First Love: Community and Faith The original readers of John's letters were in a critical phase in their Christian lives.  The passion and joy of the faith seemed to have worn off, and the church was in conflict over new and strange ideas.  We today also face diversity and change, with plenty to distract us from authentic, lived faith.  First Love helps us rediscover foundations for faith and life in Christian community.	All Heaven Breaks Loose: Studies in the Gospel of Mark If your picture of Jesus is one of a sentimental do-gooder, think again.  Mark's rugged account shows us a Messiah who butts up against the status quo at every turn. This Jesus has refreshing, often unsettling perspectives on power, suffering, life, death, and the future. Like the Gospel, this interactive study leaves us to grapple with the implications of Jesus' message. At the same time, it puts us in touch with the gritty hope of God's reign.
Come Again?: Exploring the Hard Sayings of Jesus" It's so easy to think of Jesus as the stained glass shepherd with a lamb draped around his neck. But what about the Jesus who claimed he came to bear a sword, not peace? What are we to think of the Jesus who turned away a potential disciple because the would-be follower wanted to attend his father's funeral? How do we reconcile Jesus the healer with the Jesus who thought it was better to cut off a hand or foot than give in to temptation? Will we ever be able to stomach the Jesus who used drinking blood and eating flesh as a litmus test for the faith? Come Again? introduces us to some of the hardest sayings of Jesus and greatly enlarges what we understand about him. No faith is complete without first facing into these troublesome teachings.	An Odd Body: Church, Witness, and Culture in 1 and 2 Corinthians Christians have always been tugged in different directions by faith and culture. The apostle Paul counseled Christians in Corinth to live fully in this world but also according to a new way. Give up your allegiances to the old, he said, and cling to Jesus' way of doing things. Don't let the world decide who you are or what kind of marriage you should have. Don't get caught up in law suits with your fellow Christians. And don't worry about getting revenge. The new way is about reconciliation. Let the resurrected Christ define everything you are about. And suddenly everything in the old world becomes new.
Such a Time as This: Faith and Risk-taking in the Book of Esther The book of Esther is a gripping story in its own right, filled with suspense, intrigue, revenge, and stunning reversals of fortune.  Although it never mentions God's name, this account of a courageous Jewish queen challenges us to take the high road of faith--even when it means living dangerously and taking enormous risks.	For Crying Out Loud: Studies in Exodus What are true salvation and liberation? The stories of the Hebrews' release from slavery in Egypt and their encounter with God in the desert points to the ways God works redemptively with a people.
No Small Wonder: Stories of Hope from the Nativity Get behind the Nativity stories and discover the radical nature of God's coming to earth in Jesus. This unit shows how rooted Mary, Elizabeth, Zecharias, Joseph, and others were in the ancient journey of God's people; how Jesus' birth upset the tumultuous first-century Palestine with good news; and how that event calls us to follow God's plan today.	Going on a Promise: Stories of Abraham" Abraham and Sarah took huge risks in leaving Ur and its gods in order to follow a personal, covenant-making God instead. Participants will wrestle with the heroic and the human in the Abraham stories, the meaning of faith and faithfulness, and the challenging choices God offers to Abraham and us alike.
Hanging on to Hope: Studies in Revelation" Is God still in control of the world? Will evil ever be defeated? First century Christians faced these and other questions as the Roman Empire spread its oppressive influence. John, exiled for his faith, writes a book full of visions and fantastic images, bringing assurance to the beleaguered believers. In this study, some of the mystery of Revelation is unlocked, the early Christian dilemmas appear remarkably like our own, and we get a refreshing glimpse into God's reign.	Preach It!: Great Messages of the Bible What does it take for a sermon to transform your life? If you could be the preacher of the week, what would you say, and how would you say it? In this study you will explore key speeches of Joshua, Amos, Ezra, Jesus, Peter, and Paul. These messages spoke the right word at the right time to the original hearers, inviting people to get with God's program. Find out how their calls ring equally true in our day as well.
For the Love of Earth: Studies in Genesis 1-3" Stop living in the past! Live for today! Unless you're a scientist, thinking about the earth's origins is a waste of time! Not so, according to these six sessions on the Bible's opening paragraphs. In contrast to the Babylonian stories of origins, the Hebrew Bible presents the creation as an account of balanced order and loving relationships. It carefully sets the stage for the rest of the Bible in its portrayals of God's character, human freedom, and humanity's purpose on earth. This interactive study provides solid ground for faith-based approaches to caring for the earth.	Voice from the Fringe: Studies in Isaiah Unlike most prophets, Isaiah takes up his calling with enthusiasm. That is, before he finds out that God's message includes divine judgment and anger. In the end, God speaks words of grace and redemption too, especially as the people experience the most wrenching punishment in their history: exile in Babylon. As we study this unusual collection of speeches, we discover that wholeness doesn't come cheap in our lives. But we also see that God loves us and courts us no matter what.
Choosing Sides: Faithfulness in the Book of Joshua The book of Joshua is the story of the Israelites conquering the Promised Land. That's just the plot. The crux of the story is how the Israelites will keep the faith alive. How will the ragged crew, having lived in the wilderness for 40 years, summon interest in reviving their parents' and grandparents' faith, and the promises God made to another generation?  They do. Look to Joshua to show us how we today can keep alive a faith kindled by people who went before us.	For Better, For Worse: God's Relentless Love in Amos and Hosea Sometimes it takes shock tactics to get a message across. In ancient Israel, as a prosperous economy blinded the nation's leaders to their unfaithfulness to God, two prophets cried, "Enough!" Hosea married a prostitute to remind people of their religious adultery-and of God's dogged love for them nonetheless. Amos undiplomatically told the rich that God actually detested their religious rituals. These six sessions explore what Amos and Hosea say on such contemporary issues as the relationship between spiritaulity and justice, the role of prophetic voice, and the meaning of fidelity.
"Playing God: Rebellion and Grace in 1 and 2 Kings The rulers of ancient Israel and Judah form a fascinating mosaic of human frailty. Traditional heroes like David and Soloman had brittle halos, falling prey to hypocrisy and compromise. Others, like Ahab, were shameless in their idolatry and abuse of power. Josiah and a few others led their nations back to God, but couldn't manage to make the changes hold to the next generation. In this study, we look at how God works with us, even in the midst of our waywardness and weakness.	Into the Deep: Exploring Prayer Prayer is all the rage. Bookstores sell volumes about it. Experts offer workshops on it. National leaders invoke it in crisis. But what is prayer? What can it do for us? What can it do for God? Into the Deep is an interactive Bible study that explores the meaning and use of prayer to deepen our relationship with God and bring ourselves in line with God's will for the world.
Inside Out: God's Radical Love in Jonah and Ruth Illegal aliens, pagan worshipers, and rogue nations. The very culprits we blame for the degradation of the world today are central characters in the books of Jonah and Ruth - people whom God uses to teach about faithfulness. God breaks some of our most cherished stereotypes in these two books, including our narrow view that Scripture is serious and humorless. Be ready to laugh at our own folly and recognize the wide embrace of a surprising and loving God.	Enter the Kin-dom: Studies in Luke-Acts Without the book of Acts, the Gospel of Luke is a cliffhanger. It ends with the risen Jesus telling his disciples to wait in Jerusalem to be "clothed with power from on high." Acts, the sequel, unveils that mystery with a wallop: The Holy Spirit is poured out on Gentiles and Jews alike, inaugurating a new family of faith that lives out the reign of God. This study explores our rich inheritance of grace and salvation in Luke's twin narratives.

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Good Ground is now also available in Spanish!
¡ Tambien tenemos Good Ground en español!

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Presentando Buena Tierra, un currículo innovador para la Escuela Dominical de adultos. Llamando a los estudiantes adultos a una nueva manera de explorar la Biblia:

Buena Tierra se proyecta para estudiantes diversos y activos.
Por tener cada persona su propia manera de aprender, Buena Tierra hace vivir las Escrituras por medio de una variada gama de actividades que estimulan el pensamiento. En cada sesión se invita a los participantes a compartir sus propias ideas, perspectivas e historias.

Buena Tierra se orienta hacia el grupo.
Empezando con la premisa de que cada uno tiene igual acceso a la verdad de la Biblia, Buena Tierra anima a los participantes a explorar las Escrituras juntos, buscando las respuestas y descubriendo el sentido. Todos los participantes, incluso el líder, emplean el mismo libro.

Buena Tierra es pertinente.
Por medio de un método que mueve desde la vida hacia la Biblia y desde la Biblia hacia la vida, Buena Tierra ofrece oportunidades de dedicarse a los desafíos y los problemas de la vida diaria. Los ejemplos basados en las nuevas películas, la música, la política y las noticias permiten que los participantes exploren la pertinencia de las Escrituras a la cultura y a la sociedad contemporánea.

Sus lamentos llegaron al cielo: Estudios en Éxodo ¿Cómo puede todo un pueblo encontrar su identidad después de que por muchas generaciones fueron esclavos? Liberación verdadera, en todo caso ya sea la liberación de Israel de Egipto o nuestra propia libertad del pecado, involucra un camino donde aprendemos a confiar en Dios. Este aprendizaje puede ser frustrante para ambos, Dios y su pueblo. Pero como la historia del éxodo nos muestra, Dios nunca nos deja mientras caminamos hacia la integridad.

El Poder del Cielo se Manifiesta: Estudios en el Evangelio de Marcos Si la imagen que tienes de Jesús es de alguien que tiene compasión y hace el bien, piensa otra vez. El áspero relato de Marcos nos muestra un Mesías que choca en contra del status quo a cada momento. Este Jesús tiene renovantes, aunque a veces inquietantes perspectivas acerca del poder, el sufrimiento, la vida, la muerte, y el futuro. Como el evangelio, este estudio interactivo nos deja luchando con las implicaciones del mensaje de Jesús. Al mismo tiempo, nos pone en contacto con la firme esperanza del reino de Dios.

Hacia lo profundo: ¿Qué es orar? Muchos de nosotros desearíamos poder profundizar nuestra experiencia con Dios a través de la oración. Pero en un mundo de alta tecnología y de soluciones instantáneas, el reto parece mas grande que nunca. ¡Para que nuestro espíritu crezca toma tiempo y paciencia! Este estudio bíblico interactivo explora como la oración ha trabajado en las vidas de las personas devotas y ofrece algunos ejercicios prácticos para ordenar nuestras vidas espirituales a través de la oración.        $2.95 cada libro

Abrazando una esperanza: Estudios en Apocalipsis ¿Está Dios todavía en control del mundo? ¿Será el mal algún día destruido? Los cristianos del primer siglo enfrentaron estas y otras preguntas cuando el imperio Romano dispersaba su influencia opresiva. Juan, exilado por su fe, escribe un libro lleno de visones e imágenes fantásticas trayendo confianza a los creyentes asediados. En este estudio, algo del misterio del Apocalipsis es revelado. Los dilemas de los primeros cristianos se parecen notablemente a los nuestros, y recibimos un vistazo refrescante desde dentro del reino final de Dios.

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