This morning, I’m going to go over a review of what we have learned over the last year. It is important to pause and look back at what God has been doing in our lives, because life can be messy and we often focus on everyday tasks and miss the larger picture. Reviewing the year helps us regain perspective.
We began the year in the Book of Acts, which records the beginning of Christianity and how it spread. We emphasized how the dispensation of grace began, and how Paul, as a steward of that dispensation, carried the message forward in the midst of resistance. Many epistles (including Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians) were written during the historical period Acts describes, showing a direct connection between Acts and the rest of the New Testament.
In Acts 2, we focused on Pentecost as the beginning of the Church, and we stressed proper interpretation of Scripture—reading it in context, according to its normal sense, paying attention to audience and subject. We noted the major transition after the Messiah came to Israel, the kingdom was offered and rejected, and the Messiah was crucified. God raised Him from the dead on the third day, without bodily decay, and Christ is now the resurrected and glorified One, placed above principalities and powers.
We examined the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the significant change in the believer’s relationship with God, distinguishing the Spirit’s former ministry “with” believers from His later indwelling ministry. We also clarified common confusions about “signs” and the gift of tongues, explaining that early signs served a specific purpose connected with Israel and that spiritual gifts were never meant to be expressed in disorder. Further, we noted that spiritual gifts are exercised under control rather than producing chaos.
We reviewed Peter’s proclamation of the resurrection in Acts 2 and emphasized that the gospel substance is present there, even when not stated in later epistolary form. We also highlighted that the term “Christ” takes on a fuller emphasis after Acts 2, commonly referring to the resurrected, glorified One (while still requiring contextual care).
We covered the unity of the Body of Christ—one body and one immersion—along with the end of the Mosaic Law as a rule of life, since Christ fulfilled it. We emphasized that believers in the Church are not under the Mosaic Law or a modified form of it; instead, they are to live out the righteousness they have in Christ. Related to this, we clarified the biblical concept of “sons” as mature ones, not merely “children,” and we contrasted maturity with the law’s function as a tutor.
We addressed misunderstandings about Peter’s role, noting that Peter is presented as a shepherd to the Church rather than as a steward of a separate dispensation. We discussed the biblical relationship between elder, shepherd/pastor, and overseer/bishop, observing that these terms describe the same office with different emphases, and that pastors are also teachers.
We reviewed how the Church began in Jerusalem among Jews and then expanded. We noted early opposition, including the imprisonment of Peter and John, and God’s preservation of the apostolic witness. We then traced Israel’s continued rejection, highlighted by Stephen’s death, and how persecution led to the scattering of believers and the broader dissemination of the message.
We considered Saul’s role in persecution and then his transition into the Church, emphasizing that his gospel was received by revelation from Jesus Christ rather than from those he persecuted or from the apostles. We observed how Paul later conferred with apostles in Jerusalem and found agreement on the message he proclaimed. We also reviewed the clear formulation of the gospel as presented in the epistles.
Later in the year, we shifted into the Book of James, which is frequently misunderstood. We discussed its early context and Jewish-Christian audience, and we examined major themes: trials, the process of temptation, being doers of the word, integrity between profession and conduct, and the meaning of “faith without works is dead” as evidence of genuine belief rather than a means of earning or keeping salvation. We also emphasized wisdom as the proper use of knowledge, humility regarding what one does not yet know, and the importance of aligning daily life with God’s desirous will rather than rationalizing disobedience.
In November, we began Galatians, focusing on deliverance from the present evil age, the danger of turning to a different gospel, the meaning of grace and faith, and the principle that spiritual growth does not come through law but through living consistently with one’s identity in Christ.
We also began Ezekiel, noting Ezekiel’s priestly background, exile, prophetic call, and the intensity of his opening visions. We studied God’s commissioning of Ezekiel to speak faithfully regardless of Israel’s response.
Throughout the year, we also addressed broad areas essential to Christian growth: the Christian life (spirituality, carnality, victory over the sin nature, Satan, and the world system), angelology and demonology (including correcting popular misconceptions and emphasizing standing firm rather than sensational practices), hermeneutics (the necessity of consistent interpretive rules), biblical timeline considerations, and distinctions in dispensational arrangements.
We reviewed ongoing ministry efforts: regular studies, word studies, articles, and a large set of memory verses designed to shape daily thinking and strengthen spiritual growth. The central encouragement was to reflect on the past year and recognize ways God has been strengthening faith, increasing understanding, and guiding believers—often more than they realize in the moment.
