Teacher: Dan Gallagher

Most Christians understand that God is their spiritual Father, but what many don’t realize is that God wants to be a very intimate part of our lives just like a good father that loves his children, providing instruction and lessons on a daily basis. One of the ways God does this is through Faith Lessons From Everyday Life.

In the Book of Hebrews we are told that, like a father, God “disciplines” his children. In the Western world we often think of discipline as corporal punishment, but in the Greek and Hebrew mindset, discipline was about teaching and instruction. In this teaching, Dan Gallagher shows how, when we are seeking His instruction, God will guide and train us at all times, through both the good times and periods of hardship, provided we are focused on the Creator and not the creation. We believe you will enjoy and be inspired by the many personal examples cited in this teaching.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

It can be very unsettling to feel like we are out of control of our lives. Yet we all face unwanted circumstances on a regular basis that we may not be able to change. The Bible says that Satan controls and enslaves people through fear. While we may not be able to change our circumstances, we can still be in control of ourselves, and Jesus showed us how to do that.

Jesus faced many difficult situations as well as hours of torture and then death on the cross at the end of his life. It is amazing and inspiring to see that Jesus was not just another prisoner being overcome with fear and controlled by others, but instead he stayed in control of himself. He may have been tied up, beaten, and nailed to a cross, but he was not confused and in despair. He knew who he was and what he was doing and he was not afraid of the pain and death. In this teaching, John Schoenheit reads the records of the trial and death of Jesus Christ, examines the principles Jesus used to maintain his control in some of the most difficult situations that any person could ever face, and then discusses how we can use those same principles to be in control of our own lives.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

While it is true that throughout God’s Word He uses the description of light and darkness to compare good and evil, the number of descriptions of God and light seem to also indicate that there is a far deeper reality at work. In this teaching Dan Gallagher provides a brief sense of the scientific properties of light, citing recent discoveries concerning light and DNA, the basic building block of all biological organisms; he then examines the many vivid descriptions of God and light as it manifests His glory; its presence when angels appear; references to Jesus being the light of the world, who was transfigured with light on the mount; and how Jesus now manifests light in his present glorified state.

We believe you will find this teaching to be inspiring and encouraging as it illuminates why Christians are called “children of the light” and how one day, when our bodies are transformed, we will live with God and Jesus in a place where there is no more need for the sun or moon because we will dwell with them, and they will be our complete source of light.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

The book of Esther is a historical account of the events that led up to the establishment of the Jewish feast of Purim, which occurs in the month of Adar. In this teaching on Esther, John Schoenheit explains the value of expository teaching versus topical teaching, and demonstrates how we can, and must, learn to notice the valuable lessons that God placed in the text as we read the Bible.

Esther is packed with powerful practical lessons and wisdom for life. We can see the spiritual battle between good and evil raging in a real life drama; the value of being wise and making wise choices to be successful in life; the requirements of sacrifice and boldness to accomplish God’s purposes; and the value of being able to graciously handle the things that come up in our lives, being thankful to God and looking for a way to let our light shine on this earth. Those lessons, and many more, are buried in the pages of Esther, and come to light as we read it.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

The desire for love, as well as the capacity to love, has been hardwired into every human being. The problem is that most people don’t realize that when we love, we are either doing it in a worldly way or a godly way. Knowing the difference between the two is essential if we are truly going to be the kind of people God desires: those who love like He does.

In this teaching Dan Gallagher examines the differences between the two types of love by looking at examples from the scriptures, personal examples, and a comparison between the two. We believe you will enjoy this teaching as you gain a new perspective on what it means to love as God does.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

God loves us and wants to do His best for us and for us to do our best for Him. Sadly however, we Christians have a war going on inside us—a battle between our sin nature and the nature of God that was born inside us at the moment when we were saved. The result of that war is well-expressed in Galatians 5:17, “you do not do what you want.” So we sin. Often worse than the sin itself is the shame and condemnation we feel because of our sin and failure.

In this teaching, John Schoenheit talks about our sin nature and how it affects us, and what we can do to mitigate our feelings of failure and shame that often derail our walk. God wants us to have a powerful walk with Him, and is aware of our sin, and we need to do all we can to keep walking strongly for the Lord.

Teacher: Dave Hanson

God is a God of love, and in His love He has given us many things, including equipping ministries, which help us to do the work of the ministry. Each person’s ministry is different, and each ministry helps us toward the goal of edification, maturity, discipleship and unity.

In this teaching done live at our 2014 National Conference, Dave Hanson talks about how real Jesus truly is, how Jesus and God have equipped all believers to be disciples and to make disciples, and how the gifts and ministries God has given us help us to grow and mature in love as we strive to be imitators of Jesus, strengthening the bond of unity in the Body of Christ.

Teacher: Dan Gallagher

God’s desire has always been to have a relationship with mankind but unfortunately, for most of man’s time on earth, God has been limited in the type of relationship He can have. God, like every parent, anxiously waits for the day when His children mature to the point that they can have an adult-like relationship, a day when He will nave children who are led by the spirit.

In this teaching, Dan Gallagher shows we tend to live in an Old Covenant mentality, one in which we look to checklists to tell us what to do and to make us feel righteous. Instead, the New Covenant reality of today is one in which we are children of God and that means we, unlike those of the Old Covenant, can be led by the spirit. We hope this teaching will encourage and inspire you to grow spiritually, walking in the fullness of what it means to be a son of God, led by the spirit.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

What is the first and greatest commandment in the Bible? Most people say, “Love God,” and it is recorded that way in the Gospels. But in the fuller account in Mark 12:29-30, Jesus was asked that question, and he quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! Therefore, you are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

In this teaching, John Schoenheit looks at this first commandment in both the Old and New Testaments and explains its primary meaning and some of its secondary meanings. He shows that it means that we do not get to choose who or what will be our God, nor do we have the moral right to be agnostics or atheists. There is only one true God, and that is why we can love Him with “all” our heart, soul, and might. We are not to divide our worship and “share” God’s worship with “lucky” things or superstitions that supposedly help and protect us. God “alone” is to be our God. It will help us in our walk with God to have a clear understanding of His first and greatest commandment.

Teacher: John Schoenheit

Christians are God’s children and He loves us with an undying love. This simple truth is one of the most profound in the Bible, yet it is amazing how often we forget it. Like all children, we disobey and we make mistakes – sometimes on purpose, sometimes just because of our fallen human condition. Often we feel badly about our sins and mistakes and sometimes we get so caught up in our feelings of failure or shame that we forget God loves us. Worse, we can begin to believe that He does not love us, that He is angry with us, or marshaling His spiritual forces against us.

In this teaching, John Schoenheit focuses on what the Bible says about God’s love for us, and points out that God had the choice to walk away from us, but because of His great love for us decided instead to send His Son to die in our place. The teaching concludes in Romans 8, where Paul says he is persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God.