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searser's review against another edition
5.0
Jen Wilkin has written a great little book to encourage Christians to dig deeper into the Bible, for all the right reasons. I was challenged to study the Bible for myself, without the strong hand-holding that I’m accustomed to. I might have finished reading this book cover to cover, but I can see how I will reference it many times as a helpful guide to my time in the Word.
kailincraft's review against another edition
5.0
If I could hand one of these books to everyone I know I would. I love Jen's way of making the Bible accessible without dumbing it down. I only wish I'd read it sooner!
beckyb16's review against another edition
5.0
I have found myself wanting to learn to go deeper into the Word. This book was great insight into going deeper while still gleaning much from the Bible. I was challenged and excited to start a new study.
jenna_turner's review against another edition
5.0
This book is eloquent, yet very tactical, with its practices and strategies of studying God‘s word. This read certainly revolutionized the way that I perceive and approach the Bible. It helped me discover the depth and importance of the context, setting, the audience, the writer and the time period of each book of the Bible, and how they fit together in God‘s big picture. This is a fantastic resource for any Christian whether you’re a new Christian or a mature Christian this could strengthen your walk with God and the broaden your understanding of His will for The kingdom of heaven.
essentiallynovel's review against another edition
3.0
This book was written as a resource (really both men and women can read this regardless of the title) to help us become those who study Scripture with both our heart and mind. Loving God should include loving His Word.
In this small book Jen Wilkin provides us with tools of how we should study Scripture and what we need to be wary of while doing so: Bible studies are great but they shouldn't replace the Bible, understanding the passages in their truest context and not based off of our own interpretation or someone else's, etc.
Spending time in the Word in crucial to the Christian believer's life, and as Wilkin quotes Paul Bloom, it has been "...found that pleasure results from gaining knowledge about the object of our pleasure, not, as we might assume, from merely experiencing it over and over. Specifically, our pleasure increases in something when we learn its history, origin, and deeper nature."
The only two things that bothered me about this book was 1) a sentence she says early on, and 2) her complete lack of capitalizing pronouns when referring to God and Christ. I don't agree with her statement saying, "Yes, it is sinful to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake..." and I assume that she means that acquiring Biblical knowledge just for Biblical knowledge's sake, but I am troubled by her statement of saying acquiring knowledge is sinful. We are wired to want to understand things; our brains made to develop understanding, to gain and hold onto knowledge. However, the rest of the sentence says "...but, acquiring knowledge about the One we love, for the sake of loving him more deeply, will always be for our transformation." Whether she's saying this just in reference to Scripture or in general, I don't agree at all with her saying that acquiring knowledge is sinful. Also, notice that she capitalizes One when referring to God and Christ, but does not for the pronouns that also refer to them. Not capitalizing pronouns (He, His, Him) is consistent throughout the whole book.
I think reading that statement within the first chapter or so of the book and the utter lack of reverence by not capitalizing pronouns tainted the rest for me. She writes about loving God but isn’t revering Him by capitalizing the pronouns, an issue I see way too often with Christian authors.
I agree with many other things she writes, but for a resource to help believers begin the journey of being more intentional with their time in God's Word, I personally wasn't all that hyped about this one. Others may find it useful but perhaps since I have heard just about everything in this book growing up in a Bible believing home, gaining degrees at a Christian college, and during my short time in youth ministry, there was nothing in this book that was new to me.
In this small book Jen Wilkin provides us with tools of how we should study Scripture and what we need to be wary of while doing so: Bible studies are great but they shouldn't replace the Bible, understanding the passages in their truest context and not based off of our own interpretation or someone else's, etc.
Spending time in the Word in crucial to the Christian believer's life, and as Wilkin quotes Paul Bloom, it has been "...found that pleasure results from gaining knowledge about the object of our pleasure, not, as we might assume, from merely experiencing it over and over. Specifically, our pleasure increases in something when we learn its history, origin, and deeper nature."
The only two things that bothered me about this book was 1) a sentence she says early on, and 2) her complete lack of capitalizing pronouns when referring to God and Christ. I don't agree with her statement saying, "Yes, it is sinful to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake..." and I assume that she means that acquiring Biblical knowledge just for Biblical knowledge's sake, but I am troubled by her statement of saying acquiring knowledge is sinful. We are wired to want to understand things; our brains made to develop understanding, to gain and hold onto knowledge. However, the rest of the sentence says "...but, acquiring knowledge about the One we love, for the sake of loving him more deeply, will always be for our transformation." Whether she's saying this just in reference to Scripture or in general, I don't agree at all with her saying that acquiring knowledge is sinful. Also, notice that she capitalizes One when referring to God and Christ, but does not for the pronouns that also refer to them. Not capitalizing pronouns (He, His, Him) is consistent throughout the whole book.
I think reading that statement within the first chapter or so of the book and the utter lack of reverence by not capitalizing pronouns tainted the rest for me. She writes about loving God but isn’t revering Him by capitalizing the pronouns, an issue I see way too often with Christian authors.
I agree with many other things she writes, but for a resource to help believers begin the journey of being more intentional with their time in God's Word, I personally wasn't all that hyped about this one. Others may find it useful but perhaps since I have heard just about everything in this book growing up in a Bible believing home, gaining degrees at a Christian college, and during my short time in youth ministry, there was nothing in this book that was new to me.
cbattle521's review against another edition
2.0
Sometimes felt preachy legalistic, and judgemental. Couple of helpful things. Not my style of writing but I’m sure it can be helpful to others.
amber_thiessen's review against another edition
5.0
“Mind before heart, God before self”. A powerful encouragement for women to get into the Word. This short book has a practical ways to bring the discipline of bible study into you life. An excellent read for those women who want to grow in their walk with God!