Ask some evangelical preachers why they don't preach many topical sermons, and they may confess to you that one reason is the extra work involved in preparation. Rather than speaking on one manageable portion of Scripture, a topical sermon requires the preacher to bring together and summarise the whole Bible's teaching on the subject at hand.

It's the same problem for the average home group leader. It's much easier to come to grips with one small section of the Bible, than to faithfully lead your group in a study of the whole Bible's teaching on a topic.

That's where the delivery of helpful content through video can be of enormous benefit. It allows an experienced Bible teacher to be able to do the hard preparation work to faithfully teach on a topic, pulling together all the different strands of the Bible's teaching, and then to have that content reproduced and delivered on hundreds of DVD players in lounge rooms in all sorts of far-flung places.

But straight sermons have never been ideal material for small group study and interaction. Small groups really need a custom-designed format to engage with.

Matthias Media has recently produced the second in its Insight Bible Studies series that addresses just this need.

From Sinner to Saint, featuring John Chapman, uses a mix of Bible investigation, group discussion and video input, to help your group explore the topic of holiness "” what it is, how it is possible and how God is going to bring it about in your lives. Through the studies, you will be challenged to persevere on the path to holiness and warned of the distractions you may encounter along the way. Finally, you'll be encouraged by the grandeur of God's plan for you in his new creation.

Matthias Media has prepared a short five minute presentation (4.5mb) that explains how this new resource works and what it's benefits are.

Workbooks and DVD are available through Matthias Media. You can download the contents, introduction and first study of the booklet, as well as an overview of the studies, for free from the Matthias Media online store. The first in the Insight Bible Studies series was Where to, Lord? on the topic of "guidance' (reviewed here).

Ian Carmichael is a senior editor at Matthias Media and regularly contributes insights into new publications for Your.sydneyanglicans.net readers