While there are many other studies to choose from, this is a listing of several recommended studies for NorthStar Small Groups.  Michael Bowers has a copy of the workbook and DVD (if used) that will be available for check out only for you to review.  If you decide to use a particular study, you may purchase the material yourself or contact Michael for assistance.

 

Open the Door to Genuine Community

The first question that new small groups ask is, “Where do we begin?” This new Great Beginnings study is the answer. These six interactive sessions are fun, easy, and perfect for developing a sense of connection within your group. As you get to know one another and share your stories, you’ll also grasp the key ingredients for creating a great community.

It’s as if we’re communicating clearly by phone, but then interferences produce static on the line, the clear signal begins to fade, and we have frequent disconnects. But we can strengthen our communication as we interact with a group of people to understand key truths related to:

 

 

Create a More Satisfying & Effective Home

 

God had "dream teams" in mind when He created marriage. He longs to see each couple come together in unity, committed to Him and to one another.

Home still works, but it takes the key ingredient of teamwork for a couple to experience the "power of two" - two hearts joined together as one. As you participate in this study, you'll enjoy meeting with other couples while you strengthen your marriage. Learn to create a more satisfying and effective home where you dream and work together.

 

 

Instructions for an Amazing Marriage!

Some Assembly Required is the premier small-group study in Serendipity’s HomeWorks marriage and family series. Marriage and family are as vital and relevant as ever. Home still works!

A lot of people tend to think marriage is whatever a society decides it is. But God He created marriage in the beginning. The Bible is God’s instruction book for developing an amazing marriage, one that works as He designed it. As you participate in this study, you will connect with other couples while at the same time strengthening your marriage relationship. Explore:

 

         

 

Excitement, happiness, adventure, love, laughter, freedom, beauty, and hope ... these are words of life. From the beginning, we were created to live with passion and purpose. But when life is suddenly disrupted by the loss of someone or something important, everything changes. Like it or not, we all experience loss in our lives. Sometimes life is just flat out hard. Redeeming the Tears is designed to walk us through our grief and with the support of those joining us on the journey, guide us to a place where God can restore us to life, purpose, and hope.

Healing occurs best in the context of community and relationships. Allow God to redeem your tears and help you embrace hope and life again! This study is perfect for use in support groups, recovery groups, small groups, and church classes. 

 

 

 Sessions: 8

 

So many of us make our way through the early years sharing our lives as we create memories with our friends and families. We’re all familiar with this part of the journey. But then something happens. As marriage, family, career, responsibilities, obligations, and routines move to center stage, authentic and lasting community gets squeezed from the picture.

While it’s true that God has created us for community, it can be difficult to know what it looks like, how it feels, and how to begin building it. Contagious Community: Living Beyond Yourself identifies the crucial elements of true, lasting Christian community. This 13-session study provides the direction and depth necessary to move beyond reality and into a life lived “with one another.”

The comprehensive and easy-to-use Leader Book contains everything you need to lead a life-transforming group experience!

 

 

 

 

Perhaps you’re a new follower of Jesus Christ, or maybe you’ve never fully understood the essential, core truths of the Christian faith. This revealing 13-week study, created with a blend of master-teacher format and small-group breakouts, will answer many of the questions you bump into as you seek to live out a real-life faith.

You’ll learn what God expects of you and how to make life meaningful, apply what you learn in practical projects, and embrace life-change goals for yourself. Find out who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit really are, and how to relate to each one. Discover the power sources to help you live like Christ, beat temptation, find forgiveness, and stay “real.” Get to know Christ in a life-changing way as your group learns to effectively support each other in living well!

The comprehensive and easy-to-use Leader Book contains everything you need to lead a life-transforming group experience!

 

 

 

You Can Become a Person of Influence!

In our culture of take-charge leaders, “servant leadership” sounds like an oxymoron on the same level as “efficient government.” This 13-week study, created with a blend of master-teacher format and small-group breakouts, will transform your thinking about what true leadership, modeled by Jesus, really looks like.

You’ll be encouraged not only to understand Jesus' style of leadership, but to apply what you learn in practical projects, and embrace life change goals for yourself. Even if you don’t see yourself as a leader, this study will expand your vision as your group develops in truly caring for each other and spurring one another on to the deeper things of God.

 

 

One of the most compelling of all biblical men, Moses was not unfamiliar with trying times of leadership, moments of intense self-doubt, or sustained periods in the literal desert. As a man, he wrestled with the assignment God had given him even as he faithfully carried out his God-given charge. This study by noted author and communicator Gene Getz will teach you to emerge from the smaller story to become a man truly empowered by God.

The Men of Purpose series focuses on the lives of men in the Bible who provide poignant examples of godly masculinity. Each of these leaders faced trials, frustration, and failure, yet was inspired by God to achieve great goals. In a world where Christian male role models seem increasingly rare, this series reminds us that some of the most worthy examples of godly character can be found in the biblical figures who brought power, wisdom, and inspiration to God's people throughout the ages. 

 Sessions: 13

 

 

 

Meet One of the Greatest Leaders of All Time!

 

Nehemiah had every reason on earth to lose hope and give up, yet he had access to every resource in heaven to combat his earthly crises. Whether you want to be a stronger and more effective leader in your home, business, church, or community, Nehemiah can teach you the leadership principles that work. His balance between wholeheartedly trusting God and fiercely exerting his own initiative provides us all a model of how to demolish discouragement and emerge victorious no matter what we face! This study by noted author and communicator Gene Getz could impact every sphere of your life.

The Men of Purpose series focuses on lives of men in the Bible who provide poignant examples of godly masculinity. Each faced trials, frustration, and failure, yet was inspired by God to achieve great goals. In a world where Christian male role models seem increasingly rare, this series reminds us that some of the most worthy examples of godly character can be found in the biblical figures who brought power, wisdom, and inspiration to God’s people throughout the ages 

 

                                                           
Fire—it’s a source of destruction and a source of life. It incinerates and destroys. But it also refines and purifies. In the Bible, God used fire and other trials to “turn up the heat” and reveal His power through the lives of people. Ed Young explores these trials from great stories in Scripture to help fan the flames of our own faith today. Catch a spiritual spark from this small-group study that can ignite a white-hot passion for Christ.

 

A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments

 

Where do we find our moral foundation in this game of life? In a world of ever-changing culture, circumstances, and philosophies … it all goes back to the “big ten.” In First and 10 Ed Young will take you on a thought-provoking, soul-searching look at the Ten Commandments. Get ready to see these old commands in a new way that is guaranteed to change the way you live everyday life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take Life to the X-Treme!

In this study, Ed Young leads you verse-by-verse through one of the most challenging and controversial books of the Bible, the book of James. X-Trials will stop you in your tracks and lead you to the extreme life God has planned for you.

Living life as a Christ-follower in today’s world requires extreme faith! Discover how you can bring your faith down from the rafters and into real life through this combination of small-group discussion and daily devotionals.

Look at practical questions like:

 

Watch for the Deadly Traps!

In today’s pop culture the term “sin” is not very popular. Instead, we are classified as victims of dysfunction who make “mistakes” and “bad choices.” From contemporary psychologists to TV talk show hosts, the message we often hear is “I’m okay and you’re okay.” But, the Bible gives a very different message—we have a serious sin problem that will destroy our lives from the inside out. The good news is that Christ offers a solution to the battle from within. We don’t have to be victims. Instead, He can turn our lives away from these “Fatal Distractions.”

Join Fellowship Church‘s Pastor Ed Young as he makes a frontal assault through 8 sessions on these seven deadly sins that threaten to destroy our lives:

 

 

Grapple with Your Real Questions

What lies beyond the visible world? How do we get beyond peoples’ facades? Is God multi-cultural? Are all religions and beliefs equally valid? Should we respect authorities, even bad ones? Just because it’s true for you, doesn’t mean it’s true for me, does it? Where are our world and our lives headed? …

Our “postmodern” society explores and questions all aspects of life and thought, even those we once took for granted. But, these are not new questions. This study explores key post-modern questions in light of historic Christianity and what the Bible says. Grapple with your questions in a supportive small-group environment. Deepen your awareness of the principles of being a Christ-follower.

This conversational, interactive Bible study is ideal for seekers, new Christians, and mature Christ-followers looking for relevant ways to discuss their faith. 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Faith or Dead Faith?

A working faith is more than knowing what to do. A working faith is doing what you know to do from a sincere and renewed heart. This in turn leads to great fulfillment. Faith at Work reminds all who utilize this study to, "not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).

Explore the and power of living out what you believe with sincerity and authenticity as you and your group encounter experiences where biblical truth meets life and hope. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn How to Stand Strong in Persecution

Losing status and experiencing embarrassment for living the Christian life is not new. The Apostle Peter wrote the book of 1 Peter to encourage believers who would be persecuted from three fronts: (1) the Romans; (2) the Jews; and (3) their own families. This study reminds you and your group to remain faithful to Christ and stay the course. Learn the key attitudes and behaviors to keep you strong and steady no matter what life throws at you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn from the Greatest Storyteller of All Time!

Jesus told stories about everyday life, but they were stories with a twist. He intended to disturb people’s assumptions about life. His short parables not only evoked emotion, they demanded life change. The Master Storyteller’s parables still speak to us today in powerful images that will disturb our assumptions and lead us toward life change as well.

This popular interactive study is from the Understanding the Savior series. This series will allow you and your group to comprehend, discuss, and maybe even debate the incredible life, times, and teachings of the Son of God Himself. It’s impossible to spend time with Jesus and remain the same. This is a great series for groups that want to grow deeper spiritually. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Study of Forgiveness from Romans 1 – 7

Failure and sin are not enjoyable topics of conversation for most people. You probably avoid these topics with your coworkers and families. The issue of sin seems to create a cutting conversational edge, an edge that slashes through the outer layer of surface discussions and lands at the core of the heart. Why is it so difficult to discuss our own rebellion and failures? We forget to tie forgiveness and wholeness to it. Studying Who We Really Are with your group will connect the too often disconnected topics of sin and salvation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Study of Endurance from Philippians

Paul wrote some very inspiring and challenging letters from prison. He knew what it meant to suffer for the cause of Christ. His pain forced him to learn the secret of joy and peace even in the midst of difficulty. Running the Race will lead you and your small-group members to the well of peace of mind even when living in the dessert of difficulty and devastation. You will learn to imitate Christ and to press on toward the goal He has set before you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discover Who You Really Are

Until you are vividly aware of who you really are, you will continue to struggle to understand your place in this world and God's kingdom. Realizing your deepest longings, the purpose for your existence, and how these line up with God's priorities is vital to your relationship with Christ and the people with whom you connect. As you and your group do this study together you'll laugh, learn, and experience true Christian community. Discover the true you as you carry out your own personal audit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Learn to Hear God’s Voice

Our gifts and calling are central elements of who we are as people, and of our uniqueness. But how can we know what God is calling us to do? As you and your group open your minds and hearts to hear God's voice, you can join together to help each other discover God's will for each of your lives. This interactive study focuses on:

 

 

 

 

 

Taste, touch, smell, hear, and see God's Word as you study an entire book of the Bible. This book-of-the-Bible series engages participants in creative, new encounters with the Word of God. Open your time together with a snack (ideas included); reflect on the moving Scripture passage on DVD; and interact with the Bible through creative encounters--questions, activities, and group projects. Includes post-study individual or group application activities. 6 lessons per book.
Includes the entire book of the Bible being studied in print and on DVD. Throughout the week group members can watch the DVD and see the Bible in a totally new way.
Everyone in your group will need their own book and DVD set. No leader guide required.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taste, touch, smell, hear, and see God's Word as you study an entire book of the Bible. This book-of-the-Bible series engages participants in creative, new encounters with the Word of God. Open your time together with a snack (ideas included); reflect on the moving Scripture passage on DVD; and interact with the Bible through creative encounters--questions, activities, and group projects. Includes post-study individual or group application activities. 8 lessons per book.
Includes the entire book of the Bible being studied in print and on DVD. Throughout the week group members can watch the DVD and see the Bible in a totally new way.
Everyone in your group will need their own book and DVD set. No leader guide required.  

 

 

 

Cost: $10 

 

 

How to Get the Most Out of Life  

By: Andy Stanley
Come Back from the Edge

Overloaded? Maxed out? Our culture encourages us to live as if we have no limits. So we fill up our schedules and empty our bank accounts. We do as much as we can, spend as much as we can, and acquire as much as we can—all in an effort to get as much as we can out of life. This six-part DVD shows that the secret to getting more out of life is not by doing more, but by doing less. Its companion study guide is complete with a leader’s guide and six lessons, including conversation-starting exercises, discussion questions, and application steps. You’ll learn to create the margin you need to live the life God intends for you.

 

 

 

 

Instructions for the Game of Life 
By: Andy Stanley
Everything You Need to Know in Life, You Can Learn Here!

When we were in kindergarten, half the fun of living was breaking the rules without getting caught. In real adult life, however, there is nothing fun about broken promises, relationships, or hearts. In this DVD and study guide from North Point Resources, Andy Stanley explains God’s set of life rules that can improve current relationships and mend broken ones. Every game requires parameters, and in this lifelong journey toward heaven, it’s never too late to learn, relearn, and follow the rules God clearly outlines for His people…because they set you on the course for success!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defining Moments Study Guide

What to Do When You Come Face-to-Face with the Truth
By: Andy Stanley 

It’s no secret that what you don’t know can hurt you. In spite of that, we still go out of our way at times to avoid the truth. Men avoid doctors and women deny evidence of adultery. While the truth often hurts, deceiving ourselves will ultimately only worsen the situation. In this nine-part DVD and eight-part companion study guide, we listen in as Jesus introduces some rather perplexing truth to seven individuals who had grown comfortable with their misinformed lifestyles and belief systems. Readers will discover firsthand that the truth can set you free. And for those who have the courage to embrace it, their lives will be changed forever.

 

 

Cost: $10