Daily Bible Study Summer 2027
About this ebook
What does it take to be a church that cares for one another and tends to the needs of its neighbors? Daily Bible Study for Summer 2027 gathers adults around the theme "The Church: Calls, Prayers, and Encouragement," drawing on both the Old Testament and the New to study how God shapes a people to live for one another.
The quarter moves through three units. "Calls to the Church" opens with the prophets Amos and Micah and God's expectation that we attend to the needs of the people around us; centered on Micah 6:8 — the call to "do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God" — it reads the prophets' words as being as applicable to the modern church as they were to the Israelites. "Prayers for the Church" asks a pointed question — we treat our churches as places to pray, but how regularly do we pray for our churches? — and looks closely at four prayers of Paul and Jesus for the church itself, considering how the church comes to know joy, comfort, encouragement, thanksgiving, and praise as one people united by the Holy Spirit. The final unit, "Being the Church," spends five weeks in the book of Romans, learning what it means to live faithfully and mercifully day to day — not as individuals only, but as the unified body of Christ.
Sharing life together is not always easy; through God's love, it is exactly what the church is called to do. Across the summer, participants trace that call from the prophets, through the prayers, into the practice of common life.
What's Inside Each Daily Reading
Every reading is designed to fit on a single page and includes:
- A focal Scripture reference to anchor your reading
- A guided reflection question to engage your faith personally
- Practical commentary to deepen your understanding of the passage
- A closing prayer to guide your time with God
A Devotional Resource Designed for Individuals and Small Groups
Thoughtfully structured around themes spanning four to five weeks and aligned with the liturgical calendar, each theme volume is written by a single author, giving every theme a cohesive, personal voice. While designed for individual quiet time and personal devotion, Daily Bible Study also serves as an excellent companion resource for small groups using the Adult Bible Studies curriculum.
The Curriculum Resources Committee of The United Methodist Church endorses this resource.
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About the author
Stan Purdum (Author)
Stan Purdum served as a full-time parish minister in Ohio for a number of years and retired recently after serving part-time as a pastor. He also works as a freelance writer and editor. He holds an education degree from Youngstown State University, a master of divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and a doctorate in ministry from Drew University.
Long an avid bicycle tourist, Stan has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including a cross-nation ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day and a trek that covered the entire length of US Route 62 (from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas), the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan is also the author of New Mercies I See, which is a collection of stories about God’s grace, and He Walked in Galilee, a study book on the ministry of Jesus. He writes regularly for Adult B
Nathan Wittman (Author)
Nathan is an ordained elder in the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church and pastor of the Englewood and Saint Paul United Methodist Churches in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. His wife, Laura, is also an ordained elder and currently serves as the chaplain of Louisburg College. Together, they have three boys, Cameron, Allen, and Ezra, who make every day a wonderful adventure.
Robin Wilson (Author)
Robin Wilson is the Senior Pastor of First UMC in Opelika, Alabama, and has a passion for helping all people discover and respond to God’s call upon their lives. Having served on the Board of Directors of Discipleship Ministries and the Upper Room Ministries, Inc., Robin currently serves on the Board of the Stegall Seminary Scholarship Foundation. Robin is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Duke Divinity School.
