Bereans of Trinity

God uses the disasters at Shechem to move Jacob on to Bethel. Shechem was never intended to be a destination, only a portal to another place. What happens when we get stuck at Shechem, and why is it important that we move on to Bethel? How do we become like the world when we define our spirituality by how we are not like the world? What encouraging change do we see in Jacob in this part of his life? Do we really practice idolatry in our modern world, and if so, how? (57 min)

In this talk Rick reflects on the idea of transitions in life, and looks briefly at key transitions throughout redemptive history, from Jacob's blessing of his sons to the Apostle John's words to those he loved late in his life and ministry. In this final Sunday that Rick will be teaching the Berean class, he shares from his own heart about his teaching the class over the past years, and lessons he's learned that will be helpful to the class at it moves forward in the weeks and months ahead. (49 min)

Continuing our study of David's psalm celebrating his deliverance, we considered what happened when David cried out to God in his suffering. What was David trying to say about God's response with his very vivid description of an angry God flying down to deliver him? Is David saying that we always experience immediate deliverance when we cry out to God in our affliction? David makes some very bold claims about himself as to why God delighted in him. If we are reluctant to make such claims about ourselves, does that mean that we can take no comfort from this psalm? We know that David had a number of very significant moral lapses. How could he claim to have been "blameless" and to have kept the Lord before him? Can we have confidence in God's delighting in us? (49 min.)

In looking at this psalm we find David full of love for the God who has delivered him from his terrible struggles. What imagery from David's life experiences does he use to express what God has been to him in his distress? What is the habit that David has established in his life? How is David's God different from the gods of the nations around him? What was David's crisis like? How long did it last? Does God always act when we cry out to Him in our distress? We all know people who have suffered much more than we have. What is a mistake we often make when we compare our suffering to that of others? (41 min.)

In this lesson we take an introductory look at Psalm 18. This was a psalm apparently composed by David after his deliverance from the pursuit of King Saul. It is believed that David also used this psalm in celebration after other great deliverances in his life. What are some of the things about David and his life which serve as a background to the imagery and metaphors David uses in this psalm? What was David like as a person? What are a couple of things that are important to remember about suffering and deliverance as we begin to consider this psalm? What was very unusual about David's expression of love for God? What should we keep in mind when we openly confess to God our love for him? (38 min.)

In this lesson we continue to consider the song of praise of the King's bride. What is the psalmist picturing about the future of God's people when he speaks about the daughter of Tyre and the rich people bringing gifts and seeking favor? What does the beautiful clothing of the bride represent? What is so unusual about the way the bride of Christ is pictured in this psalm compared to how we typically think of the church? How is it possible to think of the church as being attired with glorious deeds? What does the new bride of the King receive in the place of what she's had to leave behind. (63 min.)

In this abbreviated lesson we continued our study of Psalm 45 about the King's Wedding. In the portion we looked at in this section the psalmist shifts our thoughts to the King's new bride. What were the ancient Jewish weddings like, particularly in the case of the wedding of a king? Who does the bride represent? What does the psalmist do to stress the importance of what he has to say to the bride? What has been a condition of being joined to God throughout Scripture? As the bride approaches the King in the palace, what is the first gesture she is called to make, and why? (34 min.)

In this lesson we began looking at a psalm celebrating the wedding of the King. What is different about interpreting the Psalms from other portions of Scripture? What are some of the literary devices we encounter when we read the Psalms? What are the two main divisions of this psalm? What has the psalmist been meditating upon that has so filled his heart? Why do we believe that this is a messianic psalm? How does the True King of Israel differ from all others? What are the two contrasting features of the King which are praised in this psalm? How does the psalmist characterize the King's throne? How does the psalmist convey the beauty and splendor of the King's environment and His court? To whom are we introduced at the conclusion of this section of the psalm? (69 min)

In this message Rick shares things that God has been doing in his own life and has been teaching him over the past several years. Meanwhile, the Lord has also been leading the church leadership to establish a one year repeating Campus Group pertaining to apologetics and related issues. They have asked Rick to lead this project. Rick shares how the Lord has led him in his own experience to agree to take this position for at least the first year. Of course this entails big changes for our Berean class as we move forward. Rick challenges class members to be seeking the Lord regarding their own lives and what He desires of the class as he moves on to another ministry. (65 min)

In this final lesson of Paul's epistle to the church in Rome, we considered those who were sending greetings to the believers in Rome, and then contemplated the doxology at the end of the letter. Why was Timothy so dear to Paul? What was outstanding about this young man? Who was Tertius?

What are some of the difficulties presented by the doxology at the end of Romans 16? How can we resolve those difficulties? What is Paul's primary point that he sets out to make in the doxology? What is the measure and means by which we are established in the faith? What is the Gospel? What are three things we learn about the Gospel in this doxology? What will be a subject of our glorifying of God throughout the eons of eternity? (57 min.)