Former Atheist Makes the Case for Christmas: Bible Gateway Hosts Free Online Bible Study with Lee Strobel Starting Nov. 30!

 

Hello World,

The lights, the decorations, the gifts, the cards, the parties, the food, the family all make Christmas the proverbial “most wonderful time of the year.” But there is no Christmas without Christ. Periodt.

And to know about Christ, you have to read His Word. That’s why I must tell you about a free online Bible Study about Christmas! Below is more information.

Award-winning former legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and former atheist, Lee Strobel, uses his legal and journalism training to investigate whether the account of the birth and divinity of Jesus is logically and historically credible, in the free Case for Christmas Online Bible Study November 30, 2020–January 1, 2021, sponsored by Bible Gateway, the most visited Christian website in the world. Free registration for the event is at BibleGateway.com/cfc.

In this series of videos, released one per week for four weeks, Strobel will help participants understand that the Bible’s four Gospels are historically reliable in their telling of Jesus’ biography. He will separate the traditional myths from the real facts of the Christmas story by uncovering scholarly evidence gleaned from research and interviews regarding the true nature of Christmas.

“When I was an atheist, I loved the Christmas season, because I managed to focus on all the superficial trappings of the holiday instead of the spiritual dimension,” says Strobel. “But after my wife, Leslie, became a Christian and I started to investigate the identity of Jesus, I wanted to separate the holy day from the holiday, the facts from the fantasy, the truth from the tradition, and get down to the historic bedrock of what Christmas is all about. I expected to discover that Christmas is built on flimsy legends that developed in the many decades after Jesus lived. I didn’t anticipate that a thorough investigation of the ancient history actually validates the Christmas narrative, because it’s based on reliable sources that are too immediate to be written off as being mere legend or make believe.”

Watch the video of Lee Strobel introducing the online study.

“In this 4-week experience, we set aside Santa Claus and Christmas trees and delve instead into the question of what we can really know with confidence about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth,” says Strobel. “It is, after all, the greatest story of history. And, the greatest stories of history are the ones that turn out to be true.”

Students of this series will gain automatic free access to Lee Strobel’s online video presentation and exclusive free bonus content, including downloads of an Advent toolkit containing a Scripture reading plan and conversation cards for the season, and two printable Christmas script art prints.

The teaching videos will be available online for free November 30, 2020–January 1, 2021.

Any thoughts?

Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Virtual Conference Anticipates Nearly 10,000 As New Topics, Speakers Revealed…

Now Featuring CBS' Gayle King, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Actress Meagan Good!

Hello World,

Tackling today’s most pressing topics, Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class welcomes Gayle King, anchor for CBS’ This Morning; Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta; Angela Rye, attorney and CEO of IMPACT strategies; Meagan Good, actress; and Bozoma Saint John, chief marketing officer for Netflix; to a robust lineup of national voices.

Designed and created by Bishop T.D. Jakes, Master Class—exclusively offered at Woman, Thou Art Loosed!—will help women advance in their spheres of influence across business, entertainment, healthcare, technology, finance and ministry.

During this year’s virtual event Oct. 15-17, which nearly 10,000 women are expected to attend, Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class will discuss current topics including Black Lives Matter, education, mental health and social justice in entertainment—led by Good and Saint John. Just-added session titled “What You Do vs. Who You Are”—featuring panelists King, Lance Bottoms and Rye—will address balancing a work persona with one’s overall identity. The pressure and demands of the workplace often require a different version of the woman who goes home to greet her family at night. For women of color especially, being allowed to show vulnerability is increasingly at odds. It seems that as women of color enter positions of authority and influence, they are held to a different likability standard. Are women of color allowed to be powerful on the job and likeable at the same time? And how can we identify the often-harmful yet subtle suggestions to separate identity from one’s job? In this intriguing session, the panel will discuss ways women who are doing it all can separate their identities from their careers and handle adversity in the world.

An event that typically draws tens of thousands of women from around the globe, Woman, Thou Art Loosed! is offering two options for attendees: Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class will broadcast on Bishop’s Village for a fee, while Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Virtual Experience will be broadcast on YouTube, providing a unique online experience at no cost to attendees. YouTube speakers include conference founder Bishop T.D. Jakes, Serita Jakes, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Cora Jakes Coleman, Sheryl Brady and Yolanda Pierce.

Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Master Class speakers:  

  • Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor of The Potter’s House
  • Gayle King, anchor at CBS
  • Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta
  • Angela Rye, attorney and CEO of IMPACT Strategies
  • Meagan Good, actress
  • Bozoma Saint John, chief marketing officer for Netflix
  • Van Jones, CEO of REFORM Alliance and CNN host
  • Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin
  • Allison Jean, mother of Bothem Jean
  • Anita Philips, nationally acclaimed trauma therapist and life coach
  • Caroline Leaf, communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist
  • Paula Madison, journalist and former NBCUniversal executive
  • Tina Naidoo, executive director of Texas Offender Reentry Initiative

 

 

Where:
Online at YouTube.com/TDJakesOfficial and at Bishop’s Village

Toyota and The Dream Project are the official sponsors of Woman, Thou Art Loosed Virtual Experience.

Detailed information about speakers, talent, topics and schedule can be found at WTAL.org/Virtual.

Tickets already purchased for the 2020 in-person event have been automatically transferred to the 2021 event. Registration for the 2021 conference can be done online at WTAL.org.

Woman, Thou Art Loosed! began as one of Bishop T.D. Jakes’ most popular books. Realizing the need to continually empower women outside the pages of his book, Jakes created one of the most successful global women’s conferences. Since the conference’s inception in 1996, Jakes has become one of the most popular Christian leaders in the U.S. For decades Jakes has brought inspirational and motivational speakers to the stage to help women around the world be loosed from a myriad of strongholds including depression, guilt, loss of faith and helplessness. The conference will take its curtain call next year in Atlanta.

Any thoughts?

Letitia Wright of ‘Black Panther’ Partners With Bible App For Three-Day Video Plan ‘Overcoming’

Hello World,

You probably recognize Letitia Wright as Shuri, the technological genius stealing scenes from her brother King T’Challa in 2018’s Marvel blockbuster, Black Panther. But Letitia has actually been appearing on television since 2011, receiving nominations for an Emmy and a British Independent Film Award (among many others), and winning a BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards) award and an NAACP Image Award. And if you follow her on social media, you’ll also know that Letitia boldly proclaims her faith in Christ.

In this exclusive video, Letitia reveals the Bible verse a friend shared with her that set her on the path toward finding new life in Jesus. She also shares why the Bible App means so much to her.

Join Letitia for Overcoming

When you see the vibrant spirit and abundant joy that she radiates today, it’s hard to imagine that Letitia once struggled with depression and self-doubt. Join Letitia in her new 3-day Video Plan, Overcoming, and let her encourage you with the same Scriptures that helped her discover victory and confidence in her identity in Christ. Clink on THIS LINK to start the plan!

Any thoughts?