I wasn’t planning on my next post being yet another one from Amy-Jill Levine, but I found out that another Sunday School class at our church was just starting The Difficult Words of Jesus. I figured my lessons from a few years back might come in handy, so I’m posting them now.
Read More & DownloadWhen Christians Get It Wrong – Adam Hamilton
Here’s another great book from Adam Hamilton (aren’t they all?). Hamilton wrote When Christians Get It Wrong back in 2010 and revised it in 2013. Going through it again today, I find the content still very applicable. I guess that means we’re not yet getting it all right. The lesson series is only six sessions long, one per chapter, but they’re chock full of excellent discussion fodder.
Read More & DownloadSermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven – Amy-Jill Levine
Here’s another book by Amy-Jill Levine, one of my favorite authors and presenters. Levine amazes me with her compelling insights on Jesus and his message for us today, all told from the unique perspective of an accomplished University professor and practicing Jew. To me, she is a true rabbi for Christians.
Read More & DownloadHuman Gifts: Giving to Transform Ourselves, Others and the World – James Hallam
Our class just finished this book by James Hallam. It covers eighteen different laudable human characteristics (e.g., Love, Compassion, Listening, Time, and Generosity) . We finished the book in six sessions, covering multiple gifts each week. It’s an easy read, and fodder for great discussion.
Read More & DownloadHymns
I’m changing gears with this latest study. There’s no book for group members to read. Rather, it covers some of the most popular hymns of our time. And, yes – the lesson plans call for singing them. Don’t worry, I’ve included links to YouTube instrumentals that will provide good background music. If you don’t have great voices in your group, just turn up the volume!
Read More & DownloadLove Wins – Rob Bell
When our Sunday School class first started meeting a couple of decades ago, Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis was the initial book we chose. Over the years, we’ve returned to his books and videos several times. The most recent series was on his 2011 book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.
Read More & DownloadChasing a God You Don’t Want to Catch – Darren Wilson
Darren Wilson runs Wanderlust Productions, a film production company that focuses on advancing God’s Kingdom around the world. Chasing a God You Don’t Want to Catch proved to be a thought-provoking book that touched on several aspects of God that initially troubled Wilson, as well as several of us in our class!
Read More & DownloadThe Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide to the Good News – Amy-Jill Levine
Our class just finished this recent release by Amy-Jill Levine. If you’re not familiar with AJ, you should be! She’s a professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, and let’s just say I’d love to be in one of her classes! The next best thing is to study one of her books, and The Gospel of Mark is worth the read.
Read More & DownloadHoly Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others – Barbara Brown Taylor
If you’ve been involved in a Christian small group for any period of time, invariably someone requests that you do a lesson series on world religions. My Sunday School class has done several studies, most recently using Barbara Brown Taylor’s Holy Envy.
Read More & DownloadMaking Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today – Adam Hamilton
I wanted to make my first series a good one, and you don’t get much better than Adam Hamilton. His Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today does a great job of presenting scripture in a modern and still sacred context. You’ll want to allocate a fair amount of time for this one. It took our class eighteen sessions, but they were good ones!
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