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Life Applications Class
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only … he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and preservers, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-25)
The Life Applications class is centered around taking what the Bible says and applying it to our everyday lives. In this class, we strive to learn practical ways of applying God’s word in our lives so that we experience Him and grow to love Him more and more. This is done through developing and deepening our relationship with God. For by having an active relationship with God, our lives become richer and just plain better. The Life Applications Class is led by Dave Barnhardt and meets in the old Session Room behind the Chancel.
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Study of Ephesians - September 20 – November 8
The study of Ephesians fits in quite well with the purpose of the Life Applications class of applying the word of God to our daily lives. The book is a blend of both doctrine and practical Christian living. The first three chapters of the book set out the basic concepts of the Christian faith and the blessings of God. The last three chapters discuss what our behavior should be based on those beliefs and blessings. Ephesians is full of wisdom, insight and familiar passages. This study will dig into these truths to better understand what they mean and how to apply them to our daily lives.
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The Will of God - November 15 – December 20
This book by Leslie Weatherhead is a classic discussion on what the phase “the will of God” means. In his book, he gives this example: “I have a friend whose dearly loved wife recently died. When she was dead, he said, “Well, I must just accept it. It is the will of God.” But he is himself a doctor, and for weeks he has been fighting for her life… Was he all that time fighting against the will of God? If she had recovered, would he not have called her recovery the will of God? The woman’s recovery and the woman’s death cannot equally be the will of God.” The study of this book will provide answers and insights to these questions so we can understand God better and be prepared when bad things happen to good people.
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Study of James - January 1 - January 31
In life, we often find ourselves not knowing what to do when faced with trials and temptations. In this study of the book of James, we will be using Dr. David Jeremiah's book What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do. The book of James is very practical in what it has to say to us as Christians. James explains how to have the kind of faith that perseveres in tough times, resists temptation, responds obediently to God's word, produces good works, controls the tongue, follows God's wisdom, considers God in all its plans, makes prayer, not personal effort its spiritual resource, etc. This study is a wonderful piece that fits into our puzzle of learning how to apply God's word to our daily lives.
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How to Live the Spirit Filled Life - February 7 - March 28
In keeping with Life Application's goal to help us apply God’s Word to our lives, we will study Bill Bright’s book The Secret. In this inspiring book, Bill (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ) shows us how to discover a new dimension of happiness and joy in our Christian walk. The secret? Learning to draw upon the purpose, power and guidance provided by God’s Holy Spirit. This book does a great job of educating us on the Holy Spirit and gives practical guidance on how to apply that knowledge in our lives.
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Trusting God - April 4 - May 30
The Life Applications Class’ next series will be in two parts. The first part is a study about trusting and following God, and the excitement that brings to the Christian’s life. We will be studying John Ortberg’s book If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. This book discusses ways to help us experience the excitement of following Christ in our lives.
From our Lenten devotional, Robert Dodd talks about Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. He says that “Praying, ‘Thy will be done’ is the most powerful and dangerous prayer that you can ever pray. It got Jesus crucified. But it also led to his resurrection.”
The Christian life can be mysterious, unpredictable and adventuresome. What blessings await us on the other side of “Thy will be done?” Is it a better marriage? Is it deeper friendships? Is it a more loving and intimate relationship with God? Is it a more fulfilling work life? Is it more financial freedom?
So what is keeping us from experiencing these blessings? John Ortberg provides us some helpful guidance.
In the second half of the session, we will study selected Bible passages and how they apply to our lives.
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