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Have you ever tried to fight worry with faith and felt you were losing the battle? Have comments like "God's got this!" or "Just pray about it" only left you feeling more burdened? We know we shouldn't worry, but the reality is that we all do at times. Whether it's personal worries about loved ones and daily circumstances or broader concerns about what's happening in the world, we long for something more than platitudes that will help us put real feet to our faith and win the worry battle.Many Christians do not have a full understanding of what it means to fight the good fight of faith. They try to live by faith but in the face of everyday trials and failures, they find themselves disillusioned and discouraged, wondering if they have done something wrong or if living by faith only works for others. The problem for most is simply a lack of understanding regarding what faith is and how it works.This book, inspired by the Book of Joshua, reviews three tools a person can develop to Fight In Faith 1) embracing God's promises, 2) courage and commitment under pressure and 3) practicing radical obedience while waiting for God to deliver your victory.Just as God gave His people victory over their enemies when they fought in faith, He promises to do the same for us. Following the footprints of bold, courageous faith that God gave His people, we'll be equipped with tools to bravely fight in faith and overcome both our daily struggles and the bigger battles we all face. Through examples of how God gave the Israelites victory over their enemies and generously blessed them, too, we'll be victorious in our fight of faith so that we not only radically transform our own lives but unequivocally impact society.

One Abingdon's most beloved studies of the Bible has been updated!

Study the books of First and Second Samuel, beginning with Samuel and ending with David's death. Some of the major ideas explored are: God's holy purpose, the nature of sin, God's awesome power, the gift of God's Spirit,obedience to God, the nature of revelation, confidence in God, and politics and faith.Leader Guide includes: A verse-by-verse, in-depth look at the Scriptures. Background material, including word studies and history of the biblical setting. Answers to questions asked in the Participant Book. Application of the Scripture to daily life situations. Discussion suggestions. A variety of study options. Practical tips for leaders to use.More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold.This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understandingand appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today.The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use.Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. Include larger divisions within the contents page to reflect macro-structure of each biblical book. Ex: Genesis 1-11; Genesis 12-50; Exodus 1-15; Exodus 16-40; Isaiah 1-39; Isaiah 40-66.The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions.

One of Abingdon's most beloved Bible studies has been updated!

Study the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, beginning with Moses and Adam numbering the people and ending with Moses' death and the Israelites continuing. Some of the major ideas explored are: identity; the blessing of God; the problems of freedom; realism, faith, and the future; following through; living with consequences; misusing the name of the Lord; observing the Sabbath; love and law; the seriousness of disloyalty; hiding from need; andadvancing toward justice.Leader Guide includes: A verse-by-verse, in-depth look at the Scriptures. Background material, including word studies and history of the biblical setting. Answers to questions asked in the Participant Book. Application of the Scripture to daily life situations. Discussion suggestions. A variety of study options. Practical tips for leaders to use.More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold.This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understandingand appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today.The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use.Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. Include larger divisions within the contents page to reflect macro-structure of each biblical book. Ex: Genesis 1-11; Genesis 12-50; Exodus 1-15; Exodus 16-40; Isaiah 1-39; Isaiah 40-66.The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions.

';For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.' (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)God has made us brave, not fearful beings. In a forty-day devotional format, author and blogger Kelly Johnson invites you to consider a new way of thinking about what it means to be brave and challenges you to seek a greater intimacy with God and the people God has placed in your life. Through Scripture, stories, prayers, and thought-provoking questions, you will recognize the seeds of divinely inspired bravery and learn the strength found in community. Using letters of the word brave as a guide, Being Brave highlights what God's Word has to say about the characteristics of bravery: Bold, Resilient, Authentic, Vulnerable, and Engaged and Empowered by the Spirit. Banish the fear that holds you back. You are a brave soldier!

All Earth Is Waiting invites readers to explore the familiar Advent themes of hope, preparation, joy, and peace with the heavens and earth in mind. Through her powerful and personal reflections, author Katie Z. Dawson calls us to consider how all creation longs for the coming of Christ, taking seriously the notion that the good news of Christ is good news for all the world. Anticipating in Christ's birth the reconciliation of the heavens and the earth, Dawson highlights the responsibility to care for this earth in preparation for Christ's return. This collection of 28 Advent devotions is the perfect companion piece to the book and includes Scripture, reflections, and prayers for each day to help you prepare your heart during the season of Advent.

You've seen them, haven't you? They ride in the front seats of expensive cars and drive headlong into a brick wall. And then they do it again. And again. They're crash test dummies. Why do they keep doing the same dumb thing over and over again? Or maybe a better question is, why do we?In this study on the Book of Judges, author Talbot Davis explore the stories of the judges from the perspective of the Israelites' repeated failure to be faithful to God alone. Through his creative, quirky angle on the book, Davis highlights how the Israelites in Judges made the same mistake of apostasy over and over again. Each time God delivered them, they eventually fell back into the predictable, tragic pattern. As he explores each judge's story, Davis invites readers to consider the shape that patterns of sin take in our lives, and how God seeks to free us from them and empower us for faithful living. Readers will come to know the Book of Judges and its central characters more deeply, and they will come to appreciate this biblical book as a source of wisdom for living well. Discussion questions and a practical focus for each week will also accompany each chapter.

Renovating a house can be an exciting and rewarding experience. But the act of renovation can often leave the house in a state of disarray, causing stress and frustration. In the same way, God wants to renovate your life by altering the ';old you' and creating a ';new you' with an improved heart. It's not going to be easy, and your life might experience some disarray, but renovating with God is the opportunity of a lifetime. Using the Book of Nehemiah, popular author and pastor Jacob Armstrong explores the physical and spiritual renovation experienced by the nation of Judah. Nehemiah knew that his plan for renovating the wall and gates of Jerusalem would be hard work. But equally hard would be the spiritual renovation of the Jewish people as they returned to their homeland. Thankfully, spiritual renovation is not a do-it-yourself project. We need God's great power working through us to renovate our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. Chapters include: Never Too Late for a Renovation It Starts with Tears What to Know Before You Build When Others Don't Like Your Plans Inviting Others to Come Home The Big Reveal Additional components for a six-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Jacob Armstrong.

The second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus' return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we'll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn't tell us about Jesus' return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith.A Deep Dive into the Story of GodFathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God's story being studied, and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible.Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.

The second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus' return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we'll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn't tell us about Jesus' return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith.A Deep Dive into the Story of GodFathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God's story being studied, and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible.Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.

The story of Jesus doesn't begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Instead, it first begins hundreds of years before, when God's prophets begin to preach about the coming of the Messiah who would redeem all of humanity. In this study, we will unpack that message of hope and anticipation as it's found in the prophets of Isaiah and Micah and the redeeming story of RuthA Deep Dive into the Story of GodFathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God's story being studied, and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible.Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.

This study turns its focus to the prophetic proclamations offered to the people of Israel while they were in exile in foreign lands. These four lessons based on passages found in Hosea, Esther, Ezra and more will explore what it means to be in exile, and how our lives are changed when we follow a God that reminds us that we are not alone and not forgotten and who promises to restore us.A Deep Dive into the Story of GodFathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God's story being studied, and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible.Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.

This study turns its focus to the prophetic proclamations offered to the people of Israel while they were in exile in foreign lands. These four lessons based on passages found in Hosea, Esther, Ezra and more will explore what it means to be in exile, and how our lives are changed when we follow a God that reminds us that we are not alone and not forgotten and who promises to restore us.A Deep Dive into the Story of GodFathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God's story being studied, and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible.Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.

Study the whole Bible in a year with J. Ellsworth Kalas. The Grand Sweep: 365 Days from Genesis through Revelation guides adults to read through the Bible in a year, reading three to four chapters daily. The Psalms and Proverbs are scattered throughout the reading as devotional elements. Because the plan moves through the Bible in biblical sequence, readers grasp the grand weep of the Scriptures--something missed in most Bible studies that take up only a certain book or section of the Bible. Also, daily readings are manageable; someone who is just beginning a serious devotional life need not feel threatened or inadequate. By the time readers finish their year of reading, they will have a grasp of the biblical story from beginning to end. And with it, because of the daily discipline, a stronger devotional life. Kalas also provides a faithful daily summary of each day's reading, but with a devotional quality to encourage warmth of spirit as well as knowledge of mind. Congregations, study groups, and individuals can begin The Grand Sweep at any time during the year with this study. Allow at least 30 minutes daily when using this resource. Includes selected quotations from Kalas's 35 books. The book includes: Questions or directions and daily devotional summary/commentary for Days 1-7 each week call for written response to the assigned Scripture and provide a devotional element. "Prayer Time" suggests a focus for daily and weekly praying and invites you to identify persons and concerns for prayer. "How the Drama Develops" summarizes the week's Scripture and situates it in the ongoing biblical story. "Seeing Life Through Scripture" invites you to view life through the lens of Scripture in order to draw guidance and insights for living. Think of yourself in conversation with Scripture. "The Sum of It All" in a verse or verses, sums up the week's Scripture. Over the course of fifty-two weeks, the verses become a synopsis of the biblical story. The Grand Sweep is designed for personal use. The added component of a Leader Guide enables congregations and study groups to share the experience. It provides an overview of how to use the book as a study, along with specific content for weekly, monthly, or occasional group meetings.

Jesus demonstrated the presence and power of God by performing miracles. He turned water into wine, healed the sick, calmed the storm, opened blind eyes, and raised the dead. While these beloved stories draw our attention to divine power, they also have something else in common: human desperation. Every time we see Jesus performing a miracle, we also get a glimpse into the gift of desperation, a gift that opens us to the dramatic power of God through our desperate need for him. In this six-week Bible study, Jessica LaGrone leads us in a captivating exploration of the miracles of Jesus, helping us to see that our weakness is an invitation for God to work powerfully in our lives and reminding us that we need God on our best days just as much as we do on our worst. Themes and miracle stories include: the gift of desperation (turning water into wine and other signs of God's response of fullness in our times of emptiness) the miracle of abundance (feeding the 5,000 and other abundance stories) miracles on the water (calming the storm, walking on water, the abundant catch) Jesus our healer (5 stories of healing) death and resurrection (Lazarus, Jairus' daughter) the miracle we all receive (the Incarnation) The Leader Guide contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and moreplus leader helps for facilitating a group.Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit.

Explores the profound, life-changing impact the last day of Jesus's life had on human history.

Confirm Your Faith. Your Commitment. God's Call. Too often confirmation has been downgraded to the role of a checkpoint along the faith journey. The Confirm family of resources reclaims confirmation as the first step on a journey that leads to a mature, adult faith. Confirm treats confirmation as more than a decision. Instead, it is the beginning of a conversation about what it means to be a Christian, living out your faith, your commitment, and God's call. Confirm is an easy-to-follow and fully customizable confirmation program that can be used virtually any church setting and with a wide variety of schedules. You have the option to schedule your lesson choices and the tools to organize your own confirmation program over the course of a school year, a 3-year span, or in any other way that meets your needs without having to purchase additional customizable content. With flexible and easy-to-understand materials, Confirm provides students with the basic beliefs of a theologically sound, United Methodist faith while engaging them in creative and thought-provoking activities to help them internalize what they've learned. Confirm also embraces the importance of community in the journey of faith development, and provides materials to encourage cooperation with parents and mentors in the confirmation process and beyond. The fully customizable teaching book includes easy-to-follow lesson plans for 39 confirmation class sessions, along with lesson recommendations to choose from for a variety of time frame options. Lesson planning, individual lesson templates, tools, and supplemental content will also be provided for ease of customization. The sessions are organized around the following content categories: - Theology - History - Belonging in the Community of Faith - Making a Faith Commitment - Understanding God's Call

How a small church can have a big impact on a teen's faith journey.

There's something about underdogs that makes us cheer them on. And stories about outsiders always make a good movie script or book. Maybe it's because we know how it feels to be in last place or left out. We may never win a trophy or become a hero, but as Matthew shows us, God uses people like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah's wifeand of course Maryin unexpected ways. This five-session study looks at the lives of these five women and will help you see how even underdogs and outsiders can play a pivotal role in God's purposes. You'll uncover new dimensions of familiar stories and be reminded to look for God in unanticipated places during this Advent season.Designed to be used by individuals and small groups. In addition to the main content, each chapter offers questions for reflection and discussion, a brief prayer, and a focus for the week. The weekly focus emerges from the chapter content and encourages the readers to engage a spiritual practice or do something specific that will help them grow in faith."e;Tom Fuerst is one of the most effective communicators I know. He writes as he preaches, with clarity and compassion. Rarely is one able to communicate solid scholarship with effective 'popular' writing. Tom does that exceptionally well. This book is a valuable asset for pastor and lay person alike, to make Advent rich in understanding and meaning."e; - Maxie Dunnam, author and chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary; pastor emeritus Christ United Methodist Church - Memphis, TN; vice-chairperson World Evangelism of the World Methodist Council. "e;Tom Fuerst is one of the most talented pastors and writers with which I have had the privilege of working. His new book is not only well written but an important windows into the Advent journey."e;- Dr. Shane Stanford, Senior Pastor, Christ United Methodist Church - Memphis.

Explores what Christians believe, why they believe, and why it matters through the Apostles Creed.

CORE (Connect, Own, Reveal, Empower(R)) is a resource designed to help teenagers discover their true identity, value and worth as God's children and empower them to reach their potential in faithfully following Christ with others. Dig In is a four session study for groups of all sizes that takes teens on the journey of addressing the obstacles they've experienced in understanding who they are in Christ toward connecting with God and others in new and healthy ways. Identity Theft Delete the Spam Connect with God Connect with OthersThe CORE Dig In Leader Guide contains helps for using the study with your teens along with plans that include engaging material for both large-group and small group discussions. Featured in each session is a short and powerful video introducing the topic.

Become the hands and feet of Christ this Christmas.

The mission of The United Methodist Church is to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." In order to carry out this mission, The United Methodist Church has defined seven pathways of ministry: developing new churches, transforming existing congregations, ending racism through expanding racial and ethnic ministries, teaching the Wesleyan model of discipleship, strengthening clergy and lay leadership, reaching and transforming the lives of new generations, and eliminating poverty in community with the poor. The United Methodist Council on Korean Ministries/Korean Ministry Plan has a vision to strengthen small group ministries for the local church to fulfill the mission of The United Methodist Church. The Korean Ministry Plan partnered with the National Association of Korean United Methodists to develop training material for small group ministry leaders that incorporated both Wesleyan tradition and Korean spirituality. This material was developed with the purpose of leading churches to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and for individuals to realize their individual spiritual gifts so that they could serve the local church and community better. Thus, we United Methodists may be disciples of Jesus Christ who experience the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the world. We welcome you into this journey of discipleship in small group ministry. We are genuinely looking forward to meeting you. --Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, President of the Korean Ministry Plan

According to the Epistle to the Hebrews, Christians are always to be on the move. Christians are to go voluntarily into a kind of exile and to become strangers and sojourners on this earth while doing God's will "e;outside the gate"e; of the mainstream society. Inspired by Hebrews 13:12-14, Bishop Sano examines this theme and its meaning for the original audience and Christians today.This seven-chapter book can be used for individual study but is also an excellent study for Sunday school classes and small groups. Each chapter is divided into three major parts based on the original meaning of Hebrews, an application section with discussion questions, and activities for the group.

Josiah Chamberlain's life's work revolves around repairing otherpeople's marriages. When his own is threatened by his wife's unexplaineddistance, and then threatened further when she's unexpectedly plungedinto an unending fog, Josiah finds his expertise, quick wit and cleverquips are no match for a relationship that is clearly broken. Feelingbetrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, hereexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and thestrength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Willwhat's left of his faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing thatholds him together and sears through the impenetrable wall thatseparates them?