ELECTIVES

If you’re like me, you always thought David was just the shepherd who killed the giant and became king. Sounds like a Disney movie, if you add a happily ever after. But David’s life was no where near this simple. David’s life was full of drama, most of it being due to his own mistakes. In spite of all David’s failings he was still considered “A man after Gods own heart” how can this be?  If you feel like you’ve made too many mistakes in your life, then come hear David’s story, if there is hope for David, then there is hope for me and for you.

What do I do when I doubt? What if my friends don't believe any of this stuff? What if I'm not sure what I believe about Jesus? What do you do with the scary or difficult questions? This elective will conversationally guide students through engaging doubt and tough questions, holding to the truth that Jesus welcomes our honest questions. God knows our thoughts before we think them (Psalm 139), so no tough question will change His mind about His love for you. This elective will open up a discussion-based session, looking at some of the questions that Christians, non-believers, or those who are curious are asking about the faith, and what following Jesus looks like through it all.

Who is God? In our knowledge of God, we often result to self-assessments of who God is: how we feel him and how we experience him. But, what does God reveal about himself? If the purpose of life is to glorify and enjoy God, then we must know who He is. In our time together, we will consider a few attributes of God that He revealed to us in the Bible and discuss how these attributes impact our lives today.

Do you ever get that feeling that something just isn’t quite right? Do you ever look around and think things aren't supposed to be this way? Do you ever want something different or better or more? Do you ever get discouraged or confused by the brokenness of the world and the brokenness of your own life? Does real, lasting contentment feel far away or even unattainable? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, then you might be…well…homesick. During this elective, we’re going to talk honestly about our hopes, our disappointments, and our deepest desires. Along the way, we’ll see that we’re all actually longing for the same thing: eternal life with Christ and his people in the New Heavens and New Earth.

It’s there when you look in the mirror. You’ll find it roaming the halls of your school. It tucks you in at night and greets you as you roll out of bed. You’ll read it and see it on social media. It’s in our conversations and is always rattling around in our minds. What is it? Insecurity. Insecurity is something all humans struggle with. Young and old, male and female, across the globe – insecurity has no boundaries. While it is a commonality among humanity, it doesn’t mean it’s something you have to live with. Insecurity is painful for many, but there is a greater fear to drown out this lesser one. Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is in this greater fear, that we learn how to grow, live, and, possibly defeat, our insecurity.

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again? Life can feel like you are just floating through it and there is no purpose or plan. The good news of the gospel is that God is loving, kind, and in control of all things. Come and explore the sovereignty of our good God and what that means for us. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - (Romans 8:28)

Redemption in Jesus is such a wonderful truth that is rivaled by no other but sometimes we have a shortsighted view of what all he has accomplished for us. As great as forgiveness of sins and righteousness credited to us is, I am here to tell you that there is more! Jesus lived, died and rose to pay the penalty of sin and break the power of sin in your life. In this class we are going to discuss the doctrine of sanctification or our growing in Christlikeness. We will examine these truths from a biblical and confessional perspective and seek to apply them in practical ways. I hope you'll join me!

Prayer sounds like a good idea. But we don’t really want to pray. We think it’s boring—or we don’t think it actually works. God uses prayer, however, to transform our real lives in very real ways. In this elective we’ll practice praying together, discover how prayer works, and learn how God uses it to transform our lives.