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New City Church, NC, Uses Casket Empty in Their Discipleship Program
An Introductory Note from Dr. Kaminski:
Last year I had the privilege of visiting New City Academy in Charlotte, NC. New City Church made the decision to use the Casket Empty curriculum as part of their discipleship program. Every Wednesday night more than one hundred people gather to study the Old Testament using the Casket Empty Bible Study. It was a blessing to speak at their final week and to see so many people committed to learning the Old Testament! Praise God!
As we reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus during Holy Week, I’m reminded that the Old Testament resounds with the sure hope that a son of David would one day rule on God’s throne. After hundreds of years of waiting, the New Testament is filled with the good news that Jesus is the promised Son of David, born in Bethlehem in accordance with God’s promises of old (Matt 1:1-17; 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-20).
When Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he is praised as the Son of David in fulfillment of Zachariah’s prophecy that the coming king would enter Jerusalem, humble and mounted on a donkey (Zech 9:9-10; cf. Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-14). The crowds shout out: “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” (Mark 11:10). We, too, shout out, “Hosanna!”
But there’s another promise given to David that is often overlooked . . .
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of teaching a course on Genesis in Argentina at a seminary called the Facultad de Teología Integral (FTIBA). Dr. Pablo Polischuk, Senior Professor of Pastoral Counseling at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, is president of the newly formed seminary in Buenos Aires, and two former students of mine are administrators and teach there. It was such a blessing to reconnect with them and to see how God is blessing this ministry, as they work tirelessly and sacrificially to provide theological education for the next generation of leaders. I am also thankful for the translators who not only translated my lectures into Spanish, but they even tracked with me as I taught Hebrew exegesis in Genesis! I was blessed by the warm hospitality, and amazing food—wow!!
While I was in Argentina. . .
Casket Empty in Spanish
A few months ago, I received an email from Darron Butler, who is studying part-time at Gordon-Conwell. In addition to his seminary studies and his full-time job as VP of ISP at Charter Communications in Western North Carolina, Darron is committed to the church and to using his gifts for the kingdom. Darron emailed me to let me know that he was about to leave for Nicaragua, where he would be teaching the Old Testament using Casket Empty. Upon returning home, I was delighted to receive an email about his teaching experience in Nicaragua, along with some pictures, so I asked Darron if he would be willing to write a blog for us, which you can read below.
This January I had the privilege of traveling to Thailand to teach the Old Testament. Casket Empty timelines, maps, study guides, and Bible studies have now all been translated into Thai. This has been a four-year Thai translation project accomplished by International Ministries. Kit Ripley had oversight of the project and she was my gracious host! Throughout the four-year project, she used her administrative gifts faithfully and sacrificially to ensure that the translation project was completed according to schedule and that the training conferences were successful. Khun Lek, former Editor and Manager of the Institute of Christian Studies and Church Development spent years translating all the material . . .
I first got to know Pastor Mike when he was a student at seminary, and since graduating, he’s been serving in pastoral ministry. Mike is committed to preaching and teaching of the Word of God. In 2022 he did a preaching series using the Casket Empty outline, preaching through the entire Bible! I was reminded of Mike’s passion for the Word of God when I visited his church in 2022 to do a Casket Empty Old Testament Seminar. I love the fact that Mike is enthusiastic about the Scriptures, which brings me to his post. As many of you may know, my commentary on 1-2 Chronicles was recently published in Zondervan’s Story of God Bible Commentary Series.
My prayer has been that God would use the commentary to help pastors preach from this neglected book. Mike emailed me a few days ago, letting me know that he’s not only been reading my commentary, but he’s decided to do a preaching series in Chronicles! I emailed him back and asked him, “Would you write a short blog, letting pastors know why you decided to do a preaching series in Chronicles?” Mike has provided his “7 Reasons Why I’m Preaching Chronicles.” I hope you enjoy reading his post and that you are encouraged to dive into Chronicles.
Why Does Chronicles Begin with Genealogies?
I’ve just finished writing a commentary on 1-2 Chronicles, which will be published in Zondervan’s Story of God Bible Commentary Series this October. In anticipation of this commentary, I’ll be writing a few blogs on Chronicles as I realize that it is one of the more neglected books in the Old Testament. I’m hoping that a few introductory blogs might be helpful to get us reorientated toward this theologically rich book.
One of the questions I’m often asked is: “Why all the genealogies in Chronicles?”
Last year I finished writing a commentary on 1-2 Chronicles, which will be published this October in the Story of God Bible Commentary series by Zondervan. I’ve also written an eight-week Bible study entitled, Cultivating Godliness. Many of you may not be aware that my doctoral dissertation was in Genesis 1–11, and I’ve written two academic monographs in Genesis (From Noah to Israel: Realization of the Primaeval Blessing After the Flood and Was Noah Good? Finding Favour in the Flood Narrative). I’ve also been teaching a seminary class on Genesis for the past twenty years. Given my focus on Genesis, people kept asking me, “Why study Chronicles?”
Casket Empty Bible Study: Old Testament Equipping Videos—available this fall!
This video is a sample of what to expect from the background videos that will accompany the Casket Empty Old Testament Bible Study Curriculum, which will be released in early Fall 2020 . . .
Casket Empty Bible Study: Old Testament—available this fall!
Greetings from Casket Empty! We are excited to let you know about the upcoming release of our new Casket Empty Bible Study: Old Testament, which will be available this fall (written by Carol Kaminski and John Moser) . . .
Dr. Carol Kaminski
How to Study the Bible
I’ve been teaching the Old Testament for the past twenty years. I’m reminded as I teach in churches that the Old Testament is not any easy book! People often ask me how they should go about studying the Bible. So here are my “tips,” which also include an explanation of how the Casket Empty Bible resources will help you study the Bible . . .
Dr. David Palmer
Why Church?
Many people today say that they are interested in spiritual life but not in any organized religion. Others believe that they can know God apart from the church. Still others have been hurt by negative experiences at church and no longer want to be associated. Over the past three years, the number of Americans who identify as religious has dropped by 7.5 million people . . .
Dr. Carol Kaminski
Humbling oneself before God (2 Chron. 7:14)
A few months ago, I was speaking at the 2018 Torrey Conference at Biola University in California. One of the passages I was speaking on was 2 Chron. 7:14, “If my people will humble themselves and pray.” I’d like to share some thoughts on “humbling oneself” from this well-known passage . . .
Dr. Carol Kaminski
Summer Reading: Heart of a Lioness
When I was back in Australia a few months ago I picked up a book called Heart of a Lioness. This is an incredible story of an Australian woman named Irene Gleeson. Born to an unwed mother and a father who left at her birth, this Aussie was born into a broken world . . . .
Dr. Carol Kaminski
Understanding the Covenants of the Bible
I’ve recently returned from teaching a course on Covenants as part of Regent College’s Summer Program in Vancouver. Understanding the major covenants of the Bible is a helpful way to connect the various parts of the Bible into a whole. To that end, David Palmer and I are currently writing a six-week Bible study on the Covenants of the Bible, which will be available next spring . . .
Dr. David Palmer
This summer I had the remarkable privilege of teaching the CASKET EMPTY material at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon. The CASKET EMPTY timelines and study guides were translated into Arabic in preparation for the trip . . .
Dr. Carol M. Kaminski
In a previous blog post I mentioned that I’ve been listening to Andy Stanley’s sermons where he’s advocating that we “unhitch” the Old Testament from the Christian church. I wanted to pick up on one idea that is worth unpacking further—the question of whether or not the Old Testament was exclusively Jewish . . .
Dr. Carol M. Kaminski
I recently watched the movie, I Can Only Imagine, which tells the heart-wrenching story of Bart Millard, the lead singer of the Christian band, MercyMe. The movie poignantly narrates the story of the writer and composer of the top selling Christian song, I Can Only Imagine. With 2.5 million copies sold, it is the highest-selling Christian single of all time…
Dr. Carol M. Kaminski
This past fall I read the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This is the amazing story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic track runner who ran in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Yet everything changed when he was drafted for WWII and became an Army Air Corps bombardier in 1941. His B-24 plane crashed over the Pacific, and in a remarkable feat of unwavering tenacity and endurance, he and two others survived on a raft. One person finally died, but the remaining two men ...
Dr. David L. Palmer
God’s primary calling on my life is as a pastor. God’s Word is addressed to the community of faith. Scholarship should always benefit the life of the church. CASKET EMPTY is a powerful way to help God’s people see the unity of Scripture. Although God inspired sixty-six different books, in three distinct languages, over thousands of years, the Bible is ...
Dr. Carol M. Kaminski
I’ve been reading Rod Dreher’s book, The Benedict Option: A Strategy for a Post-Christian Nation. There is much to be commended in this book, which David Brooks suggests will be one of the more influential books of the decade. Dreher rightly emphasizes the importance of Christian community and spiritual disciplines, especially as ...
Dr. David L. Palmer
I love to see the beauty that is created when people meet Jesus Christ. Throughout Christian history, the gospel has inspired some of the most beautiful art, music, and literature that the world has known. In our church, we try to value the artistic gifts that God generously gives. One of the ways that we are doing this ...
Dr. Carol M. Kaminski
The afflictions of life can come at any time, at any age. They are often unexpected and can take us momentarily off guard. Sometimes they are intense and short-lived, while on other occasions afflictions of the soul remain with us, and we must learn to ...
Dr. David L. Palmer
CASKET EMPTY can be taught in a variety of settings. The material can be adjusted to the needs and interests of almost any group. I recently spent an intensive week at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Florida. The weather was glorious. The ocean breeze was invigorating. The best part of the week...
Dr. Carol Kaminski
Beyond Tribalism: Six Principles from 2 Chronicles 30
I have recently been following the stories that the Wall Street Journal has been publishing about Facebook. One article regarding their algorithms, which promote anger and divisiveness, caught my attention: “Facebook Tried to Make Its Platform a Healthier Place. It Got Angrier Instead” . . . .