Gift For All – Making The Most Of Virus Downtime

by Keith Burnett | Apr 9, 2020 | Blog Page | 0 comments

We have a gift for you! People like gifts. There are big ones, small ones, ‘just-because‘ ones, and those we give to mark or celebrate big events. Dealing with the pandemic certainly qualifies as a big event. But a gift for that??? YES!

The Opening Questions

Which is better: Another episode of The Price Is Right or equipping yourself to build God’s Kingdom? You know the answer. Questions can be pesky things! Properly asked, they give valuable perspective to life. And that’s really the point of this EquipUs surprise package. But first, some quick thoughts for additional perspective.

Life, for believers, is pursuing obedience: If you love Me you will keep My commandments – John 14:15. Here’s a short list related to matters at hand:

Redeem the time we’ve been given – Ephesians 5:15-16 and Colossians 4:5
Study to show yourself approved unto God… – 2 Timothy 2:15
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind… – Romans 12:1-2

Your Gift: Incalculable Value

EquipUs is about Equipping For Life. And the command about redeeming time prompts our action. Our gift to everyone is to open EquipUs U for at least the month of April – maybe into May. Here’s what that means and why it’s important.

Every study course is available at no cost. Simply click any of the EquipUs U links or the course cover pictures and you’ll be taken to our EquipUs U learning site. Enroll in the course(s) of your choice, and let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly – another command found in Colossians 3:16! You’ll be asked to enter your name, email address, and set your own private log-in credentials. Then take the course of your choice at your own pace. Each session contains a video and a downloadable learning guide to follow along as the session is taught.

Stewardship is something that should also be important to every believer. And stewardship is why EquipUs U exists. We are able to develop and teach these courses on the mission field and here at home because many Helping Hands make that possible. Then the continued use of these courses, as funds are available to produce them in video format, is to make them available to pastors, churches, and individuals with a modest fee structure. Those fees help fund the continuing ministry we share with so many.

Incalculable value? If the value was limited to the fees we are temporarily waiving then it would be a simple matter of addition. But is it possible to calculate the value of Biblical obedience? Can we calculate the value to the Kingdom of disciples who are growing in the Word? And then there’s that Well done! we should all be striving for. We really can’t calculate these things in terms of value. The Rewarder of those who seek Him – Hebrews 11:6 – can and will!!!

The Courses

Course Cover Image

Genesis: The Essential Nature Of The Beginning is currently in production. All the courses are available in MODULES. Each module contains 5 lessons. When you login, you will see Module 1 and Module 2. Please note: All modules are set up to allow you to progress through the material. You cannot open Module 1 and start with Session 3. Completing Session 1 will open up Session 2, etc.

What is it about Genesis that is essential? This course covers Genesis 1-11, And Session 1 gets right to the point of why the study is so important. It may surprise you to know that Jesus linked faith in Him to faith in Genesis. That’s pretty challenging, but it’s true. I challenge you take the course. It will instruct you, build you, confront you, and most of all – equip you!

Sermon On The Mount: The Essential Nature Of Disciples

Module 1 is complete. Module 2 will be online very soon. All the videos for this course have been recorded and we are producing them as fast as financially possible.

If you have never done an in-depth study of Jesus’ landmark sermon, then this is the course you need. Who is in Jesus’ Kingdom? What is the nature of Kingdom Citizens? How is their nature exhibited? These questions, and many more, are addressed in the Sermon On The Mount.

There is a common reaction to these courses. Everywhere they’ve been taught, students have referred to them as ‘markers’ in life and ministry – there was life before this course and then there’s life after this course. It is indeed the Word of God that takes root in us and accomplishes God’s purposes. Take the challenge, study the Sermon, and be transformed!

The Essential Nature Of The Church

This is the initial course for our learning platform. And there are some helpful things for you to know about this course. First, it was developed to prepare pastors for church planting. My underlying premise was this: If a person is going to build something (house, a business, a church), then it’s essential for them to know what the finished product looks like and how it’s supposed to function.

As the course developed, the realization set in that we define things in relation to our past experiences, our expectations, and/or our culture. That is true in defining church. And that became the monumental challenge in putting this course together – How to define and describe the Church without reference to tradition, denomination, expectation, or culture. Needless to say, completing this course was one of those life markers for me!

Whichever course(s) you take, use this gift as an aid in obedience in redeeming the time and to our Lord’s instructions: