosen, justified, adopted, and delivered from darkness. Then examine the implications of our identity in Christ, including what we can believe about ourselves, how we can respond to others, and where we can place our hope. Whether you’re a counselor, a pastor, or a new Christian, Elyse Fitzpatrick’s lessons will be foundational for helping you cultivate a Christ-centered identity.

Contents:

Unit 1: How Does God Describe You?

• Uniquely Crafted and Known
• Searching for Topics with Bible References
• Particularly Chosen
• Loved by God
• Using Bible Word Study to Find Words Related to “Conqueror”
• Born Again to a Living Hope
• Declared Righteous
• Freed from Debt
• Freed from Bondage and Adopted
• Kept and Delivered
• Using Passage Lists to Help You Memorize Bible Verses
• A Citizen of Heaven Supplied with Everything
• Quiz - Unit 1

Unit 2: Implications of Your Identity in Christ

• We Can Be Transparent
• We Can Rejoice
• We Can Believe God Is for Us
• We Have Hope
• We Have a New Identity
• Looking at Greek Prepositions to See All that We Have in Christ
• We Can Glorify God
• We Can Live Righteously
• We Can Believe God Is Pleased with Us
• We Can Welcome and Love Others
• We Are Free from Legalism and Guilt
• Finding Verses about Failure Using the Dictionary of Bible Themes
• We Can Act as Free People
• We Can Suffer Well
• We Don’t Need to Worry What Others Think
• We Share Christ’s Inheritance
• We Can Be Content and Generous
• Quiz - Unit 2
• Final Exam

Elyse Fitzpatrick has been counseling women since 1989. She is a member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counseling, a retreat and conference speaker, and is the head of Women Helping Women Ministries. Fitzpatrick has a certificate in biblical counseling from CCEEF in San Diego and an MA in biblical counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary.

She is the author of more than 15 books, including Love to Eat, Hate to Eat. Fitzpatrick has developed an extensive curriculum in biblical counseling and has trained students in both North and South America.

PD201 Introducing Spiritual Formation

• Instructor: Gary Thomas
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 10

Dr. Gary Thomas—award-winning author and internationally recognized speaker—provides a panoramic view of spiritual formation so you can better understand what it means to be in relationship with God. Dr. Thomas begins by examining the most significant movements in the history of Christian spirituality, such as the Desert Fathers, the monastics, the Puritans, and the charismatics. He describes the different ways in which we relate to God and how this can help us have an authentic faith. He then shows how we’re called to integrate holiness into every part of our lives, including our bodies, marriages, parenting, and spiritual virtues.

Use this course for personal enrichment—to survey the sacred pathways, the practice of holiness in everyday life, and the spiritual virtues—or use this course to help those in your small group and congregation grow in spiritual maturity.

Gary Thomas is one the most sought-after speakers on the topics of marriage, parenting, and spiritual formation, and he’s distilled a career’s worth of wisdom into this single course, designed for Mobile Ed.

Contents:

Unit 1: Spirituality: Historical Survey

• God’s Desire for Relationship
• David’s Heart for God
• Examining Ahithophel’s Relationship to Bathsheba
• God’s Desire for Relationship with You
• Friends of Devotion
• Cultivating a Wide Circle of Friends
• The Lost Art of Devotional Reading: Things to Remember
• Illustrating the Lost Art of Devotional Reading
• Ways People Approach Christian Spirituality
• Keeping Focus with Organized Prayer Lists
• Desert Experience
• Eastern Tradition
• Monasticism
• Contemplative Mysticism
• Puritanism
• Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: Genuine Spirituality: Focused Diversity

• Seeking the Kingdom of God (Matt 6:33)
• “Fear Not”
• Researching the “Cowardly” with the Bible Word Study
• Understanding Differences in Values
• Accepting What God Values
• Acting Justly
• Loving Mercy
• Walking Humbly with Our God
• A Tailor-Made Spiritual Walk
• Relating to God in Different Ways
• Freedom and Diversity of New Testament Worship
• Naturalists
• Intellectuals
• Caregivers
• Sensates
• Ascetics
• Activists
• Contemplatives
• Exploring Eastern Orthodox Spirituality
• Traditionalists
• Enthusiasts
• An Invitation to Personalized Devotion
• Spiritual Pathways and Mission
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: Authentic Faith and Holiness

• Spirituality from God’s Perspective
• Authentic Faith
• Sacrifice: The Heart of Holiness
• Examining the Health and Wealth Gospel
• Historical Opinions about Who Is Really Holy
• Christians Relating to God through Suffering
• God Relating to Christians through Suffering
• Suffering: Key to Spiritual Maturity
• Suffering: Redemptive or Self-Pitying?
• Suffering: Key to Ministry
• Accepting the Reality of Sin and Temptation
• Longing for Holiness
• Pursuing Godliness
• Struggling with Sin
• Understanding the Absurdity of Sin
• Knowing that Sin Separates Us from God
• Knowing that Temptation Can Make Us Stronger
• Gaining Victory over Temptation by Stages
• Breaking Sin’s Dominion
• Running the Race
• Unit 3 Quiz
• Midterm Exam

Unit 4: Holiness: God and the Body

• Every Body Matters
• Responding to the World’s View of the Body
• Dedicating Our Bodies as Instruments of Service
• Using the Bible Sense Lexicon to Find Different Senses of “Body”
• Avoiding Gluttony, a “Gateway Sin”
• Studying the Seven Deadly Sins
• Maintaining Physical Health for Longevity in Service
• Maintaining Physical Health for Better Spiritual Health
• Adopting Physical Health as a Corporate Value
• Having the Mind of Christ
• Taking Charge of Our Minds
• Having Ears That Hear
• Recognizing That God Still Speaks
• Listening with an Obedient Heart
• Tests for Truth: Scripture
• Tests for Truth: God’s Church and the Holy Life
• Tests for Truth: Familiarity with God’s Voice
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Holiness: Practicing the Spiritual Virtues

• Intentional Spiritual Growth
• Practicing the Virtues of Christ
• Humility: Testimonies from the Christian Classics
• Humility: Defining It
• Humility: Practicing It
• Studying the Meaning of Humility in the Ancient World
• Humility: Growing in It
• Gentleness: A Christian Virtue
• Gentleness: Following the Gentle Shepherd
• Gentleness: Showing It to the World
• Gentleness: Showing It in Our Homes
• Gentleness: Call to Biblical Christianity
• Gentleness: Learning It
• Thankfulness: A Christian Virtue
• Thankfulness: Recognizing Blessings
• Thankfulness: Fighting Discontent
• Thankfulness: Maintaining Our Human Relationships
• Thankfulness: Maintaining Our Relationship with God
• Analyzing Thankfulness in the Bible
• Fostering Spiritual Disciplines
• Using Daily Devotions and Bible Reading Plans
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: Holiness: Marriage and Family

• Marriage: Rediscovering Its Purpose
• Marriage: A Sanctifying Catalyst
• Marriage: Growing in Our Ability to Love
• Parenting: A Life-Shaping Call
• Parenting: A Catalyst for Spiritual Progress
• Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 7: Holiness: Life’s Pleasures and Death

• Pleasure: Problem or Solution?
• Pleasure: A Bulwark against Vulnerability
• Pleasure: Beloved Kosmos versus Evil Kosmos
• Pleasure: Getting Rid of an Antagonistic View of God
• Pleasure: Enjoying God’s Good Gifts
• Pleasure: A Catalyst for Spiritual Formation
• Remembrance of Death versus Unbiblical Denial
• Remembrance of Death and Setting Priorities
• Remembrance of Death and Living a Holy Life
• Remembrance of Death and the Comfort of Death
• Unit 7 Quiz
• Final Exam

Dr. Gary Thomas is a best-selling author and international speaker whose ministry brings people both closer to Christ and closer to others. By God’s grace, Dr. Thomas is changing the way Christians look at their faith and family life. He has authored several books, including Sacred Marriage, Sacred Parenting, Sacred Pathways, and the Gold Medallion award–winning Authentic Faith. He is also a writer in residence at Second Baptist Church, Houston, and an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

His books and ministry focus on spiritual formation: how we can integrate Scripture, church history, and the time-tested wisdom of the Christian classics into our modern faith experience. Dr. Thomas’ ministry has led him to speak in 49 states and eight different countries, and on numerous national television and radio programs, including Focus on the Family and Family Life Today.

ED121 Introducing Evangelism

• Instructor: Bobby Conway
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 5

Gain confidence to share and defend your faith with this course from apologist, author, and pastor Dr. Bobby Conway. Examine the biblical definitions for “evangelism” and “apologetics” so you can live out the Great Commission in your home, workplace, and community. Acquire useful and proven strategies to overcome the most common challenges, such as facing your fears and answering hard questions. Simplify your outreach program and engage your culture biblically with Dr. Conway’s five-part approach to evangelism. Whether you desire to do more personal evangelism and apologetics, or whether you desire to equip others for the ministry, Dr. Conway provides the instruction you need.

Bobby Conway, founder and host of The One Minute Apologist, has taught thousands of people how to address common questions about the Christian faith. His years of experience as a lead pastor are distilled in this Mobile Ed course.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker
• A Passion for Evangelism

Unit 1: The Urgency of Evangelism

• The Reality of Hell
• Examining Jesus’ Teaching on Hell
• The Reality of Death
• Approaching Your Culture
• Evangelism for the Glory of God
• The Fivefold Purpose of the Course: Purpose #1
• The Fivefold Purpose of the Course: Purposes #2–5

Unit 2: The Foundations of Evangelism

• Defining Evangelism
• Using Morphology Searching to Find People Who Evangelized in the New Testament
• Motivations for Evangelism
• The Hopelessness of Christless Culture
• Researching Families in the Biblical World with the Topic Guide
• Responding to a Christless Culture
• The Benefits of Evangelism, Part 1
• The Benefits of Evangelism, Part 2

Unit 3: Rely on God through Prayer

• The Importance of Prayer
• What to Pray
• Prayer and Spiritual Blindness
• Prayer, Opportunities, and Wisdom

Unit 4: Equip Yourself to Defend the Faith

• Defining Apologetics
• The Importance of Apologetics
• Finding All Uses of Prōtotokosin the Bible with the Bible Word Study Guide
• Apologetics, Confidence, and Removing Obstacles
• Apologetics and Doubt
• Jesus’ Response to Doubt
• Developing an Apologetic Bent
• Engaging the Culture

Unit 5: Accept Responsibility to Build Relationships

• Culture and Evangelism
• Awareness and Acceptance of Nonbelievers
• Surveying Jesus’ Interaction with Tax Collectors with the Factbook
• Four Ways to Connect
• Making a Strangerhood a Neighborhood
• Stages for ASSESSing Spirituality
• Using Gospel Harmonies to Compare Accounts of Jesus’ Crucifixion

Unit 6: Clearly Share Your Story

• Types of Storytelling
• How to Share Your Story
• Four Components of Your Story
• Sharing Your Story: An Example
• Leading People to Christ

Unit 7: Help Them Connect to Christ’s Community

• Baptism
• Local Church
• Evangelism
• Creating and Sharing Bible Reading Plans
• Bible Reading
• Prayer

Unit 8: Questions Surrounding Evangelism

• What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit?
• What Is the Role of Holiness?
• Using Grammatical Relationships to Examine Holiness in the New Testament
• What Is the Role of Spiritual Warfare?
• What Is the Role of John 14:6 in a Pluralistic Culture?
• What Is the Role of Fear?
• What Is the Role of Story?
• What Is the Role of Marriage and Family?

Conclusion

• Review of the Course

Bobby Conway is the founder and host of The One Minute Apologist—a YouTube ministry that provides credible answers to curious questions. He earned his ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and his DMin in apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary, and he is a PhD candidate at the John Hick Centre for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Birmingham in England. He is also the author of several books, including Hell, Rob Bell, and What Happens When People Die, The Fifth Gospel, and Doubting Toward Faith. He and his wife Heather have two kids, Haley and Dawson.

PC151 Theology of Everyday Life

• Instructor: Daniel M. Doriani
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 5

In Theology of Everyday Life, Dr. Daniel Doriani shows how theology can inform social and personal life. From eating and playing, to friendship and weddings, this course looks at the importance of developing a deeper sense of the relevance of Scripture and Christian ethics to physical and relational life. Reflecting deeply on what the Bible has to say about various everyday topics, Doriani gives rich ethical guidance and provides tools to help you find insight from Scripture.

Contents:

Unit 1: Social Dimensions of Everyday Life

• An Example from the Czech Republic
• Finding and Understanding Passive Imperatives in Romans
• Vaclav Havel on Social Pressure
• Living in the Truth
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: Friendship

• Resisting Social Pressure
• Walking in the Light Together
• Grounded in the Character of God
• The Friendship of God
• Using a Bible Search to See Where God is Referred to as “Friend”
• The Practice of Friendship
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: Play

• Celebrating the Goodness of Life
• The Paradoxes and Pitfalls of Play
• The Redemption of Play
• Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4: Food

• A Theological Perspective on Food
• Food: Scarcity and Abundance
• The Redemption of Food
• Searching The Apostolic Fathers in English for References to Fasting
• Temperance
• Evaluating the Meaning of “Wine” in the Bible
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Calling

• A Theology of Calling
• Researching God’s “Calling” with Bible Word Study
• The Call of God
• A Place in Life
• Unit 5 Quiz
• Midterm Exam

Unit 6: Sleep

• An Ethic of Rest
• Sleep in Scripture
• Finding Literal References to Sleep in the New Testament
• Sleep as an Act of Faith
• Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 7: Work

• Faithfulness at Work
• The Fall of Work
• Using the Dictionary of Bible Themes to Find References to Work
• The Meaning of Work
• Work as Shared Humanity
• Gifting and Work
• Working with Integrity
• Work Narratives from Scripture
• Christ in Our Work
• Unit 7 Quiz

Unit 8: Weddings

• Weddings in Culture
• Weddings in Scripture
• Unit 8 Quiz

Unit 9: The Body

• A Theology of Life in the Flesh
• The Body in Culture
• The Creation of the Body
• The Fall of the Body
• The Redemption of the Body
• The Restoration of the Body
• The Future of the Body
• Comparing Translations of Koilia with Bible Word Study
• Practical Applications
• Unit 9 Quiz
• Final Exam

Dr. Daniel M. Doriani (STM, PhD) is vice president of strategic academic projects and professor of theology at Covenant Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible and commentaries on Matthew and 1 Peter in the Reformed Expository Commentaries series.

ED201 Empowering God’s People for Ministry

• Instructor: Greg Ogden
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 7

In Empowering God’s People for Ministry, Dr. Greg Ogden considers the concept of the “horizontal priesthood” of believers and their role as ministers to one another in the body of Christ. The course begins by considering what it means for the church to be a living organism and how historic approaches to church leadership have failed to empower believers to minister. Ogden evaluates various models of ministry and proposes a way forward that involves God’s call to all believers, the essential ingredients for life transformation, and the role of all believers to be ministers.

Contents:

Unit 1: The Need for a Paradigm Shift

• What Is a Paradigm?
• Paradigms at Work
• Lessons from Paradigms
• Investigating the Development and Forms of Church Government
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: An Organism Paradigm of the Church

• The Lens of Organism
• The Church as Body
• Finding Every Place Where the Term “Body” Refers to the Church
• The Church as Body: An Illustration
• The Church’s Relationship to Its Founder
• Finding References to Christ as the “Head” of the Church
• Attitudes That Hinder the Body: Inferiority
• Attitudes That Hinder the Body: Superiority
• Attitudes That Build the Body: Interdependence
• Finding Comparison Charts of Spiritual Gifts
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: Where the Reformation Failed

• The Necessity of Institution
• The Reformation and Institutionalism
• The Reformation’s Radical Promise
• The Unfulfilled Promise
• Reasons the Reformation Failed to Deliver (1–3)
• Reasons the Reformation Failed to Deliver (4–7)
• Summary Thoughts on the Failure of the Reformation
• Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4: The Corruption of Biblical Language

• Transformation of the Mind
• Corruption of the Term “Saint”
• Corruption of the Terms “Minister” and “Ministry”
• Discovering the Common Greek Root behind Key Terms in Acts 6:1–4
• Corruption of the Term “Priest”
• Corruption of the Term “Clergy”
• Corruption of the Term “Laity”
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Pastoring between the Paradigms

• The Apostolic Paradigm
• The Christendom Paradigm
• The Role of the Pastor in the Christendom Paradigm
• The New Apostolic Paradigm
• The Collapse of Christendom
• Responding to Marginalization
• Authentic Service
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: A Vision for Equipping Ministry

• From Dependency to Equipping
• Equipping in Exodus 18
• Conducting a Character Study with the Bible Facts Tool
• Fostering Dependency: Pastoral Self-Expectations
• Fostering Dependency: People’s Expectations of Their Pastor
• Jethro’s Advice (1): Change Your Role
• Equipping Ministry
• A Contemporary Image for the Equipping Pastor
• Sharing the Leadership
• Styles That Inhibit
• Jethro’s Advice (2): Change Your Style
• Sorting the Singular and Plural Forms of the Term “Elder”
• Jethro’s Advice (3): Decentralize Your Structure
• Our Challenge
• Unit 6 Quiz
• Midterm Exam

Unit 7: Vocation and Call

• A Disconnection between Work and Faith
• A Distorted View of Call
• Gifts of the Whole Body of Christ
• Biblical Teaching on a “Call”
• Identify Biblical References to God’s Calling
• A Heart Call: Focus on a Need You Care About
• A Heart Call: A Positive Burden
• A Heart Call: Bigger Than You Can Accomplish
• A Heart Call: Energy and Joy
• Unit 7 Quiz

Unit 8: Small Groups

• A Theology of Small Groups
• Benefits of Small Groups
• Types of Small Group Systems
• Definitional Elements of Small Groups
• Types of Small Groups (1)
• Types of Small Groups (2)
• Unit 8 Quiz

Unit 9: Ministry Teams

• Biblical Vision of Team Ministry
• The Importance of Ministry Teams for Discipleship
• Staying Connected in Prayer through Faithlife
• Ministry Teams or Committees?
• Definition and Elements of Ministry Teams
• Starting a Ministry Team
• Necessary Ingredients for Starting a Ministry Team
• Unit 9 Quiz

Unit 10: Life Transformation Groups

• Basic Components
• Character Questions, Scripture Reading, Prayer Focus
• Creating and Sharing a Custom Reading Plan
• The Strength of Threes
• Important Features and Benefits
• Unit 10 Quiz

Unit 11: Disciple-Making Groups

• Ingredients for Christlike Transformation
• Transparent Trust (1)
• Transparent Trust (2)
• Truth in Community
• Life-Change Accountability
• Unit 11 Quiz

Unit 12: Wesley’s System of Interlocking Groups

• Wesley and His System
• The Society: The Cognitive Mode
• The Class Meeting: The Behavioral Mode
• The Class Meeting: Its Format
• The Class Meeting: Its Leader
• The Class Meeting: Its Value
• Wesley’s Bands
• Select Society: The Training Mode
• Penitent Bands: The Rehabilitative Mode
• Wesley’s Group Strategies and Leadership Principles
• Unit 12 Quiz
• A Reflection Exercise
• Final Exam

Dr. Greg Ogden (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a writer, speaker, and discipleship teacher. He served as the academic director of the doctor of ministry program and associate professor of lay equipping and discipleship at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. For 23 years, he served as a pastor with the Presbyterian Church (USA). During that time he developed a discipleship program used by over 15,000 people. He is the author of the popular Essentials Series, including Discipleship Essentials, Leadership Essentials (with Dan Meyer) and The Essential Commandment, as well as Unfinished Business, and Transforming Discipleship.

ED205 Discipleship in History and Practice

• Instructor: Frederick Cardoza
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 10

Explore the meaning and purpose of discipleship and study principles of discipling. Gain practical insight into leading discipleship ministries and equip yourself and others to make disciples. Dr. Cardoza guides you through the history of Jewish and Christian education from the Old Testament to the modern day and casts vision for discipleship and the development of discipleship programs.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: An Introduction to Discipleship

• What a Disciple Is
• Key Principles of Biblical Discipleship
• Defining and Describing Discipleship
• A Biblical Overview of Discipleship
• Discipleship in Religious and Christian Education

Unit 2: A History of Disciple-Making: The Old Testament and Intertestamental Periods

• Religious Education in the Pentateuch
• Religious Education in the Historical Books
• Religious Education in the Poetic Books
• Religious Education in the Prophets
• Challenges and Changes in Jewish Religious Education
• The Rise of the Jewish School
• Jewish Sects and Their Effect on Jewish Religious Education
• Religious Education and Development of the Oral Tradition
• Hellenistic Influence on Jewish Religious Education

Unit 3: A History of Disciple-Making: The New Testament and Patristic Age

• Christian Education in the Gospels
• Christian Education in Acts
• Christian Education in the Epistles
• Christian Education in the Book of Revelation
• Education in Local Churches with Jewish Converts to Christianity
• Discipleship Using the Didache
• Discipleship through Catechesis
• Discipleship through Catechetical Schools
• Early Challenges in Discipleship Philosophy

Unit 4: A History of Disciple-Making: The Middle Ages and the Renaissance

• Discipleship at the Dawn of the Middle Ages
• How Rome’s Fall Affected Christian Education
• Discipleship during Feudalism
• Discipleship through Asceticism and Monasticism
• Discipleship during the Crusades and Scholasticism
• Discipleship in the Age of Individualism and Renaissance Humanism
• Christian Education Champions during the Renaissance

Unit 5: A History of Disciple-Making: The Reformation and the Enlightenment

• Discipleship and Martin Luther
• Discipleship and Ulrich Zwingli
• Discipleship and Philip Melanchthon
• Discipleship and John Calvin and John Knox
• Key Educational Contributions of the Reformation
• How the Enlightenment Affected Discipleship
• Modern Philosophy, Scientism, and Discipleship
• Educators in the Enlightenment

Unit 6: A History of Disciple-Making: Colonial and Contemporary America

• How the New World Received the Gospel
• Education and Discipleship in the American Colonies
• Christian Higher Education in the Colonies
• Discipleship through the Sunday School Movement
• Discipleship through Twentieth-Century Youth Movements

Unit 7: Boundaries and Parameters for Disciple-Making

• Desired Outcomes for Genuine Discipleship
• Common Dangers in Discipleship
• Understanding Spiritual Metamorphosis
• The Difference between Christian Education and Indoctrination
• Protecting Discipleship from Indoctrination
• The Triumvirate of Biblical Discipleship
• The Bible and Curriculum in Discipleship

Unit 8: Defining Transformational Discipleship

• Understanding Transformation through Sanctification
• Cognitive Learning in Discipleship
• Affective Learning in Discipleship
• Behavioral Learning in Discipleship
• The Keys to Transformational Discipleship

Unit 9: Doing Personal Discipleship

• Biblical Characteristics of Disciplers
• Key Practices of Effective Disciplers
• Identifying the Person to Disciple
• Entering into a Discipling Relationship
• Casting the Vision to Someone You Want to Disciple
• Basic Principles to Guide Personal Discipleship Meetings
• Sample Schedule for Discipleship Sessions
• Suggested Content for Initial Discipleship

Unit 10: Principles of Disciple-Making

• The Profession of Christian Education
• Academic Preparation for Discipleship Ministry Leadership
• Old Testament Principles for Church Discipleship Programming
• Intertestamental Principles for Church Discipleship Programming
• New Testament Principles for Church Discipleship Programming

Unit 11: Making Programming Practical

• Understanding the Life Transformation Continuum, Part 1
• Understanding the Life Transformation Continuum, Part 2
• Stages of Spiritual Development
• Building an Evangelistic Apparatus
• Examples of Building an Evangelistic Apparatus
• Building a Discipleship Platform
• Examples for Building a Discipleship Platform
• Suggestions for Evangelistic Programming
• Suggestions for Discipleship Programming
• Programming for Spiritual Growth
• Leadership for Discipleship Programming
• Shepherding Others as Program Leaders

Unit 12: The Praxis of Programming

• Understanding Church Discipleship Expectations
• Cautions about Using Discipleship Programming
• Four Keys for Effective Discipleship: Systematic Programming
• Four Keys for Effective Discipleship: Scalable Programming
• Four Keys for Effective Discipleship: Sequential Programming
• Four Keys for Effective Discipleship: Sustainable Programming

Conclusion

• Reaching Out and Making Disciples

Dr. Freddy Cardoza is currently director of distributed learning and instructional technology at Biola University and department chair of Christian education at Talbot School of Theology in Los Angeles. He has served in Christian higher education and local church ministry for 20 years, and his work specializes in leadership, higher education administration, discipleship, digital learning, and media.

Dr. Cardoza is the executive director of the Society of Professors in Christian Education (SPCE), which is an academic society of evangelical professors representing some 200 seminaries, universities, and liberal arts colleges, who teach in the areas of spiritual formation, Christian ministries and Christian education.

He received a PhD in leadership from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed the required coursework for the EdD (ABD). He earned an MA from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and holds a BS in church ministries from Liberty University.

Dr. Cardoza is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), the Association of Youth Ministry Educators (AYME), and the Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA). He serves as adjunct faculty at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, regularly develops print and digital training resources, and is a small group leader at Saddleback Church.

PD332 A Christian Perspective on Work and the Economy

• Instructor: Greg Forster
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 7

Explore why it’s important for us to understand our daily work as something intimately connected with our faith, and how this allows our faith to be a full-time way of life rather than something that we squeeze in for a few hours a week. Delve into how work is central to the image of God, and learn that all people are made to work together with each other as stewards of the world. Consider how the fall brought darkness, evil, and injustice into the world of work, and then look at how redemption and the Holy Spirit restore us to the image of God and empower us to persevere through toil and frustration in our work. Dig into the economic context of the changing global economy, and contrast our current world of work with what existed in biblical times. We are going to be looking at issues like poverty and justice and how we promote the dignity of all people, as well as how we can do our work in a way that brings flourishing to our communities. We will also look at the role of work in how the church can fit into a pluralistic culture.

Contents:

Unit 1: Why Work Is Central to the Kingdom of God

• “Leisure-Time Christianity” vs. Whole-Life Discipleship
• Work Is Central to the Church’s Mission
• Work Is Central to Discipleship
• Work Is Central to Living the Kingdom in a Pluralistic Culture

Unit 2: The Stewardship Mindset

• What Is the Stewardship Mindset?
• What the Stewardship Mindset Looks Like
• The Stewardship Mindset Is Not Normal in Human History

Unit 3: The Stewardship Mindset and the Entrepreneurial Economy

• The Stewardship Mindset Creates the Entrepreneurial Economy
• What It Looks Like When a Stewardship Mindset Creates an Entrepreneurial Economy
• Love across Cultural Boundaries
• Benefits Created by the Entrepreneurial Economy
• Challenges Created by the Entrepreneurial Economy

Unit 4: The Image of God: Implications for Work

• God Is a Worker, and We Are Made in His Image
• Ruling the World as God’s Prophets, Priests and Kings
• Working within Limits—Obedience and Rest
• Ruling as God’s Stewards—Helping the World to Flourish
• A Naturalistic View of Flourishing Leads to Disaster
• A Spiritual View of Flourishing Centers on Right relationships
• Flourishing and Adversity
• Living in Community—the Image of God in Relationships, Society, and Culture
• Living in Generations—Creation Is a Project, Not an End Point
• Holy Love for God and Neighbor—because God Is Love

Unit 5: The Fall: Implications for Work

• Toil
• Futility
• Disruption of Identity
• Disruption of Motivation
• Disruption of Human Relationships and Injustice
• Disruption of Our Relationship with Our Environment
• Sloth and Laziness, Pride and Workaholism

Unit 6: Redemption, Hope, and the Holy Spirit: Implications for Work

• Redemption, Justification, and the Holy Spirit
• Redemption and Hope—a New Perspective
• Sanctification: Transformation and Perseverance
• Living and Working alongside Unbelieving Neighbors
• Redemption and Human Flourishing

Unit 7: Work as Holy Love

• To Work Well Is to Exercise Holy Love for Your Neighbor
• To Work Well Is to Exercise Holy Love for God
• To Work Well Is to Live within the Limits of God’s Holy Love
• To Work Well Is to Be Shaped by God’s Holy Love
• Work as Holy Love for a Dark World

Unit 8: Theological Problems Related to Work

• Ecclesiology: Koinonia vs. Oikonomia
• Ecclesiology: The Calling of the Pastor
• Eschatology: The Fate of the Widget
• Eschatology: Continuity and Discontinuity
• Soteriology: Redeeming the World?

Unit 9: The Local Church and Work

• Work in Sermons and Liturgy
• Work in Pastoral Care
• Work in Compassion Ministry
• Work in Efforts to Serve the Common Good
• Work in Youth and Family Ministry

Unit 10: The Economy: Work as Social and Cultural Activity

• Work Is Social
• Work Is Cultural
• Work and the Economy
• Materialistic Approaches to the Economy and Flourishing
• A Spiritual Approach to the Economy and Flourishing
• The Economy Is Social: Trust
• The Economy Is Cultural: Our Character Shapes the Economy
• The Economy Is Cultural: the Economy Shapes Our Character

Unit 11: Value Creation

• Value, Resources, and Priorities
• The Purpose of Work Is to Create Value
• Intrinsic and Instrumental
• How Work Creates Value
• How Exchange Creates Value
• The Insufficiency of “Enlightened Self-Interest”

Unit 12: Value and Money

• Value Is Not Money
• The Three Uses of Money
• Value and Wages

Unit 13: Treating Value as Both Moral and Personal

• Value Is Moral
• Value Is Personal
• The Difficulty in Treating Value as Both Moral and Personal
• Freedom, Responsibility, and Relationships

Unit 14: The Ancient Economy

• Economic Context and Reading the Bible
• The Ancient Economy—Wealth and Land
• The “Limited Access Order”
• Injustice and Paternalism in the Ancient Economy

Unit 15: Emergence of the Entrepreneurial Economy

• The End of the Old Order
• Medieval Developments
• The Reformation Challenge to Body/Spirit Dualism
• The Reformation Challenge to Injustice and Paternalism
• Technological Changes
• Theological and Philosophical Interest in Nature and Social Order
• The Industrial Revolution and the Institutional Revolution
• The Wesleyan Movement and the Industrial Revolution
• The “Open Access Order,” Impersonal Exchange, and Trusting Strangers
• Impersonal Exchange and Trusting Strangers
• The Entrepreneurial Economy

Unit 16: Revolutionary Changes Created by the Entrepreneurial Economy

• To Work Well Is to Exercise Holy Love for Your Neighbor
• To Work Well Is to Exercise Holy Love for God
• To Work Well Is to Live within the Limits of God’s Holy Love
• To Work Well Is to Be Shaped by God’s Holy Love
• Work as Holy Love for a Dark World

Unit 17: Challenges Created by the Entrepreneurial Economy

• The Increased Importance of Work Feeds Both Sloth and Workaholism
• Weakening of Important Cultural Institutions
• Fragmentation of Moral Language and Cultural Assumptions
• Fragmentation Challenges Belief and Spiritual Formation
• Shared Social Space and the Emergence of Secularism
• Systems Run Amok
• The Continuing Challenge of Poverty

Unit 18: Responsible Action

• The Church Must Take Responsible Action on Economic Issues
• Responsible Action and the Secularization of the Culture
• Responsible Action and Social Conflict
• Working within the Entrepreneurial Economy Rather Than Rejecting It
• Being Political without Being Partisan
• Cultural Entrepreneurship

Unit 19: Poverty

• Spiritual Poverty
• Material Poverty vs. Economic Poverty
• What the Economically Poor Need Most
• Helping That Hurts
• Why Our Help Hurts
• Two Kinds of Inequality
• New Approaches to Poverty
• Non-Price Allocation and the Poor

Unit 20: Church and Culture

• Different Models of Exile: OT and NT
• Starting with Shared Humanity
• Loving an Unholy World While Maintaining Holiness

Unit 21: Work and Economics in the Kingdom of God

• Renewing the Church and Serving the World

Dr. Greg Forster is an author and scholar whose work covers theology, economics, political philosophy, and education policy. He is the author of six books, including Joy for the World: How Christianity Lost Its Cultural Influence and Can Begin Rebuilding It, as well as numerous scholarly and popular articles. He is the director of the Oikonomia Network at the Center for Transformational Churches at Trinity International University. He is also a senior fellow at the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the editor of the group blog Hang Together, and a regular contributor to various digital media outlets. He received a PhD with distinction in political philosophy from Yale University.

PD211 Christian Life from a Kingdom Perspective

• Instructor: Ben Witherington III
• Publication Date: 2017
• Video Hours: 2

In this course Dr. Ben Witherington III unpacks the primary aspects of Christian life through the framework of the kingdom of God. The course covers the topics of work, money, rest, and play, as well as the practices of worship and spiritual formation. Dr. Witherington explores these topics through the eyes of the kingdom, lending a perspective that incorporates both spirit and truth. In his words, those who take this course will find it “not only soul nourishing but challenging in the kinds of ways that it forces them to think about the ordinary, mundane Christian life in a profound, theological, kingdom kind of way.”

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course
• Companion Materials

Unit 1: Worship

• Introducing Worship from a Kingdom Perspective
• Approaching Worship
• In Spirit and Truth

Unit 2: Work

• Introducing Work from a Kingdom Perspective
• The Impact of the Fall on God’s Original Plan
• The Relationship between Being and Doing
• The Meaning of Work

Unit 3: Money

• Introducing Money from a Kingdom Perspective
• Sacrificial Giving
• Context Matters
• Wealth, Taxes, Greed, and the Gospel
• The Antidote to Selective Teachings

Unit 4: Rest

• Introducing Rest from a Kingdom Perspective
• A History of Change
• A Foreshadowing of Restoration
• The Importance of Play

Unit 5: Spiritual Formation

• Spiritual Formation from a Kingdom Perspective
• Laity and Clergy from a Kingdom Perspective
• Ministry and Gifting from a Kingdom Perspective

Conclusion

• Concluding the Course

Bible scholar Dr. Ben Witherington is considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS), a society dedicated to New Testament studies.

Dr. Witherington is the Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive his MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his PhD from the University of Durham in England. Dr. Witherington has also taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. A popular lecturer, Dr. Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges, and biblical meetings—not only in the United States, but also in England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Australia. He’s also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.

Dr. Witherington has written over 40 books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical-studies works by Christianity Today. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Patheos website.

Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Dr. Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, the Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX network.

ET101 Law and Gospel: The Basis of Christian Ethics

• Instructor: R. Michael Allen
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 5

Law and Gospel: The Basis of Christian Ethics demonstrates how to view ethics through an evangelical lens, incorporating both good works and the gospel, to model the life of Jesus Christ. It analyzes a variety of OT, NT, and historical texts to explore the relationship between love and law. While examining the dangers of legalism and antinomianism, the course considers how love fulfills the law and enables those who are in Christ to live an evangelical, ethical life.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: The Gospel and Good Works

• Philippians 1:3–11 as a Guide
• The Antinomian Charge
• Defining Freedom
• Christ and Discipleship: Evangelical Freedom
• Metaphysics and Ethics: Indicative and Imperative
• What Are Good Works?
• Faith, Hope, and Love
• The Dynamic of Faith and Law
• Paul and James on Good Works
• Motivations for Obedience
• Luther on Law and Gospel
• Calvin on Law and Gospel
• Covenant Theology
• Covenant of Works
• Covenant of Grace
• The Marrow of Modern Divinity

Unit 2: The Ten Commandments

• The Law in Redemptive History
• Biblical Witness #1: Jesus and the Mosaic Law
• Biblical Witness #2: The Jerusalem Council
• Biblical Witness #3: Paul and the Law
• New Perspective on Paul
• The Tripartite Distinction in Biblical and Historical Theology
• The First Commandment
• The First Commandment as Axiom
• The Second Commandment
• The Third Commandment
• The Fourth Commandment
• The Fifth Commandment
• The Sixth Commandment
• The Seventh Commandment
• The Eighth Commandment
• The Ninth Commandment
• The Tenth Commandment
• Love and Law

Unit 3: Contextualization

• Deuteronomy as Example
• The Gospels as Example
• Hebrews as Example
• Postmodernity and Contextualization
• A Biblical View of Contexts
• Imitation of Christ
• Imitation of the Saints
• The Third Commandment as an Example of Contextualization

Conclusion

• Course Summary

R. Michael Allen is associate professor of systematic and historical theology and the dean of students at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He is eager to guide students to grow in their ability to retrieve theological riches from the past for the sake of renewing contemporary reflection, worship, and witness. In this vein, he is committed to Reformed catholicity as a confession and a posture for doing theology and approaching ministry today.

Prior to joining the faculty of RTS in 2015, Dr. Allen taught undergraduate and graduate students at Wheaton College and then taught at Knox Theological Seminary for five years, where he held the D. James Kennedy Chair of Systematic Theology and also served as dean of the faculty. With Dr. Scott Swain, he serves as general editor of the T&T Clark International Theological Commentary and the New Studies in Dogmatics series for Zondervan Academic. He also serves as book review editor for the renowned International Journal of Systematic Theology and is a teaching elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.