Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls…
— Jeremiah 6:16

Gregg Harris, Director of Noble Institute, along with my dear wife, Bonnie

Welcome to Noble Institute.

We are a Christian lifestyle-design organization located in beautiful Silverton, Oregon.

Noble Institute is dedicated to winning & then training believers in Jesus Christ on how to live more wisely & effectively for the glory of God in this world.

It has been famously written by Dr. John Piper that

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

With that, I heartily agree.

But upon further thought, the opposite is also true.

“We are most satisfied in God when He is most glorified in us.”

In this way, by focusing more attention on God’s glory in us, rather than on our own satisfaction in Him, we are better able to succeed at both. If you want to find more satisfaction in God, try living more intentionally for His glory. And by “glory” I mean, participating in God’s glorious display of His own goodness & wisdom in your own unique circumstances and relationships in life.

Here at Noble Institute, my wife and I strive to help people do just that, not by doing more, but by living quietly & courageously for the glory of God and the good of others in the biblical way that God calls “the old paths where the good way is.”

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have been born again, and you have been transferred out of the dark and foolish kingdoms of this world into the glorious kingdom of God’s dear Son, Jesus. As such you have both the opportunity and the obligation to live openly for the One Who died for you. That is the Christian life.

Justification vs Adoption

In the evangelical churches, much confusion has resulted from over emphasizing the believer’s justification by grace alone through faith alone at the expense of the believer’s adoption into the family of God and transferance into the Kingdom of God where “the obedience of faith” to one’s Heavenly Father, and “the obedience of faith” to Jesus Christ as Lord and King is intended to be the delight of one’s soul.

Though we can never add anything to the finished work of Christ in paying for our sins with His own blood, we are redeemed in order that God might have adopted children and subjects of His kingdom who are zealous to do good works for His glory and the good of others.

At Noble Institute I teach this distinction and encourage believers to rest in their salvation where Christ is the end of the law for righteousness sake, while still being passionate about bringing glory to God by doing the good works that God has prepared for them to do even before they were even born. A big part of this new life as a believer in Christ is the office we hold as the ambassador of His kingdom to those who are all around us.

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An Ambassador for Christ Lives in An Embassy

The apostle Paul tells us clearly that we are ambassadors for Christ. That is not a metaphor. It is an office that makes the believer’s household, (if he chooses to accept it) an “embassy” of the kingdom of God. Living as Christ’s ambassador means that every aspect of your life is an opportunity to display the goodness and wisdom of God in your own unique circumstances.

Live a Quiet Life

That life as an ambassador in an embassy is what Paul calls “the quiet life.” You should make it your ambition to live a quiet life, walking in the obedience of your faith in Jesus.

The elements that make up this quiet life are the “old paths where the good way is” referred to in Jeremiah 6:16 that we are all commanded to ask for and to walk in.

This is the life of “knowing God and enjoying Him forever.” It is the life that was once lost in the Fall of Mankind in the Garden of Eden, and now is found by God’s amazing grace. It is the life that everyone in the whole world is yearning for in their hearts, whether they know it or not.

Workshops & Seminars

Our mission at Noble Institute is to teach & train believers of all ages how to live the quiet life of walking in the old paths.

  • I teach how to show love your for God BY the way you love and take care of others in your life.

  • I teach how to have a biblical courtship and a covenant marriage so that your family household is built on the Rock of Christ’s teachings.

  • I teach how to make your home a place of effective child training and delight-directed study.

  • I teach believers how to “do well for themselves by doing good for others” in wise and practical family business endeavors.

  • I teach how to practice embassy-quality hospitality where others get to taste and see that the Lord is good when they enter your home.

  • I teach how to shine as a light in the darkness of an increasingly secular culture and in opposition to ungodly political movements.

  • I teach how to make the most of your time by strengthing the connections that comprise your personal integrity.

This, and more, is what I understand to be “the quiet life of walking on the old paths” in the biblical Christian life.

Here at Noble Institute, I design and present every workshop & seminar to address these important topics.

My seminars & workshops are intensive. One evening & one full day is all it takes. They are high-impact, exciting, humerous & motivational. They cover each topic in enough depth to move their participant to action. Think of our events as being like a book that you experience, rather than merely read. The results are often amazing. Our events change lives by moving our students to set passionate goals, make wise plans and take decisive action. In that way our alumni become “doers of God’s word and not hearers only” (see James 1:22). I hope you will join me for my next event.

But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds, he stands.
— Isaiah 32:8

Why the rocking chair?

I am what is called a “Practical Theologian.” That simply means I study to “think theologically” about everythings in life, and especially the ordinary thing in life. The rocking chair in my logo represents the kind of practical wisdom that comes by this focus of ministry.

As such it is often shared casually by a father or mother, or an elder of one’s church, not from behind a pulpit, but rather while rocking in a rocking chair on the porch.

So, metaphorically speaking, step up on my porch and take a seat. Lean back and relax. Have some iced tea, or coffee, and let’s talk for a while about how your life is probably going to unfold in the outworking of God’s good & wise purposes in this world.

 

Gregg Harris, speaking to a room full of teenagers and their parents in one of our Do Har Things Conferences

What Others Are Saying About Gregg Harris's Various Workshops & Seminars:

“Gregg’s new Households of Strength Seminar is a great investment in your home and family life. I highly recommend it.” — Tim Hanson, Director, Christian Renewal Center concerning The Households of Strength Seminar

“Gregg Harris’ vision of family life is unmatched in its clarity, passion & practicality.”— Nancy Pearcey
, Author of Total Truth concerning The Households of Strength Seminar

“You can’t spend much time with the Harris children... without concluding that their parents have done something remarkable, and have earned the right to be heard.” — Randy Alcorn, 
Author of Heaven & If God is Good concerning Raising Kids to Do Hard Things

“I loved this workshop. You laid out the whole process in a way that really made sense. I can’t wait to put it into practice.” — Thomas, 15 years old concerning The Noble Planner Approach to Making the Most of Your Time

“Gregg Harris will stir your thinking beyond the status quo and send you home excited.”— John and Laura Wojnicki, Co-Directors of Christian Family Schools, San Diego, CA concerning The Households of Strength Seminar

“Anyone raising teenagers would benefit from spending some time with Gregg. It will be one of the most beneficial investments you could ever make in your family.”— Mike Smith, President, HSLDA concerning Raising Kids to Do Hard Things

"I thought I would be bored, but Mr. Harris is a good speaker, and what he said made a lot of sense. I’m glad I came.”— a Teenager, Kalamazoo, MI, concerning The Households of Strength Seminar

“With this workshop, I did not leave with a handful of nuggets, I left with an entire gold mine. Great insights.”— Kevin D. Grimes, Grimes & Reese: A Professional Company of Attorneys and Counselors, Idaho Falls, ID concerning The Households of Strength Seminar

"Any one session by itself would have been worth the cost. But when 14 of our students and parents responded to the gospel, what is that worth? Thank you so much!”— Pamela Helgerson, Fortis Academy, Austin, TX concerning Raising Kids to Do Hard Things

About Your Instructor

Gregg Harris is the best-selling author of The Christian Home School, The Noble Planner Approach to Managing Yourself in the Use of Your Time & Attention, and The Hospitality Handbook & Directory.

He is well-known around the world as a homeschooling leader and home-school workshop and seminar instructor with over 256,000 alumni families of his various instructional events. He is also a popular keynote speaker for various state and national conventions and conferences. He was the President of Christian Life Workshops, Founding Publisher of Noble Publishing Associates, the primary Church-Planting Evangelist & Teaching Elder of the Household of Faith Fellowship of Churches, and now serves as Director of Noble Institute. He brings nearly 50 years of life experience to bear on each seminar and workshop he presents.

Gregg is the father of 7 now adult children by his first marriage, and stepfather to 6 additional adult children by his new wife Bonnie. Among his own sons are Alex & Brett Harris, co-authors of Do Hard Things: a Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, and Joel Harris, Pastor of Worship at South Canyon Baptist Church in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Gregg has most recently become the Innkeeper at The Noble Inn, a Christian Bed & Breakfast Retreat Center, in Silverton, Oregon & the shopkeeper of Silver Falls Terrariums, a small retail terrarium business, located right next door to The Noble Inn.

He now resides at The Noble Inn with his dear wife Bonnie, in Silverton, Oregon.