Adult instruction is conducted in a one-on-one or small group study, depending on the numbers.  Sessions typically complete two chapters at a time and are scheduled according to the schedule of the participants.  There are a total of 12 chapters of study, so this instruction is usually completed in 6 sessions.

For those participants seeking to be confirmed, upon a satisfactory completion of this instruction, a sit down is scheduled with Pastor Carl, and a date will be scheduled to receive the adult confirmand into communicant membership of Trinity.

Everyone, at some point, asks this question. It can come at moments of sterile reflection or in times of deep despair. “God, if You are there, why don’t You show Yourself to me?” In this confusing world where authenticity is so elusive, it seems like we cannot connect to God.

We could not connect to God, but the good news is that God connects with us. He has been doing this from the beginning in amazing ways. The most direct way God connected to us is when He became one of us in Jesus Christ. When Jesus was on this earth, He was the very revelation of God as He taught and healed and loved.

Then to restore our connection to God which had been shattered because of sin, on the cross, Jesus willingly paid the penalty for our sins—in His own death! This is the most authentic, startling and determined love the world could have ever imagined.

Now God connects to us by revealing Himself in the Bible. This God-given book has an amazing story. It tells of God’s constant and compassionate work to restore our relationship with Him.

Trinity uses a curriculum called GodConnects  to share that story with you. GodConnects is a course that tells this unique, unequaled story. Whether you are a new believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior or you’ve been a Christian for a long time and want to deepen your faith in Him, this GodConnectscourse you will help you explore what the Bible says about this remarkably loving God, and how this love gives direction and meaning to your life today and forever.

You can download the complete study HERE.

Normally, life is pretty routine and ordinary. Distractions, aggravations and problems come along, but most times we can handle them on our own. But every so often we come across a problem too big to handle by ourselves. Questions arise. How do we fit into the universe? What does eternity look like for me?

We all get very busy with our lives. Still, in the back of our minds, when this life is over we want to know what happens in the next life—if there is one! On their own, people have come up with two basic ways to deal with their eternal fate: they either deny there is life after death, or they do their best to earn it on their own.

Every religion has its holy writings: Jews have the Torah; Muslims the Qur’an; Buddhists the Tripitaka, and Hindus the Rigveda. The Christian church has long held the Holy Bible to be its holy writing. But is the Bible really God’s Word?

In this session we will examine the Ten Commandments, what they are and how they apply to us today.  We will learn about phrases like original sin, justification, and sanctification as we discuss the three uses of the Law.

SESSION THREE VIDEO: GOD’S LAW

LUTHER HOUSE VIDEOS ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS:

Who is God?  This question is one that has intrigued people for thousands of years. This is not surprising; after all, it’s only natural we would be curious about our Creator. People have come up with numerous conceptions of who they think God is (or, in some cases, what they think God is).  In this session we will examine the nature of God, his attributes, and the mystery of the doctrine of the Trinity.  We will also explore the creative power of God as evidenced in the biblical account of Creation, and see how the theory of evolution fails to provide a reasonable explanation of how all things came into existence.

Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, one God with the Father who created all things and the Holy Spirit who gives us faith. Jesus is our Savior; the only Person who could meet the requirements needed to pay the price for our sins. He is the Son of God and the Savior promised by God from the time Adam and Eve first sinned. While fully God, He also became fully man. History agrees that Jesus was a Galilean Jew born a little more than 2,000 years ago. Even most historians agree He was a teacher or a prophet, who was eventually crucified by order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. However, as is so often the case, there is more to the story.  That’s what this session explores!

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity—one God with the Father and the Son. He is called God in the Bible: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
He is not just the impersonal power of God or the energy of God. He is truly God—a personal Being. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as our Helper, Comforter and Counselor. He empowers us for living God-pleasing lives. He brings all of Jesus’ gifts to us to equip us to accomplish our true purpose as we live on earth.  In this session, we will dive in deep to understand this third person of the Trinity, and His work in this world and in our lives.


Prayer is simply talking to God, communicating with the true and living God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer is God’s gift to us. As our Heavenly Father, God loves to hear from us. He delights in our requests, thanksgiving and praise. He is eager to hear our sorrow and sadness. God cares about each of us and promises He will respond to us as we speak with Him.

LUTHERHOUSE VIDEOS ON THE LORD’S PRAYER

Baptism is an extremely significant and powerful moment in the life of a Christian. It is a special gift from God, for the individual. Called a sacrament, it is the very promise by God that He has claimed you and you are His forever! Your Baptism never runs out of its forgiving power, ever!
Christians take Baptism very seriously because it is God’s blessings and promise upon them! Why would Christians desire as many people to be baptized as possible? When you have good news, really Good News, you want to share it!

Imagine sitting face to face with someone and opening up about shameful things you have said and done. The very idea of declaring our sins out loud to another person is a terribly frightening thought, to say the least. The Bible doesn’t require us to confess our sins to another person, but offers it as a comforting consolation, if you ever find your heart and soul weighed down with guilt, shame and doubts. When you confess your sins, the church—through the pastor or others—assures you from the Bible that Jesus paid the price for that sin, and speaks God’s forgiveness to you.

Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Breaking of the Bread … these are all terms used interchangeably with “Communion.” Whatever we call it, in this meal Jesus Christ is actually feeding His people with His very own body and blood. That is correct; you read that right! While this practice might sound a little peculiar, it comes directly from Jesus Himself. There is a powerfully divine purpose behind it or, rather, in, with, and under it!

When He (Jesus) had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
Ever wondered what it will be like to be around when Jesus returns and this world comes to an end? Everyone seems to have some thought, idea or theory about the end of the world. There are even some groups that boldly predict precisely when the end of the world will occur, and have done so multiple times throughout history! We can be confident about one thing: any prediction is wrong.
(Jesus said) “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
So what can we know about Jesus’ return?  We’ll find out in this session.

Life with God is something new and wonderful. He has promised to be present with us; His Word blesses us; His sacraments offer us forgiveness that we can taste and touch! Having been “born again” we dedicate our lives entirely to Christ—not to earn His favor, but because we already have it.

Additional Resources

Lutheran Hour Ministries has an outstanding self study video-based Bible study called The Bible On Trial: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.  

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY GUIDE

VIDEO SESSIONS:

Have you ever wondered how we got the Bible?  How was it decided that the 66 books are worthy of being included in the Bible, while other texts throughout history have been left out?  Lutheran Hour Ministries has an excellent self study video-based Bible study called How We Got the Bible, featuring historian Dr. Paul Maier.  

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY GUIDE

VIDEO SESSIONS:

DIG DEEPER INTO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT:  Lutheran Hour Ministries has a great self-study video-based Bible study called The Intersection of Church and State – which takes on the debate over where our Christian faith and conscience takes us as citizens of the secular government.  We’re commanded by God to submit to governing authorities.  But what about when secular laws conflict with our Christian beliefs?

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY GUIDE

VIDEO SESSIONS:

Lutheran Hour Ministries has a great self-study video-based Bible study called Out of Nothing: The Word, Creation, and Faith – which considers theories of evolution, the plausibility of random chance, man’s spiritual and physical nature, and how God’s creation and salvation are intrinsically linked in the person of Jesus Christ.

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY GUIDE

VIDEO SESSIONS:

Lutheran Hour Ministries has a great self-study video-based Bible study called Running the Race.  The New Testament is loaded with sports imagery such as running the race, fighting the good fight, and going for the prize. In the Old Testament, stories about Moses, Joshua, David and the prophets dramatically speak of individuals overcoming struggles and hardships to achieve great things for God. Their victories exemplified their faith in action and often showed them making tough choices in extremely difficult circumstances. Again the parallels with athletics are obvious. As Schneider said, “There is no athlete that became a champion by accident; they chose to give everything they have to win.”

Throughout this three-part video, you will see how the lessons learned from sports are applicable to the real-life world of following Jesus.  Schneider draws from his vast experience as announcer and sports fan to encourage men and women in their Christian walk. He is the sports director and morning drive anchor of CBS affiliate 1080 KRLD in Dallas, Texas.

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY GUIDE

VIDEO SESSIONS:

Does the book of Revelation intrigue you?  How can it not?  Filled with beasts, numbers, and prophecies, the book of Revelation is probably the most misunderstood and mis-explained book of the Bible.  Lutheran Hour Ministries has a great self-study video-based Bible study called Explaining All the Scary Stuff in Revelation – which provides a very easy-to-follow explanation of how to read this book, with insights into how to interpret all those numbers and images.  You can explore everything here.

DOWNLOAD THE STUDY GUIDE

VIDEO SESSIONS: