Prophecy in the Church Today [Thursday Theology Video]

This video is now almost a couple of years old, but a repost is worthwhile. It is from the 2010 EMA and is a discussion on prophecy in the local church between Ian Hamilton (Cambridge Presbyterian Church) and Wayne Grudem (Phoenix Seminary, Arizona). Not only is the topic worthy of some discussion, but I think the whole thing is conducted in a strong positive spirit; which is just how it should be.

Prophecy in the Church >>>

Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology Series

Monergism has just uploaded all 117 classes from Wayne Grudem’s famous  lecture series covering his excellent Systematic Theology book. This should keep these lectures as a stable link for years to come.  In the past they have been moved from place to place killing all of my links.  Thanks to Monergism for hosting these lectures. By the way, the lectures are also available via iTunes.

Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology Series

One of the most helpful free audio resources in the last seven years has been Wayne Grudem’s lectures through his excellent Systematic Theology. He began this lecture series in 2005 at Scottsdale Bible Church and finished in 2009. The series was built around the reading of each chapter and Grudem’s lectures followed the readings.  I recommend you purchase his Systematic Theology to coincide this lecture series.  It is one of the most readable and accessible Systematics I’ve read. Grudem’s lectures are clear, insightful and he is very helpful in laying out all positions on certain difficult and controversial issues.  They are all followed by a short Q&A session.

Christian Essentials (Grudem’s Systematic Theology)>>>

The Purity and Unity of the Church: Grudem Systematic Theology series

Somehow I’ve missed this post in the chronology of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology series.  This message on the purity of the church looks at church discipline, which is not an unloving act, nor a promotion of disunity.  Church discipline seeks the churches purity, not only of the church itself, but the purifying chastening of God in the life of the unrepentant.

The Purity and Unity of the Church mp3 >>>

Tongues, Healing & Prophecy: Grudem Sys Theo

Wayne Grudem tackles the gamut of spiritual giftedness, taking specific classes to focus on the gift of tongues, healing, and prophecy (sometimes inaccurately called a word of knowledge).

Wayne does a gracious job of providing a balance of perspectives. He is not a cessationist, but he does have some helpful controlling ideas that should be true of these gifts and their use. I found this to be a very helpful series of addresses in understanding some of the difficult aspects that these issues tend to carry.

Grudem has almost changed my mind about prophecy and it’s place today. He carefully explains what it’s not, which paves the way for understanding what it is. He did his doctorate on this subject of prophecy, and his efforts in this area should not be quickly dismissed.

There are 3 messages on Chapter 53 of his systematic theology.

Tongues, Healing & Prophecy >>>

Spiritual Gifts: Grudem Sys Theo

Wayne Grudem takes 3 sessions to look carefully at the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the believer in general.  This does not include a specific look at the ecstatic, charismatic gifts.

I think two of the most helpful things to come out of these 3 sessions, which is not talked about so much, is, one, that these lists of gifts that Paul talks about are not meant to be exhaustive.  There are very common and needed gifts for the proper functioning of the church body, such as pastors, teachers, etc. But the Spirit can gift a believer with a giftedness for some very specific work of God, or gifts that are needed in different ages.

And two, giftedness sometimes changes as the needs around believers change.  We are not given wooden gifts that never change.  Giftedness changes according to God’s work among a people.

The Gifts of the Spirit, chapter 52 >>>

Worship: Grudem Sys Theo

Worship is something every Christian should have a strong grasp of .  A great resource is Wayne Grudem’s class on worship, which is part of his Christian Essentials course, the textbook of which is his Systematic Theology book.

Grudem tackles a lot of questions and issues that surface whenever people discuss worship.  What constitutes true worship? Are not our lives to be worship? What guidelines should we use in defining our worship?

One important point that Grudem touches on is that worship should grow out of a life of worship.  If we aren’t living lives of worship during the week we will not be able to correctly switch on worship on Sunday.

Grudem on Worship mp3 >>>