Wednesday, May 21, 2014

New Spirit-Filled Life Bible

Thomas Nelson's newest Bible is the "New Spirit-Filled Life Bible". This Bible is an NIV version of the Bible, and the translation is as would be expected of any NIV Bible. What makes this Bible different are all of the study tools and additional features that help you to dig deeper into God's word than ever before. Each and every page is loaded with footnotes, to expound on the verses

Every chapter begins with a one or two page summary of the author, background information, theme of the chapter, and key words from the chapter. This is especially helpful in understanding more about the events of the time, and what was going on in society at the time the chapter was written. I also liked that this introduction also touches on the personal application of the chapter, helping me to understand how the lessons of each chapter can be applied on a personal level.

Other features included in this Bible are: "Kingdom Dynamics", which are themes that are explained throughout the Bible, featuring topics like stewardship, prophetic dreams and visions, and human worth/divine destiny, among many others; "Word Wealth" boxes appear frequently in this Bible, and feature key words. Each little box defines and explains a word that is important in the text. This helps to really understand the actual text of the Bible on a deeper level. Also, this Bible features "Truth-In-Action" charts that offer a short summary, with the truths that were taught in the chapter, as well as the actions that exemplify those truths. Essentially this shows us how we can live out the truths taught in the Bible in our own daily lives.

Overall I would give this Bible a 5/5. I loved all of the additional study features, and felt like they were a wonderful complement to this version of the Bible. There are tons of footnotes, which I personally enjoy because when something is a little confusing or I'm not entirely sure of the message, they easily and quickly explain what I am reading.

I would recommend this Bible to anyone in need to a study Bible. Great tool. Love it!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this Bible for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Bible Stories for His Beautiful Princess

"Bible Stories for His Beautiful Princess" by Sheri Rose Shepherd is a collection of fun Bible stories for young girls. Nearly every little girl loves playing dress up, and pretending to be a princess. This book feeds on that love by relating some of the most popular Bible stories with your little princess in mind.

Some of the stories that are included in this book are Noah, Moses, Ruth, Creation, Daniel, Soloman, and David, among many others. Illustrations are by Shelley Dieterichs, and are fun, bright, and tell the story in a vivid way. The type is large, which is perfect for young readers. Each story is told using several pages, with only about five sentences on each page. The stories are written using simple words, which make it easy for early readers to understand.

At the end of each story, there is a "Princess Prayer" and a "Princess Jewel". The "Princess Prayer" is a prayer that centers around the point of the story they just read. The "Princess Jewel" is a simple explanation of the moral that the story emphasizes. These are a great addition to each story, because they help the child understand what they just read. It also makes it easy for parents to interact with their child using these tools.

Overall I would give this book a 5/5. I loved that it was easy for my 5 year old to read all by herself, and she loved the princess theme of the book. The book is a nice hardcover book, with some of the most loved Bible stories inside. Great book, perfect for ages 3 and up.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Chronological Study Bible

The Chronological Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers is an amazing Bible tool. This Bible is organized chronologically, so that as you are reading, all of the events of the Bible are read in the order that they happened. The Bible is divided into epochs, and before each epoch begins there is an explanation of the time frame that the events are occurring in, with explanations of any relevant historical/archaeological context. Once the epoch begins, it clearly notes what chapter of the Bible you are reading making it easy to cross-reference with another Bible if needed. One of the things I really liked about this particular Bible was the abundance of color and images/maps/study tools within the pages. Notes appear frequently to add information to the reading, as well as maps, images, and historical information. There is certainly no shortage of extras with this Bible.

I would highly recommend this Bible to those looking for a way to help organize the events of the Bible in order. I plan to use this in addition to my regular Bible to understand the order of events in my personal Bible study time. I think this Bible would make a great addition to any household - it is packed with extra features, in addition to being a chronological Bible. Loved this!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogging program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.