Category Archives: Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan

Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Seminar at the North Shelby Baptist Church

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Jay F Guin

I’ve just gotten back from a seminar taught by Ray Vander Laan in south Birmingham, Alabama, at the North Shelby Baptist Church. The seminar began at 6:00 on Friday night and ended about 5:00 today — and it was fabulous! … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Everything to Lose, Nothing to Gain

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Jesus came to teach the Torah. The rabbis spoke of “fulfilling” the Torah, which to a rabbi meant to interpret it so his listeners would properly honor it. But in Asia Minor, among the Greeks, there was no concept that … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Don’t Forget Us

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Can we identify with our brothers and sisters who suffer for Jesus around the world? RVL takes the group to a church carved 20+ stories underground in Cappadocia. An airshaft is disguised as a well. The church would have sat … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Why Christians Suffer

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Jay F Guin

The lesson begins in Cappadocia, in Turkey — a high, flat plateau that was very inaccessible due to having natural barriers all around. There were only small villages with tribal chiefs, and it was never really under Roman control. The … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: An Unlikely Disciple

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Jay F Guin

RVL shows the group a stone sheepfold. Shepherds would sleep in the opening so the sheep would have climb over him to leave and wolves would have to go through him to attack the sheep. Jesus said, (John 10:7-10)  Therefore … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Learning to Walk Like Jesus, Part 2

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Jay F Guin

QUESTIONS: 1. What practices are like circumcision and Sabbath to Churches of Christ — as serving as markers of salvation (not looking for a discussion of baptism here but rather post-conversion markers)? [weekly communion, a cappella music, plurality of elders, … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Learning to Walk Like Jesus, Part 1

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Jesus said, “Come follow me,” and the disciples did. He told them to go make disciples, and they did. And no disciple was more like Jesus than Paul. RVL teaches his group near the Damascus Road, where he reads the … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Run! The Passion of Elijah

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Jay F Guin

I usually write these on the Sunday before the Wednesday before the Sunday we teach and time it to post on that Wednesday — giving me two or three to catch my mistakes (doesn’t work, but that’s the theory), so … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: The Very Words of God

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Jay F Guin

The apostles followed Jesus “until they were covered by the dust of his feet,” as the ancient saying goes. And they were immersed in the text. Jesus learned the text, lived the text, taught the text, prayed the text, and … Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Living Stones

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Jay F Guin

RVL continues to consider what it would have been like for newly converted Greeks in the First Century. He reminds us that all the pagan religions promised a form of heaven to follow death. What made Christianity special? The lesson … Continue reading →

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