You fight like you train.

If you train sloppily, occasionally, or without determination, then when it really matters you will not perform as you desire, but rather as you prepared. You will not be able to deliver a strong attack force if you do not train for it properly. You will not miraculously defeat an opponent in the air if you have not sought to do so in a determined and aggressive manner.

In contrast, if you train hard and work diligently to prepare for the fight, you stand a much better chance of succeeding. Even our culture recognizes the truth of this statement when it says, “Luck favors the prepared.” Of course, that little proverb actually finds its roots in Scripture. Consider the following:

Proverbs 30:25 “Ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer.”

Proverbs 20:18 “Plans are established by counsel, so make war with guidance.” (i.e. get prepared!)

2 Timothy 2:15 “Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.”

The idea behind these verses is that preparation influences outcomes.

One key aspect of our vision is that Blue Ridge is about building believers—equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12-13). That means that we need to be deliberate about training our people so that we will “fight like we train!”

Our Strategic Leadership Development Team has worked to prayerfully and diligently establish a core curriculum for our body so that we can be equipped to effectively fight the spiritual battles that each of us will encounter. They have devised a two-year adult Sunday school curriculum that will be repeated—that way every person at Blue Ridge can obtain this training as they continue to be used by God in this church and community. Each quarter we will be presenting at least two courses to accomplish this goal. Our training will operate in the following quarters and will make available these courses:

Year 1

Spring: Apologetics/Worldview; Finances/Stewardship

Summer: Life Group Leadership; Biblical Manhood; Biblical Womanhood

Fall: Missions; New Testament

Winter: Evangelism; Old Testament

Year 2

Spring: Marriage; Theology/Doctrine

Summer: LIFE group leadership; Mentoring; Servant Leadership

Fall: Missions; Parenting

Winter: Evangelism; Spiritual Disciplines

Of course, each year we will seek to evaluate these courses and determine if we need to add others or change these. However, for now this is what you can plan on. That way, if you find yourself having difficulty choosing a course, you can just remember that it will be offered again!

This month we kick off the 13-week spring curriculum with a study on finances. This is SO important! If your financial situation is not allowing you to serve God as He wants you to, then you have become a slave—and God does NOT want you to be there! As Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” What’s more, how you handle money is a barometer of your faithfulness to what God would entrust to you. Again, we find in Luke 16:11, “If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches?” In other words, when it comes to money—you fight spiritual battles in the same way you are trained in handling money! Perhaps for you, it’s time to get finances under God’s control.

In addition, we will be training you to think biblically regarding your world view, and how you can defend the faith as you engage with others. Our apologetics class will be stimulating, but mostly equipping. Feel weak in how to defend your faith? This might be the class you need today to bolster your own faith, as well as to defend the faith in your community.

Finally, we also will have a newcomers/membership class each Sunday in March during the Sunday school hour. If you want to find out more about Blue Ridge and if you are considering membership, then this is the class for you this month!

Today is the day to start. Don’t just wait for the next time around. It’s time to train—so that you can enter into the fight—in order to win!

Part of the doctrinal Sunday School series.

Is there any greater question in the universe then, “What must I do to be saved?” Come join us as we walk through the doctrine of salvation in all its aspects. Using the doctrinal statement of the church as our reference we will discuss the agreed upon and controversial aspects of this most important doctrine. In addition, we will seek to find out how this is more than knowledge for us, but how these great truths show themselves in our daily lives.

View the handouts and ppt files online below:

Week 1 - Intro and Order of Salvation (view ppt online)

Week 2 – Predestination/Election (view ppt online)
- Notes (view online)
- Dispensational and Covenant Theology Notes (view online)

Week 3 – Atonement

Week 4 – Atonement

Week 5 – Easter: No Sunday School

Week 6 – Election and Calling (view ppt online)

Week 7 – Calling and Regeneration (view ppt online)

Week 8 – Justification

Week 9 – Sanctification

Week 10 – Glorification

Week 11 – What happens when you die?

Week 12 – Eternal Security/Glorification (view ppt online)

Week 13 – Eternal Security/Glorification (view ppt online)

This class is one of four adult Sunday School classes being offered this quarter.

In the early days of the church, no single doctrinal development was as important as the Trinity – as taught systematically in the New Testament. In fact, many were deemed as heretics because of their false teachings with regard to various aspects of this doctrine (such as the denial of both the full deity and the ful humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ).

Even today many cults come to our doors to teach us their thoughts on this doctrine! Join us as we examine this foundational truth through an investigation of our statement of faith, the teachings and heresies in the early church, and by examining the Scriptures to find its importance to us today. We’ll discover that the more we know of God’s revelation of Himself, the deeper our love for Him will be! Continue reading to get the weekly schedule plus additional resources and notes form each week.

Week 1

BRBC Statement of Faith, Worldviews, Existence

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Week 2

Existence and Attributes

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Week 3

Attributes and Names of God

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Week 4

History of Doctrine

Week 5

History of Doctrine

Week 6

Biblical Doctrine

Week 7

Biblical Doctrine (Easter)

Week 8

Doctrine of Christ

Week 9

Doctrine of Christ

Week 10

Doctrine of Christ

Week 11

Doctrine of Holy Spirit

Week 12

Doctrine of Holy Spirit

Week 13

Review/Catch Up

Week 14

Wrap up and Conclusion

The new adult Sunday School class has begun and it is a New Testament Survey course. It is a continuation of the Theology series that started last quarter with An Introduction to the Bible.

The class slides and notes will be posted on this page each week.

New Testament Chart (pdf) – This chart shows all the New Testament in relation to each other chronologically.

Week 1

An introduction to the course and an introduction to the Book of Acts including a basic outline.

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

A Study Outline of Acts (Bible.org)

Acts: Introduction, Outline, and Argument (Bible.org)

Week 2

Overview of James

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

James: Introduction, Outline, and Argument (Bible.org)

Week 3

Paul’s First Journey and Galatians and Jerusalem Council

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Notes (pdf)

Map of Paul’s first missionary journey (Bible.org)

Galatians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

The Jerusalem Council: The Gospel Defined and Defended (Bible.org)

Week 4

Paul’s Second Journey and First and Second Thessalonians

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Map of Paul’s second missionary journey (Bible.org)

1 Thessalonians: Introduction, Outline, and Argument (Bible.org)

2 Thessalonians: Introduction, Argument, Outline (Bible.org)

Week 5

Paul’s Third Journey, First and Second Corinthians and Romans

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Map of Paul’s third missionary journey (Bible.org)

1 Corinthians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

2 Corinthians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Week 6

Review of Romans

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

Romans: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Future weeks:

Week 7

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem and Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon)

Ephesians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Philippians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Colossians: Introduction, Argument, Outline (Bible.org)

Philemon: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Week 8

Pastoral Epistles (First and Second Timothy, Titus)

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

1 Timothy: Introduction, Argument, Outline (Bible.org)

Titus: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Week 9

Pastoral Epistles (Second Timothy)

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)

2 Timothy: Introduction, Argument, and Outline (Bible.org)

Week 10

Hebrews, First and Second Peter, First, Second and Third John, Jude

Week 11

Revelation

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)
Revelation: Introduction, Argument and Outline (Bible.org)

Week 12

Revelation and Wrap-up

PowerPoint Slides (pdf)
Interpretive Models for the Book of Revelation as a Whole (Bible.org)