Topical studies are great for honing in on what the Bible says about a particular issue. However, nothing beats studying an entire book of the Bible to get the intent of the original writer. When you read an entire book, you understand the context of the verses, and study it in the way it was originally meant to be learned.
Our Bible studies on whole books of the Bible are our most popular studies. These are your 10 favorite studies:
10. Romans: Extreme Makeover of the Soul
Have you ever wondered what kind of person you would be if you lived up to your potential? Have you ever wondered what God had in mind when he made you in the first place? Have you ever wondered if this life is really worth all the pain and heartache? God wants to make us into new people—an extreme makeover of the soul, something we cannot do on our own. Our extreme makeover begins when God justifies us through faith in Jesus Christ, freeing us from our past, securing our future, and initiating God's transforming work in our lives. The great news is that it is his work, not just ours. He gives us his Holy Spirit to guide and empower us through each step of growth.
9. Colossians: Against the Tide
The Book of Colossians teaches principles for living a Christian life in the midst of a non-Christian culture. Sometimes this calls for us to stand against the tide of public opinion or popular trends. This nine-session course addresses such issues as how to please God, develop a stable walk with God, think like a Christian, practice spiritual self-defense, live with a focus, and become a prayer warrior.
8. Joshua: Journey of a Faith Walker
After wandering for 40 years in the desert, Joshua had reason to be apprehensive about entering the Promised Land. But God commanded him to be strong and courageous, and the Book of Joshua shares the powerful story of how God fulfilled his promises and led the Israelites into the long-awaited land of milk and honey. This eight-session course shares lessons from Joshua on how to live a life of extraordinary faith.
7. Job: God Is in Charge
The Book of Job is not only the direct word of God but also a great literary masterpiece. Poet Alfred Tennyson called Job "the greatest poem of ancient or modern times." British author Thomas Carlyle viewed it as "one of the grandest things ever written with a pen." This nine-session course will help you understand the masterpiece that is the Book of Job—its themes, characters, and meaning for Christians today.
6. The Beatitudes: Happiness Is a Serious Business
According to the Beatitudes, we should pursue happiness in the Lord. We need to adopt a theology of happiness. The pursuit of happiness is common to all people. It is the motive behind much of what we do. But the path to true happiness is far different than people think. This nine-session course investigates the joys that can be found in knowing God and living his way.
5. Psalms: Managing Our Emotions
Emotions are both complicated and complex, both mysterious and mystifying. Even the experts are not sure what causes us to experience emotions. Both social science and neurobiology have tried, to no avail, to explain the origin of emotions. And for Christians, emotions can be troubling, frustrating, and untrustworthy. Some emotions seem deeply spiritual; other emotions seem downright sinful. God created us to experience emotions, yet there are still godly and ungodly ways to manage them. This 12-session course on the Book of Psalms will help you sort them out.
4. The Gospel in Genesis
Our world is broken. This is clear from the pages of the Bible, the wars between nations, and the grief in our own hearts. The Book of Genesis reveals an intimate and faithful God, who offers redemption and new life from the moment of the first sin, in the form of Jesus Christ. This six-session course examines the patterns of sin in Genesis and our own lives, but also the redemptive love that awaits us if we accept God's grace. Download this course to learn more about how God has revealed the gospel message in the Old Testament Book of Genesis.
3. James: Living the Christian Life 24/7
What does a real relationship with Jesus look like day-in and day-out? The Book of James is all about what it means to follow Christ 24/7. It explores spiritual maturity and how to grow up in the faith. Every verse is easy to understand but not at all easy to implement. This book teaches us about real faith by giving us God's Word on some of the most daily realities of following Jesus, including suffering, temptation, obedience, social justice and compassion, speech, and prayer.
2. Ephesians: You Are God's Masterpiece
Sometimes it's difficult to understand our identity as God's masterpiece through the confusion of sin, fear, or doubt. We wonder if his promises might be too good to be true. In Ephesians, Paul describes a God who loves us too much to let us stay as we are. This six-session course will challenge you to accept your identity as a member of God's family and allow him to mold you into the masterpiece he designed. When we accept God's refining work in us, as Paul did, we will receive the power and faith to complete God's kingdom work.
1. 1 Peter: Walk the Talk
Transformation—the process of becoming holy—begins in your mind. In this seven-session course, the apostle Peter shows us how to begin to think differently, which will radically affect our behavior. We all make split-second decisions to do right or wrong in any given moment. To choose right, we must learn to be obedient to God, which will give us an appetite for being good. This kind of obedience will create a radical change in our relationships, so that our quality of life will improve. Finally, we will learn how to prepare for suffering, which inevitably comes to everyone, as we trust a loving God who has promised to take care of us.
JoHannah Reardon is the managing editor of ChristianBibleStudies.com. She is the author of seven fictional books and a family devotional guide, and blogs at johannahreardon.com.
For all of our studies on books of the Bible, click here.
