Christ Church Studies

Kindness is commended in modern life. We teach children to "be kind" and encourage adults toward "random acts of kindness." The apostle Paul, likewise, identifies kindness as one of the defining characteristics of Christ. But how do we cultivate this fruit in our lives today? In this session, we examine how the Gospel helps us overcome the self-sufficiency and individualism that often stand in the way of kindness.

We live in a busy, impatient world. Impatience was present in the first sin of Adam and Eve and in many, many sins since. How can we cultivate patience in a manner like Christ? In this session, we examine the nature of patience as expressed by Jesus and discuss how, together in Christian community, we can learn to bear patiently with one another in love.

"So far as it depends upon you," St. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, "live peaceably with all." In the Bible, true peace, the peace that is shalom, is possible when we live in right relationship with God, with one another, and with creation itself. But how can we obtain such peace? In this session, we will learn that peace is both a gift and a way of life.

Pope Francis once said, "A healthy Christian is a joyful Christian." For many people, however, this claim will sound either absurdly sentimental or woefully out of touch. How can Christians be a people of joy when their lives and their world are so frequently beset by tragedy and sorrow? In this session, we seek to learn the specific character of joy in the Bible and the ways we can cultivate that gladness.

Love, according to the English spiritual writer, Evelyn Underhill, is the virtue from which all others spring, the "living, eternal seed, from which all grow." But what is distinctive about it, the love that we see manifested in the life and person of Jesus? And how can we cultivate it in our lives today?

"God wants his people to become like Christ, for Christlikeness is the will of God for the people of God." All throughout history, Christians have spoken frequently about imitating Christ, but what does it mean? In this session, we explore this question through Paul's description of the 'fruit of the Spirit' in Galatians.

When the Psalms were originally composed and collected into a single book, Jesus of Nazareth had not yet been born, and yet the Psalms find their ultimate fulfillment in him. In this session, we study the relationship between Jesus and the Psalms and how it changes the way that Christians today ought to read and pray.

Praise and worship is often thought of as an interior and private affair. Psalm 96 has a very different perspective, viewing praise as a duty that is both public and evangelistic. Our joyful praises are good news to a suffering world, for we believe that the LORD reigns and He is coming to set all things right.

"The world rings with praise," C.S. Lewis wrote. Praise isn't just a religious phenomenon; it's a everyday feature of life. Praise is so central in the Psalms because God is an unending source of beauty and goodness and grace. What should this praise look like?

Is it possible to experience God's presence in a time of suffering and loss? In the throes of grief, sorrow, and anxiety, the psalms of lament, especially those composed by King David, can open our eyes to notice God's nearness.