Thursday, October 24, 2019

He is Enough by Asheritah Ciuciu

book cover
He is Enough
by Asheritah Ciuciu


ISBN-13: 9780802416865
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Released: June 5, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
We live in a world of scarcity. We say, “I don’t have enough time… maybe when we have more money… if only I had a little more help…” But Scripture says if we have Jesus, we have enough. Discover the joy and freedom that abounds when we know deep in our hearts that Jesus truly is enough.

In this 6-week study of Colossians, Asheritah Ciuciu leads readers to discover the life-altering importance of Jesus’ sufficiency and sovereignty. And you don’t need hours a day to enjoy this Bible Study. Each day’s study contains three paths: a bite-size morsel of truth to chew on throughout your busy day, a dig-deep guide to maximizing the “meat” you’re getting out of your bible study, and a service challenge for making theory a reality. You can enjoy this study with all three courses or pick the one that works best for you.


My Review:
He is Enough is a 6-week Bible study of Colossians. Each week started with a brief introduction and then five days of study. The author worked her way verse-by-verse through Colossians. For each day, she started with some commentary and has you create a prayer based off a verse, read the day's verses, and write down your observations. She then asked reading comprehension questions about what a word might mean or which words were repeated or how a passage was similar to another verse. She then asked you to think about what the verses meant to the original audience and what the main idea is. She also has you come up with a personal application that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. She ended by prompting you to worship God with a specific song or activity.

Basically, she teaches how to do an in-depth Bible study, including teaching you to go to online sources to do word studies or look up what a commentary might say about a verse. But she did include insights and commentary in the book, so she doesn't just leave it up to you to come up with the answers. I'd recommend this study, especially to anyone who wants to learn how to do similar Bible study on their own.


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.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

High King of Heaven by John F. MacArthur Jr., etc.

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High King of Heaven
by John MacArthur,
Mark Dever,
Albert Mohler,
Miguel Nuñez,
Ligon Duncan, etc.


ISBN-13: 9780802418098
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Released: March 6, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
High King of Heaven is a series of reflections on Christology, one of the church’s central doctrines. It contains essays from over twenty well-known pastors and theologians, including John MacArthur, Mark Dever, Albert Mohler, Miguel Nuñez, and Ligon Duncan. Each essay in this collection not only elucidates an aspect of Christ’s person and work, but also demonstrates how it applies to the life of the church. After reading High King of Heaven, readers will have a deeper understanding of Jesus’ nature and redemptive work, be inspired to worship Christ with greater passion and reverence, come away motivated and equipped to defend the orthodox view of Christ, be equipped to better teach and preach about Jesus’ divinity and humanity, and be conversant with current challenges and debates in the area of Christology.

There are some subjects you can never out-study, and Christology is one of them. Any Christian who wants a greater appreciation for the work of our Lord and Savior, who wants to worship Him in spirit and truth, and who wants increased confidence in the church’s historic confessions concerning Him will delight in High King of Heaven.


My Review:
Psalms is a collection of 23 essays by different authors on topics about Jesus the Messiah and Son of God. While several of the authors assumed the reader is a pastor or in ministry, many of the essays were easy to understand even though they dealt with theology. There were a few essays that were very academic in tone, though. Some of the essays were purely informative while others were arguments against more liberal positions on the topic. Many brought up cultural background or linked verses from various parts of the Bible to bring out deeper insights.

The essays covered topics like Jesus's "I am" statements, the virgin birth, how Jesus is both fully God and fully human, what it means in Philippians when Jesus is said to have emptied himself, the atonement, the resurrection, the ascension, the second coming, proof that Jesus did intend to have his teachings written down and passed on, how to properly see Jesus in the Old Testament, suffering for Christ, and Christ in Revelations. Overall, I'd recommend this book to Christians who like to dig deeply into the Bible.


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.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Who Do You Say that I AM? by Becky Harling

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Who Do You Say that I AM?
by Becky Harling


ISBN-13: 9780802415509
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Released: February 6, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Jesus wants to know, “Who do you say that I AM?” How we answer defines our lives both now and forever. This study in some of the “I AM” statements of Jesus will help women move from knowing about Him to knowing Him personally. Guiding them through significant questions Jesus asks in the Gospels and the answers He himself provides.

Becky Harling has years of experience as a Bible teacher and women’s ministry leader.


My Review:
Who Do You Say that I AM? is an 8-week Bible study, and each week had 5 days of study. Each week, the author explored a question that Jesus asked and an "I am" statement Jesus made at some point that she feels answers the question. She started with a personal story, then the verses to read with some background information. She then asked questions about the reading, if you've experienced something similar, and brought in related verses. She provided a verse to memorize and a praise song to listen to.

I liked some parts of the book, but the quality seemed inconsistent to me. For example, the week on "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" was about how God will give us new dreams when our dreams fail and how God can fix the messes in our lives. There's amazing power and hope in the actual promise of resurrection, so why not talk about that? On page 231, she provided verses that show "how you are of great value to God" but were about how God loves us. One can love worthless things, so I was baffled as to why she used these verses rather than ones actually talking about how God views us as valuable.

And on page 174, she said that "the priest was to continuously burn fragrant incense...(Ex. 30:1, 7-8)." But those verses say they offered incense in the morning and the evening, not continuously. She said the incense was made through crushing flowers, but the mix was actually described as "fragrant spices" and contained resins (Ex. 30:34). She then suggested that "the crushing of our soul produces a fragrance that rises up as a sweet aroma to God..." Um, incense is symbolic of prayer (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8). Not sure how the imagery of God allowing our souls to be crushed and burned in a fire was supposed to be comforting. Sounds more like hell.

Week 1: Who Do You Say That I am? Matthew 16:15
I Am He. John 4:26

Week 2: Do you still not see or understand? Mark 8:17-18
I Am the Bread of Life. John 6:35

Week 3: Why are you so afraid? Matthew 8:26, Mark 4:40
I Am the Good Shepherd. John 10:11

Week 4: What do you want me to do for you? Mark 10:51
I Am the Light. John 8:12

Week 5: Do you believe that I am able to do this? Matthew 9:28
I Am the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25

Week 6: Do you want to get well? John 5:6
I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6

Week 7: Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:27, Luke 12:25
I am the Vine. John 15:5

Week 8: Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner? Luke 17:18
I Am the Living One— The First and The Last. Revelation 1:17


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.

Saturday, October 5, 2019

James by Vernon Doerksen

book cover
James
by Vernon Doerksen


ISBN-13: 9780802418975
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Released: March 5, 2019

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
What should you as a Christian be thinking, saying, and doing? These are the questions we’re all asking and that James is answering. Encounter the beautiful depth of James through an enlightening verse-by-verse commentary from Vernon Doerksen that’s both straightforward and insightful. You’ll gain a new perspective on how James relates to other passages in the Old and New Testament, insights from the original languages, and help with the difficult passages.


My Review:
James is a commentary on James. The author gave some background information about the book and then commented on the verses as he worked verse-by-verse through James. It works best if you read the passage and then read his comments. He provided word studies, background information, and preaching-style insights into the meaning of the text. I thought he did a good job of helping explain potentially confusing verses and bringing out insights from the text. Overall, I'd recommend this useful Bible-study tool.


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.