Attending regular church services is often an important part of the Christian life. But more adults find that corporate worship and preaching sometimes do not satisfy all their spiritual needs. Small-group Bible studies are a good supplement to these types of traditional services. These Bible studies allow individuals to connect more individually with others in the same season of life and deal with the same challenges. Let’s look at several good topics for adult Bible studies. 

Relationships

Relationships can be complicated, even in the most ideal situations. Relationships can become overly complicated and even downright damaging when situations are not ideal. Finding healthy and scriptural ways to navigate relationships is crucial to any Christian’s walk of faith. Adult Bible studies are a great place to explore relationships and dig into what the Bible has to say about our interactions with others on a deeper level. 

Marriage

Closely related to the previous topic is marriage. It can be put into a category all by itself because it is one of the most vital and crucial relationships you will experience. Marriages are crucial to the raising of children, the development of healthy sexuality, and the growth of homes, churches, and communities. There is really no area of our society that will not somehow be affected by marriage at its foundation. 

Because of the significant impact marriage has on human life and society, it is no wonder that this should be a serious topic for adult Bible studies on a regular basis. Establishing and maintaining a healthy marriage seems like an easy decision for most people. Still, in reality, many people are confused about what constitutes a good marriage and what is needed to maintain it in a healthy and spiritual way. 

People want guidance in this area but often feel ashamed that they simply do not know instinctively. There is a huge misconception that good marriages just happen to lucky people. This is absolutely not the case. Good marriages are all about hard work, understanding the physical and emotional needs of the other person, and getting to know your partner on a very deep and intimate level. These things can often not be accomplished without the help of spiritual mentors and the scriptures. 

Parenting 

Right up under marriage is the important role of parenting. Like marriage, many people assume that they should instinctively know how to do this job right. This is rarely the case. In fact, parenting can be even more confusing than marriage because you often deal with multiple children, whereas you only deal with one marriage partner. 

Bible studies focusing on parenting should be available for parents in all different seasons of parenting. This is important because parenting toddlers is an entirely different job from parenting pre-teens and teens. Parenting young adults is also its own special challenge as well. 

Parenting Bible studies need to be run by seasoned parents who have already spent time in the trenches and understand how to navigate this important job with grace and scriptures. 

Finances

Finances can be a highly personal and troublesome aspect of human life. Many often experience a great amount of shame and confusion regarding finances, making this an important topic for adult Bible studies. It is important when planning a study on finances, though, that it is approached from a relevant and relatable perspective to the group you will be teaching. Not everyone will have the same starting place regarding finances and financial goals. To avoid adding additional shame or confusion, those attending a Bible study on finances must be in similar financial situations with similar financial goals. It is also important that the person leading such a Bible study takes these details into consideration. 

Grief

Grief is a unique season of life, but unfortunately, it will touch all of us at one time or another. When individuals are experiencing grief, it is both a spiritual, physical, and mental experience. This is a time in life when humans deeply need to know that they are not alone and that joy cometh in the morning. 

Individuals can easily get lost in grief when they do not have a healthy, scriptural understanding of this natural yet spiritual process. 

Grief Bible studies should only be led by someone who has experienced a period of grief themselves and has a solid understanding of grief and the grieving process in the context of the scriptures. This class should be kept small and taught with compassion and a deep understanding of the scriptures.

For more information, contact Pan American Broadcasting today and start sharing God’s Word with people throughout the world.

Often when we think of spreading the Gospel, we think in terms of reaching those in our own communities. Even in this context, it can be easy to start identifying challenges to that goal. However, these types of challenges really pale in comparison to the challenges faced on a larger scale of spreading the Gospel to those in other countries, especially those that suffer under repressive regimes.

The truth is these countries’ citizens are probably in dire need of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at some of the methods and techniques that have worked well for missionaries in these countries.

Media

One of the most effective ways to spread the Gospel in these situations is to use the media as extensively as it can be allowed. Media can be an internationally used tool, meaning that missionaries may not even need to physically be in the country they are trying to reach.

When we talk about using media to spread the Gospel, we are talking about television programming and social media, websites, audio recordings, pamphlets, and shortwave and radio broadcasting.

Because social media is a very powerful form of media, we will discuss that more in-depth below.

Historically, many Christians in repressed countries attribute television broadcasting as one of the first ways they heard the Gospel. Although television broadcasts that contradict government indoctrination are often unavailable for very long, the window of time it is available can greatly impact those exposed to it. This makes it worth the effort, even if it will be temporary.

Websites promoting the Gospel make videos available and provide Bible study materials. Websites can also be a safe place to create community among those seeking answers to their questions concerning the Gospel and Christianity.

Radio continues to be a viable and powerful communication tool in today’s world. It makes it able to reach a large audience and gets your message to the people.

Social Media

Social media has quickly become a powerful way for people to connect over many different topics or just to connect in general. Social media is often not as strictly monitored in repressive countries as other forms of media.

Another great aspect of social media is that it is often free to start accounts and use them for spreading the Gospel. This can be a very important way for people to build community and begin their discipleship journey.

Social media is also a great option because it allows missionaries to interact with people even if they are not located locally. This increases a missionary’s reach in an area or even opens up an extremely far-removed ministry area.

Discipleship Platforms

Beyond simply sharing the Gospel is the very important job of discipleship. Many people overlook this crucial aspect of the salvation journey. You might think discipleship would be difficult or impossible in countries with repressive governments. Online platforms can be a very useful way to accomplish this. Online platforms provide a consistent way for people to interact with each other over a long time, and this is exactly what is needed to disciple people effectively.

Business Opportunities

Missionaries have discovered over the last several decades one effective way of making inroads into countries that are believed to be closed off to the Gospel. Many countries that are closed to the Gospel are often also considered underdeveloped countries. There is usually an attraction for experienced workers in trade, energy, agriculture, social services, education, etc.

Although a missionary may not be allowed to enter a country for the sole purpose of ministry, they may be allowed in if they are willing to provide one of these services to a community. Once established in the country, connections and relationships can be forged, which will open doors for ministry.

Focused Intentionality

Missionaries and ministries must show intentionality when it comes to accessing populations in these countries. Ministers and those they try to reach can be put in danger without careful intentionality.

Closed countries often have stiff consequences for those caught actively preaching, proselyting, or spreading the Gospel. Individuals undertaking these types of ministries need special training to learn how to operate safely and effectively.

When ministers do not understand how to operate this way, they can compromise decades of work that has been done by others within the country. They can also compromise the safety of many people.

There is a need not only for careful training but also for careful vetting of individuals interested in this type of work.

There is controversy among some Christians concerning the level of covert secrecy that must accompany these types of ministries. Some argue that the level of secrecy required verges on dishonesty. But in reality, this is exactly what Matt 10:16 speaks of when we are encouraged to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” The intention behind these activities is what matters. When the intention is to spread the Gospel, no harm befalls someone. Being dishonest for selfish purposes, however, always harms people. This is the difference.

Training A Generation

One of the most important ways we can hope to reach those in closed countries is to actively invest in the next generation of missionaries. Churches need to get back to focusing on foreign missions and encouraging and preparing young people for work in difficult regions. The focus must shift from a self-centered, easy-to-navigate local church-only Christianity to a longer vision reaching beyond our communities.

Contact Pan American Broadcasting today and start sharing God’s Word with people throughout the world.

Happy Radio Day! We found this great article that we think our visitors might enjoy https://newscentral.africa/radio-as-a-veritable-tool-for-the-promotion-of-peace-in-africa/

You’ve finally found the perfect Bible study for your next group meeting.  You want to make sure that this study is practical and impactful. The ways you promote your study will influence your message. If you want to make the most of the time you are investing, it is good to plan your promotion carefully.

A successful Bible study starts way before your first scheduled study session. It begins with thoughtful promotion. Let’s look at a few helpful ways to promote your next Bible study with Pan American Broadcasting.

Promote Early

If you want the best response and attendance from others, you should start promoting the study early. To increase excitement and ensure that people can plan to come, you should start spreading the word two months before your first session. This may seem like a while, but this is an excellent way to help people carve out time for the study.

Adding something new to a schedule can be daunting. Give people plenty of time to schedule this.

Official Announcements

Your upcoming Bible study should be a regular part of church announcements. This will keep the event at the forefront of everyone’s minds. If your church offers many different avenues for announcing upcoming events, be sure to use all of the various options.

Sign Ups

It is super important that you make sign-ups available early on. You can encourage attendants with special prizes, such as a drawing for the first X number of people who sign up. This also provides a fun kick-off night activity when you draw the name for the prize.

Make sign-up easy by providing sign-up sheets in multiple locations.

Posters

Your Bible study will need a few posters promoting the study’s name, date, and time. Choose high-traffic areas in the church where you are sure your targeted audience will see the info. Sometimes people miss information in the announcements, so posters are a great backup to ensure the information is getting out there.

If the study you are conducting provides promotional posters, take advantage of that. If the study does not have ready-made posters, creating a few of your own is easy. You can make them look more professional by printing images at home and then mounting them on a poster board or foam board.

Promotional Video

A lot of ready-made Bible studies that you can purchase will come with a promo video that you can use. Make use of these. If you don’t have access to this tool, don’t hesitate to create your own video. Creating an eye-catching video is easy by using simple slide show software such as Google Slides or Adobe Spark Video. This is an excellent opportunity to learn something new and create a great promotional tool for the study. Or consider announcing the service over a radio broadcast!

Invitation Cards

Another wonderful way to promote your upcoming Bible study is to create invitation cards. Again, some Bible studies come bundled with all of these types of promotional materials. If you have access to that, great, use it. But even if you don’t, you can still create beautiful postcard-style invites at sites like Vista Print. Work with church staff to get a mailing list of everyone who would fit the potential audience.

Receiving one of these in the mail may reach people who would have otherwise been unaware of the event.

It is also a good idea to have extra printed so enthusiastic helpers can pass them out in other places.

Email Invite

Don’t stop with snail mail. The email invite is yet another way to keep the information moving. Even if someone has seen your other announcements, this is a great way to send a little reminder. Making digital signup available through your email invite is also helpful. This provides yet another way to connect with potential attendees.

Social Media

Today, social media plays a significant role in how we receive information. Use the social media channels that your church offers if they exist. Post your details if you have the ability to do so. If the church has a designated social media manager, get in touch with them to make sure your announcement is made on social media and to establish a regular timetable for when it will be made up until the date.

This is also a good place to add a digital sign-up option. Contact us to learn more or to get your group promoted over the radio!

The Autonomy of the Local Church

The average churchgoer likely gives little thought to the church’s organizational structure. This topic has been a critical aspect of church history, and even today, it influences how a church operates. The organizational structure of a church will affect how church business is managed, how discipline is carried out, and how the church can grow and change over time.

For these reasons, the topic of church autonomy is an important one, and one that companies like Pan American Broadcasting should consider when working with congregations. The New Testament teaches that the local church should be autonomous, but when we look at what this means, we quickly realize that many churches do not fall into this definition.

Let’s take a look at church autonomy to get a better understanding of this important Biblical concept.

What Does Autonomy Mean?

In general, the term autonomy or autonomous means self-governed. It means that an organization is not under the rule or authority of a higher entity.

When we discuss church autonomy, however, it is important to remember that the church can never be truly autonomous because it is always under the authority of God and the Word of God. So, when discussing church autonomy, we are really discussing how the church is organized and run here on earth.

Let’s be clear on another point as well: the local church vs. the universal church. When the Bible refers to “the church,” it references the universal church, the body of believers throughout the history of the world. When discussing church governance and autonomy, we refer to the local church. This would include a physical church where local believers gather to worship and serve.

With these terms more clearly defined, our question becomes, “What does the Bible teach concerning the local church’s autonomy?”

New Testament Examples

If we claim to be a New Testament church, we must use New Testament churches as our example. Thankfully, there is recorded history concerning many New Testament churches established during Paul’s ministry.

The reoccurring theme throughout studying these churches is that each church’s organization, authority, and governance began and ended with that individual local church. Indeed, the Apostle Paul and other leaders often assisted several churches. Paul was a minister to many churches as he traveled. This was out of necessity, though; it was not a directive of God that one man should travel to many churches and minister through epistle letters.

The most crucial point we can take away from the New Testament example is that no overloading, established organization ruled these churches. Each church ruled its own affairs, with the assistance of Paul as a traveling minister who provided guidance and messages from God through his epistles.

Scriptural Basis

As in all areas of life in which we believe in the Gospel, we must have a scriptural basis for this. One crucial point here is to note that not only is it important when searching through the scriptures to find overt examples of certain activities, but it is also important when you find no examples of a specific activity. This is also significant if you find no example of something being done or said. There are no examples in the New Testament churches of one church attempting to rule over another church. There is no example of a group forming or being established by God to rule over the collective New Testament churches. This is significant in our study of church autonomy.

We find 1 Peter 5:1-3 in which Paul references “the elders who are among you” should “shepherd the flock of God, which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly…being examples to the flock.” Here we see the recurring theme that the congregation’s leaders were “among” the community. They were not displaced to some other location, ruling from afar. These were local leaders leading a local church.

Also, in Acts 14:23, “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed and fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Individual elders were established for each church.

Responsibilities That Fall Under Church Autonomy

The scriptures clearly set an example that local leaders should lead each local church in that congregation and that the church is not obligated to outside rule or organization.

Under this church autonomy, the following responsibilities are held:

• Church organization
• Appointment of leaders
• Appropriation of funds
• Church discipline
• Church growth
• Other categories as deemed necessary by that local church.

Contact us to learn more if you have any questions about this concept or are interested in establishing a Christian radio broadcast!

What Are the 5 Sermons?

In the Gospel of Matthew, there are five discourses that are presented as lessons. These are called the Five Discourses of Matthew, and many different theologians have interpreted them throughout history.

The Five Discourses of Matthew are five sermons given by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. These teachings are important because they reveal how he wants us to live our lives and how we should treat each other. They give us insight into who Jesus was, what his mission was, and how he fulfilled it.

The Sermon on the Mount

This discourse is one of the most crucial teachings in the Bible. It was given by Jesus to his disciples shortly after he had begun his ministry. In this sermon, Jesus teaches his disciples how to live out God’s love and grace in their daily lives.

The Sermon on the Mount has five primary purposes:

1. To teach us how to live as God’s children in this world
2. To show us how to live as we grow closer to God
3. To show us how we should treat others because of our relationship with Jesus
4. To teach us that, as Christians, we are bound to love and serve all people
5. To help us recognize that discipleship means giving up everything for God’s kingdom

Mission Discourse

The Mission Discourse is a series of teachings Jesus gave to his disciples. It is frequently considered one of the most important sermons in Christianity.

This sermon is a discourse given by Jesus to his disciples after going up to a mount. It contains the names and missions of the twelve apostles.

This sermon is important because it is where Jesus outlines the mission of the apostles, which is to spread his word to all of those who would listen so that they may be saved from their sins. The salvation brought by Jesus’ teachings is one of God’s most important purposes for humankind.

Parabolic Discourse

The Parabolic Discourse is a sermon given by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, in which he provides several parables for the Kingdom of Heaven. The purpose of this discourse is to help shed light on what the Kingdom of Heaven is like and how it relates to their lives.

The Parabolic Discourse is significant as part of God’s purpose in that it enlightens us on what God has done for us and how we might demonstrate His love in our daily lives. It helps define God’s purposes and that He created us to love Him and each other so we can enjoy a relationship with Him forever through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Discourse on the Church

The Discourse on the Church is a sermon that focuses on the qualities of modesty and selflessness as the highest values in the envisioned group. It teaches that in God’s kingdom, the most important qualities are modesty and the spirit of a child.

This sermon is important as one of God’s Purposes because it emphasizes humility and service over greed, pride, and power. It teaches that we can only coexist peacefully with others if we first learn to be humble by adopting a simple lifestyle and putting the needs of others before our own.

Discourse on End Times

This passage is often understood to refer to the impending destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the End Times, although scholarly consensus is far from settled on the extent to which these events overlap and which passages refer to which catastrophe.

It has been important throughout history because it reminds us that we must be prepared for Christ’s return at any moment. Therefore, we should use this passage to reflect on our lives and ask ourselves if we are living as if Jesus’ return could occur today or tomorrow.

Why Are These 5 Sermons So Significant?

Jesus Christ gave the Five Discourses of Matthew to explain why we should endeavor to live a godly life in accordance with God’s desire. In addition, the most important thing we can do at Pan American Broadcasting is to spread the message by demonstrating these ideals in our daily lives. We will have fulfilled one of God’s goals, which is to spread His love and joy across the globe via our deeds so that others may be saved from eternal punishment. We are excited to welcome ministries to share their spiritual messages on a variety of Christian radio broadcasting platforms. If you are interested in doing so or would like to inquire more about these outreach opportunities through one of our shortwave radio stations, please contact us today.