Seven Minute Seminary

Around the turn of the 20th century, a group of Holy Spirit-filled Christians emerged that placed a high emphasis on life-change by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, and unique empowerment for ministry by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (as evidenced by the sign of speaking in tongues). Watch as Dr. Scott Kisker continues his Seven Minute Seminary teaching on the origins of Pentecostalism. Watch Part I of this series here.

Where did Pentecostalism come from? In this Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Scott Kisker traces the origins of this American and global phenomenon by describing the various Wesleyan and Methodist contexts from which it emerged in the Western world. Included are associations of camp meetings, leaders like John Fletcher and Phoebe Palmer, and biblical themes such as empowerment, healing, and consecration.

Acts chapter 2 records the even that birthed the church—the falling of the Holy Spirit of God on his people at Pentecost. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Steve Seamands explains how three elements present at Pentecost—wind, fire, and speaking in tongues, all represent the continual work that the Spirit of God wants to accomplish in and through his church.

The church often views the poor and incarcerated as groups to minister to, whereas the Bible elevates their status as people who can be disciples and make disciples. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Efrem Smith challenges us to reconsider the models of ministry to some of the groups who need the church the most.

Many times the church settles for a concept and experience of the Holy Spirit that falls short of the biblical testimony and is at odds with what has been the church’s position for centuries. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Steve Seamands probes our mistaken notions of the Holy Spirit and then points us to the powerful way the Spirit empowers us for holiness and mission in the context of relationship.

The only time Jesus uses the word, “perverse” he uses it to describe an unbelieving generation which failed to meet the immediate needs of a would-be follower of Jesus (Matthew 17:17; Luke 9:41). In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Mark Ongley challenges the church to be a community that comes alongside the sexually broken in order to heal them and lead them to God.

Our nation is becoming increasingly diverse in its urban, suburban, and rural regions. However, the church struggles to make disciples and minister in a way that reflects this growing reality. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Efrem Smith challenges the church to rise up to the wonderful opportunity to create multi-ethnic churches that reflect the beautiful diversity of the coming kingdom of God.

Throughout the New Testament we read that Jesus came to establish a kingdom. In the opening section of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15 NIV) His preaching, healing, and exorcism ministry continued throughout the Gospels as a demonstration of the power of the coming kingdom of God. Indeed, in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he asked of the Father, “Your kingdom come, y

Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave for more than just our forgiveness. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Matt O’Reilly explains the critical connection between Christ’s resurrection, our identity, and our holiness.

The Psalms are a profound collection of prayers and praise that hold a special place in the worshiping life of the church. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Ben Wayman shares how exactly the Psalms can teach us to pray.

How did we get the New Testament canon as we know it today? (“canon” meaning, measuring rod) In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. David F. Watson dispels some common myths and illuminates the historical process by which the early church recognized certain books as authoritative.

What is the gospel? Most people in the church will mention something about the death of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, and spending eternity in heaven. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Scot McKnight affirms that all of these are truths to be found in the Bible. However, he uses key texts to demonstrate that the gospel preached by the apostles focused primarily on the life, death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus.

Has modern science made religious faith irrelevant and obsolete? In today’s Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Kent Dunnington from Biola University contests this popular claim, pointing to clear evidence to the contrary.

The claim that Jesus is God is at once mysterious in its complexity and critical for the salvific power of the gospel. In this Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Justus Hunter encourages the church to grapple with this perplexing claim, both intellectually and doxologically.

Should the church ordain women? In today’s Seven Minute Seminary, Ben Wayman responds to common objections that would limit ordination to men. He argues that this is a core issue for the church, and shouldn’t be relegated to “women’s issues.”

Must Christians live in constant spiritual defeat, accepting the reality of repeated sin and fallenness? In today’s Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. John Oswalt encourages us to believe and receive the biblical promise that the Holy Spirit enables Christians to live for and please God, day by day, without limit, and without rival.

In many conversations about sexuality, the church has used homosexuality as a scapegoat to evade the bigger issues resulting from the sexual revolution. In today’s Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Mark Ongley suggests that the church begin having candid conversations both about sexual brokenness and about the wonderfully-designed gift of sex that God gave his creation.

In today’s Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Prabhu Singh describes several movements of the Holy Spirit in the 20th century. Included are unprecedented ways that God is drawing people of diverse backgrounds toward Jesus Christ.

How can the church get smarter about how it reaches our culture with the gospel? In order to effectively communicate the good news as a Christian evangelist, Dr. David Durst suggests that we first take into account everyone’s unique stories and backgrounds. Based on Paul Jones’ Theological Worlds: Understanding the Alternative Rhythms of Christian Belief, he offers special ways to connect the truth about Jesus to the special interests and profiles of every person.

What is liturgy and why does it matter to the church? In this Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Jonathan Powers explains the power and role of worshipful liturgy in the life of the church.