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.

That means these few men, whose backgrounds were in mundane trades and earthly occupations, had little more than eighteen months’ training for the monumental task to which they were called. There was no second string, no backup players, no plan B if the Twelve should fail.

The strategy sounds risky in the extreme. In earthly terms, the founding of the church and the spread of the gospel message depended entirely on those twelve ordinary men with their many obvious weaknesses—and one of them so devilish as to betray the Lord of the universe. And the entirety of their training for the task took less than half as long as it typically takes to get a degree from a seminary today.

But Christ knew what He was doing. From His divine perspective, the ultimate success of the strategy actually depended on the Holy Spirit working in those men to accomplish His sovereign will. It was a mission that could not be thwarted. That’s why it was a work for which God alone deserves praise and glory. Those men were merely instruments in His hands—just as you and I can be God’s instruments today. God delights to use such ordinary means—“the foolish things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). The two-thousand-year triumph of the apostolic endeavor is a testimony to the wisdom and power of the divine strategy.

John F. MacArthur Jr., Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You (Nashville, TN: W Pub. Group, 2002), xv–xvi.

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