Overall Rating of All Courses
User Reviews
Challenging and encouraging!
I loved this course both because 1) the content and teaching was, as usual, inspiring and challenging (and exciting, as it helps me to see more clearly how to truly live as a citizen of God’s Kingdom), and 2) because it reminded me why I’ve been so grateful to discover David Bercot and now The Historic Faith. I’ve been impressed and refreshed by the full and balanced teaching here; I love the deep and honest teaching and the call to an obedient and holy life, and yet David’s second module is entirely devoted to taking great care to not fall into the trap of Pharisaism. I listened to module on the Gospel of Jesus about the Poor twice already because that is one of the areas I’m most excited to grow in, as it was and is so central to the heart of Jesus and the gospel of the Kingdom. Lastly, the first module, “Obedience is not Legalism”, was one of my favorites in the course because I have often felt frustrated at how falsely and loosely Christians use the term.
I highly recommend going through “Radical Christian Living”!
Great Course
This course reviews many Scriptures from the Old Testament that thoroughly and remarkably predicted many details of the birth, life, death, resurrection and eternal kingship and priesthood of Christ.
Very interesting and insightful
I knew very little about some of the leaders highlighted in this course before taking it. I found the lesson on the apostles especially paradigm-shifting. In some of the later lessons, it was harder to make the connection between the talk and the focus of the course. I would have appreciated more application made about what true greatness involves. But overall, very worth the time to gain the spiritual lessons found here!
Grow your faith
I have been aware of David’s work for many years and read at least one of his books. I appreciate the courses ability to challenge the way I think, and help me to respectfully question the status quo.
Lots of Very Important Lessons, both Inspiring and Sobering, From Anabaptist History
This course was filled with lots of real-life stories and examples, many of which are very inspiring, and many of which are very sobering. There are many things to appreciate about this course:
1) First and foremost, above all else, the Christ-centeredness of this course really stood out to me. We need to continually make sure that our center and our focus remains Jesus and His teachings. Amen, dear brother Dean. Amen and Amen!
2) The frequent use of quotations from many primary sources, such as the letters of Conrad Grebel, the Hutterite Chronicles, the writings of Menno Simmons, the Martyrs Mirror, 20th century sources, etc. really helped bring all the historical figures and historical movements alive.
3) I really appreciated the “warts and all” approach this course used. While there are so many stories of bearing witness to Christ in hostile situations, living faithfully for Christ, and remaining faithful unto death in Anabaptist history that should inspire us individually and collectively, there are also lots of examples of mistakes and failures that should serve as warnings to sober us. The fact that the many splits and occasional strange teachings were covered in a honest and transparent way was very much appreciated.
4) Conveying the incredible focus on missions that has persisted throughout Anabaptist history right up to the present time was a real eye-opener. The amazing success of the Anabaptists in places such as Indonesia and East Africa was really thrilling to hear about.
5) The course definitely ended on a very high note – a resounding “altar call” to be history makers and not history stoppers!
The few quibbles I have with this course are incredibly minor, especially considering that these lectures were recorded years ago, somewhere back in the 2013 timeframe.
1) I know that once the Anabaptists began spreading out all over Europe (which happened rapidly!), it is difficult to juggle the history of all the different areas (Swiss, Dutch, Moravian, etc.). Even so, the placement of Lecture 11 “The Birth of the Amish”, was a bit jarring since it suddenly advanced what had been a story of the 1500’s up to the 1690’s/early 1700’s. The start of Lecture 12 then fell back to the earliest Anabaptist days again. A minor quibble for sure, but there may be a better place in the sequence of the lectures for Lecture 11.
2) Speaking of the late 1600’s/early 1700’s, I personally would like to have heard more about the influence of Pietism upon the various Anabaptist groups.
3) I also would like to have heard more regarding any “brotherly agreements” that the various Anabaptist groups wrote up to help regulate life in their communities. It was great to hear about the tremendous sacrifices regarding missions and martyrdom, but it also takes a crucified life to live day-by-day, week-by-week, year-by-year in a close-knit fellowship of believers. The spirit of self-sacrificial love that is required for long-term stability of Christian fellowships is always something that I need to hear more about.
Compared to the solid strong points of these lectures, those are minor quibbles indeed. I definitely rated this course 5 stars out of 5 stars. As someone who fellowships with a “Restoration Movement” congregation, I learned a lot. But even more, I heard many lessons to take to heart and put into practice in my daily living and my family’s daily living. I heard many testimonies that were truly inspiring, and also many examples of mistakes that I pray to God we learn from and never repeat. But mostly, I saw the desperate need for kingdom Christians to continually keep all things centered on Jesus Christ and His teachings.
Much needed !
This is great resource of the old testament prophecies all in one place.
Hidden Nugget
At first glance, this course really doesn’t look very appealing. But some of the stuff covered in this course are very foundational and important. Recommended to anyone.
Exciting
We are Israel of God. Great course that really shows beyond any doubt that new covenant Christians are the Israel of God and the children of Abraham.
Well done
Well put together and very informative
Beneficial for worldview
We could do the world good to walk this way!
Shadows of Christ (Mini Course)
The series focuses on prophecies about the resurrection of Jesus. My hope is that this series of lessons will strengthen the faith of Christians and open their eyes to the importance of the Old Testament. I also hope that these lessons will be useful in helping unbelievers come to faith in Jesus Christ, based on the evidence of the fulfilled prophecies that were written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
Truth about Baptism: Infant or Believers
The series focuses on prophecies about the resurrection of Jesus. My hope is that this series of lessons will strengthen the faith of Christians and open their eyes to the importance of the Old Testament. I also hope that these lessons will be useful in helping unbelievers come to faith in Jesus Christ, based on the evidence of the fulfilled prophecies that were written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
Expository Teaching Using Early Christian Insights
A church is only as strong as its doctrine. Those who aspire to be teachers, whether for a church office, leadership position on a missionary team, small group, or family devotions, accept a weighty responsibility. Like any important skill, the ability to teach effectively and accurately must be developed. This course draws upon the Septuagint and early Christian sources to offer practical advice for Bible fanatics who want to communicate the truths of God's word (and especially Old Testament connections to Christ). In the last three modules of the course, Chuck Pike will demonstrate how he would teach through three challenging Bible passages.
Matthew the Chief Gospel
Bring the Scriptures to life — not by garbing the people of the first century in twenty-first-century clothes — but by clothing them in ancient garments.
Resurrection Prophecies
The series focuses on prophecies about the resurrection of Jesus. My hope is that this series of lessons will strengthen the faith of Christians and open their eyes to the importance of the Old Testament. I also hope that these lessons will be useful in helping unbelievers come to faith in Jesus Christ, based on the evidence of the fulfilled prophecies that were written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
The Holy Spirit
If you have more confusion than clarity concerning the Holy Spirit, you're not alone. Some groups have treated the Spirit as a license for casting off scriptural authority. Others have reacted by minimizing His role. The result is that teaching about the third person of the Trinity often leaves much to be desired. But Jesus did not intend for His followers to linger in confusion; rather, he wanted them to realize the Spirit's power in their lives. We hope that this course will begin to clarify the Holy Spirit for you: what Jesus taught the disciples about it, how the early Christians thought about it, and how the Holy Spirit is alive today.
Christians & Politics: A Challenge From History
Join Dean Taylor for this three-part series as he looks at the landscape of Christian involvement in politics. Dean takes a historical approach to see what happens every time Christians get involved in the political arena. By diagnosing pervasive Constantinism found throughout history he will challenge you to rethink how the Church should engage the culture today.
Radical Reformation History
Anabaptist history is still quite relevant today, as many of the questions that shaped the Anabaptist movement during and after its inception persist in modern churches.
Prove It: Old Testament Proofs That Jesus is the Messiah
Despite the explosion of Christianity throughout the world during the first few centuries after Christ, few Christians today present and defend the story of Jesus using the tactics of the earliest evangelists. In this 5-part series, Chuck Pike demonstrates the time-tested relevance of scriptural proofs for the gospel.
Divine Secrets: Decoding 666, Antichrist, and the Rapture
Divine Mysteries: Exploring the Trinity, Evil, and Human Destiny
This is a collection of assorted lectures from David Bercot on a variety of historical church doctrines as well as…
Change of Allegiance
What is Calvinism's view of God? Where did it originate? Is it a Biblical system of thought? In this engaging new course, Finny Kuruvilla slices through the theological jargon and offers an accessible response to TULIP.
Headship and Head-Covering: Interpreting 1 Corinthians 11 in the 21st Century
In this course, Finny Kuruvilla carefully exegetes the biblical text and shows how Christians have understood this passage historically. Kuruvilla…
Myth of Christian America?
This is a series of stimulating messages by David Bercot on the history of the United States from its European…
Historic Christianity vs Calvinism
What is Calvinism's view of God? Where did it originate? Is it a Biblical system of thought? In this engaging new course, Finny Kuruvilla slices through the theological jargon and offers an accessible response to TULIP.
Radical Christian Living
Radical is a scary term. For some, it holds the connotation of religious extremism, such as Islamic terrorists. Some think…
True Greatness
Embark on a journey through history to discover what it means to be a great leader in the kingdom of…
The Bible: Exploring Facts and Myths About the Word of God
Are we reading the same Bible as the Apostles? Should we only use the King James Version of the Bible?…
Bible and Early Church History
The Word of God is by far the most important written document the world possesses. But the Bible wasn’t written…
Historical Kingdom Christian Movements
Have you ever wondered if there have always been faithful kingdom Christian movements? In this course, you will explore movements…
Church Life: AD 150
Explore the practice of the early Church and compare it to modern Christianity. Studying Church life shortly after the last…
Salvation: Mechanical or Relational?
Did the early Christians believe that we are saved by faith alone? Does obedience play a role in salvation? What the early Christians believed about salvation, works, free will, and more may surprise you.
Christian Citizenship
Explore what it meant to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God in the earliest years of the faith.…
The Life of the Early Christians
Have you ever wondered what Christians believed in the first few generations after the apostles? Before there were state churches,…
“What is the Historic Christian Faith?”
What is The Historic Faith? What is the Kingdom of God? What is Life all about? How do I know who to trust? These are big questions that you will explore during this Introduction to The Historic Faith.