Best of Both Worlds
Fourteen Independent Summer Studies from Series A
Why These Texts, Why This Summer
The One-Year Lectionary that shapes our Sunday worship is a proven treasury of Scripture. Yet every lectionary makes choices, and the most remarkable passages are not always the ones assigned. John 9, the man born blind. John 11, the raising of Lazarus. The Samaritan woman at the well. The High Priestly Prayer of John 17. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares with Jesus’ own interpretation. Paul on the Areopagus in Athens. Genesis 12, the call of Abraham. Romans 8:28–39.
This summer series draws fourteen of the finest days from the Three Year Lectionary Series A — chosen not to replace the One-Year, but to give the congregation access to Scripture that carries great theological weight and rewards careful attention. These are texts that have shaped Christian faith for two thousand years. This is the best of what Series A offers.
Each Class Stands Alone: Come When You Can
Every session this summer is completely independent. There is no sequence to follow and nothing you need to have attended before. Whether you join for all fourteen Sundays or walk in for the first time in August, you will find a self-contained study with its own Scripture, its own theme, and its own full discussion.
The summer schedule is designed for the way summer actually works: vacations, family visits, holiday weekends, the unexpected. Miss a Sunday and simply pick up the next one. Bring a guest. Bring a neighbor. The only thing you need is a Bible.
All Bible Knowledge Welcomed
Whether you have been reading Scripture for decades or are new to the text, these studies are for you. Every session includes the complete readings, clear explanations of background and context, and open time for questions and conversation.
The goal is straightforward: to hear together the texts that have shaped Christian faith for two thousand years. Student guides are available for every session as a printable PDF.
Fourteen sessions
Session one · May 31
Opened Eyes
Christ the Light Opens Blind Eyes
Isaiah 42:14–21 · Ephesians 5:8–14 · John 9:1–41
Christ heals a man born blind and declares Himself the Light of the World. Isaiah proclaims God opening blind eyes; Paul calls the baptized to walk as children of light. A study in spiritual sight, judgment, and the gift of faith.
Session two · June 7
Born from Above
The Promise to Abraham and the New Birth
Genesis 12:1–9 · Romans 4:1–8, 13–17 · John 3:1–17
Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night and hears that new birth by water and Spirit is the only entrance into the Kingdom. Genesis 12 gives Abraham’s call; Romans 4 grounds justification by faith in his example. The Reformation doctrine of sola fide in its deepest Old Testament root.
Session three · June 14
Salt and Light
The Vocation of the Baptized in the World
Isaiah 58:3–9a · 1 Corinthians 2:1–12 · Matthew 5:13–20
Jesus declares His disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world, then announces that He has come not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Isaiah calls the people to true fasting; Paul proclaims wisdom given by the Spirit. A study in Christian vocation and the Law’s fulfillment in Christ.
Session four · June 21
Living Water
The Samaritan Woman at the Well
Exodus 17:1–7 · Romans 5:1–8 · John 4:5–26
Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and offers her living water that becomes a spring welling up to eternal life. Exodus 17 gives water from the rock in the wilderness; Romans 5 pours out God’s love through the Holy Spirit. The second of the ancient baptismal triad: Water, Light, and Life.
Session five · June 28
Wheat and Weeds
The Kingdom Hidden Among the Nations
Isaiah 44:6–8 · Romans 8:18–27 · Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43
The Son of Man sows good seed, an enemy sows tares among the wheat, and the separation awaits the harvest. Jesus gives His own interpretation: the field is the world, the harvest is the end of the age. Isaiah proclaims the Lord as first and last; Romans 8 sets present suffering against the glory to come.
Session six · July 5
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Comfort and Exclusivity in the Farewell Discourse
Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60 · 1 Peter 2:2–10 · John 14:1–14
Jesus opens the Farewell Discourse with the promise of rooms in His Father’s house and the claim that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. Acts gives Stephen’s martyrdom; 1 Peter names the Church a chosen race and a royal priesthood. Comfort and exclusivity held together in a single declaration.
Session seven · July 12
Lord of the Storm
Peter Walking on Water and the Lord Who Commands the Sea
Job 38:4–18 · Romans 10:5–17 · Matthew 14:22–33
Jesus sends the disciples across the sea, walks to them on the water in the fourth watch of the night, and draws a sinking Peter to safety with the confession “Truly you are the Son of God.” Job 38 gives God’s speech from the whirlwind; Romans 10 proclaims the chain of faith through the preached Word.
Session eight · July 19
The Emmaus Road
Scripture, Sacrament, and the Risen Lord
Acts 2:14a, 36–41 · 1 Peter 1:17–25 · Luke 24:13–35
Two disciples walk to Emmaus with a stranger who opens the Scriptures to them; they recognize Him in the breaking of bread and He vanishes from their sight. The pattern of the narrative — Scripture opened, bread broken, eyes opened — is the pattern of the Divine Service. Acts gives Peter’s Pentecost sermon; 1 Peter grounds redemption in the precious blood of Christ.
Session nine · July 26
Hidden Treasure
The Kingdom Worth Losing Everything to Gain
Deuteronomy 7:6–9 · Romans 8:28–39 · Matthew 13:44–52
A man finds treasure hidden in a field and sells everything to buy it; a merchant finds a pearl of great price and does the same. These paired parables teach the surpassing worth of the Kingdom. Deuteronomy 7 grounds election in God’s free love; Romans 8:28–39 asks who can separate us from the love of Christ.
Session ten · August 2
The Unknown God
Paul at the Areopagus and the Spirit Who Does Not Orphan
Acts 17:16–31 · 1 Peter 3:13–22 · John 14:15–21
Paul stands on the Areopagus before Athenian philosophers and proclaims the God whom they worship as unknown — the God who made the world, commands repentance, and has raised His Son from the dead. John 14 brings the promise that the Spirit will not leave the disciples as orphans; 1 Peter treats Christ’s descent and proclamation to the spirits in prison.
Session eleven · August 9
The Keys of the Kingdom
Greatness, the Little Ones, and the Office of the Keys
Ezekiel 33:7–9 · Romans 13:1–10 · Matthew 18:1–20
Jesus teaches His disciples about greatness in the Kingdom, the care owed to the little ones, and the authority of binding and loosing given to the Church. Ezekiel charges the watchman to warn the wicked; Romans 13 calls the Church to love as the fulfillment of the Law. A study in ecclesiology and the Office of the Keys.
Session twelve · August 16
The Vineyard
The Rejected Cornerstone and the Song of the Vineyard
Isaiah 5:1–7 · Philippians 3:4b–14 · Matthew 21:33–46
Vineyard-keepers kill the landlord’s son to seize the inheritance; the stone rejected by the builders becomes the cornerstone. Isaiah 5 sings the Song of the Vineyard that Jesus is deliberately echoing. Philippians 3 counts every earthly gain as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
Session thirteen · August 23
The Resurrection and the Life
The Raising of Lazarus and the Last Enemy
Ezekiel 37:1–14 · Romans 8:1–11 · John 11:1–45
Jesus arrives at Bethany four days after Lazarus has died, speaks the declaration “I am the resurrection and the life,” and calls the dead man out of the tomb. Ezekiel stands in the valley of dry bones and prophesies; Romans 8 promises that the Spirit who raised Christ will give life to our mortal bodies. The third of the ancient baptismal triad: Water, Light, and Life.
Session fourteen · August 30
Christ Prays for His Church
The High Priestly Prayer of John 17
Acts 1:12–26 · 1 Peter 4:12–19; 5:6–11 · John 17:1–11
On the night of His betrayal, Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven and prays for His disciples: that they may be kept in the Father’s name, sanctified in truth, and brought to behold His glory. Acts gives the election of Matthias; 1 Peter calls the Church to cast all anxiety on the God who cares for His people. The series closes with Christ interceding for His Church.
Teaching this series?
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