Bible Study

From Dry Bones to Living Hope

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:46:13 GMT

Though the shadow side of aging is a reality, author Missy Buchanan brings spiritual light and nourishment to people in the later years of life. Older adults struggle with chronic pain and diminished physical abilities. They contend with losses that pile up like the dry bones in the prophet Ezekiel's vision—the loss of loved ones and friends, the loss of their home and belongings, the loss of independence, and the loss of purpose. In a culture that values youth more than age, older adults often feel forgotten and without purpose.

Each chapter of From Dry Bones to Living Hope opens with an intimate, prayerful lament to God from the perspective of the older adult who longs for spiritual renewal and purpose. The authentic voice of lament establishes credibility with older readers who yearn for others to empathize with their struggles. The second part of each chapter, "Cultivating Hope," guides them to God's perspective on aging and specific actions they can take that lead to hope and joy.

From Dry Bones to Living Hope

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:28:39 GMT

From Dry Bones to Living Hope

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 22:35:30 GMT

From Dry Bones to Living Hope

For the Common Good

Fri, 20 May 2022 15:30:01 GMT

For the Common Good reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives each Christian one or more spiritual gifts to be used for the common good. It guides readers to discover their own particular gifts and learn to use their gifts to serve others.

Examining key passages in Paul's writings, author Christine Harman leads readers through a personal spiritual gift assessment. She names 20 distinct spiritual gifts—including discernment, compassion, and evangelism—and helps people explore scripture references on each one. After identifying their particular gifts, clergy and laypeople will learn how to apply them for the good of their church, community, and the world. This book is ideal for both group study and self-discovery. The book also includes suggestions for how to build a ministry team or assign people to committees based on the gifts of each individual.

This book is the text for a Lay Servant Ministries advanced course on spiritual gifts. It also can be used for a small-group study.

A Leader's Guide is available for this book.

For the Common Good

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:31:19 GMT

This PDF Leader's Guide is designed to be used with the participant's book, For the Common Good. It includes discussion guides and activities to help individuals discover their spiritual gifts, identify their abilities and skills, and find ways to use them for God’s glory. It also offers a model for implementing a system based on spiritual gifts to identify and call forth leaders in the congregation. The Leader's Guide offers plans for four 2½-hour sessions to fulfill the 10-hour requirement for an advanced Lay Servant Ministry course.

For the Common Good

Wed, 18 May 2022 14:56:46 GMT

This book is the text for a Lay Servant Ministries advanced course on spiritual gifts. It also can be used for a small-group study.

A Leader's Guide is available for this book.

Gather Us In

Sat, 14 May 2022 04:13:46 GMT

The church can become a place where people want to run to instead of away from during times of suffering. Small groups offer a safe space for individuals to connect meaningfully with one another, and they also provide an environment where relational healing can begin.

This comprehensive guide to leading small groups provides eight strategies for leading transformative small groups, dispels common myths about leading groups, and helps readers understand how groups work and the life stages of a group. The author suggests practical ways to lead groups effectively, using examples from scripture of how Jesus worked to transform people spiritually and emotionally. Gather Us In will equip small-group leaders with wisdom for relating to others, knowledge for helping others talk about their unfolding faith journeys, and confidence in their newly acquired facilitation skills. They will realize they don't need to know all the answers to be able to lead well.

Gather Us In

Tue, 24 May 2022 18:19:33 GMT

Gather Us In

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:22:39 GMT

A Family Like Mine

Sat, 14 May 2022 03:44:37 GMT

Families are complicated, and they always have been. A Family Like Mine explores the surprising variety of family stories and relationships reflected in the Bible, emphasizing God's grace, reconciliation, and renewal. The book tells the family stories of our spiritual ancestors in ways that resonate with our own family stories.

Author Rosalind Hughes weaves accounts of familiar and less well-known biblical characters with stories of family formation, estrangement, adoption, and more. She imaginatively retells biblical stories, inviting the reader to dig deeper into the motivations, disappointments, faith, and fulfillment we hold in common with our biblical ancestors.

Story-based and biblically informed, A Family Like Mine combines spiritual autobiography with Bible study to provide a gentle but probing look at the many "mansions" of God's household, where Jesus has prepared a place for all God's children. Reflection questions encourage readers to examine and compare their own family history and spiritual journey with the stories of families found in the Bible.

A Family Like Mine

Tue, 24 May 2022 17:49:23 GMT

A Family Like Mine

Sat, 14 May 2022 04:11:56 GMT

A Beginner's Guide to Practicing Scriptural Imagination

Sat, 14 May 2022 04:11:24 GMT

What is scriptural imagination? The word imagination does not mean the Bible is fantasy or untrue. A scriptural imagination allows us to look at the world through the stories and images of the Bible. As we view our world with scriptural imagination, we enter a continuous process of becoming more Christlike.

In A Beginner's Guide to Practicing Scriptural Imagination, Kenneth Carter focuses on four scripture passages to give readers an easy entry into the practice of scriptural imagination. Carter advocates reading and reflecting on the biblical texts with a group.

Carter says that almost every situation and problem we face can be addressed by men and women sitting with biblical texts, listening for what God might be saying through those passages. Equally important is taking time to listen attentively to people who are marginalized. As readers practice the spiritual exercises in this book, they will grow as disciples of Jesus who can then transform their world.

A Beginner's Guide to Practicing Scriptural Imagination

Tue, 24 May 2022 18:19:06 GMT

A Beginner's Guide to Practicing Scriptural Imagination

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:04:49 GMT

La Biblia a través de los ojos de Juan Wesley

Sat, 14 May 2022 03:12:15 GMT

Este recurso es el fruto del trabajo misional del autor en iglesias de América Latina y EE. UU. Las clases están diseñadas para proveer enseñanza tanto a personas nuevas en la fe, como a quienes tienen más conocimiento o madurez y desean profundizar su estudio de las Escrituras a través de los lentes de la herencia, la teología y las doctrinas básicas de la fe wesleyanas—herramientas fundamentales para nutrir el discipulado cristiano en la tradición wesleyana.

Cada estudio bíblico o clase consta de las siguientes partes:

Un versículo bíblico clave al tema de estudio;
Una introducción breve al tema de estudio;
Una enseñanza con observaciones extraídas de las obras de Wesley;
Preguntas para reflexionar y discutir en grupos pequeños, y
Una oración final.

La Biblia a través de los ojos de Juan Wesley

Sat, 14 May 2022 03:12:28 GMT

Cada estudio bíblico o clase consta de las siguientes partes:

Un versículo bíblico clave al tema de estudio;
Una introducción breve al tema de estudio;
Una enseñanza con observaciones extraídas de las obras de Wesley;
Preguntas para reflexionar y discutir en grupos pequeños, y
Una oración final.

La Biblia a través de los ojos de Juan Wesley

Sat, 14 May 2022 00:13:06 GMT

Cada estudio bíblico o clase consta de las siguientes partes:

Un versículo bíblico clave al tema de estudio;
Una introducción breve al tema de estudio;
Una enseñanza con observaciones extraídas de las obras de Wesley;
Preguntas para reflexionar y discutir en grupos pequeños, y
Una oración final.

We Are the Church ... Let's Act Like It

Sat, 14 May 2022 01:46:50 GMT

Earthshaking. Status-quo challenging. World transforming. That's what the church was intended to be.

"An excellent resource for energizing your local church..."
—Mike Slaughter, Author and Pastor Emeritus, Ginghamsburg Church, Dayton Ohio

Problems in the church are nothing new; the book of Acts is full of them. In We Are the Church..., Pevey offers encouragement that today's church can truly be a transformative presence in the world, just as the early church was in the book of Acts.

While some feel the church is a social club with little impact on the world, that very idea runs contrary to God's plan. In We Are the Church... Let's Act Like It, Pastor Linda Tower Pevey offers churches practical and biblical ways to live out their mandate to make disciples and make a positive impact on their community and the world.

We Are the Church... takes readers through a 7-week Bible study of the book of Acts, looking at what it means to be the world-changing church that Jesus Christ intended. The study guides readers through weekly topics that empower them to take action — Act with . . . Power, Generosity, Acceptance, Creativity, Perseverance, Courage, and Witness.

Energize your entire congregation by using We Are the Church... as a churchwide small-group study. A built-in Leader's Guide makes it easy to lead this book in a small-group or Bible-study setting. The book is also suitable for individual use. Expect to see your church energized and renewed by We Are the Church ... Let's Act Like It!

We Are the Church ... Let's Act Like It

Sat, 14 May 2022 01:47:03 GMT

Earthshaking. Status-quo challenging. World transforming. That's what the church was intended to be.

"An excellent resource for energizing your local church..."
—Mike Slaughter, Author and Pastor Emeritus, Ginghamsburg Church, Dayton Ohio