Summer theme: Toward a New Creation Genesis, Psalms, Zephaniah, Romans This summer, lessons in Adult Bible Studies follow the theme, “Toward a New Creation.” The student book writer is Clara Welch; Mark Price is the writer for the teacher book. Judgement and Salvation The quarter’s first four lessons deal with the concept of the day of the Lord, the consequences of disobedience, assurances and joy for the faithful, and the consequences of ignoring God’s truth. Scriptures come from Genesis, Zephaniah, Psalm 8, and Romans 1. A World Gone Wrong The first lesson in this unit leads us to consider God’s truth within us, while the second lesson reminds us of sin’s power. The third lesson celebrates that God has set things right, while the next lesson reminds us that we are not without hope. Scriptures come from the Book of Romans. Left on God’s Terms The five lessons that conclude this quarter’s study lead us to discover how death becomes life, how we are safe in God’s love, what it means to live under God’s mercy, how God prunes and grafts us into God’s family, and how love fulfills the law. Scriptures again come from the Book of Romans. Based on the Uniform Series, this quarterly study presents stimulating lessons that explore the biblical message and how to apply it to daily life. The curriculum helps adults move from a focus on the Word to reflection on personal, family, church, and community concerns. Ideal for a variety of settings, lessons are Bible-based, Christ-focused, and United Methodist – approved curriculum for use in adult Sunday school classes, mid-week Bible study, and small-group studies. Available in regular and large print or as an eBook. Free Extras! All found at adultbiblestudies.comSupplemental Resources Free supplemental resources related to each lesson enhance teacher preparation and small group participation. Current Events Supplement The free Current Events Supplement offers a way to connect each week’s lesson to a timely event or topic in the news. The supplements can enhance all resources using the Uniform Series. Register for the Forums at adultbiblestudies.com, and you can post and read comments about the lessons from other readers.

Summer theme: Toward a New Creation Genesis, Psalms, Zephaniah, Romans This summer, lessons in Adult Bible Studies follow the theme, “Toward a New Creation.” The student book writer is Clara Welch; Mark Price is the writer for the teacher book. Judgement and Salvation The quarter’s first four lessons deal with the concept of the day of the Lord, the consequences of disobedience, assurances and joy for the faithful, and the consequences of ignoring God’s truth. Scriptures come from Genesis, Zephaniah, Psalm 8, and Romans 1. A World Gone Wrong The first lesson in this unit leads us to consider God’s truth within us, while the second lesson reminds us of sin’s power. The third lesson celebrates that God has set things right, while the next lesson reminds us that we are not without hope. Scriptures come from the Book of Romans. Left on God’s Terms The five lessons that conclude this quarter’s study lead us to discover how death becomes life, how we are safe in God’s love, what it means to live under God’s mercy, how God prunes and grafts us into God’s family, and how love fulfills the law. Scriptures again come from the Book of Romans. Developed for use with the student book based on the Uniform Series, this leader resource provides a wealth of information, planning ideas, and lesson guides for each of the 13 lessons in the quarter. This resource includes detailed study of the biblical text, suggestions for developing lessons, teaching options, maps, and charts. It features articles that explore biblical themes related to the passages studied in the lessons. Available in regular print, as a downloadable file or an eBook. Free Extras! All found at adultbiblestudies.com Supplemental Resources Free supplemental resources related to each lesson enhance teacher preparation and small group participation. Current Events Supplement The free Current Events Supplement offers a way to connect each week’s lesson to a timely event or topic in the news. The supplements can enhance all resources using the Uniform Series. Register for the Forums and you can post and read comments about the lessons from other readers

Grow your faith. Transform your life. Cultivate a deeper relationship with God through Adult Bible Studies. This resource, endorsed by the Curriculum Resources Committee of The United Methodist Church, offers a year-round, weekly Bible study plan for Sunday school classes and other small groups. Each weekly lesson offers background and focal Scriptures, key verses, and doctrinallysound and relevant biblical interpretation and application in a readable font size.Annual plans provide comprehensive coverage of the Bible, special lessons during the church seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter, and suggestions for developingspiritual practices such as prayer, worship, community, and service, among manyothers. Adult Bible Studies is a reliable companion and guide for learning and growing in Christian faith. With the help of the Adult Bibles Studies Student Book, and DVD, your group will embrace that it’s not just about learning - it’s about living out biblical teachings. Summer 2024 Theme: Finding Balance This summer, our Bible lessons follow the theme “Finding Balance.” They look at the concepts of work, rest, and celebration from a theological and biblical perspective and challenge us to find a balance among the three. The teacher book writer is Greg Weeks. 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!

The three units of Bible lessons in this quarter unify around the theme, Respond. The lessons move through various responses people of faith are called to make as they live out their faith in both good times and difficult ones. Unit 1: Intended for Good The Genesis story of Joseph and his brothers is one of the great stories from the Bible, with forgiveness and grace among its underlying themes. As the story stretches over several chapters of Genesis, the four weeks of this unit give us ample time to explore it and see how the meaning of its events changed as Joseph recognized God at work behind the scenes. Scriptures: Genesis 37:5-28; Genesis 39:1-21; Genesis 41:1-16, 25-32; Genesis 45:1-15 Spiritual Practice: Forgiveness Unit 2: The People Next Door “Neighbor” is an important theme in both the Old and New Testaments, and so this four-lesson unit delves into it from several perspectives. The first lesson (Lesson 5 in this quarter) gathers various verses from Proverbs on that topic. The second lesson, using a passage from the book of Ruth, invites us to think about what it means to be a neighbor to immigrants. The third lesson looks in the book of Acts for how the early church leaders incorporated neighborliness into the church’s structure. And the fourth lesson takes us to Mark’s Gospel for an example of four individuals who were true neighbors to a man in need. Scriptures: Proverbs 3:27-30; 6:1-5; 25:20-23; Ruth 2:4-16; Acts 6:1-7; Mark 2:1-12 Spiritual Practice: Scripture Unit 3: The Five Stages of Job As suffering in some form comes to most of us at some point (or points) in life, it is useful to consider how Job, who suffered greatly, responded to it, and to learn from his experience. The five lessons of this unit show us five diverse ways Job responded to his calamities: worship, resignation, protest, angry despair, and acceptance. While not suggesting that all of these are useful in every case, the lessons help us recognize what may be going on in our spirits when suffering overtakes us. Scriptures: Job 1:8-20; Job 1:21-22, 2:7-10; Job 19:1-6, 13-19; Job 30:16-23; Job 40:1-5; 41:1-10; 42:1-6 Spiritual Practice: Lament

Beginning with the summer quarter, the focal Bible passages will again appear in print in both the student and teacher books. We will mostly use the Common English Bible (CEB) version of the text, while sometimes including the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) when it will better help students engage and appreciate the biblical texts. Summer Theme: Community This summer, our lessons support the theme of "Community." The writer of the student book lessons is Robert Gardner; the teacher book writer is Martha Myre. A New Thing Spiritual Practice - Study Scripture - Deuteronomy 8:1-10 | 1 Kings 18:20-39 | 2 Kings 22:8-20 | Hosea 1:2-11 If you look at the texts of this unit in the sequence they are laid out over the four lessons, it may not be immediately apparent why the unit theme is "A New Thing.” While Lesson 1 presents God';s charge to ancient Israel to keep the commandments, Lessons 2 and 3 focus on incidents brought about by the people failing to keep the commandments, and Lesson 3 adds the note of divine judgment. It's only when we get to Lesson 4 that the new creation theme emerges. But after the journey the first three lessons takes us through, the need for a fresh start is obvious, and the message of restoration that God announces through Hosea is most welcome. A New People Scripture - Jeremiah 23:1-8 | Daniel 1:8-17 | Daniel 3:19-30 |Nehemiah 9:9-17, 32-33 Spiritual Practice - Prayer While the Lord invites all to be people of God, the Old Testament is essentially the story of God's dealings with a specific group of people, the Israelites. The four lessons of this unit give us an opportunity to look at some key stories related to those dealings: God and the remnant, the community's connection to God, God's care for the people in a time of great stress, and how God's love for the people continued despite their unfaithfulness. All these stories have applications to us today, but we begin to learn about God's ways through biblical stories about God and the Israelites. A New Way of Life Scripture - Luke 19:1-10 | John 4:7-30, 39-42 | Luke 10:25-37 | Matthew 15:21-28 | Mark 5:1-20 Spiritual Practice - Hospitality The Bible passages in the five lessons of this unit are all intended to enlarge our understanding of the word neighbor. Four of the five are incidents that directly involve Jesus, and the fifth is a parable Jesus told expressly to show what it means to be a neighbor, the parable we call the parable of the good Samaritan. All these passages are important, for they elucidate Jesus' summary statement of one of the two most important commandments: "You must love your neighbor as you love yourself" (Matthew 22:39). Published quarterly, each week's student book lesson features focal Bible passages, reliable and relevant biblical explanation and application, and more. Now, in response to feedback, we are introducing new features and benefits for students including: Larger size font making text easy to read. A comprehensive Bible study plan with more flexibility in terms of Scripture selection and topics. Observation of the church seasons, including Advent and Lent. Suggestions for developing spiritual practices (prayer, confession, worship, mindfulness, solitude, community, hospitality, neighboring, service, and celebration). 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!

Summer Theme: A Covenant in Christ Jesus Ruth | 1 Samuel | Matthew | Luke | Ephesians This summer, our lessons focus on how Jesus fulfilled the Law in the sense that it was given full meaning. Jesus emphasized the deep, underlying messages of the gospel; and this same message is continued through the apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews. Relationships of faith empower us to live the covenant and spread the gospel message. The writer of the student book lessons is Kevin Baker; the teacher book writer is Timothy Bryan. A Fulfilled Covenant The first unit, in four lessons, reveals a new sign of the covenant for Jewish and Gentile believers, as recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Hebrews, and Colossians. During the celebration of the Passover, Jesus explained to the disciples that he would initiate a new covenant through his death. Paul explains that the sign of the covenant is now a relationship of the heart between God and God's people, not circumcision. A Heartfelt Covenant The four lessons in this unit give new meaning and purpose to the Law. According to Matthew, Jesus began teaching the Law in a way that gave life to the hearer and the doer. Unlike other teachers of the Law, Jesus preached the transforming righteousness of the Kingdom. Jesus challenged the mere external observance of God's law without internal transformation. Covenant: A Personal Perspective The four lessons in this unit focus on personal relationships between people in 1 Samuel, Ruth, and Ephesians. Ultimately, those relationships pave the way for the Messiah. After Christ established the New Testament church, relationships between people have been based on relationship with Christ Jesus. These relationships continue the work of Christ Jesus by spreading the gospel message. Hundreds of thousands of students and teachers use Adult Bible Studies each week in Sunday school classes, mid-week Bible studies, and other small group settings. Bible-based and Christ-focused, it is an approved resource by the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. It is published quarterly. Each week's lesson features: A purpose statement offering focus and direction for the lesson. Printed biblical text from The Common English Bible. Reliable and relevant biblical explanation and application A closing prayer, guiding personal commitment. Free Extras! All found at www.adultbiblestudies.com Current Events Supplement The free Current Events Supplement offers a way to connect each week's lesson to a timely event or topic in the news. The supplements can enhance all resources using the Uniform Series. Register for the Forums at www.adultbiblestudies.com Bold, and you can post and read comments about the lessons from other readers.

God’s Prophets Demand Justice This summer, lessons in ADULT BIBLE STUDIES follow the theme “God’s Prophets Demand Justice.” The student book writer is Sarah McGiverin. Stan Purdum is the writer for the teacher book. Unit 1 Amos Rails Against Injustice The four lessons in this unit come from the Book of Amos. The first lesson focuses on knowing right from wrong and choosing wrong. Lesson 2 deals with attempts to hide injustice. Lesson 3 focuses on the injustice of greed and selfishness, while Lesson 4 deals with failure to heed warnings to end injustice. Judgment on Israel and Judah (Amos 2:4-8) God Is Not Fooled (Amos 5:14-15, 18-27) Rebuked for Selfishness (Amos 6:2-8, 11-14) God Will Never Forget (Amos 8:1-6, 9-10) Unit 2 Micah Calls for Justice Among Unjust People The first lesson in this four-lesson unit from Micah focuses on social and moral injustice. Lesson 2 deals with the injustice of corrupt leaders. The last two lessons examine what God requires for justice and how God dispenses mercy to restore justice. No Rest for the Wicked (Micah 2:4-11) No Tolerance for Corrupt Leaders and Prophets (Micah 3:5-12) Justice, Love, and Humility (Micah 6:3-8) God Shows Clemency (Micah 7:14-20) Unit 3 Advocates of Justice for All The final unit this quarter offers five lessons from five different biblical prophets. Lesson 1 features Isaiah’s prophecies that God will come as a redeemer bringing righteousness and justice to Israel. Lesson 2 focuses on Jeremiah’s description of corruption in the Temple as a choice to do good or bad, resulting in God’s blessing or punishment. In Lesson 3, the focus is on Ezekiel’s call for confession and repentance in order to build a healthy faith community. Lesson 4 features Zechariah’s words on God’s clear instruction for showing kindness, mercy, and justice to others. Finally, Lesson 5 examines Malachi’s efforts to inform the people that God requires justice and faithfulness and will bestow bountiful blessings in proportion to what they were willing to give. Our Redeemer Comes (Isaiah 59:15-21) A Choice to Be Just (Jeremiah 7:1-15) A Call for Repentance (Ezekiel 18:1-13, 31-32) God Demands Justice (Zechariah 7:8-14) Return to a Just God (Malachi 3:1-10) Developed for use with the student book based on the Uniform Series, this leader resource provides a wealth of information, planning ideas, and lesson guides for each of the 13 lessons in the quarter. This resource includes detailed study of the biblical text, suggestions for developing lessons, teaching options, maps, and charts. It features articles that explore biblical themes related to the passages studied in the lessons. Available in regular print, as a downloadable file or an eBook. About the Series Hundreds of thousands of students and teachers use ADULT BIBLE STUDIES each week in Sunday school classes, mid-week Bible studies, and other small group settings. Bible-based and Christ-focused, it is an approved resource by the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. It is published quarterly. Each week’s lesson features: A purpose statement offering focus and direction for the lesson. Printed biblical text from The Common English Bible. Reliable and relevant biblical explanation and application. A closing prayer, guiding personal commitment. Free Extras! All found at adultbiblestudies.com Supplemental Resources Free supplemental resources related to each lesson enhance teacher preparation and small group participation. Current Events Supplement The free Current Events Supplement offers a way to connect each week’s lesson to a timely event or topic in the news. The supplements can enhance all resources using the Uniform Series. Register for the Forums at adultbiblestudies.com, and you can post and read comments about the lessons from other readers.