If our theology doesn’t impact how we live then it is absolutely worthless, and I don’t know about you, but at the center of my theology stands a big cross. So here is the question: Do we get to choose who we love? Continue
Jesus Warns Us Against: Failing to Forgive (Matthew 18:21-35)
What do you do when your brother becomes your enemy? When your closest friend becomes your greatest foe? What do you do? When is ‘enough’ enough? Continue
Jesus Warns Us Against: Causing Others to Stumble (Matthew 18:5-9, 15-20)
It is so easy, and even tempting, to think that: My Sin is My Sin. It only affects me—it is my individual sin, and therefore whatever I do only affects me. But the Bible and experience suggest something quite different: your sin is always communal! Continue
Visions: A Sending God (Ezekiel 1-3)
The danger of “Rock Star Christianity” or “Messiah Complex Christianity” is not just that they put you in the center of your theology but they also distort the identity of the Sovereign Lord. Continue
The Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew is a course designed to engage in a “verse-by-verse” study of the first book of the New Testament. Listeners will learn Matthew’s unique presentation of Jesus as the royal Messiah through the various narratives and the five major discourses. Shane interprets the gospel specifically through the lens of “kingdom.” This focus challenges the student to hear Jesus’ words and see his deeds in light of the dominant empires of his day—the Roman Empire and the Jewish elite. Continue
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Mark is a course designed to engage in a “verse-by-verse” study of the second book of the New Testament. Listeners will learn Mark’s unique presentation of Jesus as the powerful servant of God through his brisk narrative style. Shane interprets the gospel with special attention given to literary tactics and imperial interactions. This focus challenges the student to interact with Jesus’s words and deeds with the tension of the first century audience, experiencing the call of Christ anew in the 21st century. Continue
The Book of Acts
The Book of Acts is a “verse-by-verse” study that considers the expansion of Christianity between 30 C.E. and 62 C.E. Shane gives special attention to Luke’s unique theological emphases, imperial interactions, and suffering as a conduit of expansion in the kingdom of God. Hopefully, the listener will develop a reliance on the Holy Spirit and a love for the church through this study. Continue
Imagine: Today’s Church and Matthew 23-25
Shane offers a special study on Matthew 23-25 asking the question, “What would it look like if we imagine the church today functioning like the church of the first century?” The listener will engage various topics emerging from the fifth discourse in Matthew’s gospel, wrestling with the implications for their individual and corporate lives today. Continue
Theology of Biblical Justice
This course explores the theological foundations for biblical justice. Shane traces scriptural themes, including: justice, suffering, the government, poverty, and the church’s response to God’s call for “the least of these.” The listener will be challenged by Shane’s emphasis on Christ’s accomplishments (flowing from his actions and identity) as the conduit through which the identity and actions of the church are forged to produce not just social reform but God’s holistic biblical justice. Continue
Jesus Warns Us Against: A False View of Greatness (Luke 9:51-54; Mark 10:35-45)
I hate the life of John because I feel like I am looking into a mirror of my own soul. But I love the life of John because it shows me there is hope for the transformation of my soul. Continue
Jesus Warns Against: Religious People (Luke 12:1-9)
Hypocrisy is so much more than just hiding behind a mask; it is direct denial of the identity of God. We must remove the masks. Continue
This Changes…the Church (James 4:1-12)
Our love for sin distorts the beauty of the church. So here is the challenge: Stop Sinning! Continue
You Are There (Daniel 6:11-23)
The calling of Christ can lead us, at times, into a den of lions. Yet, victory is not found when the mouths of the lions do not open; victory is found when you exit the tomb alive. Continue
Intro to the Gospels
Intro to the Gospels focuses on critical background issues that develop the undercurrent for the ocean of Gospel studies. Shane covers the historical background preceding (intertestamental period) and concurrent (messianic expectations) with the Gospels, historical critical issues concerning Christ and the Gospels, and various methodologies for studying the Gospels (e.g., literary analysis, etc.). Continue
New Testament Introduction
New Testament Introduction focuses on critical background issues that develop the undercurrent for the ocean of New Testament studies. From an imperial critical perspective, Shane describes the interaction of the Roman socio-historical setting in the books of the New Testament, with corresponding discussions on the benefits and limits of historical interpretation. Continue
Biblical Justice: The Mystery of Becoming
Biblical justice is not a command to obey; it’s an identity to embrace; an identity with an irreversible aversion to all that Genesis 3 accomplished; an identity that stops at nothing to, like Christ, restore all that was broken, even if it means being broken ourselves… Continue
The Road to Damascus: Obedience (Acts 9)
Everyone wants an experience like the road to Damascus, but no one wants to go near where that road ends: obscurity. Continue