We believe that education should be about more than just getting a degree. We want to Positively Impact People In A Way That Transforms Lives!
Our Educational Philosophy is based on three things, the Great Commission, the Great Truth, and what Dr. Gray likes to call the Great Motivation.
The Great Commission is found in three primary passages of scripture: Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:14-18 and Luke 24:45-48.
Matthew 28:20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;…” ---Matthew 28:20 NASB
Mark 16:15-16
‘“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”’ ---Mark 16:15-16 NASB
Luke 24:45-48
‘“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things.”’ ---Luke 24:45-48 NASB
Dr. Gray’s translation from the Greek of the Great Commission:
“As we are going about our daily lives, Make Disciples of All Peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!”
In the Greek, the imperative or command in this passage is on the “Make Disciples of All Peoples, NOT on the Going! The mission is simply to Share what Jesus Christ has done in our lives, not on you going out, knocking on the doors of strangers (though if the Holy Spirit has lead you to do this, I am not telling you not to go out and knock on doors) with some memorized gospel presentation that you learned in Evangelism Explosion, Christian Witness Training, or some other evangelism program.
We must first lead people to Faith in Christ before we can Make Disciples of them! We can use many areas of Christian Ministry to Disciple: Bible Study/Christian Education, Christian Counseling, even Music Ministry. Whatever your calling or spiritual gifts, you can play a role in Making Disciples!!!
The Great Truth is based on Luke 24:45-48, which is also the third of the Great Commission passages.
‘“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things.”’ ---Luke 24:45-48 NASB
This Great Truth of Christ Crucified for Our Sins MUST be given Central Place in ALL that we teach!
The Great Motivation is based on seven passages of scripture. The first is found in Matthew 22:36-39.
"And He said to Him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'" ---Matthew 22:36-39 NASB
This commandment tells us that we must love those around us. Now you may be thinking:
“Dr. Gray how do I love those around me? Some of them are Mean, Nasty, Hateful (they even hate me), Irritating and just plain Unlovable. I can’t do that!”
Well, it is quite simple. DON’T Worry About It! At this point you are probably confused, but it is quite simple. You don’t do the loving. The Holy Spirit, as He works in you to conform you to the Image of Christ, will Transform You and Supply You with the Love For Others around you. The motivation for all we do, and the attitude we approach our calling with, is LOVE!!!
The second passage of scripture is found in John 13:35:
“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” --- John 13:35 NASB
The Third Passage of scripture is found in Romans 13:8:
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” --- Romans 13:8 NASB
The fourth Passage of scripture is found in 1 Thessalonians 3:12:
“and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;” ---1 Thessalonians 3:12 NASB
The fifth Passage of scripture is found in 1 Peter 4:8:
“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” --- 1 Peter 4:8 NASB
The sixth Passage of scripture is found in 1 John 3:11:
“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;” ---1 John 3:11 NASB
The seventh Passage of scripture is found in 1 John 4:7:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” ---1 John 4:7 NASB
All that we do Must be motivated by LOVE!!!
These are the principles that guide us in Training Others for Christian Ministry, Leadership Roles and Christian Discipleship.
