Free Bible Studies

 The Church of the Lutheran Brethren offers free downloadable bible study series.

The studies available include:

• Symbols of our savior - Lent Study
• Spiritual Formation - working with Jesus to become more like Jesus
• Our artists God 
• Full of grace and truth
• Intentionally intergenerational
• Mental health and the church
• Partner in Mission
• All things new
• Identity in Christ
• Identity in Christ - Justification
• Innocent Blood
• Triumphant Christian living
• The truth in Jesus 
• The life in Jesus
• Living Faith
• From disappointment to joy
• Directions in God's Word

  These studies are available at https://clbforge.org/studies

Worship and Study Resources: Leaving no one behind

In 2026, the Bible Society of New Zealand, in celebrating their 180th anniversary, are focusing on 5 powerful parables from the Gospel of Luke....with the theme Leaving no one behind

The resources they are providing are for all ages — designed to help individuals, churches, and ministries engage deeply with God’s Word.

Each week you will focus on one of the parables:

• The lost coin
• The lost sheep
• The prodigal son
• The Good Samaritan 
• The Sower

The resources available include:

• Adult devotional bible studies
• Teen devotional bible studies
• 7 day challenge plan
• Children's lesson
• 31 day reading plan

For more information visit

https://biblesociety.org.nz/bible-month-2026/#bm

Small group or worship resource - Lutheran Fellowship Gatherings weekly resource

 

The Lutheran Fellowship Gathering weekly resource is for small groups or small worshipping communities to help them connect with God and each other focussing on the Gospel reading of the Revised Common Lectionary  

One of the reasons for making this resource available is to support people who wish to gather around God’s Word, focus on Jesus and to grow as part of God’s church.  

You may want to use it to help you start a small group in your church community, or to gather people in a community where a Lutheran church currently is not present.  

This resource is offered free of charge to non-commercial situations, on the understanding that you will not charge for copies or its use.   

This resource has been developed by Pastor Richard Schwedes, richardschwedes@gmail.com 

Click on the weekly links below to access the weekly resources

2026 

January weekly resources

January week 2:  Baptism of Jesus - Matthew 3:13-17

January week 3:  Epiphany 2 - John 1:29-42

January week 4:   Epiphany 3 - Matthew 4:12-23

February weekly resources

February week 1:  Epiphany 4 - Matthew 5:1-12

February week 2:  Epiphany 5 - Matthew 5:13-20

February week 3:  Transfiguration - Matthew 17:1-9

February week 4:  Lent 1 - Matthew 4:1-11

March weekly resources

March week 1:  Lent 2 - John 3:1-17

March week 2:  Lent 3 - John 4:5-42

March week 3:  Lent 4 - John 9:1-41

March week 4:  Lent 5 - John 11:1-45

March week 5:  Palm and Passion Sunday - Matthew 21:1-11, 26:14-27:66

April weekly resources

April week 1:  Easter Sunday - John 20:1-18

April  week 2:  Easter 2- John 20:19-31

April week 3:  Easter 3 - Luke 24:13-35

April week 4:  Easter 4 - John 10:1-10

May weekly resources

2026 May weeks 1 to 5 are available here 

June Weekly resources

2026 June weeks 1 to 4 are available here

July Weekly resource

2026 July weeks 1 to 4 are available here

August Weekly resource

2026 August weeks 1 to 4 available here

Book: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels

Understand the Life of Jesus in Cultural Context

Discover a deeper, richer understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus with Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by renowned scholar Kenneth Bailey. 

This book invites readers to see Jesus through the lens of his historical and cultural context, lifting away the layers of Western interpretation that have shaped modern perspectives. From Jesus' birth to his parables, from the Beatitudes to his relationships, Bailey helps readers remove modern Western interpretations to see Jesus as he was understood in his own time, offering readers a kaleidoscopic view of the person of Jesus that is simultaneously ancient and refreshingly new.

In Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, you'll find

• Cultural Insight: Gain a deeper understanding of Jesus within his Middle Eastern context, removing Western cultural blinders.
• A Transformational Perspective: Be inspired to read the Gospels with renewed clarity and depth, seeing Jesus in the light of his historical and cultural setting.

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is a valuable resource for anyone passionate about studying the New Testament and the life of Jesus deeply and meaningfully. Explore Jesus’ story as it was meant to be seen and enrich your spiritual study with this compelling, context-driven approach.

Available on Amazon

Reading the bible with a mission lens

Reading the bible with a mission lens is about engaging with God and His word, that leads us into being part of His mission in the world.   

A good way to do this is by reflecting on and responding to 5 key questions as you read a passage of scripture.

1. What is this passage saying about who God is?
2. What is this passage saying about who you are?
3. What is this passage saying about God's relationship with you (and others those in and outside His church)?
4. How is this passage encouraging you to be part of the Body of Christ, God's church?
5. How is this passage encouraging you (and others who are part of the Body of Christ) to engage with people who are in your community or you will cross paths with?

Reading the bible with a mission lens, should lead us to engaging with Christians in helping others to connect with God and His mission of grace.    

Book: Making Sense of the Cross

The cross is central to Christianity.   Yet there is much to learn about its role for us.
This book draws us into a conversation between two people having an open and candid discussion about the cross. One assumes the role of teacher or coach, someone who has had the time and opportunity to study the faith in some depth. The other is curious, knows a little bit about the faith, and brings a lot of questions: 

• So what’s with the cross? 
• What does the cross say about God? 
• What’s the big deal? 
• Did Jesus have to die?

Book: Reading the bible with Rabbi Jesus

What would it be like for modern readers to sit down beside Jesus as he explained the Bible to them? What life-changing insights might emerge from such a transformative encounter? 
Lois Tverberg knows the treasures that await readers willing to learn how to read the Bible through Jewish eyes. By helping them understand the Bible as Jesus and his first-century listeners would have, she bridges the gaps of time and culture in order to open the Bible to readers today. 
Combining careful research with engaging prose, Tverberg leads us on a journey back in time to shed light on how this Middle Eastern people approached life, God, and each other. She explains age-old imagery that we often misinterpret, allowing us to approach God and the stories and teachings of Scripture with new eyes. By helping readers grasp the perspective of its original audience, she equips them to read the Bible in ways that will enrich their lives and deepen their understanding.

Table of Contents

1 Opening the Bible with Jesus :   Emmaus Is Still There

Part 1 Repacking Our Mental Bags:  Tools for the Journey
2 Learning to Be There:  A Clash of Cultures
3 What Does "Christ" Mean, Anyway?:  A Perplexing Word
4 Painting in Hebrew:  Bold Colors, Broad Brushstrokes

Part 2 How the Bible Thinks
Big Picture Ideas That You Need to Understand
5 Greek Brain, Hebrew Brain:  Cows, Creeds, and Concrete Metaphors
6 Why Jesus Needs Those Boring "Begats":  Knowing the Family Rules
7 Reading the Bible as a "We":  Insights from a Communal Perspective
8 Like Grasshoppers in Our Own Eyes:  Learning to "Think Small"

Part 3 Reading about the Messiah
Seeing Him through Hebrew Eyes
9 Memory Is Critical:  Hinting at the Scriptures
10 Moses and the Prophets Have Spoken:  Finding Promises in the Synagogue
11 Reading in the Third Dimension:  Listening for Echoes in the Text
12 Jesus' Bold Messianic Claims:  Very Subtle, Very Jewish
13 When the Words Catch Fire:  What We Miss in Isaiah

Appendix A Books of the Tanakh
Appendix B Thirty Useful Hebrew Words for Bible Study
Appendix C Bible Translations for Word Study

Bible Study: Lutheran Spirituality - Witness

Spirituality is a common term today, but what does it mean? To find the right answer, Lutheran Spirituality directs adult Bible study participants to God's Word. Lutheran Spirituality explores the Bible, Luther's Small Catechism, and the Lutheran hymnal as integral resources for living out our faith in a spiritually confused-and sometimes confusing-world.

As Lutherans, we affirm that sharing our faith with others is an integral part of our Christian existence in this world. This activity remains with us even as the Church enlists certain individuals for outreach projects close to home or overseas. In this study, we hope to encourage among Lutherans a broader commitment to share their faith in whatever calling, the Lord has placed them.

Session 1: Salvation to the Ends of the Earth
Session 2: Rooted in Christ's Ministry
Session 3: Follow Me
Session 4: Witness Boldly
Session 5: Go Where?
Session 6: The Hub of Christian Life and Witness

This is a downloadable study available from CPH

Bible Study: The Greatest Story ever told

The Greatest Story is a new Bible study that comes with dvd resources of sand artist Joe Castillo telling the story and books, giving participants a big-picture overview of the Bible—discussing key people, places, and events in an easy-to-understand way, as they dive deeper into the story and discover their place in God's story.  

To discover more and gain a sample of The Greatest Story visit here

Bible Studies - A Pastoral look at the bible

Preface

In September of 1999, Pastor Mark Wilms began work on a pastoral commentary of the entire Bible.  A month later, he started a weekly Bible study in the church he was serving at the time, Bethlehem Lutheran (ELCA) on the south side of Chicago, using the material that he was producing.  By October of 2008 he came to the end of my journey with a complete set of Bible studies on the sixty-six commonly-accepted books of scripture.

These studies can be used individually to cover just a small piece of scripture, a whole book at a time, or a survey of the entire Bible.

The format is consistent throughout. 
Each biblical book is divided up into a series of studies covering one or more chapters (usually a group of several). 
 Each study (and sometimes a book or other kind of section) offers an introduction that attempts to be informative but also pastoral in tone, followed by a series of notes that add more information, and then one or more discussion questions. 
The historical material has been gleaned from a number of study Bibles and commentaries that are listed after this preface. 

This commentary takes a high view of scripture, but also strives to be in harmony with responsible scholarship.

The intent has been to produce a Bible study that is highly informative, true to scholarly research, but also helpful and interesting for anyone, from the person who has had little contact with the Bible but would like to know more, to someone who knows their Bible well but would like to deepen his or her knowledge.  More than that, it is my desire that these studies will help people grow in their faith in the God who brought so many people of the Bible out of bondage and gave them hope in spite of their many failures as God’s children, a hope that, in the end, could only be satisfied by God’s own action through Christ.

Bible Studies are available here

Book and video study: Evangelism in a Skeptical World

Most Christians already know that they should be telling their friends about Jesus. But they have been poorly equipped with methods that are no longer effective in today's post-Christian world. As a result, many people become frustrated, blame themselves, and simply give up. Evangelism in a Skeptical World is a textbook on evangelism that is ideal for the church or the classroom to equip Christians with the principles and skills they need to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world.

Many of the older principles and methods of evangelism in the twentieth century no longer work effectively today. In a post-Christian, post-churched, post-reached world we need new methods to communicate the timeless message of the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Dr. Chan combines the theological and biblical insights of classic evangelistic training with the latest insights from missiology on contextualization, cultural hermeneutics, and storytelling. Every chapter is illustrated with real-world examples drawn from over fifteen years of evangelistic ministry. These are methods that really work - with university students, urban workers, and professionals - getting past the defensive posture that people have toward Christianity so they can seriously consider the claims of Jesus Christ.

Field-tested and filled with unique, fresh, and creative insights, this book will equip you to share the gospel in today's world and help as many people as possible hear the good news about Jesus.

Table of Contents

A Theology of Evangelism
Everyday Evangelism 
How to Craft a Gospel Presentation
Evangelism to Postmoderns 
Contextualization for Evangelism
Gospel-Cultural Hermeneutics 
Story-Telling the Gospel
How to Give Evangelistic Topical Talks 
How to Give Evangelistic Expository Talks
Religious Epistemology, Apologetics, and Defeater Beliefs
Moving People from Hostile to Loyal 

Also available as video study from https://wanderingbookseller.com.au/p/evangelism-dvd-evangelism-in-a-skeptical-world?barcode=9780310566311&selected_category=45844

Studylight - resources for ministry

Studylight web page offers free online access to the following resources to help you in ministry:

• Commentaries  (107 total)
• Concordances  (6 total)
• Dictionaries  (27 total)
• Encyclopedias  (8 total)
• Original language tools (4 total)
• Historical writings (BC, AD and Denominational)
• The Illustration Archive
• The Quotation Archive
• Sunday story Bulletin Inserts
• Doré Illustrations
• Bible reading plans
• Devotions
• Bible Maps

To discover these resources visit www.studylight.org

Bible Studies: Living way bible study

Living Way Bible Study (LWBS) is a practical course of study with a special emphasis on the application of God's Word to the life of the individual.
While emphasizing practical application, LWBS presents each book of the Bible as the holy, inspired, Word of God, the confessional position of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.
Our purpose is to help equip believers to live joyfully in God's redeeming love and to share with others God's plan of salvation.
LWBS is also a means to reach those interested in the Christian faith and who may not be members of a church.  With its emphasis on the Bible itself, it has an appeal to Christians as well as to others who are searching for the truth.

The Four Step approach
1. PERSONAL – The student prays for guidance from the Holy Spirit and answers the Personal Application (P.A.) questions at home using only the Bible (no commentaries).
2. SMALL GROUPS – The class meets for an opening and divides into small groups of 8–10 people. The small group leader guides the group through the P.A. questions, encouraging each to share their answers and discuss further as time allows.
3. THE MESSAGE – The lecture or message is given by a pastor or layperson who has researched the material and presents the study, giving personal insight and augmenting, but not duplicating, the author’s comments.
4. THE NARRATIVE – The author’s comments or narrative, along with the P.A. questions for the next lesson, are given out at the end of the class. At the next class meeting, before answering the P.A. questions, the small groups may choose to review the author’s comments of the last lesson, and share what each has highlighted as meaningful or important.
With this four-step method the student has the opportunity to study the particular section of Scripture covered by the lesson from four different approaches. This emphasizes the Bible text and gives the student an understanding and ownership for each section studied.

To view sample copies and obtain complete studies visit https://www.livingwaybiblestudy.org/

The Bible Project

The Bible project's mission is to show how the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus.
The Bible Project is a  non-profit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. 
They create videos, podcasts, and study guides that explore the Bible’s unified story.

Their approach is underpinned by the belief that the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. They are committed to understanding the Bible in its historical context and communicating its wisdom for the modern world.

They value creativity, technology, and people.

Videos available are available for:

• every book of the bible
• themes of the bible
• sections of the bible

To download videos and discover more visit https://thebibleproject.com 

Small Group Study: D360 Nine conversations about whole-life discipleship

D360: Nine Conversations About Whole-life Discipleship is designed as a Bible-study resource for pastors, ministry leaders, teachers and mentors to use in helping young-adult Christians respond to Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and develop as full-on, whole-life disciples of Jesus Christ. 
Author Greg Koenig keeps what he calls "churchy language" to a minimum and content can be read at a fairly brisk pace. Plenty of biblical citations are included for readers who enjoy stopping from time to time to study, exchange ideas, or reflect.

Each chapter of D360: Nine Conversations About Whole-life Discipleship is structured as a conversation and features a comprehension section titled Deal With It and a faith-in-action section titled Go and Do.

Although D360's design and structure are fine-tuned for use in a discipling relationship, it can also serve as a powerful tool for an individual who desires to go to the next level in his or her development as a disciple of Christ.

Conversation (i.e., chapter) titles in D360 include: 

• In the Image; 
• Discipleship: A Life of Response to the Work of the Holy Spirit; 
• Christian Learning: Understanding God’s Word; 
• Community: God, You and Others; 
• Prayer: Your Direct Access to the God Who Listens; 
• Worship: It Might Not Be What You Think. It’s More.; 
• Stewardship: It’s NOT (All) About Money?; 
• Disciple-building. And Witness. And Evangelism.; 
• What It All Could Look Like.

For a free sample visit here

To buy D360 visit here

About the authour
Greg Koenig is a preacher’s kid, educator and writer who has dedicated a lot of his adult life to understanding and interpreting faith and the Christian experience from the perspective of someone unacquainted with churchspeak (often also called Christianese).
“The phrase image of God in this book is a good example,” says Greg. “Many of us insiders love to use the term imago Dei, which is the Latin equivalent of the Hebrew b'tzelem Elohim—image, or shadow, or likeness of God. There is an elegance and a mystique to the phrase imago Dei, but the elegance and mystique are not particularly helpful to someone
who is just learning to respond to the message ofthe Bible. That simple message from God needs to strike a chord and then resonate; the language we use must allow it to do that.”

Greg is the servant-leader of the Lutheran Campus Mission Association (GoLCMA.org), an organization dedicated to equipping leaders to reach out with the Gospel in college/university communities. He and his wife Deb live in St. Louis, Missouri; they have four children and (at last count) four grandchildren. 

Book and Bible Study: SENT seeking the orphans of God

The SENT seeking the orphans of God series  explains in simple language how to approach the task of relational evangelism among your relatives and friends. It also details the process of how to set up and develop local mission in a congregation of any size.

Sent Seeking the Orphans of God is for anyone concerned about how to participate with God in sowing the gospel and reaping the harvest.

Many books on missional living describe how to form missional communities and the people within them, but this book goes beyond this to describe how a missional community does relational evangelism together.

It provides small group Bible studies and activities at the end of each chapter, introduced through online video interviews with experienced evangelists. These activities facilitate dialogue and discernment about how to approach the task of relational evangelism amongst your relatives and friends.

Plus, there are two supplementary bonus resources included in this book.

RENEW Love Life Communities: an eight week small group Bible study designed to enable the formation of a team who engages in relational evangelism within your congregation or church planting team.

RENEW Missional Leadership: ten devotions for congregational leaders designed to set up a structure for making disciples who make disciples and facilitate training and support for the church to reap and receive the harvest

Believers feeling confused or apathetic about reaping the harvest will discover here a practical resource which is an encouragement to see, hear and become involved in what God is already up to in people's lives.

What others are saying
Dean Eaton is a faithful guide who gives us concrete ways to join God in helping to bring people into God's family in everyday kind of ways. This book reflects a missional theology that will help you cultivate an inclusive loving community that invites all to live into the divine dance of the Father, Son and Spirit. J.R. Woodward, National director, V3 Church Planting Movement. Author, Creating a Missional Culture, Co-author, The Church as Movement

Sent Seeking the Orphans of God and the accompanying Love Life Community studies are quite possibly the spark that could bring your church alive. Dr Andrew Menzies, Principal Stirling Theological College - University of Divinity.

If you hear God calling you to bring Jesus to your friends, neighbours and workmates, then this is a must-read book for you. Dr Steen Olsen. Director for Mission for the Lutheran Church in South Australia and the Northern Territory former Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand.

Dean Eaton is an experienced church planter, missional trainer and mentor. He has participated with Christ in church plants in rural, suburban and urban settings in Australia and Japan. Formerly the Principal of Tabor College Australia he is keen to train a new generation of evangelists.

What is available:
SENT: Seeking the Orphans of God book (download PDF available here; or  purchase softcover book from Amazon)
SENT: Seeking the Orphans of God  videos (available here), to accompany the group studies
SENT: Seeking the Orphans of God promotional tools

Read the book, watch the online video interviews with experienced practitioners, dialogue with your friends using the small group Bible study, and get ready to reap the harvest.

Book: Reading Romans with Luther

Most of us experience theology in a head-in-the-clouds kind of way. We see the great theologians words soaring far above us. Each word is powerful and yet untouchable. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Good theology was never meant to be out of reach! Martin Luther's work was revolutionary in part because of the invention of the printing press, giving his words more accessibility than ever before. Now five hundred years removed from Luther's lifetime, his works are as influential as ever . . . and left on a shelf by all but pastors and history buffs.
Luther's commentary on Romans is an incredible but complicated commentary. Reading Romans with Luther offers a shortened version of this monumental commentary, featuring an attractive devotional format and imagery highlighting key portions of the text. Rather than a linear exploration of the original commentary, author RJ Grunewald takes readers on a thematic journey through the teachings in Romans. It's Luther but for everyday life!

Chapters
Chapter 1: Exposed 
Chapter 2: The Human Condition 
Chapter 3: A Worship Problem 
Chapter 4: The Old Man 
Chapter 5: Law and Gospel 
Chapter 6: The Bad News 
Chapter 7: The Power and Primacy of the Gospel 
Chapter 8: Righteousness 
Chapter 9: Sinners, Saints, and the Simul 
Chapter 10: Suffering 
Chapter 11: Grace That Changes 
Chapter 12: Gifts 
Appendix: A Word for Preachers 128


Endorsements
“The Gospel is,” as Martin Luther said, “the very heart of the Bible. And the Book of Romans is the very heart of the Gospel.”  And though we love Romans itself and would like to read and understand what Luther had to say about it, many of us find it difficult to press through the antiquated language and unfamiliar phrasing that was common parlance five hundred years ago. And that’s where this wonderful book comes in. Helping the modern reader understand Luther’s thought as he processed Paul’s, this book makes deep theology simple and hopefully will open the door for new generations of believers to enjoy and cherish the truths that spawned the Reformation, particularly the shocking grace of God bestowed on shockingly sinful creatures.
ELYSE M. FITZPATRICK, AUTHOR OF BECAUSE HE LOVES ME

Martin Luther didn’t just read Romans. He was changed by it. Romans left Luther undone by God’s message of a totally free righteousness. It’s the same message that lit a fire in Luther leading to the Reformation. What I love about this book is that it helps any and all join Luther in discovering and celebrating the message of God’s extravagant mercy as it’s uniquely presented in Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Luther’s world-changing insights are all there and easy to grasp, made even more accessible by RJ’s personal and pastoral observations. Don’t just read Romans, read it with Luther and let its message of a totally free righteousness change you too.
MATT POPOVITS, PASTOR OF OUR SAVIOUR NEW YORK ENDORSEMENTS

The Epistle to the Romans contains some of the Bible’s richest explorations of the Gospel. Luther’s commentary on Romans shows how great a theologian—that is, an expositor of Scripture—he is. In this book, RJ Grunewald serves up extracts from both St. Paul and Luther and then explains and applies them in an utterly fresh, contemporary, and illuminating way. With its three voices—those of St. Paul, Luther, and Rev. Grunewald—this book is a highly original, extremely readable treatment of our justification by Christ. Laypeople will read it with pleasure and give it to their non-Christian friends.
GENE E. VEITH JR., AUTHOR OF THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE CROSS

RJ has done it again. He has taken the deep and sometimes hardto-navigate writings of Martin Luther and has not only given us a road map to understanding but also taken our hand and gently led us along the path. This book is rich. This book is relatable. This book is beautiful. Buy it. You won’t regret it.
JESSICA THOMPSON, SPEAKER AND AUTHOR OF GIVE THEM GRACE

Rightly understanding the Book of Romans is critical to rightly understanding the entire Bible. RJ Grunewald’s Reading Romans with Luther is a fantastic resource that will help you better comprehend the Book of Romans and give you the biblical understanding necessary to understand the depth of our sinful condition, the magnitude of God’s grace and mercy, how to properly appropriate Law and Gospel, and how to correctly understand how good works flow from faith into the lives of believers without slipping back into works-righteousness. This is a wonderful little book.
CHRIS ROSEBOROUGH, PASTOR AND CAPTAIN OF PIRATECHRISTIAN.COM

Bible Study: Intrusive God-Disruptive Gospel

This engaging bible study guides readers through one of the most colorful books of the Bible, illuminating passages from Acts that show the Christian gospel expressing itself through the lives, speech, struggles, and adventures of Jesus's followers. 
The bible study emphasizes the disruptive character of the Christian gospel and shows how Acts repeatedly describes God as upsetting the status quo by changing people's lives, society's conventions, and our basic expectations of what's possible. 
Suited for individual and group study, this bible study by a New Testament scholar with a gift for popular communication asks serious questions and eschews pat answers, bringing Acts alive for contemporary reflection on the character of God, the challenges of faith, and the church.

Book: Compelled - Living the mission of God

Understand what it means to be compelled by love.
Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation challenge readers to look at love within the context of God, the church, and the lives of individual believers.  Compelled provides readers a basic theological grounding and a platform for personal application as they understand what missional living is all about it is simply the calling to love others.  Look at the love of God; begin to truly understand what is at the center of the church’s foundation, commission, and direction; but most importantly, understand your role within the mission of God as you integrate love into all aspects of your missional calling.

Contents
Part I—Death by Love: God and Mission
Searching Love: The Father’s Heart for Us
Dying Love: Love in the Life of Christ
Indwelling Love: The Spirit’s Living Love
Part II—Identifying Love: the Church In the World
Identified by Love: Having a Mission That Shows
Commissioned by Love: Living with Jesus’ Mission
Directed by Love: Giving Up on Our “Needs”
Sent to Love: Delivering What the World Needs Most
Joined by Love: Loving the Church and Being Loved in Church
Part III—Formed by Love: Believers and the World
Obedient Love: Intersection of Two Ideals
Guided by Love: Seeking to Do the Will of the Father
Called to Love: Living a Missionary Passion for the Lost

Bible Studies from around the world

Around the Word Bible Studies are prepared for use in the congregation and home and are great for both group and personal study.
Each study is formatted on two pages and is intended to lead you deeper into the Scriptures to receive the Lord's truth and comfort.
These studies are free to use, in whole or in part, in any way you find helpful to the Gospel.

Studies series available include:
The I AM Sayings of Jesus
Author: Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz
During this Easter season we reflect upon Christ’s saving work in his death and resurrection on our behalf. The season of repentance has given way to rejoicing. The fast has given way to the feast. The prophecies and promises are fulfilled. As Jesus declared on the cross, “It is finished.” Through Jesus’ dying and rising, we receive God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Everything that Jesus promised, has come true for you.
This is abundantly true in the famous “I AM sayings” of Jesus in John’s Gospel. Jesus used these seven titles for himself in order to fulfill God’s promises in the Old Testament and to point us to his saving work on the cross. In this bible study series, we will study the seven “I AM sayings” of our Lord in their context as well as their fulfillment in Jesus’ death and resurrection. We will also look at a second set of Jesus’ “I AM sayings” that are less familiar, but equally important in declaring Jesus’ saving work. Join us for this study as we rejoice in our risen Lord, whose saving Name, I AM, delivers God’s promise, presence, and peace to us.

​The Blood of Christ
Author: Rev. Jeffrey Ries
Blood is often not a pleasant subject.  It appears in such uncomfortable phrases as “blood and guts,” or “blood, sweat and tears.”  The sight of blood makes many squeamish.  Because of infectious diseases, blood is treated with no small amount of caution. But blood is a very prominent biblical theme.  And just like the phrase used by the Red Cross’s blood donation program, “Gift of life,” when the Bible speaks of blood, it’s all about life.  Jesus shed His holy, precious blood to give us the gift of life eternal.  This Lenten Bible study series focuses on this gift of life – the blood of Christ.

Hymn Study: O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright
Author: Rev. Eric Andersen
The hymn, “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” was written by Pastor Philipp Nicolai during the Great Pestilence of 1597, which claimed the lives of 1300. In July alone, 300 people died, and Nicolai often buried up to 30 people in a single day. “O Morning Star” is a hymn that overflows with the comfort, peace, and joy of the Gospel—even as it looks death square in the eye.

Isaiah on Christmas
Author: Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller
Jesus is the “promised One.” All the prophets testified of Jesus, of His suffering, and of our forgiveness in His name. Chief among these prophets is Isaiah. His writing has been called “The Fifth Gospel” because he preaches so clearly of Jesus, His birth, His life, His suffering and death and resurrection. Isaiah preaches Christ crucified for sinners. In this four-part Bible Study we will consider Christmas in Isaiah, looking specifically in Isaiah 7:10-16, 9:2-7, 11:1-10, and 12.

Parables
Author: Rev. Jeffrey Ries
Things are not always as they seem, and this is definitely the case with our Lord’s parables. The characters and items in the parables stand for something else (allegory) and teach us about the reign of God in Christ Jesus. But our Lord also uses the parable genre to convict His hearers of their sin. Like Nathan, who tricked David into indicting himself by telling him a parable about “a little ewe lamb” (which was really about Uriah and Bathsheba; see 2 Samuel 12), our Lord often uses the parables to get His hearers right where He wants them before pulling the rug out from under their feet. In this way, the parables do the very important work of both convicting us of our sin and preparing the way for grace.

The Seven Churches of the Revelation
Author: Rev. Travis Loeslie
Revelation records seven sermons of our risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, sermons that are absolutely packed full of Law & Gospel. Here the Great Preacher does His work of killing and making alive by calling His Church to repentance and faith, admonishing, encouraging, and assuring us of His steadfast love. These letters are an excellent window into Holy Scripture and couldn't be more relevant for the contemporary church.

I Am Content: A Study of Ecclesiastes
Author: Rev. Eric Andersen
King Solomon was known for his practical wisdom, and the book of Ecclesiastes is no exception. In this book, he takes a no-nonsense approach to the follies of materialism and hedonism and points to Christ, the only source of true and lasting contentment.
Introduction to Ecclesiastes | Download Here

Resurrection! A Study of 1 Corinthians 15
Author: Rev. Randy Asburry
St. Paul puts forth his teaching of the resurrection in this great chapter. We will spend five weeks unfolding the beautiful and wonderful truth of the Lord's resurrection and our own.

The Seven Penitential Psalms
Authors: Rev. Eric Andersen & Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller
The seven penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) teach us the Biblical doctrine of repentance, sorrow over our sin, and the sure and certain hope of the forgiveness of all of our sins. We offer these seven studies for the seven weeks of Lent, 2015.