Dean Bible Ministries

"O Come All Ye Faithful" Join in a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sing Christmas carols and hear several children read the Scriptures that describe the events of the first Christmas. Find out what it means that Christ was "begotten by the Father" and was "full of grace and truth." Appreciate our great salvation which showcases Jesus' incarnation.

What is the difference between a believer and a disciple in the Church Age? Listen to this lesson to understand the ways that God's plan for the Church Age differs from His plan for Israel. See that in the Church Age all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, their Helper. Find out that Church Age believers are to grow to spiritual maturity by studying God's Word and walking by means of the Holy Spirit and that the Church Age ends when believers are taken to Heaven to escape the Tribulation. Understand that after being evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ they will return with Christ to earth and have roles in the Kingdom.

What does Christmas mean to you? Presents? Parties? Delicious food? Listen to this message to learn that these are all just man-made traditions that have built up around Christmas and have nothing to do with its true meaning. Learn about the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, a member of the Godhead, who added humanity to His deity in order to be incarnated on earth. Hear the details of this to answer a number of questions how this happened and to increase your appreciation of our Savior more fully as your heart is filled with gratitude.

What promises does God make to Israel if they will follow His call to come back to Him? Listen to this message to hear how the Jews resist turning back until the Tribulation, but when the time comes, many will flee to Petra. God promises they will be protected and then blessed abundantly with food and material goods. See the meaning of the phrase "the early rain faithfully" and if it involves teachers. Hear five reasons Israel will have to rejoice when they obey God.

• God delays the kingdom due to Israel's rebellion – First, the Bible tells us that during the Church Age, God has set aside national Israel because of their rebellion – Second, in this Church Age, individual Gentiles and individual Jews can both be saved by faith in Jesus Christ – What would have happened if the Jews had not rejected Jesus – Israel will come to believe thru tribulation – God fulfills all of His covenant promises to Israel at the start of the Kingdom of God What sets Israel apart from all other nations? Listen to this lesson to learn several distinctions of the nation of Israel. Gain an overview of God's plan for the future for Israel and His plan for the Church. Learn about why God exiled the Jews and scattered them. See that He will fulfill all His covenant promises to them and that they will return to Him and be restored as a result of the Tribulation. In light of this we should humble ourselves and study and apply the Word of God in our lives.

What does it mean to "return to the Lord"? Listen to this message to hear the command sent from God through Joel to the people of Israel telling them to return to Him. Find out if the fasting they were to do is something believers in the Church Age should do now and what the significance of it was for them. Learn the difference between figures of speech that portray God with body parts He does not possess and those that portray emotions He does not possess.

Are you ready to "put on the whole armor of God" or is your goal in life to be happy and comfortable? Listen to this message to learn how to use the armor God has given believers to enable them to stand firm in spiritual warfare. See the role praying plays in this and find out that praying is to be constant and intense and a part of your daily life. Begin to realize that the problems we have are opportunities for us to trust God and grow to spiritual maturity.

What does the Tribulation refer to? Listen to this message to learn that the Tribulation is the seven-year period that ends Jewish times. Find out when it begins and what ends it. See that it is the worst period in human history and includes desolation and darkness on the whole planet. Read about it first in Daniel 9, and then throughout the prophets and the Book of Revelation. See a prophetic timeline of this period.

• Israel's future is controlled by God's covenants – National Israel will finally be able to enjoy the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant – Abraham's family will finally be the worldwide blessing that Yahweh had promised – Jesus' death on the cross made it possible for all mankind from Adam to the last person in human history to be forgiven of sins and reunited with God Are there differences between God's plan for the Church and His plan for Israel? Listen to this lesson to see that while God has an overarching plan offering salvation to all fallen mankind, there are distinctions made in Scripture between Israel and the Church. Find out that God bound Himself to Israel through covenants and that the promises of those covenants will all be fulfilled. Satan promotes the false idea that the Church replaced Israel. As believers in the Church Age we have been given different promises and need to study God's Word and walk by means of the Holy Spirit.

In the spiritual war all believers are engaged in, are you a casualty or a hero? Listen to this message to learn the importance of sentence structure in interpreting the Word of God. Hear the commands God gives us in dealing with the devil's attacks on us and how we are to use the armor provided. Always keep in mind that God's Word is sufficient for all our needs.

How can believers stand fast against the devil? Listen to this message to learn about God's provision to help us resist the devil. See an illustration of the full armor of God and learn what each piece represents. Find out that our enemy is invisible and demonic and the only way we can prevail is to study God's Word and memorize Scripture to defend ourselves against the devil's attacks the same as Christ did when He was tested in the wilderness. See what "girding your loins" means.

Think of the worst period in all of human history. Then listen to this message from the Book of Joel and hear about a time much worse than anything that ever happened before that is coming. Using historic events that have already occurred and future prophecies of what is to come, a time of devastation is predicted that will be difficult to bear. It includes a fierce invading army and involves fire and flames. God's promise, that if anyone repents and returns to God they will be loved and blessed, is offered also.

Buckle up for a fast overview of Church history beginning where we left off last week at the start of the Reformation. Hear about the men who risked their lives to reform the Roman Catholic Church. See how the reformation in European countries and England differed. Find out how the denominations grew out of these reforms and were followed by the Age of Enlightenment when reason was considered more important than the Word of God. Hear about John Nelson Darby, who founded the Plymouth Brethren assemblies to restore sound doctrine, and how he was followed by a number of movements which led to liberal theology where much of the Church is today.

Why do we think Joel was probably written before the exile of the Jews from the land? Listen to this message to hear nine reasons for this belief. Learn about the debates concerning the phrase "Day of the Lord." Review definitions of the timing of this period offered by theologians with agreement that it refers to a period when God intervenes in human history. Realize that God will bring judgment of evil so there is justice in the universe.

• The Early Years: AD 100–600 • AD 300–400 • AD 400–500 • AD 500–600 • The Middle Ages: AD 500–1517 • Early Middle Ages: AD 500–1054 • AD 600–700 • AD 700–1054 • Late Middle Ages: Dawn of the Reformation: AD 1300–1517 How did the Church start dividing into many denominations? Listen to this message to learn that there were a number of issues that had to be resolved by the church leaders following the apostles' deaths. Hear fascinating anecdotes that have come down through history describing events in these years which included councils, church splits, and the gradual rise of church officers called bishops who became more powerful than emperors in Rome. Learn about the first emperor who embraced Christianity and ended the persecution of Christians. See how all of this was guided by the Holy Spirit.

Are you aware that as a believer you don't have to sin? Listen to this message to learn that in order not to sin we must align our thinking with the Word of God and realize that at the moment we accepted Christ's death on the Cross as the substitute for our penalty to sin, we were buried with Christ in His death and have been raised to a new life. Our challenge is to not allow our sin nature to rule over us any more by studying and applying Scripture.

After the apostles died and new leaders arose to guide the Church, what events occurred? Listen to this message to hear about the years following the first century until where we are today in 2025. Hear about the number of issues facing the early church Fathers as they were faced with questions such as what is the authority for truth, who was Jesus, and what does baptism mean. Hear about four important church councils that were held to determine these things. Find out how they decided which books should be considered part of the Canon of Scripture and hear about the leading church fathers, beginning with Ignatius. Learn about a number of heresies that developed and problems facing the church today.

Psalm 27:7-14 - Part 2

How do we gain control over our sin natures? Listen to this message to learn that Christ paid the penalty for all sins on the Cross. When anyone believes in Christ as their Savior they receive the baptism by the Holy Spirit and are identified as a new creature in Christ. This frees us from the power of our sin nature as we face temptations. See that Jesus performs the action by means of the Holy Spirit. We need to orient our minds to this new reality and think differently because we have broken with our past.

When was the book of the prophet Joel written? Listen to this message to learn that no one is certain of the exact period and there are many views whether it was in the pre-exilic, exilic, or post-exilic period. Begin a study of chapter one of Joel which includes a devastating account of a severe historically based event and involves a comparison of locusts with the people of Israel. Find out many interpretations of the term "Day of the Lord" and see that while the context determines the meaning, all include a time of judgment from God. Remember that God is also involved in the affairs of our lives in the Church Age.

• How God helped the church grow and mature over four time periods • First period: The time of the Apostles • The church and Judaism no longer share beliefs • The Apostles write the New Testament • Six characteristics of God's revelation • What the Apostles wrote in their epistles • The church recognizes the New Testament canon as the Word of God • Sign gifts become less significant How did the early church continue to expand in different time periods? Listen to this message to learn that the Holy Spirit was used by Jesus to unite all believers into the body of Christ. Learn the details of how God revealed His Word throughout the period when the New Testament was being written and the characteristics of that revelation. Give thanks to God for the Canon of Scripture which He preserved for us to read in our lifetimes.

Do you believe people are either inherently good or that they are inherently evil? Listen to this message about the sin nature that each of us receives at the moment of our physical birth. After we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we must then make decisions to walk in our new way of life in order to grow spiritually. Hear five points explaining the baptism of the Holy Spirit and be challenged to no longer walk under the power of sin.

If you want to understand the Old Testament you need to learn about the prophets. Listen to this message to gain a comprehensive knowledge of all the prophets, their differing classifications, and the roles they played in Israel. Learn about the two tests for a prophet and what happened to them if they made false claims. Hear three different jobs they performed and the connection between music and prophesy. Understand the divisions of the Canon of Scripture and where the prophets, major, latter, and minor, belong.

• Stage 3: Gentiles become part of the church (Acts 8–11) • Mini-Pentecost #3: "Old Testament" believers • Stage 4: The Gentiles are officially recognized as part of the church (Acts 15:1–32) • Stage 5: The church grows within the Gentile nations (Acts 16, 21, 28) • The Holy Spirit directs the church into Asia Minor, Europe, and then Rome • The church today Will we see the same signs and wonders occurring in churches today as they did in the beginnings of the Church Age? Listen to this lesson to learn that unusual miracles occurred then in order to establish the apostleship of the disciples and that a definite change took place that is operational today. Hear about those early days and see how it formed the unity of all believers in the body of Christ as followers of John the Baptist, other Old Testament saints, and Gentiles became officially accepted. Learn about how the Holy Spirit distributed spiritual gifts that differed according to the focus needed at the time. Be encouraged that God always fulfills His plan for all believers.

• What is the church? • God the Holy Spirit supernaturally started the early church • The growth of the church • Stage 1: Spiritual separation from Israel at Pentecost (Acts 2) • Stage 2: Believers realize God's worldwide plan (Acts 6–7) • Stage 3: Gentiles become part of the church (Acts 8–11) What is the church? Is it a building? Is it a local assembly of believers? Listen to this message to learn that the church began on the day of Pentecost and is composed of everyone who trusts in Christ as their Savior. See how the Holy Spirit was involved in the formation and development of the early church. Hear what fellowship means and follow the growth of local churches throughout the Book of Acts. Find out how Gentiles became part of the church.

Are you struggling with the sin nature within you? Listen to this message to learn how to diagnose and find a solution to this problem. See the importance of the pastor in helping you learn what the Word of God says about sin. Hear how temptation works and the consequences of giving in to it. Learn the solution and how to consider yourself dead to sin.

One of the outstanding believers in the first century is the Apostle Paul. What do you know about this man? Listen to this message to hear a combination of historical records, art work, and biblical references describing his early years and dedication to following the Mosaic Law. Then came his amazing conversion on the road to Damascus and subsequent preparation for the work God had for him. End with his first missionary journey where he was beaten and stoned as he brought the gospel message to the world. Marvel at how all these pieces of his life fit together to bring glory to God.

• Dan Inghram tribute • How the Holy Spirit worked in Old Testament times: Prophets, Leaders, Craftsmen, Judges, Kings • How the Holy Spirit works in New Testament times: New life, Indwelling What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age and how does it differ from His role in the Old Testament? Listen to this lesson to begin a thorough study of God the Holy Spirit. Hear about various events in the Old Testament involving the Holy Spirit and understand that it involved a temporary gift given only to certain individuals for specific purposes. Find out the distinct differences of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament beginning with regeneration that occurs when someone trusts in Christ as their Savior and a human spirit becomes a part of them. Be thankful for this Helper who brings to memory what you have learned of Scripture when you need it.

Why do you worry about what the world thinks of you? Listen to this message to hear the characteristics of the devil's thinking which he is using to blind or deceive all who will listen. Understand the meaning of adulterers and adulteresses. Ask yourself if you are pursuing spiritual growth or if you are friend of the world.

• Church Age: Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to battle on earth • What happened at Pentecost? • The coming of the Holy Spirit • The response to Peter's sermon • The nation of Jews confirmed its rejection of the Messiah • Two parables • The Church Age begins • Are Old Testament believers part of the church? Is Jesus ruling as the King now? Listen to this message to learn that Jesus is never referred as the King during the Church Age. Hear what miracle of languages occurred on the Day of Pentecost when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a helper for believers. Find out what Peter meant when he quoted the prophet Joel. Understand the meaning of two parables Jesus told His disciples. As believers in the Church Age, concentrate on fulfilling the mission God has given us.