BEYOND APPEARANCES

THE PRODIGAL WITHIN RETURNS
Wed, Nov 12, 2025 @ 4:00pm-6:00pm PST
Registration Fee: $40

Everyone has those moments of feeling lost and/or ashamed of our choices. We might feel justifiably punished, resigned to live in the bed we’ve made for ourselves. It takes courage to imagine something better when we don’t feel deserving. Can we make amends for the err of our ways? How do we develop strength to "going back home"? How will we be received? What gives us the right to begin again? Through metaphysical interpretation, the timeless story of error and redemption comes alive in new and personally relevant ways.

We learn how:

• We must “come to” our self in order to heal
• Our identity, though never lost, must be owned
• Not asking for our good is another way to squander it
  
  

WEEDING THROUGH THE GARDEN OF EDEN
Sat, Nov 22, 2025 @ 9:30am- 12:00pm PST
Registration Fee: $55

The Garden of Eden is one of the most misunderstood stories in the Bible. Popular interpretations condemn human nature as sinful and disobedient (The Fall) with females subjugated as punishment for this calamity. A metaphysical interpretation understands our nature as divine. With the power to co-create and the responsibility of choice, we are forever before “The Two Trees.” This workshop may be one of the most liberating gifts you can give yourself, whether familiar with Scripture or new.

We will have an overview of metaphysical interpretation techniques. We will see in Genesis 1 how the creation story parallels the theory of evolution. Understanding Adam and Eve as the yin/yang aspect of each of us unveils our gifts and susceptibilities. Insights from The Sacred YES show us how to integrate capacity, responsibility, and accountability.

Learn how to:

• Transcend the ideas of humanity as fallen and females as the cause
• Celebrate the divinity of our nature and our power to co-create
• Choose from internal wisdom not sensory appearances. 

About these workshops:
Welcome to this journey of discovering Scriptural wisdom through metaphysical interpretation. This perspective explores and integrates Universal Spiritual Principles with the language, culture, and customs of the day. In this approach, everything (people, objects, weather, terrain, actions, relationships, etc.) represents states of consciousness all happening within each of us. The Bible dramatizes the impact of how varying ways of being interact.

What happens when fear encounters faith? When greed competes with compassion? When doubt and steadfastness tussle? When the victory goes to the most unlikely? Good guy, bad guy, are just varying aspects of the human condition happening inside all of us. When we contemplate life from such an inclusive perspective, we position ourselves to be uplifted, guided, and directed.

No prior knowledge is required. Everyone is welcome. The workshops are engaging, designed for varying skill levels, from seasoned to novice. In addition to interpretative insights, you are given tools to help you discern Bible wisdom for yourself. You will be introduced to Strong’s Concordance and Greek Dictionary, Greek Lexical Aides, Hebrew-Greek-English Interlinear Bible, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary by Unity, and excerpts from The Sacred YES and Your Deepest Intent.

All materials and recordings are provided to registrants regardless of attendance. Register early to get access pre-materials to start your interpretation journey now.

Message from the Instructor
I am all too aware that relationships to the Bible are quite varied. They can be estranged, ecstatic, confused, resentful, indifferent, respectful but not engaged, so many things. Over the course of my lifetime, I have experienced all of these and more. As a gay kid growing up in the Black Pentecostal Church, I was both comforted and clobbered by the Bible.

A metaphysical understanding of Scripture revolutionized my life, opening my eyes, mind, and heart. Bible scholars teach chapter and verse. I share tools and techniques to help you discern Bible wisdom for yourself, even if you have never touched a Bible. I have been doing this for four decades in seminaries and spiritual communities. This series is a beta test of new online formats as I now expand these offerings to the public.

Whether you are longing for more spiritual depth or simply seek grounding in an ever-shifting world, these workshops have something for you. See you there and bring a friend.

About the Instructor
Rev Deborah L Johnson has been a Metaphysical Bible instructor over 40 years. She is founder of Inner Light Ministries in Santa Cruz, CA, and a founding member of Agape International in Los Angeles. She is also the founder of the newly forming nonprofit, Unleashing Our Future. A lifetime social justice strategist and diversity specialist, she is author of The Sacred YES and Your Deepest Intent. As an Organizational Consultant, she serves the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, including many Fortune 500 companies. A former Real Estate Investment Manager, she holds a BA from USC, an MBA from UCLA, a ministerial degree from Holmes Institute, and an honorary DD from Agape University. A dynamic speaker and strategist, she is known for bringing clarity to complex and emotionally charged issues. Wherever she goes her message is about healing, inclusion, empowerment, and possibility.