Adult Bible Studies

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Adult Bible Studies 
Hundreds of thousands of students and teachers use ADULT BIBLE STUDIES each week in Sunday school classes, mid-week Bible studies, and other small-group settings. Bible-based and Christ-focused, it is an approved resource by the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. It is published quarterly.  

Spring 2023 Theme - The Life of Faith

The units of the Bible lesson in this quarter unify around the theme The Life of Faith

Read samples from Spring 2023
Spring Student Book Sampler

 

Adult Bible Studies Spring 2023

Theme: The Life of Faith
This spring, our lessons center around the theme “The Life of Faith.” The language of journey and pilgrimage is commonly used to describe the Christian life. This spring our lessons encourage us to walk alongside Jesus and his disciples on Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem and explore the nature of faith that calls us to follow Jesus despite our uncertainty and doubts. The last unit this quarter looks at the concept of sabbath, the foreshadowing of the rest that God promises at the end of our journey. The writer of the student book is Michelle Morris.

Unit 1
Journey to the Cross
This Lenten season, we follow Jesus’ journey to the cross in Matthew’s account. Matthew’s Gospel stresses in many places that through his crucifixion, Jesus makes clear his perfect obedience to God’s will and the true nature of kingship under God’s reign.
Scriptures: Matthew 16:21-28 | Matthew 20:20-28 | Matthew 21:23-27 | Matthew 22:15-22 | Matthew 22:41-46
Spiritual Practice: Simplicity | Accountability

Unit 2
From Doubt to Trust
We often treat doubt and wisdom as belonging in opposite categories; but often, questioning our wisdom, knowledge, and certitude is a sign of wisdom. As humans, we should struggle to understand. The path forward from doubt is one of trust in God. We are invited to imitate Jesus and let go of our doubt and our competition with God and to trust in God’s love and intentions.
Scriptures: Matthew 26:36-46 | Matthew 28:1-15 | John 20:11-29 | 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 | 1 Peter 1:3-16
Spiritual Practice: Meditation

Unit 3
Intentional Sabbath
In the secular West, the concept of holy days and sabbath have been replaced by days off work or school and vacations. We rest so that we can work harder and earn more money so that we can take vacations away from our community. In the Bible, rest from work had a different purpose. One worked to prepare for the sabbath. On the sabbath, one participated together with the entire community, the livestock, and the land in a shared rest that signified the well-being and abundance that God intended for creation. No one was required to work to make another’s leisure possible. Sabbath rest is a foretaste of the rest that awaits us, and that God will provide in the fullness of time.
Scriptures: Exodus 20:8-11 | Psalm 23 | Matthew 12:1-14 | Luke 4:16-21
Spiritual Practice: Self-Care

 

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Study Resources

Adult Bible Studies components include:

Student Book

Published quarterly, each week's Student Book lesson lists background Scripture, features key verses, provides reliable and relevant biblical explanation and application, and more, in a readable font size that is accessible to everyone

Each week’s lesson features:

  • A purpose statement offering focus and direction for the lesson
  • Printed biblical text from The Common English Bible
  • Reliable and relevant biblical explanation and application
  • A closing prayer, guiding personal commitment

Teacher/Commentary Kit

Each quarterly Teacher/Commentary Kit includes a Teacher Book with additional biblical background and exposition and suggestions for guiding group discussion and a copy of the new quarterly Adult Bible Studies Concise Commentary, which provides additional background on the biblical text for each session of Adult Bible Studies.

Each week’s lesson includes:

  • A purpose statement offering focus and direction for the lesson
  • Printed biblical text from The Common English Bible
  • Verse-by-verse commentary on the biblical text
  • Detailed lesson plans, questions, and small-group activities that aid teachers in leading their classes to deeper understandings and applications of biblical truths

Video Sessions/DVD

The quarterly ADULT BIBLE STUDIES video sessions are designed to be used in conjunction with the weekly lessons. Each segment connects adults to the biblical text for the corresponding lesson, provides some overall context for the biblical text, and challenges adults to consider what difference the text makes in their lives. Lively, knowledgeable, and engaging hosts offer fresh insights and new ways of approaching the texts.

Access Adult Bible Studies and other Bible study video sessions, inspirational short videos, and children’s content available anywhere from any device from Amplify Media. 

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Current Events Supplement

The free Current Events Supplement offers a way to connect each week’s lesson to a timely event or topic in the news. To subscribe to the Current Events Supplement, sign up for e-mail updates at the bottom of this page, and we will send them your inbox every week!

Dialogue with the Hosts - Spring 2023

This spring, our lessons center around the theme “The Life of Faith.” The language of journey and pilgrimage is commonly used to describe the Christian life. This spring our lessons encourage us to walk alongside Jesus and his disciples on Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem and explore the nature of faith that calls us to follow Jesus despite our uncertainty and doubts. The last unit this quarter looks at the concept of sabbath, the foreshadowing of the rest that God promises at the end of our journey. The writer of the student book is Michelle Morris.

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