A true understanding of discipleship is so foundational to Jesus’ vision for Christianity that it is the subject of HIs first recorded sermon in Matthew’s Gospel. It’s only about 2,000 words yet it compasses a breathtaking vision for renewed humanity, and has grasped the imagination of the world since it was preached. This first Study Day takes us through the whole sermon, leaving us with an overview of Life according to Jesus.

How can we help disciples build an unshakeable commitment to the Gospel, and to the proclaiming of that Gospel? The Apostle Paul’s answer to that question is the Book of Romans. Written to inspire a Church to join with him in mission, it remains the most exhaustive exploration, application an celebration of the Gospel as the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who beleives.

The whole context for our disicpleship is our hope, our anticipation of the return of Christ and the renewal of all things. This hope motivates us and gives us a perspective from which to make sense of our expereince of following Jesus. We live as we do now, as an epxression of our faith in what will be then. Jesus understood how critical our vision of the End of the Age would prove to be, and He spent a long time teaching His disciples to understand and ground that vision in their own hearts and minds.

The Apocalypse (unveiling or revelation) of St. John is a part of the Bible that causes confusion and anxiety for many Christians. This optional Study Day gives us a chance to workthrough the whole book, making sense of the imagery, and showing how it forms a coherent whole, designed to help us undestand the world we live in, to make sense of the suffering and persecution of the Church, and to inspire us to meet that suffering with faith in Christ and the desire to see Him glorified.