Spiritual Quotes
Syllabus
Epic Bible College & Graduate School
CM110: Spiritual Formation
Al Soto. MA., Professor
Office Hours: Mondays/Tuesdays 3:00 – 5:00PM or by appointment by phone and Skype alsoto50
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INTRODUCTION Ministry is service in the name of the Lord. It is bringing the good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to captives and new sight to the blind, setting the downtrodden free and announcing the Lord’s year of favor (Luke 4:18). Spirituality is paying attention to the Life of the spirit in us; it is going out to the desert or up to the mountain to pray; it is standing before the Lord with open heart and open mind; it is crying out, ‘Abba Father!’ It is contemplating the unspeakable beauty of our loving God.’
I consider that the spiritual life is the life of [one’s] real self, the life of that interior self whose flame is so often allowed to be smothered under the ashes of anxiety and futile concern. The spiritual life is oriented toward God, rather than toward the immediate satisfaction of the material needs of life, but it is not, for all that, a life of unreality or a life of dreams. On the contrary, without a life of the spirit, our whole existence becomes unsubstantial and illusory. The life of the spirit, by integrating us in the real order established by God, puts us in the fullest possible contact with reality — not as we imagine it, but as it really is. It does so by making us aware of our own real selves, and placing them in the presence of God.
Of all the possible requests the disciples made of Jesus, what stands out in the gospels is “Teach us to pray.” There is nothing recorded about requesting Jesus to teach them how to preach, how to build a dynamic leadership team, how to heal the sick, how to discern the future, how to defeat foreign occupiers, or how to relate meaningfully with culture. Why were the disciples so interested in prayer? What did they learn?
- COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course covers the foundational Biblical truths pertaining to the process of Christian development from the new birth towards maturity in one’s walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Special emphasis will be given to study in the following areas: cultivating a devotional life, hearing the voice of God, praise and worship, studying the Word of God, commitment to the local church, prayer, fasting, and fruit bearing in the life of the believer.
- COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Recognize the Biblical principles of the growth process of the believer. Examine one’s own theology of spiritual formation by studying selected scripture passages including those that frame the dynamics of the classical Christian pilgrimage. Summarize the “disciplines” required for Christian maturity. Identify with sensitivity the deeper meaning of the scriptures as they are implement in one’s life. Probe the role of the community in spiritual formation and the outcome of mission and service to others. Describe in detail how advanced cultures have declined because the moral and spiritual fibers of its people have failed.
III. TEXTBOOKS
- Colburn, Tana Aivaz, Epic MLA Handbook. Epic Bible College, Print. Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline, San Francisco: Harper
Publishing, 1998. Print.
- ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING PROCEDURES
- Letter grades will be in accordance with the standard grading scale of EBC:
- Late assignments:
- The following EBC policy on late assignments will be strictly adhered to:
- Late assignments may be e-mailed to the professor or may be submitted to the EBC office.
Those assignments turned in at the office MUST be date/time stamped by an office staff member.
the guidelines according to EBC policy as stated above. The student will be charged a make-up fee.
- Poor attendance and tardiness: A student is counted Tardy until 15 minutes into the class; after 15 minutes, the student will be counted absent. The same policy applies should a student leave before the class session is completed. Attendance points are awarded for being on time to class. If you are tardy you do not receive any points. Three tardies count as one absence. According to EBC policy, students are accountable for attending all classes. Students whose absences (tardies plus absences) exceed 2 classes per quarter will be placed on Academic Probation.
Stanley, Andy. Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2012.
Walkemeyer, Kevin W. Mannoia and Larry. 15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors: How to Strengthen Your Inner Core and Ministry Impact. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2007
Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, 2002.
William Willimin, M. Robert Mulholland Jr., Steve Harper, Marjorie J. Thompson, Bill Hybels,
Reginald Johnson, John David Walt, Jan Johnson, Neil B. Wiseman, Douglas S. Hardy, Morris A. Weigelt, E. Dee Freeborn. The Pastor’s Guide to Personal Spiritual Formation. Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 2005.
Wiseman, H.B. London and Neil B. Pastors at Risk. Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1993.
Read Chapter 6 of Celebration of Discipline
Reading due Oct. 5
Read Chapter 8 of Celebration of Discipline
Reading due Oct. 19
Quiz #2 25 points
Week 9 – Oct. 19 Guidance: In Class Retreat
Read Chapter 9 of Celebration of Discipline
Read Chapter 10-12 of Celebration of Discipline
Response paper is due Nov. 5
Reading due Nov. 2
Week 11 – Nov. 2 Final Exam
Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Living Reminder: Service and Prayer in Memory of Jesus Christ. San Francisco:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1977, p 12.
Thomas Merton, No Man Is An Island. San Diego: A harvest book/Harcourt, Inc., 1955, 1983, pp. ix-x.
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