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Unit 1: Thus Says the Lord

Bruce W. Gentry

We begin this new year with prophecy and praise. In session 1, Jeremiah delivers God’s own words to the people, promising that they may be mourning now, but joy is coming. Session 2 includes one of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” poetic procla¬mations of a dedicated servant who will bring about God’s justice. In session 3, Isaiah declares that all God’s people are the covenant and are called to be God’s servants, bringing about justice. Finally, in session 4, Isaiah describes the cornerstone of this change: a child who is called by remark¬able names: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). The prophets never paint a falsely rosy picture, but they also never give up hope.

Unit 2: Object Lessons

Ed Sunday-Winters

Jesus told stories that turned some of his listeners into followers and some of his followers into people who were willing to risk their lives for the sake of what he taught. At times, these stories are not easy for us to grasp; at other times, they can be easy enough to understand but difficult to embody in our daily lives. Often, our most trans-formative learning happens when we struggle to understand. Many people recognize the presence of Christ, and their experience of him as the light allows them to move through dark times. What does Jesus, the light, still have to teach us?

Unit 3: Good Questions

Michael T. Smith

John’s Gospel features a close focus on particular conversa¬tions and characters as Jesus interacts with a series of people who bring him interesting questions. A Pharisee named Nicodemus, a woman from Samaria, a man born blind, and Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus all encounter Jesus; he meets them where they are, and he isn’t afraid to challenge them. In this unit, we’ll consider how the questions posed in each interaction relate to our own faith journeys. May these characters, their stories, and their interactions with Jesus open new vistas of grace.

Unit 4: Raised to New Life

John D. Pierce, Emily Holladay, Ronnie Prevost, Melissa Fallen, and Rick Dill

Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are based on some of the most familiar Scriptures; it is easy to forget that these familiar stories changed everything. This unit begins with Jesus’s challenging and painful last days with his disciples before his crucifixion. Then, not only is he resurrected, but his disciples too are “raised with Christ” (Col 3:1). Later, in the early church, disciples continue to follow Jesus’s new way of life guided by apostles and trusted teachers. They are personally changed, and they are also called to live in a new way that is contrary to the culture surrounding them. Our lessons in this unit will remind us why Christians are “Easter people.”