Hey Friends –
It’s almost fall and you know what that means: school, sports, spicy lattes, and small groups!
Are you planning to join a gathering at your local church? Do you have an all-time favorite Bible study?
If you were going to recommend a study to a friend, which resource would you select?
I received the following message from a beautiful red-hot friend —
I’ve spent time thinking, reflecting, and praying, and (drum roll please)…
Here are my Top 5 All-Time Favorite Bible Studies
Disclaimer: I really love all Bible studies, and it was tough to limit myself to five. I also have many friends who write Bible studies, and I love all their work too. But after much prayer, here is my list. I know I’ve leaving off some amazing resources. Also, all titles are live links to sites to learn more about the studies.
1. No Other Gods by Kelly Minter
Without a doubt, my all-time favorite Bible Study is No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. I’m not sure how I even first learned about it (maybe Beth Moore?), but I’m so glad I came across it back in 2008. If you’ve not ever gone through it, I would HIGHLY recommend it.
All of Kelly’s studies are fabulous, but I still use quotes and themes and ideas from No Other Gods in my daily life. Often! In fact, here’s one of my favorites —
“Satan will tell us what’s true, but he never tells us the TRUTH.”
Good, huh?!
Note: Kelly does not have videos to go with this study. When I first used this with a group, I wrote weekly teachings to go along with the member book. I’d also recommend the study guide over the trade book.
2. Breaking Free by Beth Moore
I couldn’t have a favorite Bible study list without including Beth Moore. Could you?
I’ll never forget the first time I opened Breaking Free.
I was a twenty-nine year old recovering addict/single mom. I’d never been in a Women’s Bible study, was brand new to the faith, and really had no idea what the Bible was all about.
I was invited to participate in a workplace Bible study, and since I was in a leadership position, I didn’t think it would be a good idea to decline. I signed up having no clue about the transformation which would soon take place in my heart and mind.
Friends, I could not get enough of Bible study. I was completely hooked.
I would stay up late into the night digging deep into God’s Word. I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t believe how exciting, powerful, encouraging, convicting, challenging, and empowering the Bible was. Many nights I’d sit at my black laminate table thinking, “How come no one ever told me the Bible was so awesome?! How come I never knew?!”
A hunger, a fire, a deep love for God’s Word was birthed over the pages of Breaking Free — and my life has never been the same.
I’ve enjoyed every study from Beth Moore, but if you’ve not gone through Breaking Free, please do!
Which Beth Moore study has been your favorite?
3. Me, Myself, & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild
If you ever wrestle with stinkin’ thinkin’, I’d highly recommend this study.
Me, Myself, and Lies encourages women to clean out the junk in their minds and replace hidden negative thoughts with positive truths from God’s word. And I don’t know about you, but I had/have some junk in my mind that needs to go!
Although videos are included, I think you can easily do this study without the video teachings. I always recommend doing studies in community, but if your thought life is an area you would like to grow, grab this study on your own and begin asap.
Fun note: I love the format of Jennifer’s studies so much, I gave a copy to my editor as we were working on Red Hot Faith. I loved the clean pages, boxes to write in, bright colors. I think you will too. 🙂
4. Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer
Priscilla Shirer is another author/Bible study teacher I’d highly recommend if you are looking for a new study.
Over the years, I’ve had the chance to go through all of her studies, and they are all fabulous. I had a hard time narrowing it down to one, but I’d say Discerning the Voice of God would be my top recommendation. It’s designed to help you know the voice of God: His language, character, and tone of voice. If you ever have a hard time knowing what God is saying versus what others are saying, be sure to check it out!
And don’t miss her video teachings to go along with this study. Priscilla is an extremely gifted communicator and Bible teacher, and the videos are outstanding!
5. When God’s Spirit Moves by Jim Cymbala
Years ago I was introduced to Jim Cymbala and his passion for prayer. Wow! What an amazing, gifted teacher!
My friend Julie and I enjoyed watching his video teachings as we began to dream and pray about a video resource for our “Magnificent Monday’s” Bible study gathering. And then a few years ago, Julie and her husband Nick hosted a couple’s small group. Imagine my delight when Julie and Nick selected a Jim Cymbala study to go through together. Yippee!
If you’d like to learn more about what happens when the Holy Spirit moves powerfully within a church, I’d highly recommend this study. Our couple’s group LOVED it! You’ll also learn how to listen for the voice of the Spirit in prayer, how to apply God’s Word to your life, and how the Spirit can bring healing to your body, your emotions, and your relationships. Powerful stuff!
So there’s my list, friends! Boy is it hard to narrow down to 5 — but I hope this helps if you are on the lookout for a new Fall study?
Of course, please don’t forget about Red Hot Faith. 🙂
My hope and prayer is God will use Red Hot Faith to ignite fresh passion and purpose in every woman’s life — just like these Bible studies have done for me!
I’ve loved hearing how God is using Red Hot Faith all around the world to impact lives for Him. Yay, God! In fact, I just saw this on Amazon this morning (and I don’t know this woman, promise) —
If you’d like more information on Red Hot Faith, contact my ministry assistant Autee at cindy@cindybultema.com. We’re even offering 20% off all orders placed at www.cindybultema.com through August 31, 2016.
Now it’s your turn, friend!
Do you have an all-time favorite Bible study?
If you were going to recommend a study to a friend, which resource would you select? Which studies did I leave off of my list?
Thanks so much for stopping by *She Sparkles*! God’s richest blessings to you!
Except for Kelly Minter, I’m familiar with every author you have listed. Each one has been a definite part of my spiritual growth.(And so have you, Cindy!!) Kelly’s study sounds dynamic too!
Another Bible study author that has had an impact on my walk with the Lord is Laurie Cole. In her study, “Are You A Disciple?”, you’ll learn the difference between being a casual Christian and a *genuine* follower of Jesus Christ. She says, “The truth is, all disciples are Christians, but all Christians are not disciples. And Jesus wants you to be both.”
She also has written several other Bible studies including the very popular “Beauty by The Book” and “Beauty by The Book for Teens”. They offer the complete video teaching messages for BOTH for free on their website. Here is the link: http://www.priorityministries.com/free-videos/
I promise, you’ll LOVE Laurie!
From Thursday, March 29 through this Easter “The Tomb in the Garden, the First Easter and a gospel of Jesus” will be available at no charge as an e-book at the Amazon online bookstore. This book is based on the discovery that the author of the Gospel of Mark, the first canonical gospel to be written, sometimes copied fragments of text from his source documents into improper contexts in his gospel. This discovery permits the reconstruction of source documents which were available to Mark when he wrote his gospel but which have been lost to humankind for nearly 2000 years. The reconstructed source documents permit us to understand how the apparent physical resurrection of an apparently crucified Jesus was accomplished. There was no supernatural event. But this discovery, as troubling as it is for all of us (including the author), is but a prelude to an understanding that the historical Jesus wrote a gospel and that this gospel (which we call the Gospel of Thomas) was written by Jesus so that it would be comprehensible by humankind now, when the crucifixion-resurrection illusion at the foundation of traditional Christianity has been dispelled. But the most astonishing insight which awaits the reader is that the cataclysmic development which this book heralds has been God’s plan from the beginning. Publication of this book may cause some Christians, most regrettably, to lose their faith, but those Christians (as well as everyone else, including Jews and Muslims) who read it to its end will understand that the existence of God, and the status of the historical Jesus as the Christ prophecied in Isaiah 61:1, are now manifest facts. (“Faith” in these things, in the sense of a willingness to believe something without having adequate evidence to do so, will no longer be required.)