LifeGuide Bible Studies: Christian Living Collection (14 vols.)

by Juanita Ryan; Peter Scazzero; Andrea Sterk; Rob Suggs; Cindy Bunch

and

11 more

Publishers:

IVP; IVP Connect

, 1999–2015

Overview

This collection will assist Christians to faithfully live the Christian life by being more grounded in Scripture, increasing in love for God and others, and growing in godly character. Navigate through difficult issues in everyday life with the confidence and divine power that comes through inductive study and application of Scripture. See yourself through the lens of Scripture as God sees you. Practice the Christian disciplines and virtues while growing in Christian community and the exercise of spiritual gifts.

These LifeGuide Bible Studies feature questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection. Leader’s notes are included with information on study preparation, leading the study, and small group components, as well as helps for specific Bible passages covered in each study. Featuring the inductive Bible study approach, LifeGuides are thoroughly field-tested prior to publication; they’re proven and popular guides for digging into Scripture on your own or with a small group.

Key Features

• Offers help and hope for everyday struggles in the Christian life including busyness, poor views of self, aging, fear, guilt, and grief
• Provides biblical encouragement and practical suggestions for growing in the Christian disciplines, godly character, and wise decision-making
• Offers study questions to promote understanding and application of Scripture

Product Details

• Title: LifeGuide Bible Studies: Christian Living Collection
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Volumes: 14
• Pages: 927
• Resource Type: Bible Studies
• Topic: Christian Living

Busyness: Finding God in the Whirlwind

• Author: Juanita Ryan
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

“How have you been?” a friend asks. “Busy,” we say. Much of our busyness is necessary to our survival or to the wellbeing of others and ourselves. In the whirlwind of our lives, however, it may seem impossible to focus beyond the noise of daily demands. We long for a greater awareness of God with us. This LifeGuide study explores ways of conversing with God in the midst of things, so we can see our day’s work as the joyful service of kneeling before Jesus.

Juanita Ryan is a clinical nurse specialist with an MSN in psychiatric mental health nursing. She has taught mental health nursing at Bethel University, Rio Hondo Community College and Biola University. She is currently a therapist in private practice at Brea Family Counseling Center in Brea, California. She is the coauthor of The Twelve Steps: A Spiritual Kindergarten and the author or coauthor of over 30 InterVarsity Press Bible studies.

Christian Community

• Author: Rob Suggs
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2002
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

One of the greatest gifts that Christ has given us is each other. Through Christ’s body, the church, we discover our unique gifts and experience worship, healing and power. In ten studies, Rob Suggs leads us to grow in community—loving and nurturing one another, and in reflecting Christ’s love to the world around us.

Rob Suggs is a writer who devotes most of his work to the Christian market. He has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson, David Jeremiah, Bill Bright, Lee Strobel, Les Steckel, and others. Suggs specializes in finding the speaker’s voice in prose, as well as communicating that personality’s heart and soul in a manner that touches the reader’s emotions. Suggs originally made his mark as a cartoonist whose work can be seen in It Came from Beneath the Pew and Preacher from the Black Lagoon. He is also the author of The Ten Commandments, Christian Community and The Suggs Book of Family Tales. He served for three years as a senior editor at Walk Through the Bible Ministries and is a graduate of Furman University.

Christian Disciplines

• Authors: Andrea Sterk and Peter Scazzero
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Depth. Strength. Wisdom. Maturity. We long to be people who exhibit such qualities. We want to strengthen our character and deepen our relationship with Christ. But spiritual depth requires spiritual discipline. These Bible studies by Andrea Sterk and Peter Scazzero are designed to help us learn how God intends for us to live and show us how God helps us grow to maturity.

Andrea Sterk is a church historian teaching at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

Peter Scazzero is senior pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York. He formerly served as a staff member with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Christian Virtues

• Author: Cindy Bunch
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Virtue may not be a word you use every day, but it defines the qualities of a person of character. One of the good things about belonging to God is that he develops virtues in you. In nine sessions Cindy Bunch leads you to investigate—and learn to practice—key Christian virtues: faith, hope, love, wisdom, justice, courage, moderation, integrity and perseverance.

Cindy Bunch is an editorial director with InterVarsity Press, where she acquires and develops Bible studies, small group books, and a wide variety of general-interest books. She has been leading small groups for the past twenty years and has written numerous Bible study guides, including several in IVP’s LifeGuide Bible Studies series.

Decisions: Seeking God’s Guidance

• Author: Donald Baker
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 63

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Do you sometimes wish that the Bible could make your decisions for you? Donald Baker is familiar with this desire. He writes, “God has given me free will, and while I appreciate his confidence in my ability to choose, there are times when I wish that he would make the decisions for me.” The Bible won’t give you a direct answer to each choice—or dilemma—you face. But the Bible will teach you how to make decisions wisely, confidently and in harmony with God’s will. These studies introduce you to the Bible’s lessons on decision-making—and show you how to apply what you learn to your own decisions, big and small.

Donald Baker is pastor of First Reformed Church of Doon, Iowa, and Bethel Reformed Church of Lester, Iowa. He formerly served as a staff member with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Distorted Images of Self: Restoring Our Vision

• Authors: Juanita Ryan and Dale Ryan
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2013
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The way we think and feel about ourselves is one of the most important things about us—affecting our peace of mind, our creativity and our ability to engage meaningfully in the world. Perhaps most importantly, it impacts our relationships with others, including our relationship with God. These eight studies by Dale and Juanita Ryan are designed to help us take a transforming look at some key aspects of our self-image under the clear reflection of God’s love.

Juanita Ryan is a clinical nurse specialist with an MSN in psychiatric mental health nursing. She has taught mental health nursing at Bethel University, Rio Hondo Community College and Biola University. She is currently a therapist in private practice at Brea Family Counseling Center in Brea, California. She is the coauthor of The Twelve Steps: A Spiritual Kindergarten and the author or coauthor of over 30 InterVarsity Press Bible studies.

Dale Ryan is CEO of Christian Recovery International. He is also an assistant professor of recovery ministry and director of the Fuller Institute for Recovery Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has consulted with ministries in several countries who are seeking to develop support groups for alcoholics and addicts and their families. He is a coauthor of The Twelve Steps: A Spiritual Kindergarten, Rooted in God’s Love, and Bible study guides published by InterVarsity Press.

Four Great Loves

• Author: Judith Allen Shelly
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 100

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

We are called to four great loves: to love God, God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s purposes in the world. It is both an awesome task and a glorious opportunity. God promises to equip us for it. As Judith Allen Shelly leads you through eight studies, she points out tangible ways to love and serve the God who loves you perfectly and who longs for you to know him more intimately.

Judith Allen Shelly, RN, BSN, MA, DMin, was publications director for Nurses Christian Fellowship, director of NCF Press, and editor of the Journal of Christian Nursing. Her editorial work has won numerous awards from the Evangelical Press Association. Shelly has written many books including Spiritual Care: A Guide for Caregivers (IVP, 2000) and The Changing Face of Health Care (Eerdmans, 1998). Her articles have appeared in journals such as Ethics and Medicine, Christian Counseling Today, and Christian Bioethics. She has also been an adjunct professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, and at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.

Friendship: Growing Side by Side

• Author: Carolyn Nystrom
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 62

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Friends help you mature emotionally and spiritually. Friends teach you about forgiveness. Friends love you no matter what. Carolyn Nystrom leads you through ten inductive studies to discover what the Bible teaches about friendship. As you dig into the stories of friends like David and Jonathan or Ruth and Naomi, you will experience the riches of godly friendship for yourself.

Carolyn Nystrom (MA, Wheaton College) has written more than eighty books, Bible study guides, and children’s titles. She coauthored Praying with theologian J.I. Packer and Is the Reformation Over with scholar Mark Noll. She is also the author of the LifeGuide Bible Studies 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, Money and Work, Friendship, Listening to God and more.

In addition to actively serving in her church, she has been a foster parent, an elementary schoolteacher, the stated clerk of her EPC presbytery, and a book editor.

Grief: God’s Help in Times of Sorrow

• Authors: Cathy Gardner Maddams and James W. Reapsome
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

A friend moves away. You get laid off. Cancer takes the life of a family member. We all experience grief and loss in some form. Whether you’re supporting a grieving friend or mourning a loss of your own, these nine studies from Psalms will help you express what you’re feeling and lead you to the arms of our compassionate God, who weeps with us, listens to our cries and understands our pain.

Cathy Gardner Maddams taught theater arts for 25 years in San Jose, California, and is now retired from teaching. She and her husband each experienced the loss of a spouse and now cofacilitate grief support and Bible study groups at Church of the Chimes in San Jose. Maddams was trained as a grief counselor at the Centre for Living with Dying in Santa Clara, California.

James W. Reapsome (d. 2017) was a pastor and served as editor of Evangelical Missions Quarterly and the World Pulse newsletter. He was the coeditor of Innovation in Mission and the author or coauthor of LifeGuide studies such as Exodus, Hebrews, Grief, Marriage, and Songs from Scripture.

Growing Older & Wiser

• Author: Dale Larsen and Sandy Larsen
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

You can’t change the fact that you are getting older. And, indeed, you may not want to! Age brings many gifts and opportunities for continued growth. In nine study sessions, Dale and Sandy Larsen help you discover the Bible’s perspective on aging. You’ll discover how God can effectively and powerfully use those who have grown wiser with the passing years.

Dale Larsen is a writer living in Rochester, Minnesota. He and his wife, Sandy, have written more than 40 books and Bible studies together including Living Your Legacy and more than ten LifeGuide Bible studies. They have also coauthored eight N.T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides with Wright.

Sandy Larsen is a writer living in Rochester, Minnesota. She and her husband, Dale, have written more than 40 books and Bible studies together including Living Your Legacy and more than ten LifeGuide Bible studies. They have also coauthored eight N.T. Wright for Everyone Bible Study Guides with Wright.

Money & Work

• Author: Carolyn Nystrom
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Money and work: just the words themselves can cause anxiety. Mortgages, saving for retirement and bottom lines can easily overwhelm us to the point of despair. But God, who “gives us richly all things to enjoy,” wants his people to live in freedom, trusting him and learning to manage our gifts wisely and generously. By pointing to his trustworthiness and generosity, these studies can help you rest in the peace he offers.

Carolyn Nystrom (MA, Wheaton College) has written more than eighty books, Bible study guides, and children’s titles. She coauthored Praying with theologian J.I. Packer and Is the Reformation Over with scholar Mark Noll. She is also the author of the LifeGuide Bible Studies 1 & 2 Peter and Jude, Money and Work, Friendship, Listening to God and more.

In addition to actively serving in her church, she has been a foster parent, an elementary schoolteacher, the stated clerk of her EPC presbytery, and a book editor.

Self-Esteem: Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us

• Author: Jack Kuhatschek
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2002
• Pages: 63

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The world encourages you to love yourself, believe in yourself and tell yourself that you are intelligent, capable, beautiful, wonderful. But deep down, what do you most want to know? What does God think of you? What is your true worth?

As Jack Kuhatschek leads you through nine Bible studies on self-esteem, you’ll gain an essential understanding of who you are and how God is restoring you to wholeness.

Jack Kuhatschek was formerly executive vice president and publisher for Baker Publishing Group in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of many Bible study guides and the books Applying the Bible and The Superman Syndrome.

Woman of God

• Author: Cindy Bunch
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 63

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

How can you become a woman of God? Leading you through a series of studies drawn from Old and New Testament passages, Bunch offers Scripture as the best guide to help you develop the traits of a godly woman. She includes sessions on how to be strong, trustworthy, wise, resourceful, forgiving, beautiful, content, and confident—and how to claim God’s grace when you fall short.

Cindy Bunch is an editorial director with InterVarsity Press, where she acquires and develops Bible studies, small group books, and a wide variety of general-interest books. She has been leading small groups for the past twenty years and has written numerous Bible study guides, including several in IVP’s LifeGuide Bible Studies series.

Women & Identity

• Authors: Adele Ahlberg Calhoun and Tracey D. Bianchi
• Series: LifeGuide Bible Studies
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

We live only a small fraction of the lives God has for us. Our lives get smaller and smaller, circling around the minute-by-minute disappointments and demands of the present moment while God whispers softly or even hollers for us to harness our whole hearts. Written by experienced spiritual leaders Adele Ahlberg Calhoun and Tracey Bianchi, the nine studies in this guide follow the biblical themes as well as the journeys of women showing the way to embracing God’s strength and wisdom to live whole lives.

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (MA, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) has worked in Christian ministry for over 40 years. She and her husband, Doug, currently work with Highrock Church in Arlington, Massachusetts, and work with retreats, the Enneagram, and leader resourcing nationally and internationally. Adele is the author of Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Invitations from God and the coauthor of True You and Women & Identity.

Previously, Adele and her husband copastored Redeemer Community Church in Needham, Massachusetts, and she was formerly pastor of spiritual formation at Christ Church in Oak Brook, Illinois. A retreat speaker and trained spiritual director, she has taught courses at Wheaton College and Northern Seminary. In the early 1970s she helped pioneer student work with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. She has also worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in New England and Canada and with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in the West Indies and South Africa.

Tracey Bianchi (MDiv, Denver Seminary) is a freelance writer, speaker and pastor. She serves as Pastor for Worship and Women at Christ Church of Oak Brook, where she leads a team that creates contemporary worship each week. She is the author of Mom Connection: Creating Vibrant Relationships in the Midst of Motherhood, the featured MOPS International book of the year, and Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Saving the Planet. Tracey has been serving in ministry ever since college and is a featured author and speaker for MOPS International and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board at Christianity Today’s Gifted for Leadership. Her work has appeared in a wide variety of publications including Leadership Journal, The Washington Post, MOPS International’s MomSense, Proverbs 31 Magazine, FullFill Magazine, and more. In 2012, Christianity Today noted Tracey as one of “50 Women to Watch, Those Most Shaping the Church and Culture.” An active participant in faith-based environmental conversations, Tracey serves on the Synergy National Advisory Council as well as the Board of Directors for the Evangelical Environmental Network. Her hope is to engage in the hard but good conversations about grace, peace, and all that is possible if we let God lead the way.