First United Methodist Church of Arroyo Grande

Adult Bible Study

Currently held Tuesdays at 1pm in Criswell Hall. All are welcome.

Current and Upcoming


April 16 - May 5, 2024
Matthew: The Gospel of Promised Blessings by Matthew L. Skinner . Facilitated by Nancy St. Laurent.

Completed


Lent, 2024
REMEMBER by Susan Robb. Facilitated by Nancy St. Laurent.

Starting January 16, 2024
Wrestling with Doubt: Finding Faith, by Adam Hamilton. Facilitated by Nancy St. Laurent. All are welcome to join us! Books are available.

Starting November 14, 2023
Experiencing Christmas, by Matt Rawle. Facilitated by Nancy St. Laurent. All are welcome to join us!

Starting September 12, 2023
Acts: Catching Up with the Spirit, by Matthew L. Skinner. See Nancy St. Laurent for books. The Acts of the Apostles is a unique and crucial book that chronicles the story of God's grace flooding out to the world through the lives of the apostles in the decades immediately following Christ's ascension into heaven. Author and biblical scholar Matthew Skinner provides a broad yet theologically attuned introduction to this important book and its story of the early church learning to bear witness about God's salvation through Jesus Christ. All are welcome to join us!

Starting April 25, 2023
Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts and Outlaws, by Adam Hamilton. We meet in Criswell Hall on Tuesdays at 1:00 PM and would love to see you there. Your insights and understanding can help others better understand God's word. Please see Nancy St. Laurent after the worship service for the book.

February 28 - April 4, 2023
24 Hours That Changed the World , by Adam Hamilton. Adam guides us, step by step, through the last 24 hours of Jesus' life in his popular, heartbreaking, and inspiring book. No single event in human history has received more attention than the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Dates for this study are Tuesdays February 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4 at 1pm in Criswell Hall. If you are interested in participating, let Judy Atwood know so you can get a book when they arrive.

January 17 - February 21, 2023
Witness at the Cross, by Amy-Jill Levine. Amy-Jill shows how the people at the cross each have distinct roles to play. Each evangelist presents a distinct picture of the death of Jesus. Each portrays different individuals and groups of people at the cross, each offers different images and dialogues, and so from each, we learn how those meanings and messages cross the centuries to any who would come to the cross today. Dates for this study are Tuesdays January 17, 24, 31 and February 7, 14, 21 at 1pm in Criswell Hall. If you are interested in participating, let Judy Atwood know so you can get a book when they arrive.

November 29 - December 20, 2022
Prepare the Way for the Lord, God's Relentless Love for YOU by Jennifer Cowart is the new book Prepare to receive Christ this Advent with the message of John the Baptist and best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton in Prepare the Way for the Lord. For two thousand years, Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist, best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton explores the Advent themes of John’s life and ministry, and how John calls all fol- lowers of Jesus to prepare our hearts for his coming. In each of the Gospels, the story of Jesus is inter- twined with that of his cousin John, the one whom the prophets foretold would come to “prepare the way of the Lord.” When we hear the message of John the Baptist, it makes us and our world ready to receive Christ.

October 11 - November 15, 2022
Signs and Wonders, God's Relentless Love for YOU by Jennifer Cowart is the new book We will begin with exploring the miracles of Jesus in Signs and Wonders with Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament studies and Bible study author. In Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context. For each miracle, she discusses not only how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today’s readers can draw meaning from Jesus’ words and actions. Chapter topics include: 1. Giving sight to the blind: Metaphors of under- standing (Mark 8, John 9) 2. “Take up your pallet and walk” (the paralyzed man) On the role of caregivers. 3. A bleeding woman and a dead girl. The importance of women’s bodies. 4. Walking on water and stilling the storm. Ecological readings of the Gospels. 5. The feeding of the 5,000 (or more) The centrality of bread. 6. The raising of Lazarus. Taking death seriously.

April 19 - May, 2022
Pursued, God's Relentless Love for YOU by Jennifer Cowart is the new book we will study. There is something in all of us that longs to be loved, to be desired, to be pursued—whether by a special someone, our friends, or others in our lives. This longing for love and acceptance is the underlying story of many of our lives, and it's the overarching story we see throughout the Scriptures. In this six-week study we will explore the main theme that runs throughout the stories in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation: God's relentless love for us. The new Book Study class began on Tuesday, April 19th and meets in Criswell Hall at 1:00pm. It continues for six weeks, through most of May. Contact Judy Atwood for books.

March 1 - April 5, 2022
The Difficult Words of Jesus, A Beginner’s Guide to his Most Perplexing Teachings.
This Lenten Study is by Amy-Jill Levin and begins on Tuesday, March 1and continues for six sessions. The group meets at 1:00 PM in Criswell Hall, with social distancing. Jesus provided his disciples teaching for how to follow Torah, God's word; he told them parables to help them discern questions of ethics and of human nature; he offered them beatitudes for comfort and encouragement. But sometimes Jesus spoke words that followers then and now have found difficult. In this book, Amy-Jill shows how these difficult teachings would have sounded to the people who first heard them, how they have been understood over time, and how we might interpret them in the context of the Gospel of love and reconciliation. Contact Judy Atwood for books.

January 18 - February 22, 2022
Words of Life... Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today
Bible Study on Tuesday afternoons will resume again January 18, with six sessions by Adam Hamilton. The group meets at 1:00 p.m. in Criswell Hall with social distancing. Adam brings modern eyes to the most important set of ethics in history. He looks at the commandments in their historical context, considering the meaning of each in Hebrew, how Jesus reinterpreted them, and how each was intended to point to a life-giving "thou shalt." He also explores how the latest research in science and psychology illuminates these commandments as a way of ordering one's life in the present day. In a culture marked by workaholism, materialism, and social media-driven envy, God has given us a time-tested path that leads to gratitude, confidence, and peace. If you are interested, please join us and ask for a book!

November 30 - December 21, 2021
Our study is of a book titled INCARNATION: Rediscovering the significance of Christmas by Adam Hamilton. Since we only had one session in 2020 before the pandemic began, we are making a new start in the reading of this interesting book we had started then. Please join us Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. in Criswell Hall for the study of this book by one of the group's favorite authors. We still have books available.