Register for the new class year!
New classes are forming for the fall.
There is a total of seven different topics/courses this year over the 30 class sessions. Currently, we are only taking registrations for the complete year. Individual registration is $70 ($100 for a married couple).
Register Online: Word Among Us 2008-2009 Complete Year
Check out our new courses!
This year, we are offering something different to our students - seven "short courses." They will still be as in-depth as you have come to expect from Word Among Us Bible Studies, but the shorter length and varied topics will help you to better understand the Mind, Method, Manner and Ministry of Jesus Christ.
Below are detailed descriptions of the courses to be offered. At this time, we are registering students for the full 30 sessions - all seven courses. If churches request to only do selected studies, we will make arrangements to offer the courses individually.
We hope that enjoy being part of Word Among Us and that we are able to help you develop a deeper understanding of the Biblical text and your relationship with this Galilean named Jesus.
| Class Topic | Beginning the week of... | Duration |
| James: The Tests of a True Religion | September 7, 2008 | 5 Sessions |
| Philippians: To Live Is Christ | October 12 | 5 Sessions |
| Jude: The Short, Sweet and Sour | November 16 | 1 Session |
| Jonah: Prodigal Prophet | November 30 | 3 Sessions |
| Proverbs: The Way of The Wise | January 11, 2009 | 10 Sessions |
| Know That God Exists | March 22 | 1 Session |
| Esther: One Night With The King | April 19 | 5 Sessions |
The letter of James seems to be written to Jewish Christians who are living in an angry society — a society which is divided by greed and jealousy. James’ writing is more like a series of sayings than a flowing letter. Something about his practical advice reminds us of the book of Proverbs and there are many similarities to the Sermon on the Mount. However, the message is: what are the tests of a true religion?
Paul is in prison — but his heart is free and full of joy as he writes to the Christians in Philippi. This is a church he founded himself and which has always given him loving and generous support. Paul thanks the Philippians for a gift they have sent him. He assures them that all will be well, although both he and they are going through times of trouble. He begs them to be humble in their attitude to one another, following the example of Jesus. He also urges them to be united in their faith, and to see Christ as the supreme goal of their life and mission – in other words, TO LIVE IS CHRIST.
We live in a unique time in history where this little book can help equip us for the untold challenges of living. Today’s Christian must be on guard against false doctrines which can so easily deceive us if we are not well versed in the Word. We need to know the Gospel; to protect and defend it; to accept the Lordship of Christ, which is evidenced by a life-change. The most effective Christian life is one that lives the faith in everyday life. Authentic faith always reflects Christ-like behavior.
Too many Jonahs, Not enough whales!
The book of Jonah has been viewed by liberal scholars as an allegory and not factual. This course will look at the evidence of a real Jonah with an important message, then and especially now!
Over the years, I have come to greatly appreciate the Book of Proverbs and have yet to meet a Christian who has found the Book of Proverbs to be boring or unprofitable. Many have found it to be the most useful study of their Christian experience. My goal is not to teach through Proverbs as I have other books of the Bible, beginning at chapter 1 and ending with chapter 31. Instead, I want to expose you to a sampling of the wisdom of Proverbs, hoping that you will make this book a life-long study. In this course, I intend to provide you with a model for study by doing various character studies of the simple, the fool, the scoffer, the sluggard, and the wise. When this course is finished, we will have only scratched the surface of the riches to be found in this book. From then on, the challenge will be yours.
Does God Exist? What Can An Intelligent Person Conclude?
This short course is for seekers to know objective truth. Scholars and researchers all over the world have spent hundreds of thousands of hours in experimental, theoretical, and library research into the relationship between Bible/Science/Evolution. Enough course material is available today to offer University level Bachelors to Doctorate level courses. But since most people are interested only in knowing what is just sufficient for their needs, we are offering this brief short course for them.In this course we will explore the following subjects. You would then find it very easy to face those who question your beliefs and maybe even question theirs!
• Does God Exist?
• Science And God
• Logic And God’s Existence
• The Theory Of Probability
• The Second Law of Thermodynamics
• The Relational Verification
• The Historical Witness Of The Bible
• The Problem Of Pain And Evil
• The Message of the Bible
• Conclusion
Many Christians suffer from what I have come to call a “pious bias.” Simply put, “pious bias” is the presumption that all the people we find in the Bible were “pious”. Many people try to “pietize” Esther, to make her into a great woman of faith and piety. I marvel at what they have to do in order to look upon her in this manner. Here is a woman who is willing to stay in Persia and to sleep with a heathen king, rather than to return to Israel and become the wife of a godly Israelite. Esther never prays, and the name of God is never mentioned throughout the book. Yet some still wish to make her a model saint. Theirs is a monumental task indeed. This book is about unfaithful Jews. The deliverance of the Jews in the Book of Esther is not due to man’s piety, but solely to God’s grace, in spite of Israel’s sins. I pray that God will give us open minds and hearts to look at this book in a different light, to understand it better, and to see its application to our own lives.
- Instruction and downloadable hand-outs which lead you through the Bible;
- Secure access onto the Lutheran Church Charities Web Site, where you can:
- Interact with students across the country and around the world by posting questions and prayer requests and participating in discussions;
- Access video and audio archives of all previous classes;
- Access hundreds of pages of additional class handouts and resources prepared by Tim Hetzner, course instructor.
- Advance Registration
- A $70 annual individual registration fee
- $100 per couple
- Scholarships available
- A commitment to personal study of the text
Each class will last 90 minutes. The each year of this two year course is 30 sessions.
Our textbook for the course is The Bible. We use the Bible - an ancient text, a living text - and we try to enter it, not only to decipher it, but to penetrate it, to become part of it, similar to the way every student becomes part of a teacher's texture. We approach the Bible with fervor and passion as each page is unique. We see history in it. We see revealed truth in it. We see in it human folly as much as Divine Inspiration. Wherever you open it, any page, you know that you are in the presence of something that exists nowhere else.
Classes will begin the Mid-September 2007 with additional new classes starting throughout the year. All classes at a given location will cover the same lesson materials. This gives you the flexibility each week to go to the class that best fits your schedule. Classes will also be available over the internet. You can watch online at any time through our archives (full video or audio-only stream).
Everyone, regardless of church (or lack of) affiliation.
Tim Hetzner. Tim is President of Lutheran Church Charities. Tim has served in parish ministry for over 25 years and has led over 4500 adult students through the Bible. He has lead over 28 study tours to the Middle East: Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria.
- Your registration information will NOT be shared with anyone else or distributed to any other organization or ministry.
- If you are non-Christian or not a member of a church - you WILL NOT be approached by the Host Church to join or be put on any mailing list for them UNLESS you request such. Word Among Us host sites are safe environments to learn!
- If you are a member of another Christian Church, you CANNOT join the Host site church while in a Word Among Us Bible study - we DO NOT BELIEVE in "Sheep Stealing".
- The focus of Word Among Us Bible Studies are to guide, assist and help Adults grow in their understanding of the Bible and the God contained there in - or to put it another way - to understand the Mind, Method, Manner and Ministry of Jesus Christ.
Call the Lutheran Church Charities office toll-free at (866) 455-6466, or click here to fill out the online registration form.
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