LFSOM - Year 3 Syllabus

Third Year- First Quarter

New Testament III: Pauline Epistles

Course Description

The apostle Paul was by far the most prolific writer of the New Testament, authoring at least 13 epistles and perhaps 14 (if you include Hebrews). God used Paul not only as one of the greatest missionary that ever lived but also as one of our greatest theologians. In the gospels we met the person of Jesus Christ and read about his death and resurrection. In the Pauline epistles we learn and understand the depth and breadth of the person and work of Christ. The meaning of Jesus Christ's passion is clearly disseminated in Paul's writings. This class will overview the Pauline epistles with a special focus on the doctrines of the Deity of Christ, His offered salvation and believer sanctification. Additional principles from the pastoral epistles on church leadership and government will also be addressed.

Course Goals and Objectives

To study the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul and his impact on the church.
To learn the basic background, message, and outline of each of the Pauline epistles and to contextualize their teachings with all of Scripture.
To understand the development of Christology in the writings of Paul.
To apply the meaning and accomplishments of the death of Jesus Christ to the student's life.
To understand early church leadership and government and apply the principles to students present and future ministries.

Course Text Books and Resources

Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
Encountering the New Testament by Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough (chapters 17-21).

Course Requirements

Read the chapters that are assigned weekly.
Select a doctrine on one of the accomplishments of the death of Christ (i.e. justification, propitiation, redemption) and then do a study on the Pauline teachings of that doctrine. Submit a report summarizing your study.
After a reading of the pastoral epistles, be prepared to discuss in your group how a new church plant should be governed. You group will make a class presentation on the results of your group discussion and interaction.

Christian Character Qualities

Course Description

Mature Christian character is essential for an effective and fruitful minister of Jesus Christ. Over the course of time, a highly gifted person with a weak character will either destroy the ministry or the ministry will destroy him. Ministers with strong character can go the distance in faithfully serving God and in continuing to grow and mature in their inner being. Since the class functions as a small Christian community, character qualities or character deficiencies will be easily demonstrated in our interactive learning and ministering environment. This class will define and identify character strengths and weaknesses and help each student and form a plan to develop and grown in their Christian character.

Course Goals and Objectives

To learn fifteen character qualities that are an essential part of the nature of God's ministers.
For the student to evaluate himself and be evaluated by his or her peers and the instructor on character strengths and weaknesses.
For the student to form a plan of action for character development of character deficiencies.
To continue self, peer, and instructor evaluation of character growth and development on a quarterly basis for remainder of the students LFSOM's education.
For the student have a level of competency in all the character qualities of God's ministers so they will have a faithful and fruitful life of service to our God.

Course Text Books and Resources

Selected Biography of a Great Christian.
Instructor's notes on Character Qualities of God's Ministers.

Course Requirements

Read a selected biography of a great Christian and write a paper identifying and illustrating the character qualities in the individual selected.
Do a self-evaluation on personal character qualities and an evaluation on the character qualities of your small group members.

Preparing a Biblical Message

Course Description

Preaching is one of the distinctive aspects of Christian ministry. Sadly, there are many good ministers who love and care for their people but they are poor preachers and do not feed the flock adequately. Preaching is both an art and science. The preparation for preaching through sound exegesis and hermeneutics of a text or texts requires inductive skills to determine the true meaning and application of the text(s) of which the message is based. The presentation of a message requires artistic skill to communicate God's truth effectively. This class is part one of a two part class on preaching which focuses on the preparation of a message. Part two will focus on the delivery of the message.

Course Goals and Objectives

To use the student's previous training in exegesis and hermeneutics to properly interpret and apply a text or texts that are the foundation of a message.
To learn how to prepare textual as well as well as topical messages.
To learn the principals of inductive reasoning to develop a preaching outline from a studied text or texts.
To learn how to use illustrations to give interest and meaning to a message.
To learn how to prepare good introductions and conclusions for messages.

Course Text Books and Resources

Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
Biblical Preaching by Haddon W. Robinson.
Preaching and Teaching with Imagination by Warren W. Weiersbe.

Course Requirements

Read the texts as assigned weekly.
Prepare a biblical message and turn the notes in to the instructor for evaluation. Rewrite until it is a presentable message.
Evaluate your peers' written messages in your small groups.

Third Year - Second Quarter

New Testament IV: General Epistles and Revelation

Course Description

The eight general epistles penned by five different authors form a contrast in style and message from the Pauline epistles. Each author gives us a unique perspective and complementary teaching to the Apostle Paul's. An understanding of the General Epistles helps you to see the many witnesses to the meaning and purpose of Jesus Christ's substitutionary death. This class will study each particular book and note how it compares and contrasts with Pauline teaching.

Additionally, the book of Revelation will be overviewed in this class. Particular attention will be focused on eschatology and how the various understandings of the prophetic message of Revelation form the basis for different understandings of end-time events.

Course Goals and Objectives

To overview each of the general epistles focusing on their author, content, and purpose.
To help the student learn Bible synthesis by comparing and contrasting the messages of the general epistles with the Pauline epistles.
To overview the events in the book of Revelation.
To learn the four main approaches to Revelation and how eschatological teachings are based on them.

Course Text Books and Resources

Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
Encountering the New Testament by Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough (chapters 22-24).

Course Requirements

Read the chapters that are assigned weekly.
Study the differences between Paul's teachings and James's teaching on faith and works and write a short paper offering a synthesis of the two perspectives.
Prepare and present a debate with your small group on one of the perspectives on the meaning on the book of Revelation.

Delivering a Biblical Message

Course Description

Part one of this two part preaching classes focused on preparing a Biblical message. Part two will focus on the application of what was learned in part one. The main thrust of this class will be the delivery and evaluation of preaching. This class will almost entirely be a preaching lab where all the students will deliver a message and then be evaluated by their peers and the instructor.

Course Goals and Objectives

To learn the techniques of delivering a message.
To preach a prepared message in front of the class.
To be evaluated in preaching by peers and instructor.
To have a passion to preach with imagination, clear communication and conviction.
To desire to continue to develop preaching skills.

Course Text Books and Resources

Life in the Spirit Study Bible.
Biblical Preaching by Haddon W. Robinson.
Preaching and Teaching with Imagination by Warren W. Weiersbe.

Course Requirements

Read the texts as assigned weekly.
Finalize the message that was prepared in class one and preach it in this class.
Be candid and frank in your evaluations of your fellow students' preaching.
Find a venue where you can preach and then deliver a message, i.e. nursing homes, smaller churches, jails, small group meetings, rescue mission etc. Have the leader of the ministry evaluate you and submit the evaluation to your instructor.

Principles of Leadership Development

Course Description

Often quoted phrases on leadership are "everything rises or falls on leadership, " "leadership is influenced, nothing less, nothing more," and " if you think you are a leader and no one is following you, you are only taking a walk." Such phrases capture the essence of leadership. For those who serve as God's ministers, they must serve as leaders. Ministry requires leadership and the basic principles of leadership must be understood and applied for the student to be a good leader. This course will expose the student to basic principles of leadership that will form a benchmark for their future leadership development.

Course Goals and Objectives

To learn basic principles of leadership and their essentiality for God's minister.
To evaluate personal leadership weaknesses and form a development plan.
To apply principles of leadership to the context of church ministry so the student will be an effective leader in their future ministry.

Course Text Books and Resources

21 Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.
21 Laws of Leadership Video teachings and notes.

Course Requirements

Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
Select a successful Christian worker well known to the student and evaluate their leadership based on the 21 laws of leadership, focusing on their leadership strengths and their leadership weaknesses. Write a report summarizing your evaluation.

Third Year - Third Quarter

The Process of Leadership Development

Course Description

Many Christian leaders fail in their continuing growth and development as leaders because they do not know how to negotiate the maze of leadership tests and passages and therefore hit roadblocks. Consequently, many leaders with great potential remain serving below their gifting and leadership potential, while still others, sadly, become part of the ministry dropout statistics, never to complete their God-ordained purpose.

Course Goals and Objectives

To learn the stages of leadership development and how to meet the challenges faced by them.
To determine the students present place on the leadership continuum.
To develop a plan of leadership development so the student will reach the leadership stage of convergence on the leadership continuum.

Course Text Books and Resources

The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
The Making of a Leader by J. Robert Clinton.

Course Requirements

Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
Answer questions from the textbook as assigned.
Develop a leadership continuum as described in the text, based upon the student's life and ministry to the present.

Conflict Resolution

Course Description

The minister of Jesus Christ is called to be a peacemaker. Jesus Himself said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). Differences of opinion, dissension, and conflicts are not only part the marriage and family dynamic, they are also prevalent in the church family both in leadership and among the members. This course is essential in training the minister of Jesus Christ in problem solving and conflict resolution. If conflicts are not solved, a far greater crisis will be faced, threatening the existence of the relationships that are involved and sometimes the very structure of the church or family unit.

Course Goals and Objectives

To gain a thorough understanding of the source of conflicts.
To survey conflicts and their resolution or lack thereof in the Scriptures.
To study principles and processes of conflict resolution so that the future minister will be able to solve the problems that arise in his or her ministry context.
To be able to discern conflicts before they escalate so the student will be able to disarm potential verbal combatants.

Course Text Books and Resources

The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
Managing Conflict Creatively by Donald C. Palmer.

Course Requirements

Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
Do the workbook questions as assigned weekly.
Use the problem solving and conflict resolution principles presented in the books and class to resolve a relationship problem from a case study that will be provided by the instructor.
Role-play problem solving and conflict resolution in your small group.

Christian History

Course Description

The church of Jesus Christ has been in existence for almost 2,000 years, forming a vast history of God's servants doing God's work. A knowledge of Christian history is essential for the minister of Jesus Christ. The lives and ministries of the saints of old form good examples for ministry. The struggles for doctrinal purity and holy living are good sources for us to reflect on and to be appreciative of those who have gone before us. This class will highlight key events and people in Christian history.

Course Goals and Objectives

To gain an overall understanding of the major time periods of Christian history.
To learn about the lives and ministries of some of the great Christians.
To have a greater appreciation of those who have gone before us in serving our Lord, often suffering great things and some being martyred for their faith.

Course Text Books and Resources

The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History by A. Kenneth Curtis, J. Stephen Lang, and Randy Peterson.

Course Requirements

Read the texts as assigned weekly.
Select a character for church history of your choice and write a five to ten page research paper on your selected person.
- The paper must be typed.
- It must have a cover page.
- At least five sources must be used (no more than three internet-based).
- It must have a bibliography.

Living Faith School of Ministry

Third Year - Fourth Quarter

Ministry Management

Course Description

Almost all of the people who are serving in an area of vocational ministry are involved at least to some extent in administrative duties. The false notion of the pastor only spending his day in prayer and studying, and visiting the sick, is false. In reality, he is encountered by a myriad of management decisions. To be an effective minister of Jesus Christ, one must also be effective in basic management. This course is designed to lay such a foundation with focus especially centered on the local church pastor or missionary pastor, although principles learned can be used in other ministry settings as well.

Course Goals and Objectives

To understand the basic administrative process and how to function as a spiritual leader in a management context.
To learn the principles of how to successfully lead a church or ministry board.
To understand the principles and applications of consensus building and team leading.
To learn principles of ministry sharing and delegation.
To understand the unique ministry role of recruiting, training, and leading volunteers and the dynamics associated with them.

Course Text Books and Resources

The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
Feeding and Leading: A Practical Handbook on Administration in Churches and Christian Organizations by Kenneth O. Gangle.

Course Requirements

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

Marriage and the Family

Course Description

Probably nothing consumes a pastor's time more than dealing with marriage and family problems. Alarming numbers of broken marriages through divorce and desertion have been well documented. Sadly, the normally functioning family in today's society is biblically dysfunctional. God's Word contains many examples of the blessings of a godly family and the burdens of an ungodly family. The New Testament lays down principles of marriage and raising godly children. This class will focus on a study of current literature on the family as well as an exegesis of key texts that form a firm foundation for the principles of family living.

Course Goals and Objectives

To learn current sociological and psychological and cultural perspectives on the family.
To learn the biblical perspective on marriage and the family through the exegesis of foundational texts.
To enhance the foundation class on counseling by learning more about family dynamics.
To learn personally how to have a good marriage and raise godly children.
To develop a personal ministry, divorce, and remarriage policy based upon the Bible.

Course Text Books and Resources

The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
Marriage and the Family: A Christian Perspective by Stephen A. Grunlan.
Instructor's Supplemental Notes.

Course Requirements

Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
This class will be taught by the students. Students will prepare a lesson and teach it to the class.
Based upon your reading and study of Scripture write a divorce and remarriage policy that can be used in your future ministry.

World Christian Perspectives

Course Description

God is a God of mission. He desires the whole world to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. God's instrument in His missions enterprise is His people. Christ's command is clear to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. Since God has a heart for all of the people of the world and desires for them all to be saved, we should have the same heart. This class is designed to give the student a perspective of a world in great need of the gospel and present the past and present work in missions and what it will take to bring closure to His greatest commission.

Course Goals and Objectives

To learn a foundation history of missionary work.
To understand the current state of true Christianity in the world.
To know what the need is to reach the entire world with the gospel.
To become a world Christian who has a global perspective on ministry.
To have a deeper passion for the lost that will birth more intercession and a missions-focused ministry.

Course Text Books and Resources

The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible.
Introducing World Missions by A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin and Gary B. McGee.
Operation World by Patrick Johnstone.

Course Requirements

Read the selected text in weekly readings as assigned.
Write a written response to selected case studies as assigned in the textbook.
Interview a missionary and write a report on their life and ministry. Guidelines will be given in class.

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