Tag: Bible studies

REVIEW: Saints AND Sinners by Kat Armstrong

REVIEW: Saints AND Sinners by Kat Armstrong

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

[I received a free electronic review copy of these books from Netgalley and NavPress in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

These books are the third pair released in the Storyline Bible Study series. I picked up my own copies of the first set – Mountains and Valleys – when they first released because the covers are gorgeous and the content was intriguing. And that’s about as far as I got with them – I checked out the layout, loved it, and they have taunted me from a pile ever since.

Because I liked the set up of these so much, I immediately requested the review copies of this third set, following Sticks and Stones.  And the set up and content continue to impress me.

The titles are somewhat tongue in cheek – Saints focuses on 5 Bible stories and personalities who might be on some list – if only in their own minds – of “saints, ” but the studies show where they fall short. The “sinners” list includes those who are shunned in the Biblical record as “sinners” but who are drawn out by Jesus for some other purpose.  For my review, I read all of the set up information as well as one full study in each book. And that teaser made me want more.

The studies are set up in four steps/sections – context, a close reading of the text, building understanding and making connections, and finally responding. There’s also an element that connects the stories in each study to the larger story of scripture in the books that have come before. I find the structure thoughtful, logical, and intentional. The writing tone is conversational and easy to read. I could honestly read these cover to cover, but so much would be missed by blitzing through what is here.

Bible studies tend to collect on shelves at my house and rarely get finished, but these feel like exactly the sort of studies I am looking for right now. I plan to work through the whole collection. As of this writing, the author and publisher websites don’t say anything about what might be next after this release, but I will be watching for something new in this impressive series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it!

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2020

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2020

Posted on by Jaymie

I made a concerted effort this year to work through spiritual growth resources I had already on my TBR shelves. I even set aside 12 – one per month – to prioritize. You can see the stack below. I finished 7 and DNF’d (“Did Not Finish”) an 8th. I also ADDED several books to the pile as the year went on. I actually found this system – of setting aside enough for one per month, putting them in a place of prominence where I wouldn’t miss them – fruitful. I will probably do that again for 2021. I also started an online group with some friends where we posted resources we read. It was a nice piece of accountability with a side of book recommendations!

Three notes on my list of resources for this year.

  • Like last year, many of these are “white noise” when I think back through the year. I remember that I read them, but they didn’t all make a big impact. In some cases, that was because the book didn’t work for me. In other cases, the book worked in the moment, but after the year we have had, I struggle to remember details. There’s also the issue of the sheer volume of things I read. My brain can only hold so much content. This is why I keep the books I love, and write in them, so I can go back later and revisit the content.
  • I also took advantage of some special offers this year and watched some Bible resources through Zondervan Academic’s MasterLectures. If I could have afforded to maintain the subscription, I would have. There were a TON of excellent studies I would have liked to try. I did an overview of the Old Testament that was one of the highlights of this whole year.
  • Last year I split out Enneagram Resources and Bible Study resources. This year, that didn’t feel right for the big picture of the year.

So, here are the resources I read this year!

40 Days on Being a Two – I am about halfway through this and it has been excellent. I would like more journaling space, but I can make do with another option. Right now, the devotionals for Enneagram 2s and 3s are out. The rest will release over the course of 2021.
100 Bible Verses that Made America – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥½.
Becoming Us – I talked about this one here. I rated this one ♥♥♥.
Chasing Vines – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥♥+++.
The Color of Compromise – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥♥.
Dangerous Prayers – I started this as part of an online Bible study, but the online portion was really disappointing. I ended up abandoning the study and just finished the book. The book was good, and I liked it as a prayer resource. ♥♥♥♥
Discerning the Voice of God – I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Priscilla Shirer. This is one I will revisit, much like Fervent.  ♥♥♥♥♥
Dream Big – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day – Daily devotional with two pieces per day (which I usually split over two days instead). I liked the content of this, even when I was no longer reading the source book. ♥♥♥♥
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality – Good resource. Some chapters felt more pertinent than others. Would make a great group study, and I know there are videos to go with the book. ♥♥♥♥
The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥.
The Enneagram of Discernment – Some excellent triad material here, but the writing is dense and a bit dry, so it took me forever to work through to the good stuff. Will definitely revisit, but more for specific bits rather than as a whole. ♥♥♥½
Getting to Know God’s Voice – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥.
The God of Great Reversals – My women’s Bible study was doing this in the Spring. Even before we stopped meeting in person because of the pandemic, I had given up on this. I felt the author made far too many leaps from scripture, and then stated his opinions as facts. I was NOT a fan.
How the Bible Actually Works – I LOVED this resource. 10-15 years ago, this book would have scared me. I was uncomfortable closely examining the Bible’s contradictions. I didn’t want to lose all faith in the Bible. But every time this book, and its author, would dig into a conflict or a contradiction or a hard question, it affirmed the value of both the Bible and the work of pressing into the hard bits. I have several of the author’s books on my pile for 2021, and I’m looking forward to them! ♥♥♥♥½
Jesus Feminist – I wanted to love this but it didn’t click for me. Maybe it was answering questions I just wasn’t asking this year. ♥♥♥
Love Letter from Prison – A few years ago I completed a study on Colossians called Enough by these same ladies, and I adored it! I love how they put together a Bible study. I have one more from them on John’s letters. ♥♥♥♥
Pastrix – In recent months I have come to a new level of appreciation for Nadia Bolz-Weber. She pulls no punches and lays her thoughts and feelings out for all to see, take them or leave them. This year especially I needed that level of frank honesty. This was the perfect season to read this book. ♥♥♥♥
Ready to Rise – You can read my full review here. I rated this one ♥♥♥♥.
Remember God – This reads like a novel, and I didn’t want to put it down. I could hear the author’s voice as I read – her personality really shines through the writing. I would happily read anything she writes. ♥♥♥♥
Surprise the World – A quick read that felt like it was asking a lot, even if we weren’t in a pandemic. A lot of the challenges in the book are difficult to consider in 2020. But some good food for thought. ♥♥♥½
Unclobber – I picked this up based on a Twitter recommendation and a conversation with a friend. This is part memoir and part Bible study, and I flew through it. Engaging and though-provoking. ♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: Isaiah - Everyday Bible Commentary by Alfred Martin

REVIEW: Isaiah – Everyday Bible Commentary by Alfred Martin

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

This is an overview of the book of Isaiah in the Bible. The original publication date for this book is 1956. Bible verses are quoted mostly from the King James or New King James version of the Bible.

I found the sections on the history of the authorship debates about Isaiah to be very interesting. That was information I had not heard before. The book also highlights some of the contextual pieces that we might lose in translation such as Isaiah’s humor and sarcasm or some of the structure of the writing.

There’s an emphasis on the Messianic prophecies and connections to New Testament passages. There’s also a lot of focus on God’s love and lamentation in the midst of judgement. Another theme that is explored is the need to depend on God.

Review

I was excited to review this book because I just finished a detailed study of Isaiah, and I loved it. This was a little more big picture than I was expecting. Therefore it felt like a backwards step instead of digging deeper for me. This would have been more useful before I started my study.  At this point I would have preferred something like a William Barclay commentary instead.

This particular book covered more about the history of the book of Isaiah as a part of accepted Scripture than I expected. I found the information new and interesting, but as a “Bible Study” (which this is not – it’s a commentary), I would have been frustrated with this. I feel there are other commentaries that could be useful in studying a book of Scripture. In this case I think this would be best used as an introduction for people about to dig into a study through a class or small group. Some of the language – at least in my review copy which has not gone through final edits – felt dated to me, too, which was disappointing.

If you haven’t read all of Isaiah before, or if you are looking for an overview or introduction, consider giving this a try as long as you are comfortable with a King James translation. If you prefer a more contemporary translation or a more in depth study, you might consider looking at other resources.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2017

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2017

Posted on by Jaymie

I have had fantastic luck this year finding terrific spiritual growth resources. I wanted to highlight a handful of them here today. These would make great Christmas gifts.

Draw the Circle – A 40-day prayer challenge. This was inspiring! I would have preferred to read it cover to cover because I enjoyed the writing so much, but I’m so glad I took it one day at a time.

Enjoying Jesus – This study on spiritual disciples from the folks at IF: Equip was exceptional. I completed the study with the folks at IF, and I enjoyed the videos that went along with the study. I have tried a lot of studies this year, trying to replicate the experience I had completing this study.

Enough – I chose “enough” as my word for 2017. Our pastor’s wife posted about this study  on Facebook, and as soon as I saw the title, I knew I had to try the study. It was excellent. I felt like I was able to split the sessions into polite-sized chunks to cover a portion each day and really dig into the material. I wanted to go deeper, not just check something off a list. I have a second study by these same folks waiting on my shelf for 2018.

Nothing to Prove – I read this with a group that was meeting each week on Facebook with the author. It was a timely book, working with my word for the year, “enough.” And I have purchased the Bible study that goes with this so I can spend more time with the material in 2018. You can read my review of the book here.

She’s Still There – Proverbs 31 hosted a study of this book that included videos and conference calls. The entire experience was excellent! I grew so much from working through this book. I’ll be reviewing this in 2018.

The Wellness Revelation – This may be the resource that impacted me most this year. This 8-week journey toward lifestyle change and pursuing wholeness was like a breath of fresh air. I’ll also be reviewing this in 2018. I highly recommend this book!