A Man of Great Faith

Patrice McCormac

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah is a great example of faith from the Old Testament. He demonstrated biblical faith by being willing to act according to God's Word with complete dependence upon God. His first step of faith was to pray to God. He viewed his circumstances in light of who God is. He then waited on God to direct him. He looked to God to determine the value of his step of faith.

The Garden of Gethsemane

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 26:30-43

In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus' true nature, as he relates to God with the prospect of the cross ahead. Jesus asks God if there is any other way, but as God's perfect servant, humbles himself before God's will to offer payment for people's sins through his death on the cross. If we humble ourselves before God's will, even when it causes us to suffer, we will see God bring about growth and maturity in our lives.

Feeding the 5000

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 14:13-20

The story of the feeding of the 5,000 demonstrates five principles of being used by God in other people's lives. Principle 1, opportunities to serve rarely happen on our timetable. Principle 2, Jesus will ask us to do things beyond our capabilities. Principle 3, Jesus can do a lot even when we only have a little to offer. Principle 4, Jesus loves to do His work through people. And finally, Principle 5, when we do serve Christ, He makes sure our needs get satisfied as well. God could easily do all the work Himself, but He graciously invites us to participate in the great things he is doing in the world. We get to be a part of miracles as we present to God what little we have and He multiplies it supernaturally.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Mike Sullivan

Psalms 23

While it is embarrassing to be compared to sheep as they do not have a sterling reputation for intelligence, the important point to remember is we have a shepherd. We have a Good Shepherd, Jesus, who leads us, protects us and teaches us to love people. Not only that, but like a good shepherd, He sacrificed His life for us.

Fear of the Lord

Gary DeLashmutt

Psalms 33

Modern readers of the Bible often have a negative reaction upon first hearing the phrase "the fear of the Lord." They mistakenly think we are called to be afraid of God but we must let the Bible interpret itself. The Bible says to fear the Lord means to stand in awe of Him, which means to ponder his greatness, power, intelligence, beauty, and wisdom as it is revealed through His creation. We can demonstrate we fear the Lord by trusting in His lovingkindness, and following His moral instruction. A synonym for "fear of the Lord" is humility before God.

Entering God's Rest

Chris Risley

Hebrews 4:9-11

The promise of God's rest is appealing but can be surprisingly difficult to understand and experience. This workshop explores the idea of God's rest using passages like Hebrews 3-4 and Matthew 11, examines how to recognize if we are or are not experiencing God's rest and provides help for leading others into this blessing from God.

Getting Closer to God

James Rochford

Philippians 2:1-11

Jesus was showing us the way to completely depend and trust in God. This is a supernatural act that cannot be done out of our natural ability. While Jesus was on earth, he kept all of his divine attributes and abilities but willingly chose not to use them. Instead he relied entirely upon God to empower him to do everything that he did. He chose not to grasp equality with God because wanted to grasp us instead.

Mountaintop Experiences

Conrad Hilario

Mark 9:2-7

In this passage we examine the significance of Jesus' transfiguration. What was God trying to communicate through it? In addition to this, we will discuss our own "mountaintop experiences" with God and answer this question. How much weight should we put on them and why does he give them to us?

Walking on Water

James Rochford

Mark 6:45-52

In one of Jesus' most famous miracles, we discover insights into the nature and identity of Jesus, as well as what this means for those of us who desire to follow him. He calls us to focus on him and his love and power, and to take steps of faith, knowing that he is with us.