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The Kingdom of Heaven as taught in the form of parables by Jesus in the pericope of Matthew 13 reveals the socio-cultural Sitz im Leben of the audience. By teaching in this manner, Jesus was able to unveil the hidden things of the Kingdom of Heaven in a way his audience would understand. Through this style of teaching, Jesus provides rich theological and eschatological truths. The truths that are examined include the Kingdom of Heaven as here and now as well as the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to reach its fulfillment in the eschaton. This thesis explores these truths through the eyes of the original audience, through the eyes of Matthean theology, and ultimately through the words of Jesus. This thesis will also open the door to further understanding humanity’s role in the Kingdom of Heaven as taught by Jesus in Matthew 13.

The African American clergyperson engaged in fulltime ministry, expected to meet and manage all of the overwhelming demands, discovers, sometimes too late, that it is this same push and pull that is the cause for missed opportunities to spend quality time with God and self.The purpose for this study is to examine how the discipline of contemplation can be a resource used to effectively minimize ministry stress on African American clergypersons who are engaged in fulltime ministry.The effects of the demands of the work of ministry can be devastatingly destructive to the soul of the African American clergy. Too many clergy, especially in the African American community, have the unfortunate likelihood of suffering from destructive psychological, physical and spiritual conditions from the expected demands placed upon them. These conditions can sometimes lead African American clergypersons engaged in fulltime ministry to depression or other mental conditions that, if present, could potentially lead to dependency and unhealthy practices. These unhealthy practices can range from alcoholism, the abuse of drugs (legal or illegal), to mood swings, altered behaviors, abnormal behaviors, and ultimately, suicide.

The United States Navy has a comprehensive education and training program that prepares civilian clergypersons for transition into becoming Navy Chaplains. However, there is currently a void when the Navy Chaplain is preparing for the inevitable season in which they return to the civilian ministry context. This dissertation comes alongside the separating Chaplain and provides a framework and transitional paradigm to improve their pathway to post-Navy ministry success. This project addresses how Navy Chaplaincy and Sea Service subcultures shape pastoral identity and how that reality impacts civilian transition. The demanding nature of military service increases the probability of burnout, and this must be mitigated to maximize transition success. A holistic, research-formulated transition model was developed in this dissertation. This intervention is critical as Navy Chaplains navigate how to transition their military ministry skills to a setting that they have not been actively serving in full-time. The video-based, independent-study Transitional Reflective Guide introduced separating Chaplains to a guide that clarified where they have been in ministry, where they are presently, and where they are going after transitioning out of the military. The results of this research concluded that the Transitional Reflective Guide needed to address the practical and emotional elements of the transition process. Second, being aware of the internal and external changes experienced during the transition process was critical to one's success. Finally, institutional ministry skills inform but do not define pastoral identity. This project affirmed that a fully formed religious identity and a structured transitional model were needed to maximize the Navy Chaplain's transition pathway and provided tools to facilitate that outcome.

In Genesis 28:10–22, we find a pivotal moment in Jacob’s life that reveals a practical blueprint for modern believers to find purpose in Christ when examined. The blueprint is modeled after Jacob’s ladder experience, which for Jacob changes his life from then on. After that encounter with God, he knows his destiny and purpose, suddenly having confidence in where he is going, which is missing for many Christians. Jacob stumbles into this seemingly by accident, but it is possible to retrace his steps for practical application through careful examination and breaking down his steps incrementally. It takes Jacob a lifetime to have such a revelation but utilizing the blueprint presented; this work aims to show how it is helpful for Christians today.

The correctional system in the United States has long demonstrated an unequal system that affects people of color, especially the Black male. This system has created a new form of slavery that continues to plague the Black male to find a place in the so called land of the free and the brave. The prison pipeline created in the United States contributes to one out of three Black males being under some sort of supervision, probation, or parole in their lifetime. The problems on the inside of prison result in mental disorders, depression, anger, bitterness and a continue to destructive behavior. After incarceration, the challenges continue to plague the Black male when re-entering society. The Black male faces obstacles of employment, voting, housing, family, and adjustment. These barriers help contribute to recidivism. The majority who return to society have a high recidivism rate because of these challenges. This research dwells on the importance of the Black church regarding rehabilitation, along with family- and community. This research follows my own experience within this system and evidence of the role a church can play in reducing recidivism

In preparation for preaching, there are many elements that one must consider when preparing for their assignment. When one stands to preach the Word of God, they should prepare for it as if it were their initial sermon and preach it as if it were their last sermon. Proper sermon preparation allows the preacher to declare the Word of God more effectively. In second Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”. Men and women of God who are called to their respective offices have the anointing and appointment to preach the Word of God. However, one must study to show themselves worthy to God and not man. There are three strategies that this work seeks to defend as proper methodologies for successful sermon preparation.

Many people go through life believing that sickness and disease are something they may or will invariably encounter. We have specifically created seasons for illness in North America, such as the flu season. This work aims to show through the Old and New Testament and the life of Jesus, the Apostles, and subsequent believers that God desires to heal our physical bodies. We will see God reveal Himself as the healer of Israel, and we will see the provision for healing found in Isaiah 53:5 and healing evidenced through the Apostles as well as beyond their age. The conclusion we will see is that healing from God by those afflicted by the devil has continued from the fall of humankind through the apostolic age.

Like so many other congregations, small churches are suffering from declining membership, and many have closed their doors. This decline has caused many pastors to be concerned about their ability to survive. As a consequence, churches have focused on survival tactics which result in an inward focused church in order to safeguard their limited resources. This inward focus minimizes missional ministry and ignores the pain and brokenness of people in the community that surrounds the church. This issue is particularly impactful in the urban context, where social challenges are prevalent and evidenced by the visible amount of homelessness, hunger, and poverty in the community. This thesis investigates the utilization of preaching stewardship to encourage growth in missional outreach in a small urban church. The preacher must be intentional about developing and delivering sermons that demonstrate the symmetry between stewardship and outreach ministry. This project focused on a small urban church and seeks to demonstrate that preaching stewardship is influential in encouraging growth in missional outreach to offset the needs of the community beyond the church.

This thesis is focused on discovering ways that healthcare chaplaincy can support nurses and staff during times of change, trauma, and crisis. The state of healthcare today has changed, and there seems to be a rise in neglect and elevated stress among the staff of hospitals and clinics. Utilizing resources like resilience training and stress debriefing tools are a few ways to enhance the well-being of nurses and staff. The thesis aims to educate and help implement support and resources for nurses and staff to get through traumatic and crisis situations by reviewing statistics and research on nurses' and staff's mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Through this work, I will show just how vital a role Chaplains play in the lives of service members to help curb the ever-increasing veteran suicide rate when service members exit the military. Chaplains play a prominent role throughout the career of all service members, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Chaplains, no matter the religious stance or denomination, are the ones whom service members go to when in times of trouble and severe stress or anxiety. Whether through a ministry of presence or participation in various suicide prevention programs and command programs for the general well-being of service members, Chaplains serve a significant role in service member’s lives, and in their families. Where Chaplains may be missing an extensive ministry is just before service members exit their military obligations. While suicide rates among the veteran population have “…decreased 23.1% from 25.7 million in 2001 to 19.8 million in 2019” according to the 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, this number is still too high. The question that this thesis hopes to answer is: \"How can Chaplains help reduce veteran and service member suicide rates through pre-separation programs and actions?\" This study will demonstrate effective programs and actions to answer the research question.