LIVING FAITH BIBLE INSTITUTE

Hello Students,

As we wrap up first quarter, please keep in mind that there are several courses that begin next Saturday. Join us in either credit or audit options.

Baptist History (Axe, Briscoe, Shelby) - Although the lineage of the Baptist denomination is abrupt, complicated and at times perplexing, the Baptistic distinctives can be traced throughout church history. This course deals with important moments and people that helped shape the theology and traditions of Baptists. Further, students will explore what can be learned from the various moments, men, methods, and means within the Baptist heritage.

Youth Ministry (Grasher) - This course will cover the topic of ministering to teens in the local church. Students will learn about how to envision, initiate, develop, and oversee youth ministries.

In our lectures, we will take time to discuss the psychological and social developmental stages of teens and how that impacts the strategies of youth ministry. We will also address the practical issues related to administration and organization of youth activity.

Realities of Biblical Discipleship (Morgan) - This course explores the practical realities of envisioning discipleship in the local church, from a leadership perspective. We will clearly define discipleship and distinguish it among many other contemporary Christian perspectives.

The implementation of a biblical discipleship ministry in the local church is as important as the ministry of discipleship itself. This ensures that our view and approach to making disciples is biblical.

Today, Pastor Brandon Briscoe, Provost of Living Faith Bible Institute, interviews Pastor Brian Hedges, Director of Word First Bible Publishers on themes regarding the upcoming Living Faith Fellowship's annual Certainty Conference (October 6-9, 2024). Brian will be teaching the morning session on the subject of Revelation 2 and 3 and its prophetic depiction of the "church ages" and its inspirational application to our lives. During the course of this podcast, Brian walks through those church ages and gives a little insight into what you should expect to hear in more depth as you attend or livestream at https://www.lffellowship.com 

At Certainty 2024, we will delve into biblical church history and our Baptist heritage, exploring what it means to follow in the faith and traditions of a "Philadelphian" Baptist church. The Certainty Conference is not only a profitable time of Bible study but also a great opportunity to connect with other members of the Living Faith Fellowship of churches. 

Pastor Brandon Briscoe will be preaching on how the church can build on the legacy and traditions of faith that have come before us - what are the strengths we can learn from and what are the weaknesses we should avoid. Pastor Alan Shelby of Harvest Baptist Church and Dean of LFBI will be teaching in the morning session on the subject of our recent Baptist history. 

Please visit https://www.lffellowship.com/certainty for more information. 

There are what we can feel like an overwhelming number of skeptics today concerning New Testament scholarship, even within evangelical and Baptist circles. Today on The Postscript, we demonstrate a few apparent contradictions in Jesus' miracles across gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, showing how many so-called contradictions in the Bible are dismantled with simple Bible study principles such as context and key words, which illuminate a more holistic picture of the scene than one account could alone. 

There is purpose behind every apparent contradiction in the Bible that only the earnest and honest student of God's Word will go the length to understand. Instructor of Biblical Studies at the Living Faith Bible Institute, Mitch Dobson, and Provost of LFBI, Brandon Briscoe, walk through some of those doctrinal insights which are useful for Christian life and ministry as they examine a few apparent contradictions in an exegetical fashion. 

As believers, we know what we have in the Holy Bible is God's very words. In episodes 100 to 102 of The Postscript, Dean of Living Faith Bible Institute, Alan Shelby, addressed the doctrines of Scripture like inerrancy, inspiration, preservation, translation, and transmission. On today's show, Provost of LFBI, Brandon Briscoe, has invited Pastor Alan back onto the show to discuss the related topic of Bible canonization. We answer questions like: How can we know our Bible is complete? How can we know the Bible is not missing any books? What about the apocryphal books? Do we need to constantly revise our understanding of the Bible?

Hello Students,

We just want to reach out and say how excited we are that you have joined us this semester and that you are well on your way to learning the Bible and growing in your faith. Students are often surprised how quickly the assignments can sneak up on them, so we want to provide you with a handful of tips to prepare for success this semester.

1) Make sure you keep a calendar. Don't allow yourself to fall behind on your work by being unaware of when things are due. Put the assignments in your calendar, set reminders and perhaps make incremental goals for yourself (ie. "by _______ date I should have the first three pages of my essay done")

2) Set aside study time each week. Lectures, reading, research, writing and project development - there is always a lot to do. Please take time each week to  work. As a rule of thumb, most of the courses we offer in LFBI require 1.5 to 2 hours of study or outside work per week, per course.

3) Are you accountable? Do you know anyone else in the course you are taking or other people taking LFBI courses this semester? If so, check in with one another each week to encourage each other and challenge each other to get your work done.

4) Make LFBI your devotional time. Some students need to simply learn to offset their devotional time by using your studies in LFBI as a way to spend time with the Lord. Meditate on and pray over the things you are learning and kill two birds with one stone.

If you have questions about your course or the material, remember to reach out to your TA. If you have questions about the content in your course, feel free to reach out to your professors. If you have questions about extra study resources or to get more help with your studies, contact our Student Affairs Dept.

The LFBI staff loves you and we are praying for your growth.