Daily Bible Study is a great companion to the quarterly Adult Bible Studies or as a stand-alone study. It is presented in quarterly segments. Bible-based, and Christ-focused, it coordinates with the lesson themes of Adult Bible Studies. Each daily reading includes a one-page Bible study for each day of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and commentary on the daily Scripture passage, life application, and a concluding prayer.
Daily Bible Study Summer 2022
Theme: Transform
The lessons this quarter begin with a look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit that brings new life to us as members of the body of Christ. Jesus tells the disciples in John’s Gospel that he must leave so that the Comforter or Holy Spirit could come. The Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth and bring gifts and graces to all who will receive them. This transforming power prepares us for ministry in the world.
The Holy Spirit’s work in empowering us to be the church and carry out its mission is not limited to time and space. The lessons in Unit 2 take us through a series of events in the context of Jewish and Gentile hostility in which we see how the Holy Spirit moved the church forward to serve others.
The final four lessons in this quarter explore a problem that has plagued humankind throughout the ages—violence! How do we as the people of God confront and overcome this menace to the faith?
Unit 1: The Fruit of the Spirit
Paul used the metaphor of fruit to help us understand that our lives are like the firstfruits of offering. Through participation in Christ’s crucifixion through baptism, we have offered our lives to God’s service. The Holy Spirit then gives us gifts to display.
Scriptures: Acts 2:1-4, 17-21, 33, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Galatians 5:13-21; Galatians 5:22-26
Spiritual Practice: Silence
Unit 2: The Work of the Church
These lessons take us through a series of events in the Book of Acts in which the activity of the Holy Spirit drives the action forward. The lessons in Unit 1 identify the gifts granted to us by the Spirit; these lessons look at the path on which the Spirit directs our lives and how the Spirit is already active before we arrive at our destination.
Scriptures: Acts 4:23-31; Acts 8:26-39; Acts 11:1-18; Acts 15:1-21; Acts 16:25-34
Spiritual Practice: Service
Unit 3: The Pursuit of the People
God’s word established a created order that depends on fruitfulness and cultivation rather than violence to maintain it, but humanity through its rivalries brings violence into God’s created order. It is clear from Scripture that God’s intent is to reestablish shalom, the Hebrew word that means “a shared well-being and abundance.” While violence remains a part of the created order, God does not quietly sanction the human use of violence and calls us to imitate God’s love and work toward shalom.
Scriptures: 1 Chronicles 22:6-10, 17-19; Matthew 5:9, 38-48; Ephesians 2:11-22; Matthew 26:47-56
Spiritual Practice: Remembering
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Stan Purdum served as a full-time parish minister in Ohio for a number of years and retired recently after serving part-time as a pastor. He also works as a freelance writer and editor. He holds an education degree from Youngstown State University, a master of divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and a doctorate in ministry from Drew University.Long an avid bicycle tourist, Stan has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including a cross-nation ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day and a trek that covered the entire length of US Route 62 (from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas), the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan is also the author of New Mercies I See, which is a collection of stories about God’s grace, and He Walked in Galilee, a study book on the ministry of Jesus. He writes regularly for Adult B