Welcome to the Watching World Podcast with Les Norman. In today’s episode, special guest host Annette Bartel tells us about Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).

BSF is a multicultural, inter-denominational Bible study focused on producing a passionate commitment to God, his Word, and his church. It hosts over 1200 classes across the world for men and women, online and in-person.

At BSF, you'll study God's Word in four ways: individual study, group discussion, listening to a lecture, and reading commentary notes. This layered approach gives scripture more opportunities to land in our hearts and helps us become comfortable discussing God's Word within a group setting.

Abundant Life Lee’s Summit hosts a Wednesday morning class of over 500 women. The study also offers a program from birth to the 12th grade. Typically, BSF classes run from September through May. While BSF is wrapping up this year’s study, it will kick off again in mid-September. Next year, the ladies will focus on People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided. This study will go over 15 books of the Old Testament, including I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles, Jeremiah, part of Isaiah, and the minor prophets.

Check out BSF International to sign up for next year’s women's study. If you plan to enroll your children in the BSF teaching program, try to sign up as early as possible.

You can also check out BSF International for more information about the men's studies in Jackson County or online studies.

Bible Study Fellowship

https://www.bsfinternational.org/

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

In this episode of the Watching World Podcast, special guest Jeff Cox tells us all about Re:gen. Re:gen is a 12-step life-change ministry. It meets every Monday at 6:30 in the Core Building at Abundant Life Lee’s Summit Campus.

Re:gen stands for re:generation! This program is for anyone who wishes to grow and get the past struggles and addictions that keep them stuck. A few might include addiction, anger, fear, depression, anxiety, obsession, control, abuse, and sexual struggles.

At Re:gen, you look at the things that have made you feel stuck in life and resulted in problems and cycles you’d like to get rid of. You take an inventory of the sins you’ve committed and have been committed against you. The foundation of Re:gen is loving well. Eventually the things that ensnare us erode the relationships in our life. Re:gen helps us look at surface level issues and dig down deep to heal.

Every meeting includes worship, a lesson from a speaker, testimonies, and group discussion. In these groups, you will go through your workbook and share your struggles.

Sharing is an important step of the Re:gen process.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed…”

If you have struggles that you’re afraid to share, you’re not alone. At Re:gen, we like to create honesty and authenticity in a safe place, but sometimes you may share personal struggles with a mentor. People that come to Regen learn that they are not alone. We all become ensnared if we don’t live in community.

This is a free program open to anyone in the community, whatever your belief system is. To learn more about Re:gen, visit Abundant Life’s website. Or, just show up! You can begin Re:gen at any time.

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co/regen

Welcome to the Watching World Podcast! In today’s episode, we speak with special guest host Heidi St. John about parenting in a culture that is anti-God and anti-family, developing community, and where to find Biblical examples of motherhood.

Biblical literacy should be at the heart of motherhood. In order to teach scripture to our children, we need to know it ourselves. We can’t pass on what we don’t possess. Because our culture faces such bold lies, the only answer is to speak bold truth. Diving into the Word of God daily helps us combat these lies. Not only does scripture equip us, but our children need to see us reading it.

We should also strive to stay in community with other believers. As mothers and human beings, we thrive on relationships. We need other Christian women to hold us accountable and encourage us.

Heidi St. John is the creator of Mom Strong International, The Busy Mom blog, and the Off the Bench Podcast. She's also currently running for Congress.

Mom Strong International trains and equips women to lead. You can host bible studies or follow along with the monthly Bible study at momstronginternational.com.

Heidi St. John

https://heidistjohn.com

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

Wrapping up our series, Knowing What You Believe And Why You Believe It; World Views, Truth And Evidence Part 9, Les Norman and Ed Croteau discuss how to live as a Christian and share the gospel in today’s post-Christian American culture.

The number one thing you must do is know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The Lordship of Jesus in your life is the most important aspect of witnessing to people. As it says in Colossians, Christ in you is the hope of glory (eternity). In John 15 it says apart from Christ we can do nothing.

Everyone is guilty, and most people will do, say, or pay anything to remove their guilt. This is self-evident. But we get to be the ones to tell them Jesus paid for our guilt on the cross because God loves us. If as a Christian you are feeling guilty over sins you keep committing, you can turn to Jesus and release it to Him. If you are not a Christian and you’re feeling guilty, it’s your own guilt, and it’s real. Jesus stands with arms open, ready to take that burden from you and save you.

An effective way of getting someone to the place of opening up is to ask questions and really listen to their answers. This is the most loving thing to do in getting to a place to share the gospel. Allow them to elaborate on their thoughts and opinions, and then you can ask them deeper questions. This gets people to really think about their stance and how they come to their conclusions. As you dig, they may find that their foundations for why they don’t believe in Jesus are pretty weak, and you can tell them about the good news and evidence.

All we’re called to do is share with people the gospel, and let the Holy Spirit do the work.

Ed Croteau teaches the Faith Substance and Evidence University at Abundant Life Church, Lee’s Summit. FSE University meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, in room 1024 of the main building.

Faith, Substance, and Evidence: https://fse.life

FSE YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC8SDiIK6Q1p0fIvPlxZIbxg

Abundant Life https://livingproof.co

Welcome to part eight of our current series, Knowing What You Believe and Why You Believe It. In this episode, Les Norman and Ed Croteau wrap up understanding American culture and the final worldview, Christianity.

Unlike postmodernism, Christianity teaches that there is an absolute truth that you can know.

Understanding who God is and the mechanics of the gospel is the key to understanding Christianity.

God gives us examples and evidence that allows us to know Him in two different ways. The Greek words "nostos" and "ginoskos" are used in the Bible.

Ginoskos is mentioned in John 17:3:

"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Ginoskos refers to "absolute knowledge or deep understanding."

Nostos refers to "what can be known by observation or studied."

The Christian worldview emphasizes the gospel as the key to knowledge. The gospel proclaims that the Father made the Son, who knew no sin, to become sin for us. So that we might become the righteousness of God in the Son.

Once we understand the mechanics of the gospel, we can know God as a person.

Justice and fairness is defined by God. God is righteousness. God is love. He is justice. Because God is holy, he can't forgive sin. Instead, He credits our sin to His son's account and credits His son's righteousness to us.

Unlike postmodernism, Christianity isn't an intellectual defense, but devotion to God as a person.

Ed Croteau teaches the Faith Substance and Evidence University at Abundant Life Church, Lee’s Summit. FSE University meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, in room 1024 of the main building.

Faith, Substance, and Evidence: https://fse.life

FSE YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC8SDiIK6Q1p0fIvPlxZIbxg

Abundant Life https://livingproof.co

Welcome to part 7 of Worldview, Truth, and Evidence. In today’s episode, guest Ed Croteau talks about understanding postmodernism and why it fails to lead you to the ultimate truth.

What is going on in today’s culture and how does it relate to the biblical truth? The Bible tells us to be still and slow down and spend time with the Lord. Americans are choosing to be too busy. Jesus is reaching out and we are missing the opportunity to spend time with him.

Post-Modernism is a reaction to modernism. Post Modernism means people have their own relative truth, interpretation of the truth. Post Modernism is any ultimate principle or religious truth that can explain it. There is no truth or can’t be known. Which is actually self-contradictory.

John 18:37-38

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

God is not interested in who we are but who we can be.

Ed Croteau is the founder and leader of the Faith, Substance, and Evidence University. FSE University meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, at the Lee's Summit Campus, Main Building, Room 1024. You can also view many of the classes on the FSE University Youtube Channel.

Abundant Life: livingproof.co

FSE Website: https://fse.life

FSE YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8SDiIK6Q1p0fIvPlxZIbxg

In part six of our series, Knowing What You Believe and Why You Believe It, Les Norman and Ed Croteau will help you understand American culture, modernism, and how it fails to lead you to the ultimate truth. Ed is the leader of the Faith, Substance, and Evidence University at Abundant Life Church, Lee’s Summit. You can also check out the FSE University Facebook page to catch his articles about how cultural events relate to Biblical truths.

To understand American culture, we should be familiar with the three most popular cultural views:

Modernism: This approach focuses on scientific, empirical methods of reasoning to form truths. It quickly became a rebellion against faith and the church.

Postmodernism: Most popular with Gen Z and Millennials, this view revolves around skepticism and a lack of trust. The idea that technology is the answer to man’s moral dilemma is now false. Technology no longer solves every problem. (We’ll discuss the worldview next week.)

Christianity: Reality is defined by God.

Why is it important to understand these worldviews? We need to understand where people are coming from so we can deconstruct their claims and help them toward the gospel.

Modernism believes that man can do it all. We don’t need God anymore. This approach has infiltrated our education system, media, and entertainment industry. For example, think back to the movie, God’s Not Dead. Specifically, when the professor tried to tell the kid what was true. This is an example of modernism in the education system.

From its conception in 1933 (The Humanist Manifesto), modernism promotes viewpoints that are directly contrary to the Biblical truths we believe.

Abundant Life Church Website:

livingproof.co

FSE Website:

https://fse.life

FSE YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8SDiIK6Q1p0fIvPlxZIbxg

FSE Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/fselife

In today’s podcast, Host Les Norman and Lead Pastor at Abundant Life, Phil Hopper talk about the capstone of God’s plan, the crucifixion, and the hope the resurrection brings.

Jesus came quietly. A simple birth. People began following Jesus. People that we wouldn’t imagine followed Jesus. He quietly chose his disciples, because he knew that one day, he would leave and that they would need to continue the work of the kingdom. The disciples first listened, then followed, and then began doing the work. God doesn’t need us, but he wants us to be an example of HIM and to be in a community with others.

Matthew 20:7-19: Jesus is preparing the disciples. He is proving who he is and the disciples were fully bought in.

Discover how prophecy, miracles, the garden, and the second coming all play a part in the Easter story.

Livingproof.co

Our special guest, Susan Perlman, Cofounder of Jews for Jesus based out of San Francisco, CA. Jews for Jesus began as a movement in the early 1970’s of young Jewish adults searching for the Gospel. They exist to support anyone in exploring Jewish life with faith in Jesus.

Many Jewish people have never heard that following Jesus is a viable and thriving expression of Jewish life. Jews for Jesus wants you to find the richness of being Jewish and following Jesus. In this podcast, you will hear from Susan about Isaiah 53 and what it means for Christians and Jews as well as her role at Jews for Jesus.

For more information visit jewsforjesus.org or livingproof.co

Welcome to part 5 of Knowing What You Believe and Why You Believe It. In today’s episode, guest host Ed Croteau tells us how we can test for what is true, specifically in today’s post-Christianity culture. Before presenting the truth, it’s important to establish trust and authenticity. Then, when testing the truth, we look to principles of epistemology or the study of how truth claims are formed. We can use two basic tests to do this: the correspondence test and the coherence test.

When using a correspondence test, we ask how well a person’s truth corresponds to reality or known facts. (E.g., if you step off a cliff, you will fall. This is a known fact because of gravity).

Most of our modern society relies on the coherence test, particularly in court cases. When an event or fact isn’t seen, the coherence test looks at the previous evidence that helps support that a claim is true. The coherence test is helpful for weighing biblical truth claims, such as the gospel.

Ed Croteau is the founder and leader of the Faith, Substance, and Evidence University. FSE University meets every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, at the Lee's Summit Campus, Main Building, Room 1024. You can also view many of the classes on the FSE University Youtube Channel.

Abundant Life: livingproof.co

FSE Website: https://fse.life

FSE YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8SDiIK6Q1p0fIvPlxZIbxg