Included in Christ

Included in Christ: Living a New Story from Ephesians *****
by Heather Holleman

Overview: This is an eight-week Bible study on the book of Ephesians. Each week is broken up into five daily studies. Through the course of the study, Holleman focuses on six main words/ideas in Ephesians: chosen, seated, strengthened, renewed, filled, and proclaiming. 

Hollman is a professor and teaches classes on writing. In this study, she encourages people to write out their "Shadow Narrative." That's the internal "story" you tell yourself that's negative and comes out of past hurts, failures, etc. Then, she instructs on how to put down on paper your "Savior Story," which is what new work God has done or is currently doing in your life.

Positive elements: I enjoyed how each chapter has different kinds of questions to help the reader engage with the text of the Bible. The fifth day of each week is set aside for writing and reflecting.

Negative elements: none

Conclusion: If you love to write, you will enjoy this study. If you prefer to process your life and what you're learning in other ways, you probably won't like it. 

Honestly, I wasn't sure what I thought of the writing assignments at first, but I appreciate this quote from her explaining how this kind of writing can be helpful, but it's not what saves us. It's just a tool.

"Right thinking, positivity, and storytelling cannot forgive sin and lead you to eternity with God in heaven. Writing can heal some of the symptoms of our sin--our unhappiness, our disconnection from others, and our search for beauty in the midst of pain--but stories won't allow us to do what only the Holy Spirit can do. It is He who makes us alive in Christ and frees us from our enslavement to sin."

So, I appreciate how she is putting Jesus and the study of His word first. She is simply using the writing process to help us think through all we are learning.  Writing is a powerful tool...although I must admit there are days when I'd rather skip the hard work of sifting out my thoughts and getting them on paper.
 
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This I Know

This I Know: Trusting Your Unknown Future to a Known God *****
by Laura Dingman

Overview: Laura Dingman wrote this Bible study to explore how we can trust God with the unknowns in our future because He knows all. She says, "This I Know helps us learn more about the God who has made Himself known in the printed pages of His Word. When we know and experience God, our unknown future doesn't look so daunting."

The book is broken down into daily readings and questions for five study times a week for a duration of six weeks. The beginning of each week has a page with a quote and an introduction to the week's theme. There is also a memory verse for each week. 

Each daily study has a different method of study including "Listen, Linger, Learn, Live," S.O.A.P (Scripture, Observations, Application, Prayer), imagining yourself in the setting of the scripture, and more. Each day's study ends with a prayer and a journal prompt.

Positive elements: The diversity of the Bible study methods make the study interesting and new each day. The book is beautifully laid out.

Negative elements: Some of the questions were hard to understand and figure out, especially for newer believers.

Conclusion: I am going through this study with another woman. I enjoy getting to talk with her about what we're learning. It isn't as deep or though-provoking as some other studies I've done from Moody Publishers, and sometimes the scriptures feel like they are all over the place. But I know that God always uses His word to teach us. And who of us can say we don't need God to teach us to worry less about the future? :) 

I haven't finishes this study yet. So, this is my perspective so far.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Transforming Grace

Transforming Grace *****
by Jerry Bridges

This 345 page book is all about God's grace towards us in its many forms. The author begins by saying that while many Christians understand that they are saved by God's grace, many believe that once they are saved, it is up to them to work hard to earn God's favor. But God's grace is complete...we add nothing to it.

Jerry Bridges goes through the whole topic of grace in the Bible and shows that we are completely lost without Jesus. It is only through His grace, His unmerited favor towards us, that we have anything.

I was really encouraged to keep thanking God for all his daily graces in my life. As a Christian, saved by God's amazing grace, I should be the most thankful and grateful of all people. I also appreciated the reminder that God's grace is shown to us through the truth of His word. We need to know His word so we can be comforted and changed by it. And so we can help others as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It's packed full of truth and scriptures. It is a book you have to read slowly so you can try and absorb it all.

The book also has an extensive Bible study in the back to do with a group or individually. The study is broken up into eight weeks.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

The Unexplainable Church

The Unexplainable Church: Reigniting the Mission of the Early Believers *****
by Erica Wiggenhorn

This ten-week Bible study covers Acts 13-28. Each week covers roughly one chapter of Acts. Homework is broken into five daily assignments each week. Each day you read a passage of a scripture or more. There are questions to think through and some commentary by the author.

I enjoy Erica's studies because they seem to have a good balance of thought-provoking questions and commentary. In some Bible studies I've done, the questions seem so easy that I really don't have to think at all. I have been challenged, encouraged, and inspired by studying Acts.

Erica's first study The Unexplainable Life covered Acts 1-12.

I would highly recommend Erica's Bible studies to anyone. She provides free resources if you want to use this as a group study. I've found her studies work great for groups because of the great questions.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

His Last Words

His Last Words *****
by Kim Erickson

This is a verse-by-verse study through John 13-17. The study is for seven weeks with homework for five days a week. Each day you read a short passage from John. The book has each verse you read for the day printed out with space next to it for notes. The idea is you ask the question about each verse, "What does this tell me about God?" Then you have space to write next to each verse your response to that question. Then the author writes some more commentary and has some other questions to think through. There are also questions you can use in a group study.

I just went through the Bible study An Unexplainable Life published by Moody. I enjoyed that verse-by-verse study a lot more. It was a different format, but I found the author's commentary much more helpful in that study. I do like that this study encourages you to slowly think through each verse though. However, I think you'd be just as well off to get a note pad and make your own list of what you learn about God as you read each verse.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.