Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible - Book review

My latest review comes in the form of a Study Bible. This is the second review of such a work. Max Lucado has long been a favorite of mine in the work of walking through this Christian life. His insights are very unique and profound, so I was intrigued to see how this Study Bible would turn out.

This is my first Bible in the New King James Version translation. The main difference I find between it and the KJV is simply the dropping of the "Thee"'s and "Thou"'s into more updated vocabulary. I don't want to dwell on the translation in this review, but rather the study materials that are found throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

Each book of the Bible starts with a short synopsis, as well as author, date written, major themes, key verse(s) and outline of the major contents. But, that's not the extent of the study portion...in the side margins, there are lessons throughout the entirety of the Bible. Each "lesson" shares a passage of Scripture...it tells the situation, makes an observation, talks about the inspiration for the passage, gives a life application and also references more exploration on the related subject.

Max Lucado's writing style conveys the message of living our faith out in our everyday life, while also being concerned with sharing it with others. This Study Bible has so much to offer, including a couple of in-depth looks at Heaven with study questions as well. In the back of this Bible are included very good reference helps including: (1) He Did This Just for You Verses, (2) Spiritual Growth Verses, (3) 30 Studies for New Believers, (4) The Big Picture: A 30-Day Overview to the New Testament, and (5) "Where to Turn When" Index. Each of these sections are handy in so many situations, both personal and sharing with others.

I would recommend this Study Bible for anyone looking for a new perspective in their quiet study times. While I enjoy Max Lucado's writing, his words are no substitute to how the Holy Spirit will speak through Scripture. All-in-all, this is a great reference for use in so many situations that everyone could benefit from having this edition.

Now for the legal stuff...

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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