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LEADERCONTENTTOOLBOX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SCRIPTURE

PRAYER

WORSHIP

COMMUNITY

IMPACT

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If you have questions or need assistance with any of these resources or other resources, please

reach out to your Spiritual Formation Pastor. They are ready to assist you!

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SCRIPTUREB O O K S A N D R E S O U R C E S

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CHRIST-CENTERED EXPOSITIONDAVID PLATT, DANIEL L. AKIN, TONY MERIDA

Content-Type: Chapter based book series (30+ books) with discussion questions

Link to purchase: https://www.christcenteredexposition.com

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium-High

THE PROBLEM OF GOD MARK CLARK

Content-Type: Chapter book

Link to book: https://amzn.to/3gFKmY8Link to Study Guide: https://amzn.to/3wJfEnC

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium-High

Pro Tip: This devotional-style commentary will take any reader through the books of the Bible chapter by chapter. Each chapter exalts Jesus as the true hero of the Bible while providing the reader with practical applications to live by and apply to their life. Every chapter ends with intentional discussion questions that move the practical applications found in the chapter forward. These questions serve as a good basis for a guide to Group discussion. Regardless of where someone is in their faith journey, these books are great for enriching a relationship with Jesus.

Pro Tip: The Problem of God is written by a skeptic who became a Christian and then a pastor while exploring answers to the most challenging questions raised against Christianity. Mark grew up in an atheistic home, and after his father’s death, began a skeptical search for truth through exploring science, philosophy, and history, asking the big questions of life, and eventually finding answers in Christianity. Using the study guide, Group Leaders will be able to form deep discussions with their group.

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THE CASE FOR CHRISTLEE STROBEL

Content-Type: Chapter based book

Link to book: https://amzn.to/3iS6ykyLink to Study Guide: https://amzn.to/3q5T4TP

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium-High

GROWN UP FAITHKEVIN MYERS

Content-Type: Chapter based book with personal/group study guide

Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Grown-up-Faith-Picture-Bigger-Life/dp/1400208459 Link to Study Guide & Additional Resources: 12Stone.com/GrownUpFaithLevel of Engagement Needed: Low-Medium

Pro Tip: Skeptics dismiss the Jesus of the Gospels by claiming there is no evidence in the case for Christ. Lee Strobel disagrees. The former legal journalist and one-time atheist knew how to ask tough questions. His own search for the truth about Jesus led him to faith in Christ. The Case for Christ is a great Group study for those looking to deepen their confidence in God’s Word. Utilizing the study guide, Group Leaders will be able to host deepening conversations with their group.

Pro Tip:— Our Founding Pastor, Kevin, wrote this book because he believes the reason we don't experience a transformed life is that we fail to grow up spiritually. We focus on developing physically, intellectually, emotionally, and financially, yet our faith remains immature and anemic. In this book, you find a deep yet simple road map to a grown-up faith through• understanding the whole context of the Bible,• developing spiritual intimacy with God,• and gratefully embracing holy obedience.Using the leader guide, the Group Leader will lead rich conversations that will deepen their community and each Group members faith.

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ADDITIONAL RIGHT NOW MEDIA RESOURCES:

The Book of Colossians by Louie Gigliohttps://bit.ly/35zKqmZ

Psalm 23 by Matt Chandlerhttps://bit.ly/3zLEFRd

The Gospel of Mark by Francis Chanhttps://bit.ly/3vCSOg9

First Peter by Mark Idlemanhttps://bit.ly/3gLOPrZ

The Book of Judges by J.D. Greearhttps://bit.ly/3gD0PgX

Dust to Glory by R.C. Sproulhttps://bit.ly/3gBrYk8

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PRAYERB O O K S A N D R E S O U R C E S

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A PRAYING LIFE: CONNECTING WITH GOD IN A DISTRACTING WORLDPAUL MILLER

Content-Type: Chapter based book

Link to purchase: https://amzn.to/3cPf6EYLink to Discussion Guide: https://amzn.to/3gKEFb7

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium

THE POWER OF KNOWING GODTONY EVANS

Content-Type: Right Now Media or Chapter Book Study

Link to Book: https://amzn.to/3gCYVNlLink to Study Guide: https://amzn.to/3gLae4GRight Now Media: https://bit.ly/3wEdENB

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium

Pro Tip: When Jesus describes the intimacy He seeks with us, He talks about joining us for dinner (Revelation 3:20). A Praying Life feels like having dinner with good friends. It is the way we experience and connect to God. In A Praying Life, author Paul Miller lays out a pattern for living in a relationship with God and includes helpful habits and approaches to prayer that enable us to return to a childlike faith. Using the Discussion Guide, Group Leaders can directly walk their group through meaningful conversations that will deepen their prayer life collectively and privately.

Pro Tip: Dr. Evans shares with you his strategies for developing an authentic, life-transforming connection with God. This comprehensive resource provides insightful stories with practical applications to help you seek a deeper relationship with God. Groups can use either option of Right Now Media or the book/study guide to walk through this journey to deepen their connection to God through prayer.

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THE ARMOR OF GODPRISCILLA SHIRER

Content-Type: Chapter Book Study

Link to Book: https://amzn.to/3cRRP4W

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium

WHISPERMARK BATTERSON

Content-Type: Right Now Media Study

Right Now Media: https://bit.ly/3zFWPno

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium

Pro Tip: All day, every day, an invisible war rages around you — unseen, unheard, yet felt throughout every aspect of your life. A devoted, devilish enemy seeks to wreak havoc on everything that matters to you: your heart, your mind, your marriage, your children, your relationships, your resilience, your dreams, your destiny. But his battle plan depends on catching you unaware and unarmed. If you’re tired of being pushed around and caught with your guard down, this study is for you. Following the session guides and the assigned weekly homework will help you and your group have a lively discussion about putting on the whole armor of God.

Pro Tip: In this 4-session series, Mark Batterson teaches what it means for Christians to discern the voice of God in their lives. He will introduce the seven love languages of God—each of them unique and entirely divine. By learning to tune in and decipher each language, Mark equips believers to hear God’s guidance and grow closer to Him. Use the leader guide and the participant handouts to guide your Group conversations as you learn to discern the voice of God.

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FORGOTTEN GODFRANCIS CHAN

Content-Type: Right Now Media and Book Study

Book Link: https://amzn.to/3gIX5KVRight Now Media: https://bit.ly/3qaeZsJ

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium

ADDITIONAL BOOK RESOURCES:

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller

Hope in the Dark by Craig Groeschel

Whisper by Mark Batterson

Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel

Pro Tip: Francis Chan reminds us of the trustworthy source of the church’s power—the Holy Spirit. Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit for far too long and that without Him, we operate in our own strength, only accomplishing human-sized results. This seven-session video resource offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. It is designed to initiate and facilitate discussion, interaction, and practical application of the message of Forgotten God. As a Group Leader, use the Right Now Media resources to guide your Group discussions during your weekly gathering. The book reading should be done during the week before your time together as a Group.

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WORSHIPB O O K S A N D R E S O U R C E S

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WORSHIP LIKE JESUSCONSTANCE CHERRY

Content-Type: Book with discussion questionsLength of Study: 8 Sessions (or more)

Link to purchase: https://amzn.to/3cRLC9v

Level of Engagement: Medium-High

Pro Tip: Worship in local churches has changed dramatically over the past fifty years, not only in North America but in many places on every continent. Have these widespread and varying shifts left us with vague or even false impressions of what the weekly worship event is all about? Do followers of Jesus Christ grasp the importance of their role in worship? Do they know how to become fully engaged participants? Do they realize Jesus himself is our best guide and model for worship?

Worship Like Jesus guides Christ-followers through the essential features of Christian worship, transforming the reader’s understanding and experience of worship. This leads people—even entire congregations—to experience worship in exciting and profound ways as never before. This type of worship also leads people into deeper and more committed discipleship. Imagine a community of fully engaged, deeply committed disciples!

Each chapter follows the same helpful structure:

• Introduction• Description of the chapter topic and its importance• Discovery of Jesus’s own practice• Deliberation or reflection on how Jesus’s model makes a difference• Determination—readers consider how their worship will be shaped as a result of this

chapter; includes questions for reflection• Prayer

At the end of each chapter, an exercise is suggested to help people take a practical step toward greater participation and engagement. A Leader Guide is included as an Appendix. This equips pastors, worship leaders, and others to facilitate group study of the book.

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STORY SHAPED WORSHIPROBBIE F. CASTLEMAN

Content-Type: Book with Discussion QuestionsLength of Study: 10 Sessions

Link to Purchase: https://amzn.to/3gMJDEi

Level of Engagement: High

Pro Tip: What is the right way to worship? “Right” worship does not require a return to the identical forms found in the early church or later in Rome or after that in Westminster. It calls for a faithful response today to the God of our salvation in light of those biblically ordered and historically informed patterns. In this study, Robbie Castleman uncovers the fundamental shape of worship. What she finds outlined in Scripture, enacted in Israel, refocused in the New Testament community, guarded by the apostolic fathers, and recovered in the Reformation is a grand narrative of redemption offering order and meaning to all worshiping communities down to the present day. This is a theology-rich textbook that is great for any group ready to dive deep into the meaning and practice of worship. Each week includes discussion questions for how to apply it further to our lives as worshippers.

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In this updated and expanded edition of Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas details nine spiritual temperaments. He encourages you to investigate the ways you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. He encourages you to dig into the traits, strengths, and pitfalls in yourdevotional approach so you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into rigid methods of worship and praise.

Pro Tip: Sacred Pathways reveals nine distinct spiritual temperaments--and their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies--to help you improve your spiritual life and deepen your walk with God. It’s time to strip away the frustration of a one-size-fits-all spirituality and discover a path of worship that frees you to be you. Experienced spiritual directors, pastors, and church leaders recognize that all of us engage with God differently, and it’s about time we do too. Feel free to use the book by itself to guide your group time together or purchase the study guide alongside it.

SACRED PATHWAYS: NINE WAYS TO CON-NECT WITH GODGARY THOMAS

Content-Type: Book & Study GuideLength of Study: 5 Sessions

Link to Book: https://amzn.to/3q6ulhYLink to Study Guide: https://amzn.to/3xwXkOB

Level of Engagement: Medium

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CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINERICHARD FOSTER

Content-Type: Book & Journal WorkbookLength of Study: 13 Sessions

Link to Book: https://amzn.to/3wIibOMLink to Workbook: https://amzn.to/3wAxSYm

Level of Engagement: High

Pro Tip: Celebration of Discipline explores the “classic Disciplines,” or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found. Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contributes to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission and service help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration bring us nearer to one another and God. This is a theology-rich textbook that is great for any group ready to dive deep into the meaning and practice of spiritual disciplines. The workbook adds an additional component of individual reflection and provides group discussion guides as well.

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SOUL SHIFTSTEVE DENEFF

Content-Type: Book & DVDLength of Study: 9 Sessions

Link to Purchase: https://bit.ly/3q9kl7V

Level of Engagement: Medium

Pro Tip: We want to be different, but we don’t want to change. Our spiritual formation and growth attempts are consistently sabotaged by our surface efforts that never quite get to the root of the problem. We think we know what we’re supposed to do, but we’re not quite sure who we’re supposed to be on the other side of transformation. In SoulShift, Steve DeNeff and David Drury offer an approach to spiritual transformation that focuses less on measuring how much time we spend on spiritual inputs--such as Bible study and prayer--and more on measuring who we are becoming in Christ. Christians at any stage of life will experience a fresh beginning in following Jesus. You will learn about seven critical transformational shifts in the minds, hearts, and behaviors of every true follower of Christ. And you will receive practical help for bringing about these shifts in your own life. The group pack (available at the link above) includes six copies of the book, as well as a group study DVD that will guide your group through the Soul Shift journey.

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SABBATH: THE GIFT OF RESTLYNN M. BAAB

Content-Type: Book & Study BookLength of Study: 8 Sessions

Link to Group Study Book: https://amzn.to/3cROEdTLink to Book: https://amzn.to/3daMUN1

Level of Engagement: Medium

Pro Tip: What is the sabbath? A weekly day of rest and worship. A day to rejoice in abundance. A day to practice thankfulness. A day to slow down, take a deep breath, step aside from work and worries, and let the world go on without us, knowing that God cares for everyone and everything. This eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study will help you learn more about what sabbath is and how to practice it. More people of all ages find the sabbath to be a gift from God that brings a renewed awareness of who God is and who we are as God’s beloved children. Come and discover God’s gift of rest. To go deeper together, consider reading “Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest” in addition to the group study book.

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COMMUNITYB O O K S A N D R E S O U R C E S

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EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY SPIRITUALITYPETER SCAZERRO

Content-Type: Book & Study Guide (DVD Optional)Length of Study: 8 Sessions

Link to book: https://amzn.to/3j5aluXLink to Workbook: https://amzn.to/3xu03IwLink to Participant Bundle: https://amzn.to/3zzRFsNLink to DVD: https://amzn.to/3vGhyEd

Level of Engagement: Medium

Pro Tip: Though Peter was an experienced pastor of a growing church, his life and faith remained emotionally unhealthy. Like so many in the church, he routinely:

• avoided healthy conflict in the name of keeping the peace• ignored and suppressed emotions• used work for God as an excuse to run from God• lived without limits

In this study, Peter helps you unpack core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ. The workbook includes session introductions, group discussion questions, application, and between sessions, personal study. This workbook is part of the Emotionally Healthy (EH) Spirituality Course that includes the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Your group can choose to use any combination of resources in this course: the book, workbook, participant bundle (includes the book, workbook, and daily devotional), or DVD.

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LIFE TOGETHERDIETRICH BONHOEFFER

Content-Type: Book with discussion questionsLength of Study: 5 Sessions (or more)

Link to purchase: https://amzn.to/3iOQBv9

Level of Engagement: High

Pro Tip: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the most influential Christian martyrs in history, bequeathed to humanity a legacy of theological creativity and spirituality that continues to intrigue people from a variety of backgrounds. Life Together gathers Bonhoeffer’s 1938 reflections on the character of a Christian community, based on the everyday life that he and his seminarians experienced at the Finkenwalde Seminary and in the Brothers House there. The stimulus for the writing of Life Together was the closing of the preacher’s seminary at Finkenwalde by the Nazis. While Bonhoeffer wrote with his seminary community in mind, he intended Life Together to have a universal impact. He spoke of the mission and responsibility of the church as a whole. This book includes study questions at the close of the book that can help guide your group discussion.

HOME RUN LIFEKEVIN MYERS AND JOHN C. MAXWELLContent-Type: Book with available study guide

Link to purchase/study guide: https://homerunlife.com

Level of Engagement: Low

Pro Tip: Using a baseball diamond as an analogy for following God's plan for life, Myers and Maxwell provide a clear path for a biblical pattern of living. They help you keep your priorities in order and your eyes on the prize. Home Run is a guidebook for living life and learning how to succeed God's way. Use the 8 week or the 12 week study guide to not only deepen your relationship with Jesus, but also deepen your community around the path of a biblical pattern of living.

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BIG CHURCHANDY STANLEY (RIGHT NOW MEDIA)

Content-Type: Video StudyLength of Study: 7 Sessions

Link to access videos: https://bit.ly/3gACng3Link to Study Guide: https://bit.ly/2SJ8roQ

Level of Engagement: Low

Pro Tip: Two thousand years ago, a gathering of people in a middle-eastern city began a movement that would circle the globe and leave its mark on individuals and cultures on every continent. This movement would eventually become known as The Church. The church is a movement. And it’s still moving. Whether you consider yourself a church person or not, you are invited to join us in this 7-part series, Big Church, as Andy Stanley brings life to the story of the local church movement. This is a great study for any group looking to learn more about what the church is and why it is so essential to us as believers. Feel free to watch the videos each week as a group or assign it as homework between sessions. You can find all discussion questions in the study guide (link above).

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UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUAL GIFTSKAY ARTHUR

Content-Type: Group Study Book Length of Study: 6 Sessions

Link to purchase: https://amzn.to/3iRxYqH

Level of Engagement Needed: Medium

Pro Tip: Understanding Spiritual Gifts takes you straight to God’s Word to discover answers from the Gift-Giver Himself. As you dig into Bible passages about God’s design for each of us, you’ll find out that spiritual gifts aren’t complicated--but they are life-changing. Here you will uncover what spiritual gifts are, where they come from, who has them, how they are received, and how they work within the church. As you study, you will have a new vision for how you can use your God-given gifts to bring hope to your home, your church, and a hurting world.

These study guides, designed to be completed in just six 40-minute lessons with no homework required, help you discover for yourself what God says and how it applies to your life today. With the leader’s notes and Bible passages included in the book, each self-contained study is an excellent resource for personal growth and small-group discussion.

To learn more about your Spiritual Gifts, be sure to take the 12Stone Spiritual Gifts assessment. You and your group can access this by texting GIFT to 37748. (12Stone log in required)

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Pro Tip: We are created for community. And because our Father is generous, he’s given us one of the most important and life-changing relationships for community: friendship. In this six-week study, Not Alone, join Jennie Allen, Lauren Chandler, and Amena Brown as they talk all about friendship. Find out why we need friendship, discover biblical examples of friendship, and identify the pitfalls, challenges, and joys of friendship. They’ll dive into the tough topics of toxic relationships, boundaries, and how to rebuild broken trust. But most of all, the teachers, real-life stories, and study guides will help you celebrate the encouragement, wisdom, and love that only comes when you’re not alone. Each session includes a 10-15 minute video, as well as an online leader guide to direct your group conversation.

Pro Tip: In this fast-paced, mobile world, we’ve lost this rich view of friendship and instead settled for shallow acquaintances based on little more than similar tastes or shared interests.Helping us recapture a vision of true friendship, Drew Hunter explores God’s design for friendship and what it looks like in practice giving us practical advice to cultivate the kinds of true friendships that lead to true and life-giving joy. Each chapter includes discussion questions that can help guide your group into deeper engagement with the topic of friendship.

NOT ALONE: A STUDY ON FRIENDSHIP(RIGHT NOW MEDIA) FOR WOMEN’S GROUPS

Content-Type: Video Bible StudyLength of Study: Six Sessions

Link to Access: https://bit.ly/3zLLEtp

Level of Engagement: Medium

MADE FOR FRIENDSHIPDREW HUNTER

Content-Type: Book with Discussion Questions Length of Study: 7 (or more) Sessions

Link to Purchase: https://amzn.to/2U84kmu

Level of Engagement: Medium

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IMPACTB O O K S A N D R E S O U R C E S

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SOMETHING NEED TO CHANGEDAVID PLATT

Content-Type: Book with chapter-based discussion questions Length of Study: Eight Sessions

Link to purchase the book: https://amzn.to/3gGVpjLLink to purchase study guide w/ videos: https://bit.ly/3xAbq1t

Level of Engagement Needed: High

Pro Tip: This is book is written in story form as David Platt journeys through the mountains of Nepal sharing the gospel. He is confronted by the desperate physical and spiritual needs of these people. “Something Needs to Change” is an authentic and often brutally honest wrestling with the role a follower of Christ plays in bringing real change to such suffering worldwide. David also journals through the New Testament book of Luke as he travels and applies much of what he learns to the circumstances around him. Discussion questions are presented at the end of every chapter. These questions would need to serve as the guide for Group discussion. Readers will be confronted with the need to use personal resources (money, time, connections, etc.…) to step into the great need for gospel witness and impoverished conditions. It is a great book full of challenges. Not for the new Christian or faint of heart, but could unlock something powerful for men and women who feel a call to make a renewed impact through their lives.

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WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?RICK WARREN

Content-Type: Video Bible StudyLength of Study: Six Sessions

Link to Purchase Leader Kit: https://bit.ly/35zVtMZ

Level of Engagement: Medium

Pro Tip: This six-week study will connect the big idea of PURPOSE to one’s mission and impact. As Rick Warren moves through a theological look at God’s purpose for each of us, he moves into the conversation of every single Christian’s God-ordained purpose and mission in life. What On Earth Am I Here For? is a six 30-minute video-based small-group study of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. The study will change your life as you discover “it’s not about you, it’s about God in you. The DVD is designed to be used with the What On Earth Am I Here For? study guide.

RACE & THE GOSPELBRYAN LORITTS AND MATT CHANDLER (RIGHT NOW MEDIA)

Content-Type: Video Bible Study Length of Study: 5 Sessions

Link to Access: https://bit.ly/3gDAoHH Level of Engagement: High

Pro Tip: In this five-part series, pastors Bryan Loritts and Matt Chandler use Paul’s words in Ephesians to address race, racism, and injustice. Through teaching and honest dialogues, Bryan and Matt will unpack the hard truths about America’s racial past and present and suggest a pathway forward of healing, justice, and hope for multiethnic harmony in the church. Each week’s gathering will be led by a video conversation between pastors Bryan Loritts and Matt Chandler. Weekly study guides will help provide the direction necessary for leaders to lead a healthy and meaningful discussion in each Group meeting.

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JONAHPRISCILLA SHRIER

Content-Type: Video Bible StudyLength of Study: Seven sessions

Link to Buy Study Books (will need to purchase videos as well): https://amzn.to/35DdwSm

Level of Engagement: Medium

SHARING JESUS WITHOUT FREAKING OUTALVIN REID

Content-Type: Book with extra video resources Length of Study: Eight chapters

Link to purchase Book: https://amzn.to/3cSOZwO

Level of Engagement: Medium

Pro Tip: This book is a helpful and practical guide to help each Christian better learn how God has wired him or her to share the gospel with others. God created you for his glory to advance his gospel with the gifts, talents, and opportunities he gave you. In these pages, you will read how to connect the gospel story with your story and talk about that story in everyday conversations with people you know. No gimmicks. Nothing clever. No need to freak out. Just you, Jesus, and others—in conversations that matter.

Pro Tip: What if “impact” could happen in our lives based on how we respond to life’s interruptions? In this 7-session Bible study, we redefine interruption and see that interruption is God’s invitation to do something beyond our wildest dreams. When Jonah was willing to allow God to interrupt his life, the result was a revival in an entire city. God wants to make an impact through you and your group, and this study will help you see how He wants to use you through your everyday activity, ups and downs, interruptions, relationships, and more.

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IRRESISTIBLE FAITHSCOTT SAULS

Content-Type: Book and study guide (PDF) Length of Study: Nine chapters

Link to purchase Book: https://amzn.to/3xvlfhbLink to Free Study Guide PDF: https://bit.ly/3cTldrB

Level of Engagement: High

Pro Tip: The primary goal of this chapter book (without pre-authored discussion questions) is to help Christians understand the call on our lives to live in such a way that people are drawn to Christ. Want to make an impact? This book gives us the blueprint of how a transformed life attracts people to the reality of Christ. Jesus said his followers would be a light to the world, loving and serving everybody---even their enemies. But that’s not how most people view Christians. Sauls urges believers to follow Christ’s original design, giving this cynical world a reason to pause and consider him.