1st Peter (2015)

Why does Peter tell Christians to conduct their life in fear when other Scriptures tell us not to fear? Listen to this lesson to understand why fear of the Lord is an important motivator to live our life in the light of the Judgment Seat of Christ. See that if you walk by means of the Spirit you produce rewardable works instead of sinful deeds. Understand that our evaluation is designed to show what has eternal value and that this involves our relationship with God and learning the Word of God. Includes a brief presentation from Jeff Phipps on their recent missions trip to Natal, Brazil.

What is the place of works in a person’s life and what are these works? Listen to this lesson to learn that while salvation is a free gift, works done by believers under the filling of the Holy Spirit are rewarded in eternity. Find out the different judgments awaiting the human race and how unbelievers are judged on the basis of their works at the Great White Throne judgment. Hear how Old Testament believers were justified. When life gets tough and we are under adversity, we need to focus on the end game and the rewards that God has planned for believers.

When’s the last time you girded up the loins of your mind? If that question seems a little weird to you, listen to this lesson to learn how believers are to live in the midst of a perverted world that hates God. See the importance of having hope in God’s plan and purpose for your life. Realize that Christianity is about thinking, not emotion, and we need to study the Word of God to be prepared mentally for what lies ahead. Learn what being holy means and how we need to remove distractions from our life and focus on the end game for the glory that will be ours and God’s for all eternity.

Imagine this! You’re on a stage in a drama and a crowded audience is watching you intently. Listen to this lesson to learn that when you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior you become part of the greatest drama of the ages with angels as the audience watching us. If this seems far-fetched hear passages in the Bible that explain the reasons for angelic observation. Learn that angels rejoice when believers who have been disobeying God confess their sins. Find out that angels watched Christ when He was on earth. Understand that Satan has his demons watching unbelievers to blind them and watching believers to attack them. The key is to walk with God using His Word and trusting in God’s protection.

“Gird up your loins!” What in the world could that mean? Listen to this lesson to see the historical context of this command which means to lay aside whatever is stopping us from living in obedience to God’s Word. Gain an understanding that the main context of 1 Peter is how to handle the trials and troubles of life with joy. Learn the importance of obeying authorities, both just and unjust, with Christ as our example. See how all Christians are being watched by angels to see whether we trust God to handle all of our problems.

Are there events in the New Testament that should be questioned as legends or myths? Listen to this lesson to see that every detail in the Bible is accurate in the original languages. Hear about dead believers who rose from the grave after Jesus Christ's resurrection. Find out eight observations related to people who try to claim certain things recorded in the Bible did not happen. Understand the meaning of historical criticism. Realize that we can have complete confidence in the Bible as the inerrant, infallible Word of God. Related Video

Have you ever been reading the Bible and read something that sounded like a contradiction? Listen to this lesson to see Biblical explanations for these so-called conflicts. See how liberalism seeks to exploit these problem areas to attack the inerrancy of the Bible. Find out why it is so necessary to understand that the Bible is always accurate and conflicts can be resolved through careful study. Have confidence in the Word of God and fully trust it and rely upon it no matter what circumstances are taking place in your life.

Did God dictate the Bible to the writers of Scripture? Listen to this lesson to learn the different ways that God, the Holy Spirit, oversaw the writers of Scripture so that every word in the original is without error. Hear about Princeton’s theology that at one time built a bulwark against attacks on inerrancy. See the high view of Scripture that Jesus showed when He was on earth including the way He emphasized the importance of every word when the devil tested him. Also, see how He affirms the accuracy of historical events in the Bible and the importance He places on every letter in every word of Scripture. Hear four corollaries that will strengthen your faith in the Word of God.

Why is it important to understand the doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible? Listen to this lesson to learn nine reasons why believers need to know why they believe the Bible is inerrant. See how the sin nature is always ready to latch onto doubts about this important belief. Gain an understanding of the mechanics of inspiration and the grammatical rules that validate this. See that inspiration is in words and that every word is important. Be ready to explain to others why you are confident the Bible is totally truthful and complete.

How did the human authors of the books of the Bible decide what to write? Listen to this lesson to understand there is dual authorship. God, the Holy Spirit is the primary author and the human writer is the secondary author. Learn what the early Church fathers said about the process of inspiration. Hear six views on inspiration, including orthodoxy and liberal theology. See the meaning of plenary, verbal inspiration and its importance. Be aware there will always be battles about the inerrancy of the Bible because Satan is constantly trying to destroy the Word of God.

Why do we believe that the Bible is the revealed Word of God? Are you comfortable answering this question? Listen to this lesson to learn that there are constant attacks, both from the inside and the outside, on the veracity of the truth of the Bible. Understand the meaning of inspiration and learn about the two authors of Scripture, the Holy Spirit and the human authors. See that the Scriptures are sufficient for everything we need and they address every area of human activity. Find out that God created us with the right equipment to be able to understand His Word.

How much of the Bible can we believe today? 25%? 50%? Or would you believe 100%? Listen to this lesson to learn that all of the Bible is God’s revelation and is as accurate today as it was when it was written. Hear about the writers of Scripture and how the Holy Spirit directed them so they wrote what God wanted them to write. Hear a definition of inspiration and see that it involves the very words of God which are inspired. Understand that our foundational belief must be that Scripture is accurate and we can trust it completely.

Is the Bible just another wise book or is it the actual words of God’s revelation to mankind? Listen to this lesson to learn that God the Holy Spirit oversaw the writing of each of the books of the Bible and that it is without error. Find out that once again the Bible is under attack even in Christian institutions and see the importance of understanding inspiration and inerrancy. Appreciate that we can depend on the Bible to be rock-solid and trust it as we face problems in our life.

If you sometimes feel your life is not very important, listen to this lesson to learn that angels are greatly interested in you and are watching to see how you are handling suffering and problems that God allows in your life. Learn how the Old Testament prophets wrote about the Messiah’s sufferings and the glories which were to come. Marvel that the timetable that was prophesied for the Messiah worked out to the exact day. Hear about the inerrancy of the Scripture and how that is challenged periodically. Accept the suffering you go through now in the light of the future.

Was it one of those days? You had lots of plans but everything went downhill? How did you handle the frustration? Listen to this lesson to hear the purpose of the tests and trials that come into our lives. See that God is using these tests to reveal our obedience. Understand the importance of endurance and where it leads. Find out three basic reasons we have adversity and about two categories of suffering. When trials come your way, trust God and see the deliverance that will come at the end of the test.

Do Christians needs psychological help when they have problems? Listen to this lesson to learn that God created flexibility in our brains so we can recover from the chaos that comes from our sin nature. See that the choices we make in life become cumulative and cause neural pathways in our brain. Find out that choosing to obey God leads to spiritual maturity and the peace and happiness that come with it. Learn that the only lasting solution is to commit to making the Word of God our priority and experience the transformation promised in the Bible.

Do you walk as a wise person or as a fool? You’re always doing one or the other. They are mutually exclusive. Listen to this lesson to learn about a number of Scriptures that teach us equivalent terms for the spiritual life including abiding in Christ, walking by means of the Spirit, and walking in the light. See that the opposite condition is walking in darkness. Learn the importance of confession, its connection to the filling of the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18, and the correct interpretation of 1 John 1:7-9. Find out that you have to compare Scriptures in order to see the whole picture taught in the Bible.

Have you ever been so happy you were almost ecstatic? Maybe you got that raise you've been wanting or got accepted into the college you had dreamed about. It's easy to be happy when things are going your way. Listen to this lesson to learn about a true joy believers can have in the middle of unimaginable disasters. See that God has a training program tailored for each of us to develop the spiritual skills we need to experience this joy. Find out that this requires choices on our part so that even when it's hard and uncomfortable we can apply the Word of God to guide our actions.

So you’ve taken an important test. What did you find out about yourself? Were you prepared or did you fail? Listen to this lesson to learn that there are tests we take throughout our Christian life. Find out what the purpose of this testing is. See that the tests we face are individually tailored by God for each one of us. The next time you're hit with an unexpected difficulty, call upon the content of the doctrine in your soul so you can endure it with the help of God the Holy Spirit.

How can a Christian have joy and rejoice when everything in their life seems like a disaster? Listen to this lesson to learn that it’s not something we can do on our own. Find out that we can only have joy in suffering and disappointment and grief when we are learning God’s Word and walking by means of the Spirit. Learn about two words used for joy in the New Testament and the significance of each. Hear six aspects of joy and that it is supernatural. See similar passages in 1st Peter and James as they deal with joy. Understand that even if we face persecution for our faith in Christ, we can rejoice because we know about the eternal rewards we will receive. At the beginning of this class Dr. Dean showed a video on Mormom missionaries. The book Dr. Dean references in this class is called The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism. Dr. Dean also mentioned Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Rob