Quest52

Quest52 is a brand new resource by pastor/teacher Dr. Mark E. Moore. Quest52: A 15-Minute-a-Day Yearlong Pursuit of Jesus is set up in a very similar format to his previous Core52. Each week begins with an essay where Moore approaches the scriptural theme for the week. His essays are person able and geared towards a non-academic audience. At the end of each essay, a page titled :This Week provides daily assignments. These assignments include a reflection question, reading additional related scriptures, mediating on specific scriptures, discussion questions, and an action step. The assignments are labeled day 1-5 to so that any day of the week could be used for the small group discussion. Additional resources are available at the companion website Quest52.com which includes a brief video lesson. As Dr. Moore was previously a professor at Ozark Christian College, he has also included audio Life of Christ lectures and downloadable background studies as well.

Quest52 is a great resource for anyone who is seeking a new study for the new year. It also has great potential for a small group study or a church wide study as well. The content is appropriate for ages high school and up althought Moore's target audience is adults. While useful as a follow-up to his previous Core52, this resource does stand on its own as well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Quest52 via NetGalley. 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.

Gospels as Stories

Often when we read or study the Bible, we focus on the meaning of a specific passage or pericope. While knowing that understanding how the passage fits into the overall story of the Bible, it seems like too often we focus intently one one particular puzzle piece rather than looking at the picture as a whole. We often forget that individual books of the Bible are entire literary texts that were originally read as one story. In her new book The Gospels as Stories, Bethel University professor Dr. Jeannine K. Brown emphasizes looking at the whole story.

Brown begins The Gospels as Stories: A Narrative Approach to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John by examining a variety of critical methods used in studying the Bible with specific attention given to narrative criticism. This individual chapter does a wonderful job of both setting the stage for the remainder of the book and providing a wonderful introduction to the landscape of current Bible scholarship. After laying this important groundwork, Brown goes on to expand on various concepts within narrative criticism. Each aspect of narrative criticism is described in a chapter using examples from all four Gospels followed by a chapter which examines that aspect in a specific Gospel. This combination of a chapter delving into the specifics followed by a chapter demonstrating how the information is used in a Gospel provides a wonderful look at how to apply narrative criticism.

Reading The Gospels as Stories reminds you that each Gospel is a story and as such includes a plot and character development. The authors had a particular audience in mind and would include information that connected with the specific audience in order to emphasize specific aspects of who Christ is and his purpose. While and after reading this book, you will wish to sit down and read an entire Gospel from start to finish--in fact, I would encourage you to do so while reading this book. The Gospels as Stories will be a wonderful book for use in a class on the Gospels, New Testament, or Introduction to the Bible. Beyond its use in a classroom setting, Brown's work is readable and accessible to a wider audience of educated individuals who wish to better read and understand the Bible. Highly recommended!

I received a complementary copy of The Gospels as Stories from Baker Academic/Brazos Press via NetGalley.

Finding Jesus at the Border

Finding Jesus at the Border: Opening Our Hearts to the Stories of Our Immigrant Neighbors is an intriguing juxtaposition of story and Bible study. Author Dr. Julia Lambert Fogg is not only a professor of Religion at California Lutheran University with specializations in New Testament and Early Christianity, but also serves as a minister at a Lutheran church. The specific church where she serves offer two distinct services. One is comprised of mostly older English speaking individuals of Scandinavian descent whose grandparents had started the church. The second service is comprised of predominantly Spanish speaking immigrant families. Fogg combines these two perspectives into a marvelous and very readable book.

In each chapter Fogg shares stories from her ministry experiences and frequently shares the story of a specific immigrant. After setting the stage with this current day story, a biblical story is examined through this perspective. Fogg expertly addresses a wide variety of issues that relate to immigration including economics, working conditions, sexual assault, power struggles, and many more. To re-read and consider familiar Bible stories using these same lenses is quite eye-opening. While a reader may not agree with Fogg on every issue, her perspective is important to read and consider due to her first hand experience and academic expertise.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Finding Jesus at the Border from Baker-Brazos Press via NetGalley. 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.

Move from Bible Reading to Bible Application

Many of you have recently started a new Bible reading plan for the new year. You may be looking for a way to do more than just read the Bible and want to dig in a bit more but aren't certain how to do so or maybe don't have time to do a full-fledged Bible study each day. There are two easy and very similar ways you can use to engage with your Bible reading a bit more. They are H.E.A.R. and S.O.A.P. These methods are not unique to me by any means but are resources that I have encountered through other sources. So, instead of giving all of the details here and copying someone else's work, I've linked to the fuller explanations for you to check out.

H.E.A.R. stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. Robby Gallaty who developed the F260 Bible reading plan our church is using this year also promotes this Bible journaling method.

S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observe, Apply, and Prayer. While this particular link is to a women's ministry blog, I first became familiar with this acronym through the Zume Project course which adds an S for Sharing to the steps.

As you see H.E.A.R. and S.O.A.P. are quite similar in their four step process. Grab a notebook and then choose the acronym and explanation that you prefer or try both to see which you like best to move from Bible reading to Bible application.

Looking for your next Bible study?

In her newest release, The Jesus Who Surprises, Dee Brestin provides a marvelous resource for group or individual Bible study. This 13 week study looks at Jesus through Old Testament passages specifically from the Books of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets. By having the focus squarely on Jesus but the passages and teaching coming from the Old Testament, those who use this study will find that they pick up on truths that they may have previously overlooked. Although Brestin focuses the studies on Old Testament passages, she does not limit the studies but draws from passages throughout the Bible.

Each study is set up to be used over 5 days. Day 1 is to read the Brestin's essay which sets up the study. These essays are delightful to read as Brestin shares stories from her experiences and of those she knows. Days 2-5 each have a passages to read and questions to answer along with prayer prompts. Each day's study could be completed in about 15 minutes. Each week's study also has an accompanying video which may be freely accessed via her website (deebrestin.com) or purchased on DVD. The study is designed to be completed in a group setting where it can be discussed but could also be used by individuals. I am very excited about the free videos as it allows the study to be accessible to more people.

If you haven't picked out your curriculum for your fall study or if you are looking ahead to spring, The Jesus Who Surprises would be an excellent choice for your women's study or a small group. While Brestin writes for a largely female audience, the study could also be beneficial for a mixed group as well. This study is excellent for both new believers who may not be as familiar with the Old Testament and for individuals who have been part of the church for a while.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The Jesus Who Surprises via NetGalley. 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.

Core52

Core52 is a new book and online resource available from pastor and teacher Mark Moore. This book is "a Fifteen-Minutes Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year." Each of the 52 chapters focuses on a key verse and doctrine from the Bible. Each chapter focuses on an essay that provides an introduction to the verse or concept. After each essay, a This Week checklist appears which provides the daily assignments for the week. Day 1 is to read the essay. Day 2 is to memorize the verse of the week. Day 3 indicates several Bible chapters to read. Day 4 suggests several passages for meditation and day 5 provides an activity to complete. Moore also provides several additional options including the Overachiever Challenge which suggests another memory verse and a suggested book to read to learn more about the topic.

As Dr. Mark Moore currently serves as teaching pastor at Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona and previously taught at Ozark Christian College each essay is very thorough but is designed for individuals who do not have a Bible background. As Core52 is not a "through the Bible" reading plan, Moore is able to draw from the entirety of scripture to explore each topic. As such, although readers will not have read the entire Bible when they finish Core52, they will have a very thorough understanding of the entire Bible and it's content. Individuals who truly utilize the activities for all 5 days of each week will go beyond mere reading of scripture to truly knowing and applying it.

The combination of a book and online resources including an app provides an excellent resources that can be utilized in numerous ways. Individuals are certainly encouraged to read the book for their own spiritual growth. While reading the book, I frequently found myself thinking a discussion guide would be quite handy. I was delighted to find that a discussion guide is available on the accompanying website which makes Core52 an excellent resource for a small group or Sunday School class to study. The online app also includes a video essays for each week and other resources. Ministers will find a wealth of material to use for preaching as well. The combined use of Core52 for preaching and small groups would provide a dynamic opportunity for spiritual growth in a congregation. I highly recommend that ministers or small group leaders who are seeking material for groups that begin in the fall or January consider this resource.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Core52 via NetGalley. 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.

Love in a Broken Vessel

I read lots of books and most rank in the middle in that they are an enjoyable break from whatever I ought to be working on but rarely earth shattering or memorable in the long-term. Today I finished a book that fits the memorable in the long-term category. Mesu Andrews writes fictional accounts of Bible stories. I had previously read another of her books which I had enjoyed so when I found Love in a Broken Vessel in the depths of my Kindle, I decided it was my weekend pleasure. This book retells the story of Hosea and Gomer. Andrews does a wonderful job of researching and setting her books in the Bible time period. The addition of flesh, blood, conversation, and feelings to the Biblical accounts are so enjoyable. As one would suspect, this style of writing requires much artistic license. Andrews does a marvelous job of combining research of life in Bible times as well as theological research and creating an engaging story. Particularly in this story, Andrews emphasizes the love and emotions behind the story of Hosea and Gomer and how their story mirrors the story of God's love for Israel and likewise for us.