Sessions Include:

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #1
Common Men; Uncommon Results

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #2
Peter — The Apostle with the Foot-shaped Mouth

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #3
Andrew — The Apostle of Small Things

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #4
James — The Apostle of Passion

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #5
John — The Apostle of Love

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #6
Philip — The Bean Counter

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #7
Nathanael — The Guileless One

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #8
Matthew — The Party Guy

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #9
James—The Less; Simon—The Zealot; and Judas (Not Iscariot)

Twelve Ordinary Men, Lesson #10
Judas — The Traitor

Why Study Books?

My life has been profoundly impacted by books. Books are great source of supplementary, background material for Bible Study. (The Bible is always the main source of study.) Here are five reasons books make great curriculum.

1. Depth and Richness of Content

Books by Christian authors often delve deeply into theological topics, practical discipleship, and spiritual challenges. Unlike some lesson plans that skim the surface, books allow for a deeper exploration of issues that resonate with adults. Authors like John Ortberg (The Life You’ve Always Wanted), Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy), or Francis Chan (Crazy Love) provide rich, thought-provoking content that sparks deeper conversations.

2. . Can Be Targeted to the Specific Needs of the Group

Books provide an opportunity to address the unique needs of your group. Whether your class is navigating grief, exploring discipleship, or seeking practical ways to live out their faith, there’s a book tailored to meet those needs. This targeted approach makes the material more relevant, ensuring the group engages deeply and personally.. This variety helps everyone engage at their own pace and comfort level.

3. Encourages Personal Growth Between Meetings

A book-centered curriculum encourages participants to reflect during the week. Reading a chapter before class helps them wrestle with the ideas personally before coming together for group discussion. This individual engagement fosters deeper transformation and accountability.

4. Great for Discussion-Based Learning

Books naturally lend themselves to a question-and-answer format, making them perfect for discussion-based classes. This approach encourages participation, allowing everyone to share insights and apply the content to their lives.

5. Accessible and Affordable

Books are easy to access and often budget-friendly. Many Christian titles are available in print, e-book, or audiobook formats, making them accessible to everyone in your group. Some authors even provide free study guides or discussion questions, making preparation even simpler.

Conclusion

Using books as curriculum for adult Sunday School blends the best of personal reflection, group discussion, and spiritual growth. It equips participants to think deeply, wrestle with real-life applications, and engage with Scripture in fresh ways. If you’re looking to spark lively, life-changing conversations in your class, start with a great book—you might be surprised at how it transforms your group.

In noting this fact, however, one does not want to miss the practical truth of how Jesus did it. Here is the wisdom of his method, and in observing it, we return again to the fundamental principle of concentration on those he intended to use. One cannot transform a world except as individuals in the world are transformed, and individuals cannot be changed except as they are molded in the hands of the Master. The necessity is apparent not only to select a few helpers but also to keep the group small enough to be able to work effectively with them.

Hence, as the company of followers around Jesus increased, it became necessary by the middle of his second year of ministry to narrow the select company to a more manageable number. Accordingly Jesus “called his disciples, and he chose from them twelve, whom also he named apostles” (Luke 6:13–17; see Mark 3:13–19). Regardless of the symbolical meaning one prefers to put on the number twelve, it is clear that Jesus intended these men to have unique privileges and responsibilities in the Kingdom work.

This does not mean that Jesus’ decision to have twelve apostles excluded others from following him, for as we know, many more were numbered among his associates, and some of these became very effective workers in the church. The seventy (Luke 10:1); Mark, the Gospel writer; and James, his own brother (1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 2:9, 12; see John 2:12; 7:2–10), are notable examples of this. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that there was a rapidly diminishing priority given to those outside the Twelve.

The same rule could be applied in reverse, for within the select apostolic group Peter, James, and John seemed to enjoy a more special relationship to the Master than did the other nine. Only these privileged few are invited into the sick room of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51); they alone go up with the Master and behold his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2; Matt. 17:1; Luke 9:28); and amid the olive trees of Gethsemane casting their ominous shadows in the light of the full Passover moon, these members of the inner circle waited nearest to their Lord while he prayed (Mark 14:33; Matt. 26:37). So noticeable is the preference given to these three that had it not been for the incarnation of selflessness in the person of Christ, it could well have precipitated feelings of resentment on the part of the other apostles. The fact that there is no record of the disciples complaining about the preeminence of the three, though they did murmur about other things, is proof that where preference is shown in the right spirit and for the right reason, offense need not arise.

Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2006), 23–25.

If you would like to explore this new study, it is available on Amazon, as well as part of Good Questions Have Groups Talking