Seven Minute Seminary

What High-Commitment Youth Ministry Looks Like.

Many engage in youth ministry as if young people are satisfied with distractions and can only swallow shallow faith. The church often responds as if there were no way around this assumption. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Matt Friedeman offers an alternate model—one which requires a high-commitment of participants and yields a more fruitful result.

Jesus and the Creed Are Supervise.

Many people assume that Jesus is merely a nice person, or perhaps a safe idea, that helps people cope with the challenges of life. On the contrary, the claims that Jesus makes on the world are totalizing and life-altering. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Carolyn Moore explains the subversive nature of Jesus’ life and ministry. The gospel of the kingdom of God requires all people to check their allegiances and realign their lives with the reality of Jesus Christ’s lordship.

How the Doctrine of the Trinity Helps Our Pastoral and Counseling Practice.

The doctrine of the Trinity, and the persons of the Trinity themselves, have a deep impact on our pastoral and counseling practices. God’s inherent relational nature helps define what it means to be whole and how we can get there. Watch this Seven Minute Seminary by Dr. Virginia “Toddy” Holeman as she makes the connection between the trinitarian God of Christianity—the God of holy love—and the process of healing and sanctification for all person.

The Problem with Attractional Worship Services.

For whom should worship services be designed? Should their intended purpose be evangelism, discipleship, or both? Should seekers (non-Christians) be in mind, or Christians already in the faith? In today’s Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Steven Bruns looks back to history in order to discover the models used by the church during some of the church’s most vibrant eras. The video will challenge some of the common assumptions about church services in America.

What Repentance Has to Do with Evangelism.

What does repentance have to do with evangelism? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Scott Camp challenges the church not to leave out an essential ingredient—repentance—when presenting the good news of Jesus in the 21st century. Camp defines repentance as a change of mind that leads to a change of direction, and explores why its critical that this remain at the heart the gospel message.

How Jesus Christ Atones for Our Sin.

How does Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection atone for our sins? How does the death of a fully divine and fully human person offer salvation for all of humankind? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Joshua McNall presents four models for what’s called atonement, or being made at-one with God. Collectively, these models paint a picture of how we can understand the saving work of Jesus Christ.

The Protestant Reformation in Wesleyan Perspective.

The year 2017 marked 500 years since the Protestant Reformation. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Jason Vickers interprets this reform movement, of which Methodism was a part, by focusing on two of its renewal emphases: 1. The Authority of Scripture (sola scriptura). 2. The Role of Faith in Salvation (sola fides)

The Continuity Between the Old Testament and New Testament.

Was the Old Testament religion one of salvation by works, while the New Testament one by grace? Many in the church have often framed the contrast between the covenants this way: Law-keeping vs. Grace. But that’s not where the biblical evidence leads, claims Dr. Craig Keener. In this Seven Minute Seminary, we learn that salvation was always by grace through faith, and covenant faithfulness on Israel’s part was expressed through obedience.

The Old Testament Laws and Their Modern Application.

How should Christians in the 21st century relate to Old Testament laws and moral examples? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Craig Keener helps explain the context of Israel’s laws by pointing out that many of the laws were admittedly meant to limit sin, not abolish it altogether. This means that in some sense, there were laws that were less than the ethical ideal and served as concessions for the ancient culture (see instructions about polygamy, divorce, sexual abuse, holy war, etc.) But Jesus

Christian Counseling and the Spiritual World.

What might a Christian approach to counseling look like? One crucial aspect is getting the starting point right by having an integrated view of personhood. This means holding in union the emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and physical dimensions of our being. Watch this Seven Minute Seminary video with Dr. Stephen Stratton as he describes the process of counseling people in a way that recognizes the unity of persons.

The Old Testament Laws in Their Ancient Context.

The Old Testament laws, especially those given as part of the Sinai Covenant, are sometimes difficult to understand and are therefore engaged less fruitfully. Yet we have psalmists declaring, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” (Psalm 119:97 NIV). One of the reasons we perhaps struggle with understanding their meaning and significance is because we lack the ancient context in which they were written.

The Meaning of the Tabernacle in the Old Testament.

In Exodus 25, God instructs Israel to prepare offerings for the tabernacle, and also provides instructions for how to build this sanctuary. Many assume that every little detail has symbolic significance—and some of it does. However, we fail to see the practical reasons for much of its design. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Craig Keener helps situate the Tabernacle in its ancient context, noting both its similarities and contrasts with other temples in the region.

How to Use Alpha to Plant Churches.

Church-planting is increasingly becoming recognized as one of the most effective ways to reach new people with the gospel in critical parts of the secular West. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Christian Selvaratnam of Alpha encourages those considering church-planting to use Alpha as a launching pad for gathering people together in new churches.

Ministry in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit can refer to many things, including the signs and wonders that often attend missional ministry. It also encourages the love of Jesus and encompasses the empowerment for holy living among his disciples. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Steve Seamands encourages us to consider John Wesley as a model for how to responsibly welcome the ministry of the Holy Spirit among us.

What happens when the Church reads the Bible out of Context (Part IV).

What happens when the church reads the Bible out of context? Some of our most cherished beliefs, songs, and platitudes are based on proof-texting, which means that the original historical and literary context of the Bible is ignored.

How the Gospel Is Sown Across Asia.

How is the gospel sown across Asia? Both indigenous and Western Christian missionaries to Asian countries must grapple with how the gospel is sown and lived out in unique cultural contexts. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Adonis Abelard O. Gorospe offers several angles to consider when reflecting on global Christianity and missionary efforts in Asia.

What Happens When the Church Reads the Bible Out of Context (Part III).

What happens when the church reads the Bible out of context? Some of our most cherished beliefs, songs, and platitudes are based on proof-texting, which means that the original historical and literary context of the Bible is ignored.

How Christianity Became a Heart Religion.

How did Christianity once again become a religion of the heart? In this Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Scott Kisker explains how several traditions recaptured the significance of a genuine faith encounter with Jesus Christ following the Protestant Reformation. He explains how these traditions witnessed a void in the life of the church, emphasized the need for holiness of life, and then set up structures to sustain this vocation. These movements then became the predecessors of the Methodist rev

What Happens When the Church Reads the Bible Out of Context (Part II).

What happens when the church reads the Bible out of context? Some of our most cherished beliefs, songs, and platitudes are based on proof-texting, which means that the original historical and literary context of the Bible is ignored.

Ministry in the Pattern of the Resurrected Jesus.

In the wake of the crucifixion, Jesus’s early followers likely wondered whether the Christian movement be abandoned. Then the resurrected Jesus started appearing to his disciples and opening their eyes to the significance of his suffering. What does this teach us about ministry today?

What Happens When the Church Reads the Bible Out of Context (Part I).

What happens when the church reads the Bible out of context? Some of our most cherished beliefs, songs, and platitudes are based on proof-texting, which means that the original historical and literary context of the Bible is ignored.

How Gospel Movements Multiply and Affect Existing Churches.

How do gospel movements affect current, existing churches? In this Seven Minute Seminary video, Steve Addison offers a different starting point for church-planting—evangelism and discipleship. He then explores how this movement model multiplies and how traditional churches can participate in this kind of gospel work.

Fundraising Strategies for Churches.