Top 10 Bible Studies of 2014

The start of the new year is a time of reflection on the previous year and goal setting for the new year. It’s also a great time to institute new habits like studying the bible! Here are some fresh new studies that can help you and/or your small group institute a regular study of the scriptures.

1. Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey	2. Before Amen by Max Lucado
3. How to be Rich by Andy Stanley	4. The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst
5. Children of the Day by Beth Moore	6. Simplify by Bill Hybels
7. You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado	8. Follow by Andy Stanley
9. Breathe by Priscilla Shirer	10. God's Not Dead by Rice Broocks

You can find specific studies for men or women groups, and couple groups. Or check out or previous best studies from 2013 and 2012 

Bible Studies on Money

The bible has quite a lot to say about money. If fact, over 2000 bible verses address the subject of money in some way. 15% of the parables Jesus taught have something to do with either money or possessions. So why is the subject so important? Because the way we spend our money and time reveals where our heart is. Money is often an outward indicator of our inner spiritual life. The topic of money and budgets make for a great bible study. When in comes to incorporating biblical principles to our money and budgets almost all Christians can benefit from a study of what the bible has to say on the subject. Check out these great studies if you're looking for a small group study on money.

Bible Studies for New Year

2014 is here and has some great bible studies to go with it! If you're looking for some new material to get your small group started right this new year, here are a few suggestions. First, the very popular Andy Stanley has written a new study called How to Be Rich.  This study looks at richness differently, and encourages members to be generous with all that they have.  Rick Warren has also put out a new study this year called The Daniel Plan. Warren study focuses on being healthy and helps participants change bad habits. This could be the perfect study for the new year if you want to get healthy with your small group! Finally, check out our Top 10 Bible Studies of 2013 for some more great bible study ideas.

Click on the pictures below for more details on each study:

Max Lucado Bible Studies

Max Lucado is a prolific writer of over 80 books, including numerous bible studies. His writing style is well-crafted and easy to read. Despite being very approachable his writing is deep, full of devotional thought and consideration. His humility comes through in all his writings. His background includes missionary work in Brazil, church ministry, and most recently, co-pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas where he serves as co-pastor with Randy Frazee. You can see a complete list of Max Lucado Bible Studies, including these great studies:

  

Bible Studies for Couples

Bible studies for couples aim to strengthen marriage relationships and encouraging participants to worship God through loving and serving each other. These studies can benefit relationships in any season of life weather it be engaged couples, newlyweds, and/or long term married couples. Here are some great studies for couples, view the full list here

Love and Respect Workbook

Sacred Marriage

The Marriage You've Always Wanted 

For Couples with Children
While many bible studies focus on the relationships between couples, there are also many studies available for parents. If your group is made up of couples with children you may want to consider one of these great bible studies for parents.

Boundaries with Kids

Essential of Discipline

Sacred Parenting

Top 10 Bible Studies of 2013

With the summer coming to an end and fall just around the corner many church bible studies will be returning to their regular meeting schedule after taking a break for the summer. If you're looking for great bible studies for the fall, below is a list of the top new bible studies for 2013. The list contains studies that are great for womens small groups and mens small groups as well. To learn more about an individual study, just click on the cover image.

1. Not a Fan Bible Study by Kyle Idleman	2.One Thousand Gifts Bible Study by Ann Voskamp
3. Radical Bible Study by David Platt	4. The Circle Maker Bible Study by Mark Batterson
5. Gideon Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer	6. Seven Experiment Bible Study by Jen Hat maker
7. Anxious For Nothing Bible Study by John Macarthur	8. Becoming Myself Bible Study by Stasi Eldredge
9. Grace Bible Study by Max Lucado	10. Manhood Restored Bible Study by Eric Mason

The Bible Series Small Group Study

The recent success of The Bible on the History Channel has surprised many. It's renewed an interest in the bible even among those who are not regular church attenders. Along with miniseries Mark Burnett and Outreach Inc have published a daily guidebook called "The Bible 30-Day Experience". This companion study to the DVDs was created for a more thoughtful response to the stories of the bible featured in the broadcast.

The Bible Small Group Study based on the TV series features a daily devotional format meant to be done over the course of 30 days. The daily readings are each about 4 pages in length but there are weekly reviews with discussions questions that can be used with a 5 week small group study. If you're looking for a great way to reach out to people who want to know more about the bible, or Christians who want to see the stories of the bible come alive - check out the The Bible TV Series Study Here

Crave Bible Study by Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa TerKeurst best-selling Crave Bible Study has been a great help to womens small groups looking for a practical study on living out their Christian faith. The Made to Crave Bible Study is designed to help women "satisfy their deepest desire with God, not food".  Author, Lysa TerKeurst down to earth style and honest examples resonate with women looking to leave the cycle of dieting and instead pursue Godly wisdom. This curriculum encourages women to grow in intimacy with God and make healthy lifestyle choices by refocusing on their relationship with the Father and not finding comfort in food. You can see more details on the crave bible study and made to crave DVD here.

Topics for bible study groups

A list of popular bible studies is a great place to start if you're looking for topics for bible study groups. These studies are popular because they resonate with a large audiences that have found them useful in providing material for small groups to work through and discuss. If you want to keep your small group material fresh and timely you could browse the list of new bible studies which are arranged by release date. If you don't want to do all the teaching yourself check out the bible studies with DVD videos as these offer a lot support for leaders in facilitating the group.

Not A Fan Small Group Study

Not A Fan Bible Study by Kyle Idleman bills itself as "A thought provoking 42-day devotional guide designed to assist you on your journey from fan to follower." This 42-day devotional guide is designed to be used with the Not A Fan Video DVD and is written in a journal format. Like most journals, you get out of it what you put into it. Ideally, you have the time to consult with it during the day for thoughts and encouragement on what it means to be a follower and not merely a fan of Christ. The format encourages you to interact with it three times a day in the "Morning suggestion", "Noon Reminder" and "Evening Reflection" activities. Many of the activities are designed to challenge your thinking about how to make Jesus the center of your life. This journal has a similar theme to the popular Radical Bible Study, and in the end encourages Christians to radical discipleship by being a true follower of Christ.You can read more about the study and see a video preview here.

Bible Study Ideas

Looking for great bible study ideas? If your group is made up of new believers you may want to do a study that covers the fundamentals of the faith, or an apologetics bible study , or a study on the life of christ. On the other hand, if most of the members are Christians looking to deepen their faith, a bible study on christian living or an evangelism study might be more appropriate. There are also many more targeted studies such as recovery, forgiveness, and end times bible studies that can help Christians understand what the Bible says about a particular topic.

 There are many available ladies bible studies or bible studies for mens groups as well. Popular women's authors include Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Lysa TerKeurst, Kay Author, and the women of faith series. Men's groups might prefer studies from Josh McDowell, John Piper, Tony Dungy, or the men of character series. If your group is made up of couples you might want to consider a bible study on relationships, a marriage study, or a bible study for parents.

 To look for general Bible study ideas from all series, authors, and audiences you can view the most popular bible studies or bible studies with videos. Finally, no matter what you choose make sure the study has you reading and thinking about the Bible. There is no substitute for the focused study of God's word to help a Christian grow and flourish in their faith.

Should Christians Want The American Dream?

Recently, many best selling bible studies have focused on what it means to be a Christian in today's modern American culture. It seems the comfortable living standards and consumerist attitudes that permeate culture have caused concern. Many christian thought leaders have begun to question what a truly sold-out christian would look like in modern America. Should Christians be satisfied with just the house, picket fence, 401K retirement plan? Examples of these studies include John Piper's 2009 study "Don't Waste Your Life", which encourages participants to live the biblical reality: "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." The more recent  "Radical Small Group Study" by David Platt suggests Christians have changed the God-centered gospel to fit human-centered preferences. Other examples include the 2011 "Living Crazy Love Study" by Francis Chan. Chan's study encourages participants to pursue the crazy, relentless, all powerful love of God.  In 2010 former corporate executive turned president of World Vision, Richard Sterns, published "The Hole in our Gospel" which chronicles his struggle to obey God whatever the cost, and his passionate call for Christians to change the world by actively living out their faith. With so many leaders from a variety of backgrounds addressing the same issues, perhaps we should take notice and ask ourselves- are we truly living a sold-out life for Christ?

John Stott Bible Studies

John Stott was a prolific writer and major evangelical figure until his passing in July 2011. He published over 50 books in his lifetime many of which were translated into more than 60 languages. John Stott bible studies are filled with straightforward teaching of the gospel and resonate with a global community of believers.  In addition to writing books and studies he also founded Langham Partnership International and in 2005 was ranked by Time Magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world. Go here for a full list of John Stott bible studies.

Radical Bible Study by David Platt

David Platt's best selling book Radical has been popular with small groups this past year. Small groups would cover the book together chapter by chapter. Recently however, Lifeway put out a dedicated small group video curriculum featuring a DVD and workbook that help group participants through the key concepts found in the book. In the Radical Bible Study David Platt encourages christians to come to Christ on His terms and to acknowledge the supremacy of Christ by surrendering to Him, not by comparing ourselves to others. Platt encourages the Christian not to chase after the comfortable living of the American dream, but instead focus on Christ and His mission. If Christians choose the cross and not comfort they will have a greater love for the lost and poor. You can view more details and see a video preview of the Radical Bible Study here.

Top 10 Bible Studies of 2012

The top bible studies of 2012 featured some not so surprising names like Beth Moore and Nancy Leigh DeMoss. But there were some new names as well. Kelly Minter made her way onto the list with her new study on Nehemiah not doubt benefiting from LifeWay's ability to market to the popular women's segment. The men and women's version of 'The Resolution', a bible study intended for use with the movie Courageous appears on the list and it's popularity is no surprise given the early 2012 release of the film. Liz Curtis Higgs follows up her successful 'Bad Girls of the Bible' with a new study on the book of Ruth. Here is a list of the top 10 bible studies of 2012 sorted by their popularity, you can click on the thumbnail for more information on each study.

1. James: Mercy Triumphs Beth Moore	2. Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break Kelly Minter
3. The Resolution for Men Stephen Kendrick	4. The Resolution for Women Priscilla Shirer
5. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God Francis Chan	6. Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God Not Food Lysa TerKeurst
7. The Girl's Still Got It: Study on Ruth Liz Curtis Higgs	8. True Woman 101: Divine Design Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss
9. So Long Insecurity Group Experience Beth Moore	10. Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions, Study Guide Lysa TerKeurst

Looking for more ideas? Check out the updated Top 10 Bible Studies of 2013