The Core of the Christian Faith by Dr. Michael Goheen: Video Teaching Series

Based on his recent book, The Core of the Christian Faith: Living the Gospel for the Sake of the World, this video series by Dr. Michael Goheen unpacks key themes and concepts that help believers live with God's mission in mind, wherever they are. 

Session 1: The Core of the Christian Faith

What if the greatest challenge facing the Church today isn’t unbelief, but unformed discipleship? In this introduction to The Core of the Christian Faith, Dr. Michael Goheen lays the foundation for his video teaching series, rooted in four vital questions: What is the Gospel? What is the story of the Bible? What is the role of God’s people? And how do we faithfully engage culture today? These questions guide a journey into the heart of the Christian faith, challenging reduced versions of the Gospel and inviting a holistic embrace of Scripture’s story. Goheen highlights the urgent call to live as a missional people in a changing world, shaped by Christ’s kingdom. This series is designed to equip you with vision, courage, and clarity as you seek to be a Gospel witness in everyday life.

Session 2: The Fourfold Core of the Christian Faith

Is it possible to live faithfully in a world that constantly pushes us to conform? Drawing on Romans 12, Dr. Goheen explores three powerful calls for Christian living: do not conform, be transformed, and discern God’s will. He reflects on how early Christians were catechized over two years to embody a new way of life, rooted in the biblical story, shaped by godly behavior, and detoxified from idolatry. This formation process prepared them to live as a countercultural community. Today, we face similar pressures and need similar practices. Goheen invites us to rediscover discipleship as a lifelong journey of learning, formation, and mission.

Session 3: What is the Gospel?

Have we lost sight of the fullness of the Gospel Jesus preached? Dr. Michael Goheen invites us to recover the meaning of evangelion, the “good news” proclaimed by Christ and His early followers. This Gospel was not simply personal salvation, but the announcement of God’s reign breaking into history. Goheen explores how the New Testament Church was shaped by this transformative message, living as people under the kingship of Jesus. Recovering this vision challenges us to proclaim a Gospel that is both personal and cosmic in scope. In doing so, we become bearers of a hope big enough to change the world.

Session 4: The Biblical Drama in Six Acts - The Old Testament

Is the Bible just a collection of moral tales, or is it one unified story of redemption? In this session, Dr. Goheen traces the first half of the biblical narrative, focusing on three foundational acts: creation, fall, and the beginning of restoration. Using the themes of people, place, and blessing, he shows how God called Israel into a covenant relationship, gave them a land, and remained faithful despite their rebellion. This story is more than ancient history—it is the lens through which we understand our world and our identity. Knowing the story helps us live within it, shaped by God’s redemptive purposes.

Session 5: The Biblical Drama in Six Acts - The New Testament

How does the biblical story culminate—and what does it mean for us today? Picking up from Session 4, Dr. Goheen explores the final three acts of the biblical drama: restoration accomplished, the mission of the Church, and restoration completed. He highlights the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, and how the early Church lived as a missional people. Their witness continues in us as we await the full renewal of creation. By understanding our place in this story, we are invited into a life of hope, purpose, and participation in God’s ongoing mission.

Session 6: The Urgency of Reading the Bible as One Story

Could it be that our lives are being shaped more by culture than by Scripture? In this session, Dr. Goheen argues that if we fail to immerse ourselves in the biblical story, we will unconsciously adopt the stories of our culture—stories marked by idolatry, individualism, and consumerism. The Bible is not just informative but formational, reshaping our desires and practices. When Scripture defines our identity, it challenges cultural narratives and offers an alternative vision of the good life. This video encourages deeper Scripture engagement as an essential practice for Christian formation. Only by living in God’s story can we truly reflect His image.

Session 7: The Missional Church in the Biblical Story

What if God’s people have always been called to live on mission? In this session, Dr. Goheen unpacks the missional trajectory of Scripture, beginning in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New. He explores how God's purpose to bless the nations through His people runs through every part of the biblical story. Understanding this trajectory reframes the Christian life—not as passive belief, but as active participation in God's mission. You’ll discover that your everyday life is a part of something much bigger. This video equips you to embrace your calling as part of God’s global redemptive plan. 

Session 8: A Missional Church Today

What does it actually look like to live on mission—beyond Sunday mornings? Dr. Goheen explores two powerful models for contemporary missional living: parallel culture and gathering spaces. He challenges the idea that church is confined to a building, highlighting instead how homes, workplaces, and public spaces can become centers of Gospel witness. Through the Spirit, God equips ordinary people for extraordinary mission. This session offers practical ways to live as a “sent people” in your everyday contexts. By embracing your vocation as sacred, you step into your role as Christ’s ambassador in the world.

Session 9: The Religious Nature of Our Culture

If we don’t understand culture, how can we engage it wisely? Dr. Goheen contends that cultural awareness is essential for faithful discipleship. Just as Old Testament Israel struggled with cultural idolatry, so too are modern Christians shaped—often unknowingly—by the prevailing values around us. This session helps uncover the hidden assumptions that guide our lives and invites us to evaluate them through a biblical lens. By becoming more culturally discerning, we can better resist idolatry and live faithfully. Goheen equips us to navigate our world with clarity, wisdom, and Gospel-rooted conviction.

Session 10: The Western Creed

Could Western culture have its own “creed”—a set of beliefs that shapes us more than we realize? Dr. Goheen exposes the implicit faith of Western society, drawing on voices like Nietzsche to identify trends such as scientific rationalism, consumerism, globalization, and postmodernity. These forces have subtly shaped both the Church and the world, often blurring the lines between biblical faith and cultural ideology. This session helps believers identify and critique these hidden narratives. By understanding the Western creed, we can better resist its influence and embody a distinctively Christian worldview.

Session 11: A Distinctive Community in Western Culture

What makes Christians truly different in a world of conformity? In this final session, Dr. Goheen outlines the marks of a redeemed community—gratitude, contentment, generosity, self-giving, and sacrificial love. These characteristics stand in stark contrast to the individualism, greed, and consumerism of Western culture. A community shaped by the Gospel will not only believe differently but live differently. Goheen challenges us to be a distinctive people whose lives point to the kingdom of God. This session provides a hopeful vision of what it means to be Christ’s faithful presence in the world.