Pathway Encouragement
Pathway Living Categories & Courses
Discipleship is the Scripture-rooted, Spirit-animated process of taking on and showing forth the character of Christ Himself. We learn this through denying ourselves daily, worshiping Him daily, and intentionally following Him daily in all areas of our lives. The particular shape of this faithfulness is to be envisioned along the explicitly Biblical lines of love to God and love to neighbor. Courses in this module focus on unpacking discipleship, its meaning and applications.
Engaging Christ in discipleship requires that we gain a faithful and deeply meaningful, grasp of His word, the Holy Scriptures. Or, given that the Scriptures are the very words of God Himself, better that they “grasp” us! By His word, God draws us to Himself, purifying our faith and worship, beautifies our character, and clarifies our discipleship and calling.. Each of the courses in Pathway Bible seeks to achieve this end, advancing a robust and joyful discipleship among God’s people.
Many who love Christ and Scripture deeply, get somewhat nervous when the term theology is used. Often they have good reason for this angst, but when properly understood and engaged, theology is not only helpful, it is also necessary for Christ-honoring discipleship. Courses in this module seek to offer integrative theology in the hopes of framing in a rich, biblical worldview – a worldview in which real faith and full-on discipleship to Christ can flourish!
The life of intentionally following Jesus on the Pathway requires that each Christian significantly grow in their understanding and appreciation of what Scripture affirms – in all its parts ‘seen together’ – and that they develop the skill of clearly stating, graciously defending and humbly applying its main doctrines and emphases. The courses in Pathway Apologetics are designed, top to bottom, with these goals in mind.
Christian leadership is a privilege and an honor. It is rooted in the grace of God and the power of His Spirit, and is worked out in keeping with Biblical motives, mandates, and models. The overall contours of Christ-centered leadership, then, are found in humble service, first, to God Himself, and second, to others, for his glory and their good. Such leadership is the focus of the courses in Pathway Leadership.
The risen Jesus told His disciples that “all authority in heaven and earth” had been given to Him and that they were to “Go and make disciples of all nations!” The courses in this module focus on the Great Commission, including its roots in Jesus and the early church, a robust biblical theology for worldwide missions, the state of God’s church around the world, and how to meaningfully get involved in world missions.
Pathway living can often lead to tensions in how to approach aspects of our culture. In fact, Christians have always experienced a strained relationship with various features, practices, and ‘norms’ within their cultures, having been exhorted, on the one hand, to not be molded by it, but on the other, to celebrate whatsoever excellencies they may find in it (e.g., in music, etc.). Courses in this module focus on understanding culture, evaluating it from a biblical point of view, and interacting within it faithfully, before God and men.
Pathway living with Christ is by no means easy. It is often fraught with challenges, set backs, and discouragements. “In this world, you will have trouble, ” Jesus said. The world, the flesh and the devil conspire to undo God’s work in and through us. Courses in this module are designed to promote freedom – freedom to joyfully walk the Pathway, dealing effectively with loneliness, anxiety, divorce, gaming, pornography, and a host of other challenges which threaten to lead us away from Christ, His church, and Pathway living