Cumberland Trace Church of Christ (Formerly Lehman Ave Church of Christ)

Equipped 2026: "Names of God" by John Moore

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 10:00 AM Session

 

In this episode John offers a personal, text-driven tour through the names of God found primarily in Genesis and throughout Scripture, trading a purely academic approach for a pastoral, relational look at who God is. Rather than only cataloguing lexical definitions, John shows how each divine name reveals character, purpose, and a pattern that points forward to Jesus as the fullest revelation of God.

Topics covered include the opening name Elohim (God the Creator) in Genesis 1; the tetragrammaton (Yahweh) introduced in Genesis 2 and echoed in Exodus 3:14; titles such as Adonai (Lord), El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Roi (the God who sees), and Yahweh Yireh (the Lord who provides). John weaves these names with key biblical passages and images — Paul’s road-to-Damascus encounter, Abraham’s covenant and the test on Moriah, Hagar’s encounter in the wilderness, Melchizedek’s blessing in Genesis 14, and New Testament connections in John and Colossians.

Key points emphasized are the complementary truths that God is both transcendent (the Creator who speaks the universe into being) and immanent (a hands-on, compassionate God who sees, provides, delivers, and enters human history). Listeners will hear how the names function theologically: as proclamations of sovereignty, as covenant promises, as pastoral comfort for the lonely and afflicted, and as foreshadowings of Christ.

Illustrative stories and applications include Paul/Saul’s recognition of divine presence, Abraham’s faith and obedience, Hagar’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord (El Roi), Melchizedek’s title “God Most High,” and New Testament scenes where Jesus reveals and embodies the divine “I Am.” John also references a neighbor-turned-Bible-student and a mention of Brother Higginbotham to show how these biblical insights play out in real conversations and ministry.

What to expect: a blend of careful exegesis, vivid narrative examples, and pastoral reflection that invites listeners to move beyond knowing God’s will to truly knowing God. The episode closes by pointing to Jesus as the ultimate revelation — the Word who was with God and was God — and encourages listeners to study the names of God to deepen love, faith, and devotion. (If you’d like the PowerPoint used in the talk, John offers to share it on request.)

 

Duration 41:33

Equipped 2026: "Early Generations (Gen. 4-5)" by Steven Ford

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 10:00 AM Session

 

“The things that were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.” In this episode Steven guides listeners through a careful study of Genesis chapters 4 and 5, examining how the first post‑Eden generations responded to sin and what their stories teach us about worship, judgment, and hope.

The speaker walks through the narrative of Cain and Abel—contrasting Abel’s faith‑filled, firstborn sacrifice with Cain’s inadequate, instinctive offering—and explores God’s response: just and holy, yet merciful and corrective. Listeners will hear close attention to key verses (Genesis 4:3–5; Hebrews 11:4; Jude 11; Luke 15; Matthew 5), practical reflections on anger and unresolved resentment, and a careful look at the consequences of sin culminating in Cain’s murder of Abel and the ensuing curse and protection placed upon Cain.

The episode surveys the society Cain builds—technical skill and worldly progress without godliness—and contrasts it with the line of Seth, introduced as a God‑ordained substitute and remembered for “calling on the name of the Lord.” The host draws out the theological significance of that phrase and the priority of spiritual legacy over secular success, emphasizing the role of parents and congregations in cultivating faith in the next generation.

Genesis 5 is considered for its sober reminder that death now marks humanity because of sin, yet it also highlights two exemplary figures—Enoch and Noah—who “walked with God,” showing that faithful obedience is possible even in a broken world. Key theological takeaways include: God’s provision, God’s justice, God’s holiness, God’s grace and long‑suffering, and the assurance that calling on the Lord leads to life eternal (Acts 22:16).

What to expect: a sermon‑style Bible study (no outside guests) that combines exposition, pastoral application, and practical challenges—how to worship according to God’s standards, how to guard the heart against anger and resentment, why spiritual legacy matters, and why, even amid death and judgment, Genesis points forward to God’s mercy and hope for repentance and redemption.

 

Duration 40:13

Equipped 2026: Leadership: "How to Keep the Focus on God When You Succeed" by Wayne Miller

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 9:00 AM Session

 

Date Time: 2026-04-24 09:00

Location: Room 116

Instructor: Wayne Miller

Title:  Leadership - How to Keep the Focus on God When You Succeed

 

Summary: Wayne Miller’s lecture examines the spiritual risks that accompany success and prosperity, drawing from Deuteronomy 8. The core message is that success, though a blessing from God, brings a major battle for focus and humility. Prosperity can lead to forgetting God, elevating personal pride, and losing spiritual purpose. Success is not an end but a means to glorify God, serve others, and witness for Him. Miller offers practical guidance for staying focused in success: deliberately remember God as the source, reject pride through genuine humility, and recognize that blessings are meant to point others to God—not to oneself.

Duration: 39:36

Equipped 2026: "Moses and Jesus on Marriage" by Denny Petrillo

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 9:00 AM Session

 

Good morning, everyone. In this episode the Denny walks listeners through Matthew 19, using the first-century rabbinic debate (Hillel, Shammai, and Akabah) over Deuteronomy 24 as background to explain why the Pharisees’ question about divorce was a trap. The talk highlights how cultural interpretations opened the door to easy divorce and remarriage in Jesus’ day and draws parallels to similar challenges facing the modern church.

The speaker outlines Jesus’ three-part response: (1) God’s original plan for marriage in the creation narrative (one man, one woman, for life), (2) the bond of becoming “one flesh,” which encompasses more than sexual union and implies an inseparable partnership, and (3) the declaration that what God has joined, no one should separate. The presentation emphasizes Jesus’ authority in reframing the discussion and redirects attention from permissive rabbinic readings to Genesis 2:24.

Key doctrinal points include the meaning and limits of Deuteronomy 24 (Moses permitted divorce because of hardness of heart), and Jesus’ clear ruling in verse 9 that porneia (fornication/sexual unfaithfulness) is the sole biblically authorized ground for divorce and remarriage. The speaker also addresses the Apostle Paul’s related language and common attempts to reinterpret or soften Jesus’ words, clarifying that Jesus calls remarriage after unlawful divorce adultery.

The episode closes with pastoral application: the need to prioritize repairing and protecting marriages rather than seeking easy exits, the continuing pastoral and cultural challenge of divorce and remarriage in the church, and the call to align practice with Scripture’s original intent for marriage.

 

Duration 36:38

Equipped 2026: "Creation and the Fall" by Caleb Colley

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 9:00 AM Session

 

This episode features guest speaker Caleb Colley, a scholar with degrees in Communication, Biblical Studies, New Testament, Humanities, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy. A longtime teacher in graduate theology and philosophy programs, he joins the conference to lead a chapter-by-chapter walk through Genesis, focusing here on Creation and the Fall (Genesis 1–3).

The talk examines contemporary pressures on young Christians who face conflicting messages from church and school—between a literal six-day creation, naturalistic evolution, and theistic evolution (the view that God used evolution as His method). Caleb outlines the three common responses and explains why he argues theistic evolution is incompatible with the New Testament.

Central to the episode is a sustained New Testament case: twelve facts and theological connections (drawn from Jesus, Paul, Peter, Luke, Hebrews, and Jude) that the speaker contends cannot be true if Genesis 1–3 are read non‑literally. Highlights include arguments that Adam and Eve were literal first humans, the first woman was formed from the man, Adam is the representative progenitor of all humans, the formation of Adam from dust, the serpent’s real deception of Eve, the historicity of Abel, Cain, and Noah, and the theological necessity of God’s rest and the flood for NT teaching.

The episode also explores the fall itself: the clarity of God’s revelation to Adam and Eve, the devil’s calculated temptation, the step‑by‑step progression into sin, Adam’s failure of leadership, the fracturing of relationships with God and one another, and God’s merciful provision (animal sacrifice and the proto‑evangelium in Genesis 3:15) that foreshadows Christ’s defeat of the serpent.

Throughout, the speaker connects Genesis to key New Testament doctrines—original sin, Christ as the new Adam, baptism and the ark, typologies between flood and final judgment, and the practical moral consequences for marriage, gender roles, and human identity. Listeners should expect a vigorous theological defense of a literal reading of Genesis 1–3 and clear tracing of how that reading shapes New Testament interpretation and Christian doctrine.

This episode is recommended for pastors, students, and listeners interested in biblical theology, creation‑care debates, apologetics, and the pastoral implications of how Genesis is interpreted.

 

Duration 41:55

Equipped 2026: "From the Beginning" by Dan Winkler

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 8:00 AM Session

 

This episode opens with a vivid everyday analogy about buttoning a shirt to introduce a sermon-length study titled "From the Beginning." The speaker gives a concise, structured overview of Genesis—highlighting its primary aim to introduce man to God, its two historical sections (primeval history and patriarchal history), and three key time-frames that reveal God’s power, plan, and providence.

The program then focuses on the phrase "from the beginning," tracing its use in the New Testament (23 occurrences) and explaining two grammatical senses: reference to a span of time and reference to a specific point in time. The speaker outlines a three-part series approach that uses passages employing this phrase to teach how we relate to Jesus, to one another, and how to strengthen family relationships.

The heart of the episode is a close reading of 1 John 1:1–4. The passage is analyzed and applied: John’s purpose in writing (so believers might know they have eternal life, resist sin, and enjoy full joy), and three affirmations about Jesus drawn from the text—his message, his ministry, and his manhood. The sermon illustrates each affirmation with biblical examples: the Sermon on the Mount and its seven themes (attitudes, influence, authority, devotion, possessions, relationships, prayer); the healing of the leper as an example of compassionate ministry; and Jesus in Gethsemane and Hebrews to demonstrate his genuine humanity and ongoing high-priestly ministry in heaven.

Key practical points include the centrality of fellowship with God and one another as the solution to church division, the continuing relevance of Christ’s message for salvation and sanctification, and the comfort that Jesus both sympathizes with human weakness and ministers for us now. There are no external guests—this is a focused homiletic teaching combining Genesis orientation, New Testament exegesis, and pastoral application aimed at deepening listeners’ relationship with Christ and each other.

Listeners can expect theological exposition, close textual analysis, and concrete pastoral applications intended to encourage faith, foster Christian fellowship, and call hearers to heed the message of Jesus "from the beginning."

 

Duration 41:28

Equipped 2026: "Getting to Know God Through Creation" by Andrew Itson

April 23, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 1 - 7:00 PM Session

Room:  Auditorium

Title:  Getting to Know God Through Creation

Speaker: Andrew Itson

Summary:

The lecture examines the theological theme of God’s creative work as ongoing, using Copernicus’s heliocentric insight to argue that humans lack the “gravity” to hold life together, while God—and ultimately Christ—does. Drawing from Genesis, Psalms, Hebrews, Colossians, and multiple New Testament narratives, the speaker highlights identity, community, and purpose as core human needs addressed by creation. Key motifs include God as sovereign initiator and finisher; creation as continuing, not merely a past event; the Spirit bringing order from chaos; rest (Shabbat) as trust; and work as purposeful multiplication rather than punishment. Practical applications include making Jesus preeminent, embracing communal life, practicing confession and repentance instead of hiding and blaming, and trusting God to start and stop what’s needed in our lives. 

Duration 37:36

Equipped 2026: "In The Beginning" by Steve Higginbotham

April 23, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 1 - 6:30 PM Session

 

Room:  Auditorium

Title:  In The Beginning

Speaker:  Steve Higginbotham

Summary:

The lecture by Steve Higginbotham seeks to rekindle awe for God’s power and greatness by examining His creation. The speaker argues that modern society often overlooks God’s work, becoming more impressed by human achievements like the pyramids of Giza. He contrasts the vastness of the universe (macrocosm) with the complexity of microscopic life (microcosm). Using examples such as Cassini’s photo of Earth, the James Webb Telescope’s Ultra Deep Field image, the finely tuned Earth–Moon system, and microscopic creatures like the hydrothermal worm and the resilient tardigrade, he underscores God’s immense power and intelligent design. He also explores DNA’s complexity to showcase God’s wisdom at the cellular level. The core message is that creation is a form of natural revelation, universally testifying to God’s existence and glory, urging people to seek Him. The lecture concludes by asserting that God’s ultimate display of wisdom is not nature, but the creation of the Church.

 

Duration 28:14

Equipped 2026: "Song Session" by Andy Baker

April 23, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 1 - 6:00 PM Session

 

Opening the 2026 version of the Equipped Workshop hosted by the Cumberland Trace Church of Christ, Andy Baker leads the assembly in a few A cappella songs.

 

Duration 25:16

Questions & Answers with Neal and Hiram

May 17, 2026 - Sunday PM Sermon

Welcome to our question-and-answer session with Neal and Hiram. In this episode the hosts field ten submitted questions from members and visitors, unpacking difficult topics with Scripture, pastoral insight, and practical application. Topics covered include whether we "entertain angels unawares" and the present role of angels and demons in the world; hospitality and its spiritual significance; interpreting Proverbs 6:16–19 and the Hebrew idiom of "six...seven"; Paul’s exhortation "be imitators of me as I am of Christ" and how it relates to humility and pride; the influence of materialism, humanism, and nihilism on Christian belief; teaching modesty to boys and girls and resisting cultural pressures; what it means when Scripture says God "regretted" human choices while remaining omniscient; whether John 15–16 supports Calvinistic unconditional election and how predestination relates to human response; practical ways to keep evangelistic conversations anchored in Scripture rather than personal opinion; and how shyness and introversion should be understood and harnessed for joyful service.

 

Key points include: angels minister today but usually remain unseen; demon possession was prominent in biblical eras while modern demonic activity is largely persuasive rather than physically possessive; hospitality can open God-sized opportunities without promising miraculous sightings; all sin is deadly if unrepented but some sins carry greater earthly consequences; Hebrew poetic devices explain "six...seven" without ranking sins; Paul’s example is pastoral and Christ-centered, not prideful boasting; Christians must resist cultural narratives that center self over God; modesty emphasizes inner godliness as revealed in 1 Timothy and 1 Peter; God’s expressed regret communicates relational sorrow without contradicting divine foreknowledge; predestination in Scripture is best understood as God’s plan with the call for human response; evangelism should first establish Scripture’s authority and invite people to apply specific passages; and introverts have distinct, valuable ways to serve the body of Christ. The episode closes with an invitation to respond to Christ by repentance, baptism, and deeper discipleship.

 

Duration 53:01