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

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!

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

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

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

Summer theme: Justice in the New Testament Matthew | Luke | 2 Corinthians | Colossians This summer, our lessons focus on justice as presented in the New Testament. Justice is portrayed as a primary characteristic of God's nature. Human beings are called to emulate God's justice toward one another. The writer for the student book is Randy Cross; the writer for the teacher book is David Mosser. God Is Just and Merciful The four lessons in this unit remind us that human interpretations of the Law must not conflict with mercy and justice as acted out in our daily lives. The lessons from Matthew look at conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees on questions of mercy and justice. The lesson from Luke looks at how God dispenses justice and mercy. Jesus Calls for Justice and Mercy The five lessons in this unit explore Jesus' teachings on God's justice in Matthew and Luke. Included is Jesus'; demand for leaders to practice justice as well as to understand the universality of God's justice and mercy. Paul Teaches About New Life in Christ Paul's teachings about just and merciful behaviors from 2 Corinthians and Colossians are the focus of the four lessons in this unit. Those who live the new life in Christ are called to imitate God's just and merciful nature through their actions toward others, including their enemies. 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.

Winter Theme: Hope This winter, our lessons develop the theme of “Hope.” The writers of the student book lessons are Taylor Mills and Bruce Batchelor-Glader; the teacher book writer is Stan Purdum. The Good News These lessons continue a unit that began with the last Sunday in the fall quarter, encompassing the Sundays of Advent and the first Sunday after Christmas. They call us to consider the Incarnation and what it means that God sent Jesus into the world in human form, as one of us. Thus, the lessons invite us to think about the relationship God wants to have with us and how God’s sending Jesus makes that relationship possible. The Hypocrites and the Holy The lessons in this unit challenge us to examine ourselves in light of the examples we see in the individuals in Scripture. Where do we find instances of hypocrisy or holiness? And how do these tendencies contribute to or diminish our hope? Lesson 5 focuses on John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus, the hope of the world. Lesson 6 tells of Jesus commenting on John’s ministry and announcing the good news. Lessons 7 and 8 help us think about how the hope Jesus brought functions in our lives. And Lesson 9 looks toward the ultimate fulfillment of that hope, with the full coming of the kingdom of God. Holy Living This unit embraces all the Sundays of February and March; and, as such, it continues into the next quarter. The eight lessons of the unit invite us to think about what it means to be the people of God and to pursue holy living. The four lessons in this quarter help us look at how we deal with one another; how faith is expressed action; the sort of “fasting” God wants from us (whether or not we abstain from certain foods); and how, in fact, Christians are the temple of God. During this unit, Lent begins, which is an especially appropriate time to think about holiness. 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 fall 2019, based on feedback from hundreds of readers, we made exciting changes designed to benefit Bible study groups. For 2020, in response to additional feedback, we are reintroducing 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. 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. 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!