Canonsburg UP Church 

The Case for Christ

Lee Strobel | Gary Poole

DVD/Study Guide

6 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Gregg Roeper, Adult Discipleship Team

Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God?

Skeptics dismiss the Jesus of the Gospels by claiming there is no evidence in the case for Christ. Lee Strobel disagrees. The former legal journalist and one-time atheist knows how to ask tough questions. His own search for truth about Jesus led him to faith in Christ. Now Strobel invites you and your group to investigate the truth about Jesus Christ leading to the facts that guided Strobel from atheism to faith in Christ.

​

In this six-session study, participants will journey along with Strobel on a quest for the truth about Jesus. Rejecting easy answers, you will sift through fascinating historical evidence as you weigh compelling expert testimony. In the end, groups may very well see Jesus in a new way—and even, like Strobel, find their life transformed.

What Makes You Happy

Andy Stanley

DVD/Study Guide

6 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Wendy Lucas, Adult Discipleship Team

Everybody wants to be happy. Everybody is on a happiness quest. For many, happiness is measured in moments. Experiences. It's elusive. Unsustainable. What about you? What makes you happy? Something comes to mind for each of us.

​

In this six-session video Bible study, pastor Andy Stanley examines the ways in which we tend to define happiness and explains how that definition influences the way we pursue it. He reveals that happiness is about who, not what, and that happy people are at peace with God, with others, and with themselves. He also shows how sin undermines peace because it separates us from God, others, and ourselves by substituting pleasure for fulfillment, things for people, images for intimacy, and self-expression for self-control.

We are often tempted to believe that happiness comes from acquiring things, but happiness is actually an outcome of what we sow in our lives. We can’t acquire, consume, or exercise our way to happiness, but we may be able to serve and volunteer our way there. In the end, we find that if we live as if it’s all about us, we will never be happy.

A Clash of Kingdoms

Ray Vander Laan | Stephen and Amanda Sorenson

DVD/Study Guide

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Wendy Lucas, Adult Discipleship Team

Like the Roman Empire, today's governments or organizations can become centered on power and believe their messages are the "good news." As Christians, we're called to proclaim God’s name in all the earth (1 Chronicles 16:8), but how do we to do that in the midst of false gospels?

Discover how Paul communicated the Good News of Christ to Philippi, a Roman colony that worshiped false gods. Can you live the message as Paul did while he encouraged the church in Philippi to consider itself a colony of heaven, not Rome?

Consider your citizenship—and the message you convey to the world—as Ray Vander Laan takes you deeper into the culture of ancient Philippi. Experience the Bible in historical context, as you walk in the footsteps of the second missionary tour of the Apostle Paul in Greece—in locations like Philippi, Thessaloniki, and Delphi.

Address the Mess

Andy Stanley

DVD/Study Guide

4 Part Study

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Carl Neishloss, Adult Discipleship Team

At some point, we've all found ourselves in the middle of a mess relationally, professionally, or maybe even financially. In this 4-part study, Andy Stanley reminds us how those messes may actually be our best opportunity to move toward God and God's best opportunity to do something incredible through us.

Financial Peace University

Dave Ramsey

DVD/Study Guide

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Wendy Lucas, Adult Discipleship Team

​

Financial Peace University is a nine-lesson class taught by financial expert Dave Ramsey that will teach you how to take control of your money.

• Entertaining videos with an in-depth workbook

• The best digital tools and personal budgeting app

• Classes you can take with a group or online at home

God’s Story, Your Story

Max Lucado | Kevin & Sherry Harney

DVD/Study Guide

6 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Don Coleman, Pastor

In this six-session small group Bible study, God’s Story, Your Story, pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado reveals how your life story is part of a grand, overarching narrative, and helps you see between the lines to witness God’s hand at work. With contemporary anecdotes and New Testament stories, God’s Story, Your Story traces your Savior’s unchanging, loving pursuit of you through the chaos of life.

​

In God’s Story, Your Story Max Lucado casts a fresh perspective on how your daily life relates to God’s grand, epic story. Your journey of faith will come alive as you explore the divine narrative in New Testament and contemporary characters, and discover how the ancient stories of Scripture reveal God’s plans for you today. Join America’s favorite Christian author for a personal look at the story of God’s eternal redemption being told through your individual story right now. 

Who Needs Christmas?

Andy Stanley

DVD/Study Guide

3 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Joe Schoeler, Adult Discipleship Team

The details of the Christmas story can seem unbelievable. So now, thousands of years after shepherds watched their flocks and wise men followed a star, you may be asking, "Who needs Christmas?" In this 3-part series, Andy Stanley shows us that we still need Christmas - but maybe not for the reason you think.

The DVD includes the three lectures along with additional resources including discussion questions (PDFs), a promotional handout, a logo, and a promotional video.

Just Walk Across the Room

Bill Hybels

DVD/Study Guide

4 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Wendy Lucas

In this four-session small group bible study, Just Walk Across the Room, author and pastor Bill Hybels equips you and your small group with simple, practical ways to share your spiritual journey. Hybels shares his firm conviction is that the highest value in personal evangelism is being attuned to and cooperative with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. This means playing only the role one is intended to play―walking when the Spirit says to walk, talking when the Spirit says to talk, and falling silent when the Spirit suggests that you've already said enough.

​

According to Hybels, the goal for every Christian is to reflect Christ's love and follow his example by stepping outside one’s circle of comfort and extending a hand of care, compassion, and inclusiveness to people living far from God.

Who Is This Man?

John Ortberg

DVD/Study Guide

5 Sessions

In this five-session DVD-based small group bible study, Who Is This Man? John Ortberg reveals how Jesus made an inescapable influence on our world and how you can too.

​

Jesus is history’s most familiar figure. His impact on the world is immense and non-accidental. From the Dark Ages to Post-Modernity he is the man who won't go away.

​

And yet …

​

He did not brashly defend his movement in the spirit of a rising political or military leader. He did not lay out a case that history would judge superior in all future books. He did not start by telling his disciples, "Here are proofs of my divinity; affirm them and I'll accept you.

​

Who Is This Man? illustrates how Jesus’ influence has swept over history, bringing his inspiration to the evolution of art, science, government, medicine, and education. And how his vision for us to lead lives of dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope continues to inspire and challenge humanity today.

If You Want to Walk on Water…You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat

John Ortberg

DVD/Study Guide

5 Sessions

You’re one step away from the adventure of your life!

​

Peter may have been the first one out of the boat, but Jesus’ invitation to walk on water is for us all. If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat helps your small group answer Christ’s call to greater faith, power-filled deeds, and a new way of knowing him. Through six sessions that include video clips and group discussions, participants will discover how to discern God’s call, transcend fear, risk faith, manage failure, and trust God.

Sticky Faith (Parenting)

Chap Clark

DVD/Study Guide

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Wendy Lucas

Most parents would give anything to anchor their children with a vibrant faith that “sticks” and continues to mature into adulthood. Yet, despite this deep desire, research indicates that approximately 40-50% of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation.

The Sticky Faith Parent Curriculum is a video-based study that came from Kara Powell’s desire to see her own kids emerge from adolescence with their faith intact. Through personal, real-world experiences of research and sharing, the Sticky Faith Parent Curriculum enables parents to instill a deep and lasting faith in their adolescents. This video curriculum presents powerful strategies and practical ideas to help parents encourage their children’s spiritual growth, enabling them to develop a faith that sticks.

How to Be Rich: It’s Not What You Have. It’s What You Do With What You Have

Andy Stanley

DVD/Study Guide

4 Sessions

Author and pastor Andy Stanley is convinced that most of us are richer than we believe. But we might think, rich is the other guy. Rich is having more than we currently have. If that's the case, we can be rich and not know or feel it. We can be rich and not act like it. And that is a problem. In this four-session small group study, Andy encourages us to not just BE rich, but he helps us learn to be GOOD at it!

Go Fish

Andy Stanley

DVD/Study Guide

6 Sessions

Fishing stories. We’ve all heard them. “It was this big.” “You should have seen the one that got away.” People love to tell stories of their fishing adventures. When it comes to faith, however, most people clam up. Why is it we can’t talk about what God has done in our lives as naturally as we can spin fishing tales? In this six-session study, Andy Stanley explores the motivation behind sharing our faith. Discover God’s heart for those who don’t know Him and the role that we can play in introducing others to Him. Along the way you will be equipped with tools that will help you make sharing your faith a natural part of your life. 
 

What’s So Amazing About Grace

Philip Yancey

DVD/Study Guide

10 Sessions

In this ten-session small group Bible study, award-winning author Philip Yancey brings you and your small group on an adventure of gut-level encounters with radical, life-changing stories of God’s grace.

Through candid interviews, Yancey weaves true-life faces and experiences into powerful sessions that offer intimate glimpses of God’s power to forgive the most deplorable deeds, love the unlovable, and redeem the seemingly irredeemable. And through Yancey’s pull-no-punches style he will bust through preconceptions and get participants thinking and talking, and help you discover together why grace is truly amazing.

This study will help you gain a better understanding of what grace is, why it is so precious, and will teach you how to integrate it into your life. Engaging questions, provocative Bible studies, and lively discussions are just part of the package. You’ll also be challenged to look for grace where it counts most: in your character and personal life.

If you’re ready to discover grace as more than just a fluffy concept, buckle your seat belt. You’re about to take a journey to the heart and soul of Christianity. The next life grace changes could just be yours.

Gospel in Life

Timothy Keller

DVD/Study Guide

8 Sessions

Join author and pastor Timothy Keller in this eight-week small group bible study, Gospel in Life, to explore how the gospel can change your heart, community, and how you live out the Gospel in our world.

​

In week one you and your group will study the city, your home now, the world that is. Week eight closes with the theme of the eternal city, your heavenly home, the world that is to come. In between you’ll learn how the gospel can change your heart, your community, and how you live in this world.

Keep Climbing

Todd Philipps

DVD/Study Guide

4 Sessions

Life is hard. We pray and ask God to help, but many times it seems like he's not there. We know God can perform miracles, yet our problems often remain. Is God listening? Does God care? In these four sessions, Todd Phillips leads a team to Russia to climb Mount Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe. Todd uses their perilous trek as a backdrop to explore how God works with us through the challenges in our lives.

The Meaning of Marriage

Tim & Kathy Keller

DVD/Study Guide

6 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Gregg Roeper

Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that marriage does not mean 'til death do us part, but merely for as long as my needs are being met; and that when serious differences arise, divorce is the best solution.

According to the Bible, all of these modern-day assumptions miss what marriage is all about. In this six-session video-based Bible study, Timothy Keller, along with Kathy, his wife of forty years, draws a profound portrait of marriage from the pages of Scripture that neither idealizes nor rejects the institution but points us back to the relationship between God and man. The result is a vision for marriage that is refreshingly frank and unsentimental, yet hopeful and beautiful.

This study is for anyone from singles to couples considering marriage to those who have been married recently or for a long time.

Fearless

Max Lucado

DVD/Study Guide

6 Sessions

Let Max Lucado help you or your small group explore and find a spiritual solution to the growing minefield of fear. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? In these six DVD sessions, Fearless addresses some of your biggest fears and shows you how the solution may be easier than you think.

Best of Small Groups, Volume 1

Various Speakers

DVD/Study Guide

12 Session Options

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Wendy Lucas

The Best of Small Groups, Volume 1 brings together twelve of the best small group Bible study curriculums from today’s most well-known Christian leaders, all on one DVD.

​

This is a great resource that they can use between studies, sometimes seasonally or even during the summer months. The “Best of…” series delivers that and much more, representing a healthy balance of voices from the evangelical community. The curriculum includes a DVD with 8 hours of teaching in twelve sessions:

• John Piper: Introduction to When I Don’t Desire God from When I Don’t Desire God
• Erwin McManus: Does God Care? from Life’s Toughest Questions
• Francis Chan: I’ve Got Jesus, Why Do I Need the Spirit? from Forgotten God
• Don Piper: Heaven in the Next Instant? from 90 Minutes in Heaven
• Mark Driscoll: Is Jesus the Only God? from Vintage Jesus
• Randy Alcorn: What We Know About Heaven, from Heaven
• Gary Smalley: Do You Have a Plan? from A Child’s Heart
• Pete Wilson: Heart Look Close from Canvas
• Chip Ingram: God’s Dream for Your Life from True Spirituality • Kerry Shook: Living in the Dash from One Month To Live
• Nancy Guthri: Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament from The Promised One
• Steve Gladen: Becoming a Celebrating Community from Building Biblical Community

Forgotten God

Francis Chan

Book Study

12 Sessions

Reviewed at Canonsburg UP by: Engage! (High School) Youth Group

Powerful. When is the last time someone used that word to describe you? It doesn't make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by fear and insecurity. He put His Spirit in us so we could be known for our power (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7). Sadly, most believers and churches are known for talent or intellect rather than supernatural power.

What's worse is that we're okay with it. Could it be that we've forgotten the One who distinguishes us from every religion and cult in the world? Through scriptural support and compelling narrative, breakthrough author Francis Chan reminds us of the Holy Spirit as the Bible describes Him. He reminds us that we were not created and saved merely to survive our time on earth. Chan contends that we've ignored the Spirit and are reaping the disastrous results.

It's time for the beloved church of Jesus Christ to reverse the trend of neglect. Let's pursue the Spirit-filled life of effectiveness God desires and we desire.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

Joanna Weaver

Book Study

12 Sessions

Ever feel that no matter how hard you try, it's never enough? Maybe it's time to follow Mary's example: leave the dishes in the sink and sit at Jesus' feet! Through practical strategies and devotional illustrations, Weaver explains how "living room intimacy" with Christ is the key to successful "kitchen service" in the world.