July 13, 2008 to August 17, 2008
What kind of people makes a “faith village”? What makes them different from other groups? They are obvious apprentices of Jesus, and these courses offered are to assist you in your life-long spiritual formation so that you mature into the likeness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Don't Waste Your Life
Location: Worship Center Room 208
"What would it mean to waste my life? That was a burning question. Or, more positively, what would it mean to live well—not to waste life, but to . . . ? How to finish that sentence was the question. I was not even sure how to put the question into words, let alone what the answer might be. What was the opposite of not wasting my life? To be successful in a career? Or to be maximally happy? Or to accomplish something great? Or to find the deepest meaning and significance? Or to help as many people as possible? Or to glorify God in all I do? Or was there a point, a purpose, a focus, an essence to life that would fulfill every one of those dreams?" (John Piper)
Join us as we look to tackle these questions together as a community seeking to live full lives for Christ. We will be sharing our own unique stories, drawing from selections from John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, looking at relevant passages of Scripture and hopefully encouraging one another relationally and prayerfully. Please come to the first week prepared to answer the question, "What would it look like to not waste my life from hereon out?"
Instructor/Facilitator: Vincent Gu is just a guy who loves talking about all things Christ.
Set Free From Bondage and Live By the Spirit
Location: Worship Center Room 204
There is strong bondage in our lives that most likely we are not aware of. This is the pride of our efforts and actions to please others, including the Lord. We can become the slave of this kind of pride. Trying to be right with God by our own effort doesn’t work. Good intentions such as “I’ll do better next time” or “I’ll never do that again” usually end in failure. The congregation in Galatia practiced ‘do and don’t’ of the Old Testament law to please God and they became slaves to the law. When the Holy Spirit transformed us, he renews all faculties of the soul: mind, emotion and will. He changes us into new creations that live by the Spirit. This process takes time and we need to surrender to the Spirit.
In this class, we will study the book of Galatians to get an understanding how Apostle Paul defended the Gospel, as well as how we can use his writing for our spiritual formation. We will discuss how the law of God is being written in our hearts.
Instructor/Facilitator: Dr. James Setiawan
In God We Trust
Location: Worship Center Room 202
We often are asked, “Do you trust in God”; and we quickly respond that we do. In reality, that is easier said than done. Sure we “trust” God for our eternal future, for world events, for our ongoing health, and many other non-specific things. What does it mean to trust in God for specific things as we live in 2008 in Southern California? Do I trust God for my child in a public school? Do I trust God for my marital status or do I join social clubs? Do I trust God for my retirement and give sacrificially and generously to people in need? To go beyond an “intellectual” answer, we will use creative study techniques to learn from the lives of both Old and New Testament examples. On all U.S. currency, it is printed “In God We Trust.”
Instructor/Facilitator: Pastor Dave
