Harbor, Pepperdine Bible Lectures

Teacher: Jack Williamson This famous chapter, where the Apostle Paul describes love in so many facets and virtues, is a staple of Christian ceremonies. It is used over and over at gatherings, from weddings to memorial services and everything in between. There is nothing wrong with this, but so many of the references to this great treatise miss the context and meaning that it seems Paul intended to convey. This chapter on Love is actually Paul’s conclusion to a section of teaching on the gifting of the Holy Spirit. This class will explore that idea.

Teacher: Kyle Sapp With the rise of popular hits like Stranger Things on Netflix and the amazing success of podcasts such as Critical Role and the Adventure Zone, Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) has carved a hard to ignore chunk in the cultural zeitgeist. However, the Church has not had such a friendly history with this game, at worst calling it a gateway to Satanism and at best looking at it’s players with confusion and disdain. In our session, we will talk about why millions of people play Dungeons and Dragons, discuss the ways it helps improve social, emotional and spiritual health, and even brainstorm ideas for how the church can be more inclusive to DnD’s fanbase. You won’t have to roll a character to join but it couldn’t hurt.

Teachers: Alex and Eleni Melirrytos "... preparing a feast of rich food..." Theme verse: (Isaiah 25:6) "... the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines." Please feel free to "arrange" as you see fit.

Teacher: Dyron Daugherty Your neighborhood probably has Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus. Your kids and grandkids probably go to school with Jews, Sikhs, and Taoists. You may have members of other religions working in the office down the hall from you. Let's get real: the world's religions are all around us. So now what? What should you do, as a Christian, about that fact? In this class, we explore Christian responses to the world's religions. And you probably already know the answer to the class question!

Teacher: Dusty Rush Exploring some subtle shifts in the ways we measure good preaching.

Teacher: Stanley Talbert This class explores theological perspectives on love, justice, and hope. If "God Loves Forever," what are the implications of human love for God, the neighbor, and the self in the 21st century?

Teacher: Thomas Fitzpatrick

Teachers: Liz Perez, Robert Perez What is your Individual Ministry Plan (IMP)? How do you happily navigate in ministry in adversity (God's way), especially when you are a woman? Come see how godly women in the Bible and women of today are using their God given talens and calling in today's world. God has an IMP for everyone, which includes both men and women. I Peter 1: 13-16

Teacher: Phil Brookman The average American watches a staggering 4.5 hours of TV per day. Other than sleep and work, we will spend more time watching TV over the course of our lives than any other activity, making it one of the most powerful forces in our formation as people. This class will offer a perspective as to how we might approach the shows we watch as disciples of Jesus. What metrics of evaluation might we employ in our discernment? How do we know the differences between helpful and harmful?

Teacher: John Mark Hicks As congregations process pastoral leadership and the inclusion of women, one of the most frequent barriers is three Greek words traditionally translated "husband of one wife." These two classes explore the interpretation and practice of this "qualification" in the history of the church (with emphasis on the Restoration Movement) and offer an understanding of this Greek idiom that does not exclude women in the context of 1 Timothy 3.