In the previous session, we considered the wisdom and purpose of God in creating us male and female. We also saw how sin affected the complementary and harmonious relationship men and women were designed to have. In this, our final session, we will look further at 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, which sheds light on the subject of women speaking out in church gatherings. We will examine the context of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he is addressing various issues pertaining to the meeting together of the saints. We will address his focus on the practice of men removing any type of head covering when praying out or prophesying, and its parallel instruction that women should wear a head covering when doing so. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

In this session, we are going to look at the heart of the Bible’s message. We are going to delve into what God has done to save us. This message is called the gospel, and it is powerful. As it says in Romans 1:16, “…it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” To truly understand the good news, we will look at three key biblical events: creation (God’s original intention), the fall (what went wrong), and redemption (God’s solution). The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

All those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit can (and should) expect to experience the promised baptism in the Holy Spirit—the gateway to a life of being continually filled with the Holy Spirit. In this session, we are going to consider further what the Spirit-filled life should look like for us as individuals and for the gathered church—and at the implications of this for the world. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

The Bible tells us that our response to the gospel should be to “…repent and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2:38). With all of the mystery, confusion, debate, and division in the Church over the centuries regarding the necessity, method and effect of water baptism, someone unfamiliar with Scripture might be surprised to find out just how straightforward the Bible is on the subject. In this session, we will explore what the Bible has to say about this issue and how we should respond. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

This description of the newly-birthed church in Jerusalem provides one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of what the Christian community should look like. Though the Body of Christ has had two thousand years to mature since then, and has grown to comprise millions of believers worldwide, it would be hard to find a congregation today that matches this inspiring precedent. However, Jesus will return for a Church that will be more glorious than anything previously seen. In this session, we will explore what it means to become that Church and how we must continue to recapture the commitment to God, His people, and His purpose that we see in the book of Acts. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

People have varying ideas come to mind when picturing an evangelist. Often these ideas are based on stereotypes and can be unhelpful for producing an accurate biblical understanding of the vital ministry of Evangelism. Our passion is to see the evangelist restored to effective functioning in the local church as they fulfill their role of preaching the gospel and equipping the church to do the same. In this session, we will look at the role of an Ephesians 4 evangelist, particularly the example of Philip, and what that means for evangelists today. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

In this session, we will look at those who are called by God to particular positions of leadership and service in the local congregation. Although our society increasingly balks against authority in all its forms, and does not think of servanthood as something virtuous, we will start by focusing on the ultimate model of leadership and servanthood: Jesus. We will then look further into the role and qualifications for elders and deacons. We will especially look at the importance of plurality and equality of elders, as well as the authority and responsibility elders have to the local church. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

So far in this course, we have focused primarily on our individual Christian experience and our personal foundations as believers. In this and the remaining sessions, we will concentrate on the bigger picture of God’s corporate purpose for His people—the Church. We will define what, or rather who the church is, what scripture has to say about its role and purpose, and the ultimate goal of unity in the Church. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

We might think we are on more familiar ground here than in previous sessions since, of all the Ephesians 4 ministries, shepherds (frequently referred to as “pastors”) and teachers are the most common and accepted in the Church at large. However, as we examine what the Word of God says about them, we can expect to be challenged in our preconceptions and expanded in our understanding of these gifts to the Church. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.

In the previous session, we looked at the person of the Holy Spirit and saw some of the ways in which He has worked in the lives of people from creation onwards. In this session, we are going to look at what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in a way that empowers us for life, enables us to be effective in sharing the gospel with others and equips us with the gifts God gives us to glorify Him. The Vision and Commitment Course (V&C) is a 20-week class that explores biblical truths that for thousands of years have transformed the lives of countless believers to the glory of God. Though particularly for those who are thinking of joining one of our local churches, the course is open to anyone. Whether you are a new believer in Christ, have known the Lord for many years, or are simply searching for truth, we know that what’s presented in this course has all the potential to transform your life radically to the glory of God.