We are thrilled to announce that the Bible Study Media app is now available for download in mobile app and smart TV stores!

The mobile app, available in the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore, is your source for on-the-go access to everything from Bible Study Media! Download the app to your smartphone or tablet, and use it for all of the following:

• Browse our product catalog.
• Watch all the videos from any of our Bible Studies.
• Read the daily Bible Challenge devotional and Bible readings.
• Read the blogs of Bible Study Media and Fr. Charlie.
• Make a donation.
• Receive notifications for new products, promotions and discounts, and daily reminders for The Bible Challenge.

In addition, download our TV app on Apple TV and Roku in order to easily access all of the videos from our studies for your small group meetings.

Click here for links to the correct app store to download the app for your device!

By Brooke Holt, Adult Curriculum Specialist

I am one of those strange people who absolutely loves a good challenge. At least twice a year, I sign up for a challenge to work out six times a week, five workouts in the gym and one workout on my own. These are not easy workouts; they are specifically designed to challenge the participants physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.   

Some days it is easy to make it to my workouts. Some days it is just not. In fact, this morning was one of those days I could have missed the workout for a hundred reasons. BUT, I have no margin in my schedule this week, so I awoke at 5:00 in the morning to make the 5:45am class. It was painful, but I did it. And you know what? I felt great after the class. There is something to be said about discipline and commitment. 

The health industry is pushing people to learn new disciplines which strengthen and heal the body. Is the church encouraging its people to learn new disciplines which strengthen and heal the soul? There is something unique about a challenge, about accountability, about being pushed beyond what you would normally do on your own. There is also something special about community formed in a challenge.   

This Lent, I challenge you to take on a 40 Day Lenten discipline! What would it look like for you to invite your church, your small group, your friends into a 40 Day Challenge with you? Bible Study Media understands the power of a Lenten study and has provided resources for you. Consider The Crucified Life. What does it mean to die to self in order to live to Christ? Or take on the challenge of Draw Near and learn what it means to live a life of worship. Each of these studies has 7 weeks of daily devotional readings, plus weekly small group questions and online video teachings. 

The resurrection of Jesus takes on even greater meaning after 40 days of discipline and sacrifice. This Lent, I would love to support you in your own discipline, your own challenge. Let me help you find the right study for your church, your small group, or yourself.  

I am at the end of my 40 day health challenge. I feel strong, accomplished, and awakened to new possibilities in my life. In fact, I am already thinking about my next challenge. While the process of transformation is not easy, it is so good. My ultimate desire is to look more like Jesus. In order to reach that goal, I need daily transformation! 

What transformation does God want to do in you this Lent? My coaching hat is on, and I am ready to walk this challenge with you. 40 days of discipline really can change your life.

Follow us on social media for daily inspiration this Lent!

Imagine for a moment the impact on your church if for 40 days every person in your congregation lived in alignment with God’s will in the pattern of Jesus’ call to pick up our cross and follow him. What if your people lived in powerful community with their small groups to discuss and pray over lives sacrificed to God? What if, as groups and individual people began to experience the power of God in their lives as they surrendered all to Jesus Christ?

By intentionally coordinating and aligning the elements of your Lenten season using The Crucified Life materials, you will make an environment for spiritual growth that will move your congregation from self to surrender.

By aligning the following three elements of participation, you will see the power of God working in your church because of the intentional focus on the heart of the Gospel and the grace offered in the cross of Jesus Christ:

1. Individual Participation:

   This is the real heart of The Crucified Life study, and it is the element that will produce the greatest spiritual growth among the members of your congregation. The goal is to encourage individuals to read and reflect on God’s Word through the daily devotions and to prayerfully consider His will for their lives daily throughout the study. By participating in this campaign, each person will be challenged to grow spiritually and experience God’s plan for living a transformed life.
   
   

2. Group Participation:

   A powerful element of The Crucified Life is getting people to explore and experience God’s will in true biblical community. We provide you with curriculum to be used in small groups or classes for adults and children. Individuals bond through prayer and authentic discussion in a smaller community within your congregation. They will enjoy the benefits of sharing life, spiritual growth, and accountability for that growth. These small group experiences are vital to ensuring the greatest personal spiritual growth, as well as a commitment to ongoing growth as a community within your congregation.
   
   

3. Sunday Worship Participation:

   The services that take place during the Christian Life Trilogy campaign include Forgiveness Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. These services offer opportunities for the Senior Pastor and worship planning team to call the entire congregation to a depth of worship. The drama of Lent and Holy week become intense, real, and personal, as the entire congregation has been focusing on the cross and following the way of Christ together.

By creating a singular Lenten focus on what it means to “pick up our cross” and follow Jesus in the way of the Crucified Life, the entire congregation is called to a Holy Lent together. This unified focus will burst forth in new life with the announcement of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday!