Second Year - First Quarter

Old Testament III: Poetic Books and Intertestamental Times

Course Description

The course will cover not only the poetic books but also study the time between the Old and New Testament often called "the four-hundred silent years." The Bible contains many styles of literary genre and Hebrew poetry is a unique kind of Biblical literature. The course not only focuses on an overview of the poetic books but also on the very nature and meaning of Hebrew poetry. Additionally, any understanding of the transition between the Old and New Testaments must encompass a study the events and non-canonical writings that occurred between them.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To understand the nature and uniqueness of Hebrew poetry so the student will be able to exegete poetic passages correctly.
  2. To learn about the apocrypha writings so the student can discern what God-breathed scripture is and what it is not.
  3. To gain an overall understanding of each of the poetic books and their place in the cannon.
  4. To understand the Psalms devotionally and through meditation and reflection develop a more intimate relationship with God.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. Encountering the Old Testament by Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Berger (chapters 19-23).
  3. Articles on the Apocrypha and Intertestamental History.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the texts and articles for weekly assignment.
  2. Spend time reflecting on the nature and purpose of God and then write a personal psalm directly to Him. Share it with your small group and turn in when assigned.

Theology I: The Revelation of God

Course Description

The Bible is an amazing supernatural book in which God reveals to us who He is, how we can personally know Him and how He wants us to live. God does so through a variety of human authors from different cultures and times and through a wide variety of literary genres. As a result, the 66 books of the Bible are not an organized and systemized book of teaching but stories of the lives of people and their walk with and service to God. Systematic theology is therefore a way to look at a particular subject found throughout the Scriptures and to "systemize" the Bible's teaching on that subject after a through study of all of the passages that relate to it.

Theology I will cover the Doctrine of the Scriptures and the Doctrine of God. Through a study of the doctrine of the Scriptures, we will have the assurance that the Bible is God's fully inspired Word that is complete and without error. Our study of the Doctrine of God will help us grasp the nature and purpose of God.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn the basic principles of the Doctrine of the Scriptures and the Doctrine of God.
  2. To be able to articulate the basic truths of each doctrine and be able to defend them so that the student will be able to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15).
  3. To gain a greater love and respect for the Scriptures as God's perfect revelation.
  4. To deepen the students' love for God as they understand who He is more fully.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
  2. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teaching of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem.
  3. Instructor's Supplemental Notes.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
  2. Answer questions from the textbook as assigned and define key terms in each chapter as assigned.

Ministering Supernaturally

Course Description

The manifestation gifts of power may be controversial in some parts of the body of Christ, but they are being exercised around the world and bringing many people into the kingdom. The sick are being healed, the demonically afflicted are being set free, miracles are occurring and even the dead are being raised. What is even more exciting is that every Spirit-filled believer can minister in the miraculous. This course will not only focus on the gifs but in a practical application on how a Spirit-filled believer of Jesus Christ can minister in power.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn how the power gifts are released through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the anointing of God.
  2. To practice the exercise of the power gifts in the student's life, family, and small group ministry opportunity.
  3. For the student to ministry supernaturally for their entire ministry, continuing to be dependent on the infillings and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. Mighty Manifestations: The Gifts and Power of the Holy Spirit by Reinhard Bonnke.
  3. Instructor's notes on the Gift of Prophecy and on Healing.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the texts and notes assigned weekly.
  2. Each small group will plan and minister in a healing meeting. This may be done in a variety of ways including: small group, a mission or evangelistic outreach, or on the street. The group that is most creative and effective will be rewarded with a dessert night at Dr. Lee's home.

Second Year - Second Quarter

Theology II: Sinful and Sinless Man

Course Description

The Bible is an amazing supernatural book in which God reveals to us who He is, how we can personally know Him and how He wants us to live. God does so through a variety of human authors from different cultures and times and through a wide variety of literary genre. As a result, the 66 books of the Bible are not an organized and systemized book of teaching but stories of the lives of people and their walk with and service to God. Systematic Theology is therefore a way to look at a particular subject found throughout the Scriptures and to "systemize" the Bible's teaching on that subject after a through study of all of the passages that relate to it.

Theology II will cover the Doctrine of Man and the Doctrine of Christ. Through a study of the doctrine of man, we will see how man fell into sin and its terrible consequences on him. Our study of the Doctrine of Christ will examine the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn the basic principles of the Doctrine of Man and the Doctrine of Christ.
  2. To be able to articulate the basic truths of each doctrine and be able to defend them so that the student will be able to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15)
  3. To gain a greater understanding of man's sinfulness and his need of a Savior.
  4. To develop a deeper appreciation of God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
  2. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teaching of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem.
  3. Instructor's Supplemental Notes.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
  2. Answer questions from the textbook as assigned and define key terms in each chapter as assigned.

Old Testament IV: Prophetic Books

Course Description

The major and minor prophets comprise the final 17 books of the Old Testament. The appearance of prophets in Israel signified troubled times as the prophet pronounced both judgment on sin and the promise of a future restoration for a broken, repentant people. Although most people recognize the Major Prophets, the Minor Prophets are often neglected and their messages perceived as "minor." All the prophetic books will be overviewed in this course and their messages given equal weight as inspired Scripture. This class will focus on both the prophets themselves, their writings, and how what they wrote applies to our societies and culture today.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To gain an overview of each of the prophetic books and have a basic understanding of the message of each one.
  2. To understand how to apply the meaning of the prophets' messages to our present culture and ministry.
  3. To look at the character qualities of the prophets and see how their character enabled them to be faithful ministers in troubled times so that the ministerial student can rely upon their life messages in the development of their own character to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.
  4. To see how Messianic prophecy is intertwined with national prophecy and how it is fulfilled in the coming, life, work, and return of Jesus Christ so the student will gain a greater understanding of God's great plan of redemption through the eyes and hearts of his prophets.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. Encountering the Old Testament by Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Berger (chapters 24-34).
  3. Instructor's Character Qualities of the Prophets notes.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the texts and notes assigned weekly.
  2. Select a Minor Prophetic book and prepare an analytical chart demonstrating the book's overall message, main points and sub-points.

Financial Freedom

Course Description

Our Lord Jesus Christ in his brief ministry on earth spoke more about money and possession that he did on heaven and hell combined. He taught that how we use our money is a barometer of our spiritual health when he said, "Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also." Since the ministry is not a place to get rich and often requires great financial sacrifice, it is imperative that God's minister knows wise budgeting, planning, and spending. It is also essential to know the necessity of setting an example in giving and leading others in their ministry setting in sound financial planning and sacrificial giving to God's kingdom work. This class will cover both of these important aspects of finances.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn the biblical financial principles of ownership and stewardship.
  2. To know how to develop a budget and financial plan.
  3. To learn budgeting and financial planning for a ministry setting.
  4. To learn how to lead a ministry in tithing and sacrificial giving.
  5. For the student to be a life-long giver of tithes and offerings through the joy of giving.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. Your Money Counts by Howard Dayton.
  3. Family Financial Workbook by Larry Burkett.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the texts as assigned weekly.
  2. Work through the financial workbook as assigned for your or your families' finances.
  3. Seek God about helping someone with a great need and give sacrificially to meet that need. Write a report summarizing the process.

Second Year - Third Quarter

Theology III: Life in Christ

Course Description

The Bible is an amazing supernatural book in which God reveals to us who He is, how we can personally know Him and how He wants us to live. God does so through a variety of human authors from different cultures and times and through a wide variety of literary genres. As a result, the 66 books of the Bible are not an organized and systemized book of teaching but stories of the lives of people and their walk with and service to God. Systematic Theology is therefore a way to look at a particular subject found throughout the Scriptures and to "systemize" the Bible's teaching on that subject after a through study of all of the passages that relate to it.

Theology III will cover the Doctrine of Salvation. The greatest gift in the universe is the gift of abundant and eternal life through God's grace and our faith in Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross. This class will examine this most important teaching and all of the aspects of what God has provided for the believer through their personal redemption.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn the basic principles of the Doctrine of Salvation.
  2. To be able to articulate the basic truths of this doctrine and be able to defend it so that the student will be able to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15).
  3. Through this study, the student will have a greater appreciation for what Jesus Christ did for him or her in his finished work on the cross, and they will grow in their thanksgiving for and worship of Him, and the student will have a greater desire to share with others God's wonderful plan of salvation.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
  2. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teaching of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem.
  3. Instructor's Supplemental Notes.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
  2. Answer questions from the textbook as assigned and define key terms in each chapter as assigned.

New Testament I: Introduction and Life of Christ

Course Description

The first four books of the New Testament are called the gospels and they contain the life and teachings of Jesus Christ who was not only a good man but also the God-man. The life of Jesus Christ is a study of the life the sinless son of God, fully God and fully man. The teaching of Jesus Christ encompasses timeless truths on how to live in loving and serving both God and man. This class will overview the messages and meanings of the four gospels and study the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To gain an understating of the overall purpose and nature of the New Testament books that will enable the student in future New Testament classes to place each book in their historic and cultural setting.
  2. To learn the purpose, focus, and audience of each of the gospels and how they blend together to give us a woven tapestry of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
  3. To understand the unique nature of the synoptic gospels and the similarities and differences with the gospel of John.
  4. To grow more in love with Jesus Christ and more committed to serving Him as His teaching and life are studied.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. Encountering the New Testament by Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough (chapters 1-12).

Course Requirements

  1. Read the chapters that are assigned weekly.
  2. Select a parable of Jesus Christ and prepare a 15-minute Bible study on it that you will teach to your small group.
  3. Write a love letter to Jesus Christ in your journal.

Pastoral Ministry

Course Description

Although every Christian can minister in a wide variety of ways, there are certain ministries that are called "sacerdotal" and are usually only provided by the licensed or ordained clergy. Such functions include: baby dedications, baptisms, funerals and weddings. Additionally, the minister is often called upon at the moment of people's crisis events such as accidents, dying/death, and other tragedies. It requires a very special sensitivity to people and knowledge of how to minister at times of great sorrow for the minister of Jesus Christ to be a blessing and help to those who are suffering. The purpose of this course is for the ministry student to learn how to minister with sensitivity and effectiveness in all of the above situations.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn how to minister effectively in sacerdotal functions.
  2. To understand the grieving process and know how to ministry with sensitivity and grace to those who are sorrowing.
  3. To have hands on experience in baptisms and the role playing of weddings and funerals.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. The Dynamics of Pastoral Care by David W. Wiersbe.
  3. On Being a Pastor by Derek Prime and Alistair Begg.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the texts as assigned weekly.
  2. Visit someone who is has a terminal illness using the ministry tools you learned and write a report summarizing your visit.
  3. Attend a funeral service during the quarter and write a report evaluating the effectiveness of the Pastor's ministry.

Second Year - Fourth Quarter

Theology IV: The Last Days

Course Description

The Bible is an amazing supernatural book in which God reveals to us who He is, how we can personally know Him and how He wants us to live. God does so through a variety of human authors from different cultures and times and through a wide variety of literary genres. As a result, the 66 books of the Bible are not an organized and systemized book of teaching but stories of the lives of people and their walk with and service to God. Systematic Theology is therefore a way to look at a particular subject found throughout the Scriptures and to "systemize" the Bible's teaching on that subject after a through study of all of the passages that relate to it.

Theology IV will cover the Doctrine of the Church and the Doctrine of the Future. On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel proclaiming that the falling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost ushered in the "last days." (Acts 2:17-21). Both of these doctrines cover that period: the present age of the church in which we live and the future return and rule of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn the basic principles of the Doctrine of the Church and the Doctrine of the Future.
  2. To be able to articulate the basic truths of each doctrine and be able to defend them so that the student will be able to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15).
  3. To gain a greater love for God's church and a deeper dedication to serving as an instrument of it and to redeem the time and be prepared for His return.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
  2. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teaching of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem.
  3. Instructor's Supplemental Notes.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
  2. Answer questions from the textbook as assigned and define key terms in each chapter as assigned.

New Testament II: Acts

Course Description

The book usually designated the Acts of the Apostles has been more accurately titled, the Acts of the Holy Spirit or the History of the Early Church. Acts is an exciting book because it is the beginning of the great commission of Jesus Christ and it is an account of explosive church growth and expansion. Acts is also an essential book to understand because it is a transition book that links the gospels to the epistles. This course will go beyond other Living Faith School of Ministry Bible survey courses and will cover a chapter-by-chapter study of the book. Additional principles of church planting, leadership, and growth will be explored in this study.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To study the book of Acts in depth so the student will be able to think through the stages of the growth and development of the early church.
  2. To glean principles of church planting, development, and growth so the student will be better equipped to establish and lead a growing ministry.
  3. To understand the doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and how its transforming power is necessary in every believer's life.
  4. To learn how to lead someone into the experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
  5. To understand and defend the present work of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts in contrast to cessationist teaching.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
  2. Encountering the New Testament by Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough (chapters 13-16).

Course Requirements

  1. Read the chapters that are assigned weekly.
  2. Team up with a fellow student and find a believer who is willing to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and then lead them into it. Write a brief report about the experience.
  3. Write a paper on the church at Antioch and how its establishment, growth, leadership, and outreach can be used as a pattern for our churches today.

Pastoral Counseling

Course Description

Pastoral ministry is working with people who have problems that they are not able to solve themselves. Sometimes these problems are personal, family, relationship, or job related. Because of the dynamic of the pastor and parishioner relationship, people often choose to go first to their pastor to discuss their problems. Although not a professional counselor or therapist, the pastor can be a great source of spiritual counsel for many of the problems faced by his people. The scope of this course is limited to basic pastoral counseling that deals with basic problems faced by rational human beings.

Course Goals and Objectives

  1. To learn the basic principles of pastoral counseling so that the student will be an effective counselor in their field of ministry.
  2. To learn about available resources and modern day approaches of pre-marital counseling.
  3. To learn how to provide short-term crisis counseling.
  4. To clearly know what problems and people that pastoral counsel can minister to and what people and problems need to be referred to a professional.
  5. For the student to know how to establish boundaries in their people-helping ministries so they will not be overwhelmed or be burned out in their attempt to help people.

Course Text Books and Resources

  1. How to Be a People Helper by Gary R. Collins.
  2. Strategic Pastoral Counseling by David G. Benner.
  3. The Premarital Counseling Handbook by H. Norman Wright.
  4. Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Krauis.

Course Requirements

  1. Read the texts as assigned weekly.
  2. Interview a local pastor about their pastoral counseling work using the template provided by the instructor and write a 2-3 page paper summarizing what you have learned.