This annual resource provides biblical commentary for the focal Bible passages used in Adult Bible Studies. Included for each week are the focal Bible passages for each Sunday, unit introductions, commentary on the focal Bible passages, and a pronunciation guide for Bible names and places. Based on the Abingdon Basic Bible Commentary. Printed with a larger font for ease of reading.

Daily Bible Study is a great companion to the quarterly Adult Bible Studies or as a stand-alone study. Bible-based, and Christ-focused, and United Methodist-approved, it coordinates with the theme of Adult Bible Studies. Each lesson includes a one-page Bible study for each day of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and commentary on the daily Scripture passage, life application, and a concluding prayer. Daily Bible Studies Fall 2021 Theme: Belong Unit 1: Outside In Sociologists studying the story of the early church often attribute the growth of the church to the sense of belonging that it offered people in a world where belonging was limited to those with things such as property, high status, and/or birthright. This unit of lessons looks at the various ways that the Bible makes clear how we belong to God’s people even when we appear to be outsiders. Several of the lessons point out where we as human beings insert distinctions that restrict membership within the community of Christ. Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:1-23; Luke 7:36-50; Galatians 2:11-21; Philippians 3:2-21; Ephesians 2:19-21 Spiritual Practice: Hospitality Unit 2: Into the Future After over 2000 years of existence as an institution, we can easily take for granted that we know what the church is. This unit invites readers to look at it from the view of the community living into the future. The Greek word for church, ekklesia, is not a word that the first members of the church associated with a religious activity. The word signifies the assembly of the people of God. It is instructive to look at what their understanding of the purpose of assembling as a group signified, how it has shaped our understanding of church, and how reading these texts might renew and expand our understanding. Scriptures: Acts 2:37-47;1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Matthew 16:13-19; Revelation 3:1-6, 14-20; Deuteronomy 29:10-29 Spiritual Practice: Community Unit 3: The Fellowship of the Table Once one enters the Church through baptism, the central identity marker for membership in the church is participation in Communion. The opening of God’s people to both Jews and Greeks, men and women, masters and slaves required people previously unaccustomed to eating together to sit down at a common table. When we look at the Gospel narratives, we see Jesus modeling open table fellowship. In this unit, we will look at the significance of the practice of open table fellowship in the church as a sign of God’s shared abundance, ministry of reconciliation, and celebration. Scriptures: John 6:1-15; 1 Samuel 25:2-39; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Isaiah 25:6-10a; 55:1-3 Spiritual Practice: Open Table Fellowship Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!

OnTrack is a daily devotional designed to build the skill and discipline of effective daily Bible study for students and adults. Its unique approach models inductive Bible study methods and adds value for small group accountability through monthly commitments. The Fall 2021 issue is a 4-month book that covers September (Mark), October (Luke), November (Romans), and December (Galatians through Colossians).

A great companion to Adult Bible Studies, Daily Bible Study can also be used as a stand-alone study. It is presented in quarterly segments. Bible-based, and Christ-focused, it coordinates with the lesson themes of Adult Bible Studies. Each lesson includes a one-page Bible study for each day of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and commentary on the daily Scripture passage, life application, and a concluding prayer. Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the FREE weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more! Winter Theme: Engage

A great companion to Adult Bible Studies, Daily Bible Study can also be used as a stand-alone study. It is presented in quarterly segments. Bible-based, and Christ-focused, it coordinates with the lesson themes of Adult Bible Studies. Each lesson includes a one-page Bible study for each day of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and commentary on the daily Scripture passage, life application, and a concluding prayer. Spring Theme: Holy This spring, DAILY BIBLE STUDY presents a series of readings supporting the theme “Holy.” Readings come from both Old and New Testament texts. These daily readings, which prepare us for the 13 lessons in Adult Bible Studies, are written by Randy Cross, Susan Groseclose, and Clara Welch. Holy Living The daily readings in this unit help us focus on living as holy people, ways we can nurture holiness in our lives, physical holiness, and prayer and holiness. New in Christ The readings in this unit support the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Readings in the first week highlight Jesus’ resurrection, which is the basis for our new creation. Subsequent readings challenge us to consider some of the ways we are new in Christ: we live by new standards, we behave differently, and we allow ourselves to become carriers of the gospel message. God Revealed The five weeks of daily readings in this unit explore some of the ways God has revealed God’s self in the biblical account, including self-declaration, quietness, through Jesus, visions, and love. God is not limited to these avenues of expression, of course, but these help us grasp some of the scope of the ways God comes to us.

Sociologists studying the early church often attribute its growth to the sense of belonging it offered people in a world where belonging was limited to those with things such as property, high status, and birthright. Scripture is clear that we belong to God’s people even when we appear to be outsiders. After over 2000 years of existence as an institution, we can easily take for granted that we know what the church is. It is instructive to look at how the first members of the church understood the purpose of assembling as a group, how this has shaped our understanding of church, and how our understanding might need to expand. The opening of God’s people to both Jews and Greeks, men and women, masters and slaves required people previously unaccustomed to eating together to sit down at a common table. The practice of open table fellowship in the church is a sign of God’s shared abundance, ministry of reconciliation, and celebration. Adult Bible Studies Fall 2021 Theme: Belong Unit 1: Outside In Sociologists studying the story of the early church often attribute the growth of the church to the sense of belonging that it offered people in a world where belonging was limited to those with things such as property, high status, and/or birthright. This unit of lessons looks at the various ways that the Bible makes clear how we belong to God’s people even when we appear to be outsiders. Several of the lessons point out where we as human beings insert distinctions that restrict membership within the community of Christ. Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:1-23; Luke 7:36-50; Galatians 2:11-21; Philippians 3:2-21; Ephesians 2:19-21 Spiritual Practice: Hospitality Unit 2: Into the Future After over 2000 years of existence as an institution, we can easily take for granted that we know what the church is. This unit invites readers to look at it from the view of the community living into the future. The Greek word for church, ekklesia, is not a word that the first members of the church associated with a religious activity. The word signifies the assembly of the people of God. It is instructive to look at what their understanding of the purpose of assembling as a group signified, how it has shaped our understanding of church, and how reading these texts might renew and expand our understanding. Scriptures: Acts 2:37-47;1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Matthew 16:13-19; Revelation 3:1-6, 14-20; Deuteronomy 29:10-29 Spiritual Practice: Community Unit 3: The Fellowship of the Table Once one enters the Church through baptism, the central identity marker for membership in the church is participation in Communion. The opening of God’s people to both Jews and Greeks, men and women, masters and slaves required people previously unaccustomed to eating together to sit down at a common table. When we look at the Gospel narratives, we see Jesus modeling open table fellowship. In this unit, we will look at the significance of the practice of open table fellowship in the church as a sign of God’s shared abundance, ministry of reconciliation, and celebration. Scriptures: John 6:1-15; 1 Samuel 25:2-39; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Isaiah 25:6-10a; 55:1-3 Spiritual Practice: Open Table Fellowship Adult Bible Study 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. Teacher Book/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, designed for readers who seek additional background on the biblical text for each session of Adult Bible Studies Video-DVD Does your group enjoy watching videos to generate conversation around Bible studies? Video sessions directly correspond to the Adult Bible Studies quarter’s theme and content and features a segment for each Bible lesson. Hundreds of thousands of people each week have transformative encounters with God through Adult Bible Studies—Bible-based, Christ-focused Sunday school lessons and midweek Bible studies endorsed by the Curriculum Resources Committee of the The United Methodist Church. In 2020, we reintroduced printed focal Bible passages in both the Student and Teacher books. Lessons follow the church seasons, including Advent and Lent, and include suggestions for developing spiritual practices to help nurture your faith. Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!

This ongoing day-by-day Bible study series is presented in quarterly segments. Bible-based, Christ-focused, and United Methodist-approved, this resource helps individuals develop the discipline of studying the Bible every day. It coordinates with the lesson themes of Adult Bible Studies listed on the facing page. Each lesson includes: a one-page Bible study for each day of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and Commentary on the daily Scripture passage, Life Application, and a concluding prayer.group studies. Available in regular and large print or as an eBook. Spring theme: FAITH The Gift of Faith Mark Luke