Doctrine by Season Bowers & Heather Sanford

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DOC TRINE season

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& he athe r

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NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

DOCTRINE: WE BELIEVE week one: the father ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 week two: the son ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 15 week three: the creation ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23 week four : the cross ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33 week five: the return ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 43 week six: the spirit ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 51 week seven: the church ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 61 week eight: the hope �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 71

WEEK ONE

THE FATHER

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~6~

Week ONE — The father

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~7~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

THE CREED The Nicene Creed? Umm, what is that exactly? Glad you asked…

After Jesus ascended into heaven, and after the apostles were gone, the followers of the Way continued spreading the gospel. The message of Jesus was unstoppable and people were being healed, changed, baptized, and joining the community faith despite immense persecution.

It was difficult to meet together as a family of faith, and with the apostles — the leaders of the church — gone, the message was being tainted by rapid growth without the checks and balances of community. Teachers and believers added, removed, and amended vital pieces of the Christian faith, putting the faith in danger of being watered down, misunderstood, and warped.

The Nicene Creed was formed from the first two ecumenical councils of the Church. The first ecumenical council was the First Council of Nicaea in 325 a.d. and the second was the Council of Constantinople in 381 a.d. While this Creed is ancient it has preserved the faithful from a variety of heresies for over 1,600 years.

Over the next eight weeks, we will be using this written profession of faith as a framework to dig into doctrine, to begin to flesh out a deeper understanding of what it means to be Christians, practicing the Way of Jesus.

~8~

Week ONE — The father

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

WE BELIEVE Belief versus faith: traffic lights and Jesus

WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD Not two, three, or thousands. We believe in one. (Well, three in one to be exact.)

1. Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The lord thy God is one lord .”

2. Mark 12:29: “Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.” a. The gods (elohim)

b. God (in our own image)

c. yhwh (ex 34:4-7)

~9~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

THE FATHER God Almighty is, in every sense of the word, a god. But unlike all the other gods, our God is abba — a Father, a daddy-God. Our God is relational and loves us — His children.

This distinction is vital to understand. Other gods are meant to be feared. They kill and destroy whenever they please and they do not associate with mere humans. Our Father means to be in relationship with us, so much so that the way He revealed Himself to us was as a son, in the person of Jesus Christ.

1. Psalm 103:13 – “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” a. Daddy issues

THE ALMIGHTY 1. Omni

: all powerful, unlimited power, able to do anything.

a. There is no one

powerful or

El Shaddai means what ??!!

~10~

powerful.

Week ONE — The father

2. Omni

: all knowing*

So what about free will ?!?!

Can God make a rock too big for Him to move?

3. Omni

: everywhere, not bound by time or space.

God is outside of our timeline. He existed before the world began, is present everywhere right now, and is also present in the future.

Caution, your brain may explode.

~11~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night —

but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

— Psalm 139:7-12

MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, 1. In the beginning god… Gen 1:1 a. Before there was

, there was God.

2. Hello, my name is creator.

a. In the beginning, God created – Gen 1:1

b. This is the way God introduces Himself to us: Creator. c. Nothing made God; God always was, is, and will be.

d. Everything is in, by, through, and from God. 3. Look around!

a. Grand design: observe the intricate detail of creation, which begs for a master Creator.

You can believe in science and in god!

The great creation debate. You can’t escape it. Every religious and non-religious perspective engages with the question, “So how did we get here?” You don’t have to die on the hill of how or when, you can just go back to the first five words of scripture: “In the beginning, God created…” The issue of how and when is a great one to research and lovingly discuss.

~12~

Week ONE — The father

Everything is spiritual, Rob Bell

OF ALL THAT IS SEEN AND UNSEEN… 1. God created dirt and dinosaurs, stars and spiders, aardvarks and atoms. He created all things, and all means .

2. Seen and unseen = natural and spiritual realm.

3. We believe in angels, demons, and the soul. Believing in the unseen world is not weird!

4. Our culture (and cultures around the world past and present) are obsessed with paranormal activity! a. Haunted mansion

b. Movies, documentaries, TV shows, podcasts c. Tourists traps

d. Books

e. Holidays

f. Mediums, psychics, tarot cards, Ouiji boards (sold at Target!)

g. The supernatural brings in billions of dollars each year. Believing in the spiritual realm isn’t strange or even uncommon.

~13~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WEEK ONE REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~14~

TWO

THE SON

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~16~

TWO — The son

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~17~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

WE BELIEVE IN ONE LORD, JESUS CHRIST 1. lord: what does that mean?

2. Jesus is lord

a. References of Jesus as Lord started with Thomas’ declaration when Jesus arrived at the apostles after His resurrection: “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28). From thereafter, the message of the Apostles was that Jesus is Lord, signifying that “Jesus is God.” Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost carried that idea: “Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36). Peter later declared this in the house of Cornelius, stating that Jesus is “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). It is important to note that in Romans 10:9 Jesus’ lordship is connected to His resurrection: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The declaration “Jesus is Lord” indicates that Jesus is God. Jesus holds “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). He is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5); “our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4); and “the Lord of lords” (Revelation 17:14).1

3. Is Jesus the lord over your life?

a. 1 Samuel 15:22 nlt — “But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the lord : your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

~18~

TWO — The son

THE ONLY SON OF GOD 1. What does it mean to be a son in the Hebrew culture? a. Identity i. John 14:7-11: “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.

Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” b. Vocation i. Luke 2:49 nkjv: “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ii. John 5:19 niv: “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

c. only son

i. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” d. Firstborn son i. prototokos ii. Psalm 89:27: “And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.” iii. Colossians 1:18: “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

~19~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

Sonship? Why not daughter-ship?

Does God hate women?

ETERNALLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER 1. Eternal: like the Father, Jesus was from the beginning.

a. Colossians 1:15: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

GOD FROM GOD 1. Same essence – not necessarily substance 2. Trinity of the trinity (water, egg, mind)

~20~

TWO — The son

LIGHT FROM LIGHT 1. Genesis 1:3 – “Let there be light”

a. These are the first words spoken. Jesus spoke light, he brought light to the world (John 8:12), and he put his light in us (Matthew 5:14-16).

TRUE GOD FROM TRUE GOD What is truth ? Why is this different?

t r

u e BEGOTTEN, NOT MADE, OF ONE BEING WITH THE FATHER 1. Not created! God the Father didn’t make Jesus.

a. Colossians 1:15-20: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

~21~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WEEK TWO REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~22~

WEEK THREE

THE CREATION

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~24~

Week THREE — The creation

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~25~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS WERE MADE. 1. john 1:1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.�

storytelling arc (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration) creation i (Genesis 1)

creation ii (Luke 1-2)

creation iii (Revelation 21)

~26~

Week THREE — The creation

FOR US AND FOR OUR SALVATION HE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN 1. The ultimate why a. who

b. how

c. you

~27~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

Is heaven up?

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

— Philippians 2:6-11

BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HE BECAME INCARNATE FROM THE VIRGIN MARY

The first surfer 1. Genesis 1:2 – “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

2. Luke 1:34-35 – “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

~28~

Week THREE — The creation

Something about Mary 1. Luke 1:28 – “The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

2. Luke 1:26-27 – “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

AND WAS MADE MAN 1. Christmastime is here!

a. The Incarnation is literally the “enfleshment” of Jesus; it is what we celebrate at Christmas.

b. This statement in the Nicene Creed marks one of the most important moments in human history. Our God became one of us.

2. Immanuel, God with us a. Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 – “the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

~29~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

The Word became flesh and blood,

and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,

true from start to finish.

— John 1:14 MSG

3. Fully God and fully man: so what ?!

~30~

Week THREE — The creation

WEEK THREE REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~31~

WEEK FOUR

THE CROSS

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~34~

Week FOUR — The cross

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~35~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

FOR OUR SAKE 1. #goals = back to the garden; shalom in the presence of God. a. Between the fall and the law: God’s pursuit of us

2. freedom

a. Galatians 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

HE WAS CRUCIFIED 1. It’s a bloody mess! a. ot sacrifice

~36~

Week FOUR — The cross

2. There in the middle: covenant

UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, 1. Historical reality. This is not a myth!

HE SUFFERED DEATH 1. Isaiah 53

~37~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

2. Atonement: reparation for a wrong; amends; obsolete reconciliation.

3. Spotless lamb and scapegoat

a. 1 Peter 1:18-21 niv: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

b. Leviticus 16:10: “But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.”

c. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46 nlt d. Did God abandon Jesus?

~38~

Week FOUR — The cross

4. It’s just fact: why we gotta make it all about me?!

AND WAS BURIED. 1. This is also a historical reference. We know where he was buried.

2. Burial was the final affirmation of his humanity.

3. John 12:24 niv: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

4. Burial: what did he do for three days?

~39~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN 1. Resurrection: our God’s not dead! (Thank you, Newsboys!)

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES 1. Three-day pattern a. Adam

b. Isaac

c. Jonah

HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 1. Ascension: why did he go up ?

~40~

Week FOUR — The cross

2. Acts 1:10-11 – “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. 1. Righty is right

2. What does he do now?

~41~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WEEK FOUR REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~42~

WEEK FIVE

THE RETURN

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~44~

Week FIVE — The return

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~45~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

But first, Heaven.

HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. Is Heaven real?

1.

14:2-3: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.” john

2. your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. — Matthew 6:10 3. Revelation 4 HE WILL COME AGAIN IN GLORY TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, AND HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END.

He will come again 1. Revelation: the ultimate conspiracy theory.

a. Don’t read the book of Revelation with a hands!

in your

2. Second coming of Jesus

a. 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

b. Hebrews 9:28 niv: “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. c. This is meant to be

!! ~46~

Week FIVE — The return

Will I be left behind (with Kirk Cameron)?

Matthew 24:36: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 24:42: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

What we learn from the virgins (the birth of evoo):

Most important takeaway: IN GLORY 1. The glory of God is a powerful and transformative experience. Jesus will not come back with fire and vengeance, but with rejoicing.

2. Glory is inducing.

inducing, not

3. Matthew 13:26 nlt – “Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.”

4. God’s glory is the external manifestation of his being. God’s glory is something that appears (Exodus 16:10), is revealed (Isaiah 40:5), or can be seen (Numbers 14:22).

~47~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD 1. If there isn’t judgement, then what’s the point?

2. It’s not judgement that’s scary, it’s . That’s terrifying.

3. Romans 3:23-24 niv: “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Judgement scene, The Shack

~48~

Week FIVE — The return

AND HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END. 1. What is the Kingdom of God? 2. The Kingdom of heaven is like…

a. Matthew 13:31: mustard seed

b. Matthew 13:33: yeast

i. always producing growth and providing sustenance

c. Matthew 13:44: buried treasure

i. greatest discovery bringing joy

d. Matthew 13:45: pearls i. great value

3. The Kingdom of heaven is .

4. It’s here, it’s

now, but then

it will be .

5. 1 Corinthians 13:12 – “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

6. Revelation 21:3-5 niv – “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

7. Jesus will sit on the throne for eternity as ruler over heaven and earth.

8. How long is eternity? What happens after that?

~49~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WEEK FIVE REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~50~

WEEK SIX

THE SPIRIT

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~52~

Week SIX — The spirit

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~53~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. The forgotten God

2. The Holy Spirit is not but is a

.

3. Attributes of the Holy Spirit: a. teaches – John 14:26

b. testifies – John 15:26 c. guides – Rom. 8:14

d. speaks – 1 Cor. 2:13

e. enlightens – John 16:13 f. strives – Gen. 6:3

g. commands – Acts 8:28

h. intercedes – Rom. 8:26

i. sends workers – Acts 13:4 j. calls – Rev. 22:17

k. comforts – John 16:7 l. works – 1 Cor. 12:11

~54~

Week SIX — The spirit

THE LORD 1. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12: “But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”

2. Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” THE GIVER OF LIFE 1. Genesis 2:7: “Then the lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

2. John 20:21-22: “Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

3. John 16:8 nlt: “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”

How is conviction life-giving?

~55~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

4. 1 Corinthians 2:14 niv: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

WHO PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER 1. john 16:7 nlt: “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”

2. john 14:26 niv: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

3. Holy Spirit is God with us

.

WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON HE IS WORSHIPED AND GLORIFIED 1. Trinity means three

~56~

Week SIX — The spirit

Worshiped Worship and intimacy with: Father

Son

Holy Spirit

and glorified Father

Son

Holy Spirit

~57~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

1. Spiritual fruit developed in God.

is the glory of

2. galations 5:22-23: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!�

Get fat on fruit!

HE HAS SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHETS Who are the Prophets?

How do they speak?

~58~

Week SIX — The spirit

You?

1. The Holy Spirit speaks through .

2. Scripture is through the Spirit of God! 3. This is a reminder that the ancient writings in the Old Testament still have something to teach us, if we allow ourselves to be taught by the same Spirit who inspired them in the first place.

~59~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WEEK SIX REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~60~

WEEK SEVEN

THE CHURCH

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~62~

Week SEVEN — The church

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~63~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

WE BELIEVE IN ONE (CHURCH) 1. The Church is one because Christ is one.

a. Ephesians 4:4-6 nlt: “For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.”

If we are one then why so many denominations?

Not one denomination can fully encompass the glory of God. Many expressions of faith and forms of worship.

2. Y’all are important! (1 Cor 12:12-31)

~64~

Week SEVEN — The church

3. Ephesians 5:25 nlt: “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” a. Watch what you say about His Bride!

HOLY 1. The Church of Jesus Christ is His Mystical Body. Therefore the Church is holy, even if the human beings who compromise it are not always holy.

2. Ephesians 2:19-22 niv: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

~65~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

3. 1 Peter 1:15-16 nlt: “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

4. Matthew 5:48 nlt: “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Am i really expected to be perfect??

CATHOLIC 1. The Church is catholic because the Church is “universal.” a. Catholic means universal.

b. Universal means applicable and inclusive to, for all 2. Galatians 3:29 NLT: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

3. The Gospel is for

!

Universal / Absolute truth versus relativism

~66~

Week SEVEN — The church

APOSTOLIC 1. The Church is apostolic because Christ founded it upon the Apostles.

2. Matthew 16:18 nlt: “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”

3. Apostle means

,

the

one.

4. Matthew 28:18-20 nlt: “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

5. Apostle is an assignment.

a. Apostolic is part of our dna as the Church.

So what?

~67~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WE ACKNOWLEDGE ONE BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 1. There is salvation in no one or no thing other than Christ!

The sign versus the thing signified.

2. It’s an outward of an inward

.

3. Romans 6:3-4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

4. Acts 2:38-39: “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away — all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

~68~

Week SEVEN — The church

Baptism as sacrament

~69~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WEEK SEVEN REFLECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

~70~

WEEK EIGHT

THE HOPE

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen. ~72~

Week EIGHT — The hope

1. Write out this week’s selection at least twice.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen

2. Rewrite this selection in your own words.

~73~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

WE LOOK 1. Jesus had heavenly vision and called us to not just see but look.

2. Matthew 13:16 nlt: “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”

3. Matthew 6:33 niv: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

4. John 12:46 nlt: “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”

Light doesn’t

darkness,

it

darkness.

5. Hebrews 12:2 nlt: “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.

Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

What we look at produces or destroys joy.

~74~

Week EIGHT — The hope

FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, 1. We have a responsibility to look for what the Lord is doing right now and celebrate

it.

2. God doesn’t make

things

better, he brings

.

3. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME. 1. hope for our future!

a. Revelation 21:5 nlt: “And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”

2. The story ends with restoration

a. creation, fall, redemption, restoration

b. Hebrews 13:24 nlt: “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

c. Lamentations 3:24 nlt: “I say to myself “the Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him.”

d. 1 Peter 1:3-4 niv: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,” e. Hebrews 11:1 nlt: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

AMEN So be it! I agree! Yes, i believe!

Do you?

~75~

DOCTRINE by Season Bowers and Heather Sanford

write out the entire nicene creed from memory (timed in class week eight)

~76~

Week EIGHT — The hope

~77~

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Books

Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis

God has a name, John Mark Comer

Films

Everything is Spiritual, Rob Bell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2rklwkm_dQ )

Series

Chosen (AngelVid productions) The Bible Project (youtube)

Music

We Believe, Newsboys

This I Believe, Hillsong

Forever Amen, Stephanie Gretzinger

WORKS CITED 1 https://www.christianity.com/jesus/is-jesus-god/names-of-jesus/what-does-it-mean-tocall-jesus-lord.html

DOC TRINE What we believe influences and impacts everything we say and do. In a world of everchanging ideologies and fads, it can be difficult to determine what to believe and even more challenging to delineate why we believe it. Th is eight-week course is intended to break down the fundamentals of the Christian faith as laid out in the Nicene Creed, giving students solid ground on which to stand.

KEY OUTCOMES At the end of this course, students will have ďƒź Developed a robust understanding of the Nicene Creed, its history and impact on Christian systems, and how it forms us in our faith.

ďƒź Compared and contrasted various elements of Christian doctrine in order to better analyze and clarify their own faith practice.

SEASON BOWERS Season is a pastor, radio host, author, speaker, wife, mom, and Joy Bringer with a passion to release freedom and joy to the glory of God. As a radio host, she can be heard on Joy 99.3 in West Michigan, and her daily Joy Bringer radio feature can be heard on radio stations all across the country. Season has her Masters of Divinity from Bethel Seminary, and is a lay pastor and guest teacher at Centerpoint Church. She dreams big and prays even bigger. With big faith, Season and her powerful husband Kris are always ready with a yes to whatever and wherever the Holy Spirit leads. While full of life and joy, she also is almost always full of iced tea.

PASTOR HEATHER SANFORD Heather Sanford began her ministry journey in Young Life, and she spent over 25 years serving teenagers in youth ministry. Recently, she took on a new role on the senior leadership team at Centerpoint church as the Weekend Experience Pastor where she capitalizes on her gifting as both a visionary and an extrovert with a heart for the lost. She has a passion to bring freedom to those who are bound (especially in religiosity), and a zeal for living life to the fullest! She is wife to Joshua, Mom to Bayli and Obadiah (Obi), friend to many, mentor to the lucky ones, and child of the King!

C E N T E R P O I N T S C H O O L O F M I N I S T RY

PRICE: $20.00