The Miracles of Jesus by Jessica LaGrone

The Miracles of Jesus by Jessica LaGrone ISBN-13: 9781501835452 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Abingdon Press Released: Sept. 5, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Jesus demonstrated the presence and power of God by performing miracles. He turned water into wine, healed the sick, calmed the storm, opened blind eyes, and raised the dead. While these beloved stories draw our attention to divine power, they also have something else in common: human desperation. Every time we see Jesus performing a miracle, we also get a glimpse into the gift of desperation, a gift that opens us to the dramatic power of God through our desperate need for him.

In this six-week Bible study, Jessica LaGrone leads us in a captivating exploration of the miracles of Jesus, helping us to see that our weakness is an invitation for God to work powerfully in our lives and reminding us that we need God on our best days just as much as we do on our worst.

Themes and miracle stories include:
the gift of desperation (turning water into wine and other signs of God's response of fullness in our times of emptiness)
the miracle of abundance (feeding the 5,000 and other abundance stories)
miracles on the water (calming the storm, walking on water, the abundant catch)
Jesus our healer (5 stories of healing) death and resurrection (Lazarus, Jairus' daughter)
the miracle we all receive (the Incarnation)

The participant workbook includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer.


My Review:
This is only a review of the participant workbook of The Miracles of Jesus (which is meant to be used with a weekly video that I've never viewed). It's a 6 weeks long study with 5 days of study per week plus one page for when you're with a group and watch the video.

She focused on the miracles of Jesus--of abundant provision, healing sickness, calming storms, and Jesus himself. She pointed out how human desperation leads to Jesus' action and looked at why Jesus used miracles. She also provided cultural background information and had us look up related verses to help better understand the context of what was going on. She provided insights into the miracles and clear explanations. Overall, I'd recommend this workbook, and I suspect it'd make a good group study.

From page 82:"We don't get to choose whether the sea we travel is calm or stormy, but we do get to choose where to turn our eyes and attention. We can choose to be overwhelmed by the power of the storms or overwhelmed by the power of God. ...This powerful God cares for you. He has chosen to be in the same boat with you, even in the same storm with you. He is near enough to hear you, know you, and love you up close."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.