Our favorite Bible study resources are here!

Young adults yearn for community, but oftentimes the communities found at work, bars, or the gym leave us looking for something more.

In response, we have created small, faith-sharing communities called Emmaus Groups designed to help young adults encounter Christ through his words and in each other. We strive to provide resources through our Emmaus studies, but with the explosion of Catholic Bible Study resources online, we wanted to compile some of our favorites for you to explore. Here are our Top 7 websites!

1) FORMED (The Augustine Institute)

FORMED is a digital platform with an impressive amount of video-based study programs. These informative study materials and entertaining videos feature trusted theologians such as Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Michael Gaitley, and more. Subscriptions are $10 per month or $100 annually, though a number of parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis have free subscriptions available to their parishioners. FORMED gives you access to a massive amount of talks, audiobooks, video series, eBooks, and favorite Catholic films. As our top choice, we highly recommend checking it out!

Website

Recommended Studies

  • Who am I to Judge? Responding to Relativism
  • Divine Mercy: The Second Greatest Story Ever Told
  • Lectio: Eucharist

Highlights

  • Vast number of materials
  • High quality content
  • Engaging videos
  • Presented by trusted teachers
  • Accessible on the web or phone app

2) FOCUS Bible Studies

The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) has put together a series of free, small group studies created with the mission of discipleship in mind. These studies are categorized according to the FOCUS model of Win, Build, and Send. Win studies are great for initial formation; Build studies equip participants to live out their faith in an impactful way; and Send studies teach the principles of evangelization. And, if you’d like supplementary materials, visit the FOCUS Equip Resources page. You’ll find additional study tools, videos, podcasts, and blogs from some of our favorites: Sr. Bethany Madonna, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Mark Hart, and more!

Website

Recommended Studies

  • The Story of Salvation
  • 1 Corinthians
  • The Big Three (Men’s Study)

Highlights

  • Free!
  • Downloadable
  • Leadership oriented
  • Draws from the saints as well as Scripture
  • Rooted in the New Evangelization

3) Blessed Conversations (Blessed is She)

Girlfriends, if you haven’t checked out Blessed is She yet, GET ON IT. Not only do they have solid, Catholic content for women, but it is beautiful – and ladies, you know we love to look at beautiful things! The studies strive to better acquaint women with the Catechism and Scripture, to dive into the richness of the Church’s teaching and to promote communal discussion and personal reflection. Each study costs $8-12 and lasts between 3 and 8 weeks.

Website

Recommended Studies

  • Ways to Pray
  • The Virtues
  • God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Highlights

  • Stunning materials
  • Organized
  • Downloadable
  • Questions get to the root of our relationship with God
  • Lessons from the Catechism and Scripture in each study

4) St. Paul Center

For all my Scott Hahn fans, you can’t miss the St. Paul Center studies! These courses are accessible simply by creating a free account. The primary text for each study is the Bible, though much of the material comes from Dr. Hahn’s writings. There are six studies each containing an easy-to-read and complete text which includes cross-references and links to Scripture and Church documents to supplement the content. The St. Paul Center is also home to Emmaus Road Publishing which has some of our favorite print studies on the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles The website also contains articles, audio and video lectures, and access to journals.

Website

Recommended Studies

  • The Lamb’s Supper
  • Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God
  • Mystery of the Kingdom
  • Witnesses of the Messiah

Highlights

  • Free!
  • Thorough reading notes
  • Material from Dr. Scott Hahn’s books
  • Clear lesson outlines
  • Additional resources online

5) Word on Fire Series

Intended to teach the fundamentals of the Catholic faith, the Word on Fire series presents beautifully designed and engaging video content, questions for understanding and application, outline notes with terms and definitions, and of course, Bishop Robert Barron’s captivating lessons. Study guides cost around $15 and the 5 DVD box set is $100. Don’t want to use the videos for your group? The printed study guides can suffice. To get a taste, there is sample content available online. Word on Fire is also your one-stop-shop for Catholic formation materials. On the site you have free access to an immensity of blogs, videos, homilies, books, and more.

Website

Recommended Studies

  • Pivotal Players
  • The Mystery of God
  • Catholicism Series

Highlights

  • Bishop Barron!!!
  • Beautiful cinematography
  • Flexibility in study style
  • Additional resources online

6) Agape Catholic Bible Studies

Holy content, Batman!! If you are looking for an abundance of catechetical materials, look no further. The Agape Bible Studies are packed with information. Ranging from 1 to 28 day studies, each lesson is loaded with pages of notes ensuring that your small group will never run short. The studies adopt an academic approach with the leader acting as the primary educator for the group. It may not be the prettiest website, but what they lack in design they make up for in content. The best part of all – it’s easy to access and completely free!

Website

agapebiblestudy.com/Bible_Studies_Menu.php

Recommended Studies

  • The Book of Ruth
  • The Beatitudes
  • The Eight Last Things

Highlights

  • Free!
  • Detailed answers to questions
  • Uses a wide variety of sources in each study
  • Simple format
  • Supplementary handouts

7) Dynamic Catholic Study Guides

If you have entered any Catholic Church in the US in the last 4 years, you have probably seen one of Matthew Kelly’s Dynamic Catholic books in the back. You may even have a copy or two at home! Dynamic Catholic has provided free, downloadable studies to accompany these texts with powerful discussion questions geared toward growing your spiritual life. Don’t have the texts already? The website offers almost all of Dynamic Catholic’s vast array of books for free.

Website

Recommended Studies

  • Rediscover Catholicism
  • Ordinary Lives Extraordinary Mission
  • The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic

Highlights

  • Free!
  • Downloadable
  • Popular materials
  • Free copies of texts by request online
  • Comprehensive format