Reference Books - Page 10

Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be: A 90-Day Guide to Living the Proverbs 31 Life

Donna, Partow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

If you are ready for a change you need this book. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is your begining to a new way of life. This is the best guide to help you get to where you want to be. It will bring you closer to the Lord and help you become the woman you were ment to be.

Loving the woman I am becoming 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book has started me on the path of what God wants me to be. This book has 90 days of activities to help you get closer to God and change your lifestyle. I often read this book in the middle of the night while I am watching my special needs son. I have to help him clear his airway at night and my life gives new meaning to the part of Proverbs 31 that says her lamp does not go out at night. I also have a four month old.
I do get to sleep though. God gives me rest. The woman he wants me to be is not completely exhausted all of the time. He lies me down beside still waters too.
I know that God has a plan for me to prosper me and not harm me and to give my family a hope and a future.
There are fun parts of the book like the chapter on what is your signature color. I realized that I should be wearing more navy blue and I noticed a difference in how I look when I wear the right colors.
This book is a 90 day jumpstart and I can't wait to continue living the life that God has set out for me.

Editorial Review:

Every woman needs a little jump start in life. Donna Partow knows how to make it happen. In Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be, author Donna Partow shows women how to reenergize their lives in 90 days. She covers everything from faith and family to fitness and fashion (with lots more) in this comprehensive plan for greater vitality in life and intimacy with God. This in-depth study of Proverbs 31:10-31 will make women feel in control and on top of things as they study and even memorize that famous passage about the ideal woman of God. This positive, life-affirming book includes a leader's guide, making it perfect for small group use.

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible

Scot McKnight

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good Book, but Missing Something 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Blue Parakeet is a book about a book, namely the Bible. ScotMcKnight challenges Christians to read the Bible as a story, not as a set of laws or morsels of blessings. McKnight feels that only by reading the Bible as a story can we grasp the truth that God is trying to impart to humanity. McKnight uses the metaphor of a blue parakeet in his backyard to illustrate his point. A blue parakeet once inhabited his backyard, causing the other birds to be at once terrified and curious. He says the Bible does the same thing; it is something that is often times what we don't want to hear, but we are captivated by it at the same time.


This book alternately thrilled and bored me. It never really hits its stride. The introductory chapter blew me away. McKnight asked controversial and thought-provoking questions, but never really got around to addressing them. A lot of the chapters are filled with theories and categorizing, which makes you feel like you're slogging through a textbook. But just when you are ready to give up on the book, McKnight injects life into the discussion, making you take a closer look at your own personal interpretation of the Bible, and whether it is right or wrong to even have an individual interpretation of the Bible.

If you are a student of the Bible, then you will probably like this book. But if you aren't a big fan of scholarly works of the Bible, stay away.

Editorial Review:

The Blue Parakeet is author Scot McKnight’s deeply reasoned, compelling statement of how to read the Bible in a new evangelical generation. In re-examining the Bible, McKnight provides an exciting “Third Way” that appeals to the millions in today’s church who long to be authentic Christians, but don’t consider themselves theologically conservative or liberal.

Personal Bible Study Methods

Rick Warren, Rick Warren

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great place to start 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Rick Warren does a great job of reviewing basic methods one will need to study the bible. In my humble opinion this is a great resource for the money. Here is how it's set up.

He previews how materials you will need, and how different study resources are used. He also tells you which ones are considered some of the strongest.

He gives you a preview of the 12 bible study methods and then goes into each more in depth. The 12 bible study methods are: The Devotional Method, Chapter Summary Method, Character Quality Method, The Thematic Method, The Biographical Method, The topical Method, the Word Study Method, Book Background Method, Book Survey Method, Chapter Analysis Method, Book Synthesis Method, and the Verse By Verse Analysis Method.

He also has 7 appendices in the back. These appendices are to aid you in what you just learned. He also has a list of other bible study books in the back for further learning.

In Conclusion, I feel this is a good book to learn various methods for personal bible study. The book is inexpensive (I got it for less than ten dollars), detailed, it teaches you what you will need and why, and gives you the keys to applying these various methods. I give it four stars because it is not as detailed as it could have been. However, if your looking to dig deeper he shows you which books to go to. This is a 4 and a half star purchase in my humble opinion.

Editorial Review:

Pastor Rick Warren says, The secret key to studying the Bible is knowing how to ask the right kind of questions. Once you know what to ask, Bible study is simple! In this how to book, Rick explains 12 different ways to study the scriptures, giving step-by-step instruction. You'll learn a dozen personal study methods.

Things Hidden: Scripture As Spirituality

Richard Rohr

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Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nothing To Be Afraid of in God 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

"The amazing wonder of biblical revelation that I hope to make clear in this book is that God is much different than we thought, and also much better than we feared," promises Richard Rohr in the first chapter of Things Hidden. The book is based on the author's earlier talks on great themes of scripture. Two key themes he stresses are "Divine, unmerited generosity" is offered unconditionally, and the Spirit promised by Jesus is available to all.

In the Bible, writes Rohr, any time God or an angel breaks into human life, the event is prefaced by "Do not be afraid." God's entering the scene was considered bad news. "Even today most feel that God's love and attention must be earned and then we deeply resent the process." The earliest Hebrews saw God as punitive and petty, demanding of blood sacrifices. By the time of Abraham the sacrificial instinct "matured a bit," Rohr tells us, and animals became the sacrifice of choice "to please this fearsome God." When we get to the Risen Jesus, there is nothing to be afraid of in God.

The author uses numerous examples to show the gradual enlightenment. Of the Adam and Eve story, he suggests that seeking knowledge may seem more like virtue than sin. However, it isn't knowledge that God is trying to keep us from, but "lust for certitude, explanation, resolution and answers." He sees Noah's Ark as an image of how God liberates us, embodying "the contradictions, the opposites, the tensions and the paradoxes of humanity." And in Mary, he finds God's total gift of grace. She asks how the angel's proposition will come about without wondering why she is chosen or protesting her unworthiness "It takes all of the Bible to work up to one perfect vessel that knows how to say an unquestioning yes to an utterly free gift."

The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings

Bart D. Ehrman

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Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This new edition of Bart Ehrman's highly successful introduction approaches the New Testament from a consistently historical and comparative perspective, emphasizing the rich diversity of the earliest Christian literature. Rather than shying away from the critical problems presented by these books, Ehrman addresses the historical and literary challenges they pose and shows why scholars continue to argue over such significant issues as how the books of the New Testament came into being, what they mean, how they relate to contemporary Christian and non-Christian literature, and how they came to be collected into a canon of Scripture. Distinctive to this study is its emphasis on the historical, literary, and religious milieu of the Greco-Roman world, including early Judaism. As part of its historical orientation, this text also discusses works by other Christian writers who were roughly contemporary with the New Testament, such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the letters of Ignatius. The volume is enhanced by two color inserts, one on illuminated manuscripts and the other on archaeology.
New to this edition:
Additional material on archaeology, including a new eight-page color insert
"What to Expect" and "At a Glance" boxes that provide summaries of the material covered in each chapter
A Website Study Guide at http://www.oup.com/us/ehrman, offering chapter summaries, glossary terms, guides for reading, and self-quizzes for students.
Several new "Something to Think About" and "Some More Information" boxes
More extensive treatments of Judaism and of the role of women in the history of early Christianity
Nine new illustrations
An Instructor's Manual containing chapter summaries, discussion questions, and possible examination questions

Ideal for undergraduate and seminary classes in the New Testament, Biblical Studies, and Christian Origins, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3/e, is an accessible, clearly written introduction that encourages students to consider the historical issues surrounding these writings.

Christian Theology

Millard J., Erickson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent Systematic Resource! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3C6Q9D3NOCS94 Excellent textbook encouraged of all Christians to buy.

Erickson is the best evangelical systematic theology available 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

There are two primary systematic theologies used by conservative Evangelicals today. One is written by Wayne Grudem and the other by Millard Erickson. In my opinion, Erickson is quite superior.

Erickson is much more thorough in his treament of the philosophical landscape, both in presenting crucial background information and in his use of philosophical materials in crafting his theology. Therfore he offers a more subtle and critical evaluation of certain theological problems than Wayne Grudem does. Grudem, on the other hand, many times ignores difficulties and is satisfied simply to quote biblical proof texts to support his positions.

An example of the difference in their approach is their presentation of the doctrine of the inerrancy of scripture. Erickson deals head on with tough examples from critics of inerrancy that might undermine his view of this doctrine. After fully considering opposing arguments, he offers 5 or 6 nuanced versions of inerrancy that could be acceptable to an Evangelical. Grudem, however, flatly denies that he is aware of even one contradiction in scripture. Thus he expends no ink in offering solutions to difficult biblical problems. This is somewhat typical.

If you are interested in a good summary of conservative Christian theology based almost soley on biblical exegesis, then Grudem may be for you. But if you want a systematic theology that truly wrestles with serious objections to Evangelical doctrines by using not only excellent exegesis but also philosophical tools in a highly competent manner, then buy Erickson.

Editorial Review:

Christian Theology has been revised to take account of changes in the theological world as well as changes in the intellectual, political, economic, and social worlds. Several sections have been added, including a new chapter on postmodernism. At other points the discussion has been updated, and some portions of the original have been condensed, since the issues they originally dealt with are no longer as crucial as they once were. Also new to the second edition are a number of educational refinements, including chapter objectives, chapter summaries, and study questions.

Calm My Anxious Heart: A Women's Guide to Finding Contentment

Linda Dillow

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Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The message of this book is timeless. It is an easy read and one I would recommend to any woman.

Absolutely Wonderful 5 out of 5 stars.
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Our Women's Bible Study decided to share this book and it has had the most positive results. In a world of such uncertainty we learn through Linda's stories and experience how to allow God to calm our hearts. I would recommend this book to all women if just to hear that you are not alone. That we all have like experiences that cause us to become anxious. To learn through the Word of God how to be satisfied with who you are because you were made wonderfully. There is so much in this little book that it will open your eyes and heart to His plan for you. I also purchased this book for my sisters and friends as gifts.

Editorial Review:

Although many Christian women say they trust God, their lives are filled with worry and anxiety-about their children, their finances, their relationships, their jobs. They know their lives should be characterized by faith in God, but they're unsure of how to get that kind of faith. This book and twelve-week study helps women grow in contentment as they address the barriers to contentment and how to overcome them. Companion Journal available.

Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation (Book with CD)

Wayne W. Dyer

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Total reviews: 86 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The practice of meditation takes us on a fabulous journey into the gap between our thoughts, where all the advantages of a more peaceful, stress-free, healthy, and fatigue-free life are available, but which are simply side benefits. The paramount reason for daily meditation is to get into the gap between our thoughts, and make conscious contact with the creative energy of life itself. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer explains the soul-nourishing meditation technique for making conscious contact with God, which the ancient masters have told us about.

You have the potential to be an instrument of the highest good for all concerned and to be a literal miracle worker in your own life. No person, government, or religion can legitimately claim to do this for you. "In fact," says Dr. Dyer, "I agree with Carl Jung who said, 'One of the main functions of formalized religion is to protect people against a direct experience of God.'" When you master getting into the gap and staying there for prolonged segments of meditation, and experience what you bring back to the material world, you will know your answer to the question: "Why meditate?"

Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew

Bart D. Ehrman

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Total reviews: 106 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The early Christian Church was a chaos of contending beliefs. Some groups of Christians claimed that there was not one God but two or twelve or thirty. Some believed that the world had not been created by God but by a lesser, ignorant deity. Certain sects maintained that Jesus was human but not divine, while others said he was divine but not human. In Lost Christianities, Bart D. Ehrman offers a fascinating look at these early forms of Christianity and shows how they came to be suppressed, reformed, or forgotten. All of these groups insisted that they upheld the teachings of Jesus and his apostles, and they all possessed writings that bore out their claims, books reputedly produced by Jesus's own followers. Modern archaeological work has recovered a number of key texts, and as Ehrman shows, these spectacular discoveries reveal religious diversity that says much about the ways in which history gets written by the winners. Ehrman's discussion ranges from considerations of various "lost scriptures"--including forged gospels supposedly written by Simon Peter, Jesus's closest disciple, and Judas Thomas, Jesus's alleged twin brother--to the disparate beliefs of such groups as the Jewish-Christian Ebionites, the anti-Jewish Marcionites, and various "Gnostic" sects. Ehrman examines in depth the battles that raged between "proto-orthodox Christians"--those who eventually compiled the canonical books of the New Testament and standardized Christian belief--and the groups they denounced as heretics and ultimately overcame. Scrupulously researched and lucidly written, Lost Christianities is an eye-opening account of politics, power, and the clash of ideas among Christians in the decades before one group came to see its views prevail.

Paul: In Fresh Perspective

N. T. Wright

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Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"For me," says N.T.Wright, "there has been no more stimulating exercise, for the mind, the heart, the imagination and the spirit, than trying to think Paul's thoughts after him and constantly to be stirred up to fresh glimpses of God's ways and purposes with the world and with us strange human creatures." Wright's accessible new volume, built on his Cambridge University Hulsean Lectures of 2004, takes a fresh look at Paul in light of recent understandings of his Jewish roots, his attitude toward the Roman Empire, and his unique reframing of Jewish symbols in relation to his experience of the risen Christ. Then Wright attempts a short systematic account of the main theological contours of Paul's thought and its pertinence for the church today.

Part One Themes 1. Paul's World, Paul's Legacy 2. Creation and Covenant 3.Messiah and Apocalyptic 4. Gospel and Empire

Part Two Structures 5. Rethinking God 6. Reworking God's People 7. Reimagining God's Future 8. Paul, Jesus, and the Task of the Church