Bible Studies

“Dr. Sandra Richter has the extraordinary ability to communicate complex theological information in a clear and accessible way, her Epic of Eden Bible Study series is no different. She displays a high level of competence and mastery in all subjects related to the Old Testament, Ancient Near East, and Israelite culture. Dr. Richter also displays profound wisdom and enthusiasm in her expertise. When she is teaching, you understand that this is not simply a subject she is well versed in, but a subject she is passionate about and devoted to as a believer. She is a scholar, but she is also a Christian through and through. Her heart belongs to Christ.”

Richter’s explanation of the five major eras and key players along with the movement of people between three general areas has finally helped me to categorize Old Testament History in a framework that makes more sense and is much easier for me to recall and recount. I will carry Richter’s simplistic summary of “God’s perfect plan: the people of God in the place of God dwelling in the presence God.” It has impacted my heart, understanding, and ministry.”

"Sandra Richter, a favorite at The Woodland Methodist Church, captivated us with her sharp intellect, rich historical insights, and warm humor. Listening to her felt like chatting with an old friend—if that friend were also a brilliant scholar who unveils God’s faithfulness in the Old Testament with awe-inspiring clarity. Her message left us not only marveling at God’s enduring love but also motivated to deepen our trust and commitment in the days ahead."

Coming Soon!

The Epic of Eden: Updated Edition Guide + Video

The Old Testament of the Bible can feel like a junk drawer–a disorganized collection of important stuff we don’t want to lose yet but don’t know what to do with. From the Pentateuch to patriarchs and from kings to prophets, it can feel like a puzzle we’ve tried to put together but wind up putting back in the box because it’s too complicated.

The Epic of Eden is ideal for groups and individuals looking for a deeply substantive and profoundly spiritual exploration of the Old Testament. Sandy Richter, a learned scholar and passionate teacher, shows us how accessible the Old Testament truly is and how understanding this majority of the biblical narrative leads to a fresh and deep, renewed experience of the New Testament!

The Epic of Eden: Deborah

The Book of Judges narrates one of the most chaotic and morally dark eras of Israel’s story. Into this morally-ambiguous time comes one of the most unlikely leaders of the biblical text—the prophet Deborah. Also a wife, mother, priest, and judge, Deborah responds to her call and transforms chaos into order by leading Israel in one of the most pivotal victories of her time. Join beloved scholar and professor Dr. Sandra L. Richter as she illustrates the era of the Judges by means of the archaeological record, historical geography, cultural context, and the hard facts of warfare in the ancient world. This eight-session Bible study draws you immediately into the grand tale of Deborah and challenges you, as a Christ-follower, to ask yourself where God wants to expand his kingdom in your realm of influence today.

Epic of Eden: Psalms

Sandra Richter brings our ancestors in the faith to the table where we learn from them in a cross-cultural experience bridging historical and modern day life. This eight-session study of the Book of Psalms masterfully mixes scholarly and practical teaching through the most-known wisdom Book of the Bible.

The key messages of this study include: what the Book of Psalms is, how it was utilized in Israelite worship, and why the Book of Psalms remains critical to our devotional lives today. Sandra also dives into the concrete realities of Israelite worship as well as Israel’s theology of worship wrapped up in their theocratic world view.

Experience the Psalms with fresh connections to contemporary worship and devotional practices. Indulge in the biblical study of the Psalms from a scholar and former pastor. Letting Sandra do the “heavy lifting” of research and translation allows you to experience the Bible in a deeply sensitive way, answering the evergreen question, “so what does this have to do with me today?”

The Epic of Eden: Isaiah

Often named the fifth gospel, the book of the prophet Isaiah has more to say about Israel’s coming Messiah than any other Old Testament book. Brilliant, courageous, uncompromising, this prophet declared that the year of the LORD had come and God’s people needed to either step up, or stand down. Indeed, when Isaiah spoke, kings trembled. But too often, when Isaiah speaks today, God’s people have trouble hearing. Why? We often miss the larger context.

In The Epic of Eden: Isaiah, Dr. Sandra Richter takes participants back to the eighth century BCE. This ten-week study explains Israel’s religion and economy, explores the definition and role of the prophets, and helps us to apply the message of this great champion of the faith to our lives today

*** Study guide sold separately from DVD

The Epic of Eden: Ruth

Set in the midst of one of the most corrupt eras of Israelite history, Ruth is a story about three compelling characters. Naomi is an elderly widow who has lot everything and returns to her homeland empty and bitter hoping simply to survive. Ruth is Naomi’s young daughter-in-law, also a widow, and a foreigner, who at great personal cost refuses to let Naomi face the future alone. Boaz is the local patriarch—a man of wealth and influence who in this epic tale is given the opportunity to do the right thing, even though the right thing might not be the obvious thing.

In The Epic of Eden: Ruth, Dr. Sandra Richter makes each of these characters come alive. Participants in this study—young and old, men and women, churched and unchurched—will be challenged as they see themselves in these characters and find themselves faced with many of the same questions and challenges. Here is real life, lived out by real people with real fears, real struggles, real hope, and real faith.

*** Study guide sold separately from DVD

The Epic of Eden: Jonah

When most people think about the book of Jonah, they think about a children’s story. Others think about a story they—ve heard so many times there could not possibly be anything new to learn from it. Well strap in, because this study is designed to prove all those assumptions wrong!

In the book of Jonah we find a professional holy man, a lifer in the faith who is about to have the God he thinks he understands challenge him with an assignment that he can hardly get his brain around. In The Epic of Eden: Jonah, Dr. Sandra Richter takes us on a journey through Jonah’s life that leads us all to the place where we realize that our God is way bigger than we thought. Not only will we learn everything we ever wanted to know about the brutal Assyrians of Nineveh, ancient seafaring ships, and large aquatic creatures, but we will also be challenged with the same message that confronted Jonah. Are we willing to let God be God, to move us out of our comfort zones, and embrace a calling that might just take us to the edges of the world we know?

*** Study guide sold separately from DVD

The Epic of Eden: Video Study Guide

Does your knowledge of the Old Testament feel like a grab bag of people, books, events and ideas? How many times have you resolved to really understand the OT? To finally make sense of it? In The Epic of Eden Video Study, Dr. Sandra Richter clearly and powerfully communicates a history of God’s redeeming grace, weaving together a story that runs from the Eden of the Garden to the garden of the New Jerusalem.

Through text and video teaching, Dr. Richter uses this 12-week study to bring a new dimension to the history of the ancient Near East, orienting any study group in time, geography, culture, redemption, and relevance to today ? all without diminishing her reader’s faith or dumbing down the scripture.

Legendary Bible stories take on new life as Dr. Richter clearly articulates their part of a larger pattern, revealing an even deeper significance for the stories individually. The Epic of Eden video study is ideal for serious church groups wanting a meaty study of biblical text, as would anyone eager for a strategic grasp of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Old Testament and how it relates to God’s activity in the present.

*** Study guide sold separately from DVD