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Theology of Work

Dr. Gerry Breshears explores key questions such as who God is, what he has created people to be, how being the image of God affects the way we approach work, and what is the role of spiritual gifts in our job.
Number of lessons: 10
Total length: 5 hours
format: Video and Audio
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About This Class

We are created in God's image and God invites us to be co-workers with him. By developing and using the spiritual gifts God has given us, the tasks we perform when we work have eternal significance in themselves. We also have opportunities to interact with our co-workers, promote justice and enjoy times of rest.

So what is God calling you to do? Is his calling only for pastors and “professional ministers” or is it something that applies to all of his people? Dr. Gerry Breshears, professor of systematic theology at Western Seminary, explores key questions such as who God is, what he has created people to be, how being the image of God affects the way we approach work, and what is the role of spiritual gifts in our job. This course will expand your vision of what work is all...

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About the Professor

Gerry Breshears

Dr. Gerry Breshears is a professor of theology and program director of the Master of Applied Biblical Leadership degree. at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He accepted Christ as his personal savior when he was eight years old and after spending four years (during his high school and college years) intellectually skeptical of Christianity, he recommitted to being a disciple of Christ.
Gerry Breshears

Lessons

  • 1. Overview
    The theology of work involves every Christian’s vocation as a ministry, focusing on God’s creative energy expressed in service to others to create shalom, with insights into gifts, priesthood, justice, and the universal priesthood concept from the Reformation.
  • 2. Who God Is: Pictures of God
    Understand God is a relational, self-giving being within the Trinity, inviting humans into a covenant partnership, unlike other religious views that see God as remote or pantheistic, and explore His intimate involvement in creation and loving nature through scripture.
  • 3. The Image of God
    Humans, created in God's image, make Him visible through physical embodiment, relational partnerships, and functional work, maintaining dignity and moral responsibility, even post-fall, while progressively transforming into Christ's likeness.
  • 4. Humanness
    Learn how the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, volitional, vocational, familial, and social dimensions of personhood contribute to human flourishing and how integrating these aspects can help address personal issues and enhance work life.
  • 5. Spiritual Gifts
    Learn that spiritual gifts, both traditional and practical, are divinely assigned and essential for ministry, emphasizing that any ability can become a spiritual gift when empowered by the Holy Spirit and used for God's mission.
  • 6. Calling/Vocation
    Calling encompasses more than church ministry. The lesson highlights that every believer has a vocation to reflect God's presence in all aspects of life, using examples from Romans and Corinthians and insights from historical figures like Martin Luther and Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.
  • 7. Salvation: Elements of the Gospel
    Salvation involves immediate transformation through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, requiring conviction, repentance, faith, and baptism, and grants forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, a new community, a mission in God's work, and the hope of eternal life.
  • 8. Work
    Learn that work is a divine partnership with God, starting from Genesis, emphasizing relational collaboration to cultivate the earth and create shalom, contrasting with modern views of work as a means to earn money, and highlighting business as a platform for meaningful work aimed at human flourishing.
  • 9. Justice
    Biblical justice involves active righteousness through selfless acts like giving to the needy and defending the oppressed, challenging traditional views and emphasizing community well-being in alignment with God's character.
  • 10. Rest
    Explore the concept of Sabbath rest, understanding it as a spiritual practice rooted in trust, satisfaction, and relationship with God, and learn its implications for balancing work and rest in alignment with biblical teachings.

Class Resources

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