Study Guides

Learning and Living Scripture – Geoffrey Lentz & Henry E. Neufeld ($12.99) A pastor and a teacher team up to present the Participatory Bible Study Method, an approach to Bible study that is rooted in the conviction that God can and will speak to us in scripture.

The Gospel According to St. Luke – Geoffrey Lentz ($8.99) This study guide gives the seeker historical insight and a fresh look into the Jesus Christ that Luke sought and recorded. Rev. Lentz brings his love of Church history and great thought-provoking questions into a user friendly layout that promotes lively discussions and deep-rooted growth in a group study.

Ephesians: A Participatory Study Guide  – Robert D. Cornwall ($9.99) Following the outlines of the Participatory Study Method, here is a usable and challenging guide that does not skirt the difficult issues. Setting a foundation in history and background, Dr. Cornwall brings the letter into modern application and sharing in corporate study and worship.

Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide – Bruce G. Epperly ($9.99) From beginning to end, the student is invited to absorb the text and allow God’s message to change her or his life. At the same time, it maintains the series standard of providing a guide that takes account of current biblical scholarship and helps the student examine the text critically while also listening to and being guided by the Holy Spirit. Each lesson includes prayers, spiritual exercises, thought questions, and theological reflection.

Learning and Living Scripture – Geoffrey Lentz & Henry E. Neufeld ($12.99) A pastor and a teacher team up to present the Participatory Bible Study Method, an approach to Bible study that is rooted in the conviction that God can and will speak to us in scripture.

Ephesians: A Participatory Study Guide  – Robert D. Cornwall ($9.99) Following the outlines of the Participatory Study Method, here is a usable and challenging guide that does not skirt the difficult issues. Setting a foundation in history and background, Dr. Cornwall brings the letter into modern application and sharing in corporate study and worship.

What goes on in the back of clergy folks’ heads that we wish we could talk about? And what do we talk about with no holds barred? In each chapter of this book, Groff offers a spiritual spin on an issue in ministry normally viewed as a distraction. He shows real life ways that a barrier can become a bridge to deepening spiritual life and vocation. A paragraph ends with a question, inviting the reader to pause . . . and ponder. Each chapter ends with a spiritual practice and questions for reflection. Here is ideal grist for intergenerational study groups for ministers, members, and seekers.

Study and discussion questions desgined for small groups and Sunday School classes. This study guide will help you learn to understand your faith for yourself, and how to defend it. Designed to go with Evidence for the Bible, ISBN: 1-893729-51-6.
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

Study and discussion questions desgined for small groups and Sunday School classes. This study guide will help you learn to understand your faith for yourself, and how to defend it. Designed to go with Christianity and Secularism, ISBN: 1-893729-52-4.

Disciples: Jesus With Us is a basic book on discipleship, with the emphasis on “basic.” It is for every pastor who has wondered just what he can give a new Christian, a new member, or someone who is struggling with the Christian walk that will help guide them through those first steps of discipleship. It is for every new believer who has wondered just what happened and what to do now. Rev. Riley Richardson speaks from the heart of a pastor and evangelist, providing basic guidance and explanations of what it means to be a Christian. Chapters discuss what it means to be saved, prayer, Bible study, finding a church home, stewardship, service, and some additional steps to take. There are questions and exercises provided for an individual or a small group. It includes a glossary, index, and scripture index, along with numerous recommendations for further study.
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

Following the outlines of the Participatory Study Method, Dr. Robert Cornwall presents a study guide to the book of Ephesians that is both usable and challenging while not skirting the difficult issues. These eight lessons take you through the letter leading from the history and background to modern application and sharing in corporate study and worship.

Whether you are approaching this book as an individual, as a small group, or in a larger classroom setting, this study guide will provide you with direction, exercises, and questions for discussion and further investigation.

The Participatory Study Series from Energion Publications is designed to invite Bible students to become a part of the community of faith that produced the texts we now have as scripture by studying them empathetically and with an aim to learn and grow spiritually. The section Using this Book and the appendices are designed for the series and adapted to the particular study guide. Each author is free to emphasize different resources in the study, and individual students, group leaders, and teachers are encouraged to enhance their study through the use of additional resources.

It is our prayer at Energion Publications that each study guide will lead you deeper into scripture and more importantly closer to the One who inspired it.

132 pages.

Fifty Shades of Grace provides a scriptural look at what the Bible says about relationships. Too often in the education of relationships, abusive and unhealthy relationships if discussed are not done so with enough depth.

This book will compare what society tells us, in the form of entertainment and media, with what God tells us in the Bible about what healthy and loving relationships are. It will explore what abuse is and why many of us are in abusive relationships and what we can do about it. “I hope this book helps people not to fall into the trap of harmful relationships.” — Rev. Shauna Hyde, author.

• Separated from someone you love: mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, child, friend, pet
• Separated from a career you love
• Separated from a home you love
• Separated from the life you thought would continue on the road you were traveling

Grief is the sorrow and suffering that must be walked THROUGH by everyone who has experienced a loss. The walk is characterized by:

• Alone-ness. No one can do it for you.
• Timelessness. There are no shortcuts and detours may occur.
• Darkness. Each path is unique to the person. There is only One who sees in the dark just as He does in the light (Psalm 139).

“God gives us simple directions as we walk through the valley of grief. As He told David in Psalm 23, it was His intention that we walk through the valley, not get stuck. Walking my own roads after the death of my son, my parents, and my first marriage, I can say now that each road was different; each one had some very difficult periods and yet God was faithful. It is my prayer as I write this book that others will also receive God’s healing, life-giving words.”

Dr. Bob McKibben shares from his heart his understanding of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit within the local church. Combining his experience as pastor, study, and a commitment to sound Biblical principles, Bob provides a checklist for pastors and churches to use in ministry and worship as they encounter the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.

This is a pastoral rather than a theological work. Sure enough, it has theology in it. The focus, however, is on caring for the Body of Christ as it experiences the abundant grace of God and the magnificent gifts of the of the Holy Spirit.
Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

The original edition of Identifying Your Gifts and Service is a program for whole church congregations, led by a teacher, to discover their gifts and place of service. It is not a typical scientific survey designed to discover what kind of personality you have, what you feel like doing, or even what your talents are. This Small Group Edition is designed for a group of people to study together. The lectures and study materials are provided in the various chapters. With the cooperation of your pastor and church leadership, you can identify your gifts and find your place of service in your church congregation. In going through this process you will be invited to shake off some of the walls and limitations you have placed on yourself and open yourself up to the full call that God has on your life. Discovering and using your Spiritual Gifts is an adventure!

Philippians: A Participatory Study Guide is the sixth volume in the Participatory Study Series. From beginning to end, the student is invited to absorb the text and allow God’s message to change her or his life. At the same time, it maintains the series standard of providing a guide that takes account of current biblical scholarship and helps the student examine the text critically while also listening to and being guided by the Holy Spirit.

This guide contains eight lessons suitable for use by an individual student, but best used in a small group. The lessons are clearly written so that a laity-led class or small group can use them to advantage. In addition, there is a guide to using the book that provides insights into Bible study in general, and two appendices, one outlining the process of Bible study and one listing and describing useful resources.

Each lesson includes prayers, spiritual exercises, thought questions, and theological reflection. These are designed to help students learn to see the text in a new way and to realize their full potential through the power of the Holy Spirit. This book will not only impact your knowledge of scripture; it will change the way you pray, live, witness, and relate to your community of faith and the world.

Energion Publications catalog page

This study guide to Revelation is designed for individual or small group studies. Its flexible lessons are ideal for Sunday School classes, small study or prayer groups and Wednesday evening studies. The guide is based on the participatory method, developed by author Henry Neufeld to help lay people learn to understand the Bible better.

Features:

1. Clearly defined study method for individuals and groups.
2. Basic lessons with graded additional study allow you to choose the time spent on your study
3. Examination of different approaches to Revelation
4. References to study Bibles and standard reference materials
5. Emphasis on spiritual application-even if your group has problems agreeing on prophetic interpretation, you can share many spiritual lessons
6. Glossary of terms
7. Background references
8. Study questions and topics for discussion
9. Outline and notes for reference

Suggested uses:

• Personal study
• Sunday School classes

Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

Soup Kitchen for the Soul combines testimony with a challenging scriptural foundation and follows it with specific guidance on how you can get out of your church and make a difference in your community. Each chapter builds on a Bible story and the author’s personal experience, and ends with thought questions, and then action questions. References include specific ways in which you can take action on what you have been studying in the book.

This book is suitable for personal or small group study, or could be used effectively by an entire church to transform their ministry.

In the introduction Crosby says: “Upon entering Seminary, I was required to serve in the community and begrudgingly accepted my assignment, choosing to serve in a soup kitchen. While serving in the soup kitchen, God revealed himself to me in a profound and miraculous way. It was in restudying the scriptures with this new heart knowledge of God that allowed me to see a message of a mission for His people that we lack a connection with today. I began asking, ‘What if … What if I’m not the only one who doesn’t understand the whole mission God has planned for us? What exactly are we supposed to be doing? Where in the Bible can we find directives on our missions for God? What if I wrote a book about radically new old ways of doing the gospel?’”

Soup Kitchen for the Soul is that book.

The Gospel of Saint Luke: A Participatory Study Guide is the newest installment to the successful Participatory Study Guide Series from Energion Publications. This series emphasizes individual and community involvement in the Bible story, inviting students to become part of God’s activity in the world by acting on and sharing what they learn.

Written by Geoffrey D. Lentz, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church, Pensacola, FL, this study guide gives the seeker historical insight and a fresh look into the Jesus Christ that Luke sought and recorded. Rev. Lentz brings his love of Church history and great thought-provoking questions into a user friendly layout that promotes lively discussions and deep-rooted growth in a group study.

Each lesson includes suggestions for prayer, exercises, thought questions, and basic background information on the passages studied. References to study Bibles and other useful resources are provided.

Useful for:

• Small group study
• Individual study
• Discussion and sharing

Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

This study guide to the book of Hebrews is designed for individual or small group studies. Its 13 lessons are ideal for Sunday School classes, small study or prayer groups and Wednesday evening studies. The guide is based on the participatory method, developed by author Henry Neufeld to help lay people learn to understand the Bible better.

Features:

1. Clearly defined study method for individuals and groups.
2. Basic lessons with graded additional study allow you to choose the time spent on your study
3. References to study Bibles and standard reference materials
4. Study of Old Testament quotations
5. Glossary of terms used in Hebrews
6. Background references
7. Study questions and topics for discussion
8. Translation and notes for reference

Small Group Resource

Energion Publications recommends this book as a small group resource.

A Colorado native, Shauna Hyde grew up with three brothers, no sisters, and a father who was a pastor of a local community church. She was taught that women married for life and no woman she knew was a pastor. This ‘normal’ crashed around her when her first husband left her with a newborn baby to raise alone. Her second husband confessed his unfaithfulness; again her world hit a bruising reality wall despite her efforts to be the ‘best little wife’. Shauna started studying karate and began to see a correlation between the two disciplines that opened her soul to be empowered by the grace of God. God, in turn, taught her and used her to empower others.

“As a United Methodist minister who is also a black belt in Shota Kahn karate I am often asked how I can be both a martial artist and a pastor. There have been a lot of jokes about how I will force people to the altar or smack people who get out of line. Then there is always the joke about no one wanting to disobey me in the church because I know how to hurt them! In reality, anyone who is a true martial artist and/or has a deep understanding of the martial arts knows that it is not about violence — it is about mercy, self-discipline, a lot of routine practice, and a whole other host of characteristics that I would like to address [in this book].”

Shauna shares what she has learned with a solid Biblical foundation through thought-provoking questions that work well individually and with small groups. “Karate is a tool that can help people grow, understand, and become disciplined. Church is a tool that also helps people grow, understand, and become disciplined. The greatest tool of all to be used to empower others is the constant and abundant application of grace.”