Jesus loves his diverse and beautiful family. We are all adopted children. Grace is the pathway into God’s family. Because God is drawing in people from every tribe, background, and walk of life, his family will always be as diverse as the human race. Because Jesus is Lord and the Holy Spirit transforms hearts, God’s family can be united and love one another in the midst of our many differences. When this happens, God delights and the world looks on in wonder.
Here are the Top 5 studies from trusted teachers on promoting unity in your church community.
1. Ephesians: Life in God’s Diverse Family– Derwin Gray
Ephesus was comprised of people who came from different backgrounds—racially, economically, and politically. So it’s little wonder the believers in that city were finding it difficult come together as one, put aside their differences, and get along in God’s new family. In other words, the church in Ephesus was having the same problems we face today.
In this study, bestselling author and pastor Derwin Gray guides you through this letter to the Ephesians, revealing what Paul’s words meant to his original readers and how they apply to you today. You will be encouraged to learn both the content and the context of the letter and then apply the message to your daily life.
Join Derwin on a journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that will encourage you to live in the grace and mercy of God to show the world what life with God looks like.
Watch a clip from the first session:
For more on Ephesians by Derwin Gray, click here
2. Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better – Brant Hansen
It’s a provocative idea: We are not entitled to get offended or stay angry at other people. The idea of our own “righteous anger” is a myth. Instead, the Bible calls every follower of Christ to do something radical and countercultural: Let go of our anger and forgive.
As it turns out, giving up our right to be offended is one of the most freeing, healthy, relaxing, refreshing, stress-relieving, and encouraging things we can do. It allows us to recognize that people are broken and stop being scandalized by their actions. It enables us to accept people and stop judging them. It creates a way for us to not just love others but to actually like them.
In this six-session Bible study, based on the bestselling book of the same name, Brant Hansen shares practical ways to live life with less stress and more care by becoming unoffendable. In his highly entertaining style, he seeks to lift the religious burdens from our backs and allow us to experience the joy of gratitude every day of our lives—flourishing the way God intended.
Watch the promo for Unoffendable:
For more on Unoffendable by Brant Hansen, click here
3. Share the Dream: Shining a Light in a Divided World through Six Principles of Martin Luther King Jr. – Daniels and Broussard
Dr. King and the men and women around him were able to change history through the power of a dream that was not rooted in mere human principles. That dream was rooted in the love of God for all his children made in his image.
Share the Dream™ is a six-session video Bible study (streaming code included) based on the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each session revolves around one of the biblical principles that shaped Dr. King’s life and motivated him to speak on behalf of African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement.
Watch the promo for Share the Dream:
For more on Share the Dream by Matt Daniels and Chris Broussard, click here
4. Colossians: One Jesus. One People – Jay Y. Kim
How can we unify instead of be more polarized? In the book of Colossians, Paul implores us to have the peace of Christ reign in our hearts.
In this video Bible study, author and pastor Jay Y. Kim will guide you through this letter to the Colossians, revealing what Paul’s words meant to his original readers and how they apply to you today. You will be encouraged to learn both the content and the context of the letter and then apply the message to your daily life.
Join Jay on a journey through Paul’s letter to the Colossians to explore the claim that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—and that Christian living revolves around Jesus.
Watch a clip from the study:
For more on Colossians by Jay Y. Kim, click here
5. God and Race: A Guide for Moving Beyond Black Fists & White Knuckles – John Siebeling & Wayne Francis
God’s plan for the church is a body that represents “every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9). Sadly, this is not how the church looks today. Odds are that if you walk into a church, you will find a group of people who look like they belong to the same tribe and nation.
What’s more, believers often feel the words God and race don’t go together. We would rather talk about anything else other than race. But unless we start to have these open-handed conversations, we will never move beyond the “black fists” and “white knuckles” that leave so many of our churches divided today.
In this Bible study, John Siebeling and Wayne Francis provide a non-threatening means for pastors, church leaders, and churchgoers to start to dialogue about this important issue. God and Race probes the meaning of racial reconciliation and reveals how the church can be a positive and effective leader to move us forward, beyond hate and injustice, to equality and love.
Watch the study promo:
For more on God and Race by John Siebeling & Wayne Francis, click here