tmonda's review
5.0
I have seen the Word Writers series off and on for a while now but wasn't sure if I would like the setup of the study or if they would be too overwhelming for me. But I wanted something that would help me dive deeper into a single book of the Bible at one time. By choosing James, I was really hoping to gain more insight into the book and learn more about what James says about growing deeper in my faith.
I really enjoyed working through this study and gaining new understanding of the book of James. I like the way it is set-up by day, so you can start whenever (it doesn't have to be a specific date). Also the days are not too intense. And probably my favorite part of the entire study is actually writing out the book of James verse by verse!
I plan to purchase the other books in the Word Writers series and complete them. As the Ladies Bible study leader at my church I have also given consideration to taking my group through one or more of the studies.
Thanks to the James study, I have started writing out the verses for a few of the other Bible studies I am doing at this time.
**Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this study for free. All opinions are my own.**
I really enjoyed working through this study and gaining new understanding of the book of James. I like the way it is set-up by day, so you can start whenever (it doesn't have to be a specific date). Also the days are not too intense. And probably my favorite part of the entire study is actually writing out the book of James verse by verse!
I plan to purchase the other books in the Word Writers series and complete them. As the Ladies Bible study leader at my church I have also given consideration to taking my group through one or more of the studies.
Thanks to the James study, I have started writing out the verses for a few of the other Bible studies I am doing at this time.
**Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this study for free. All opinions are my own.**
shelfesteem's review
3.0
Over the past few weeks I've been working through Denise J. Hughes' Word Writers: James bible study. In addition to the online discussion group (which began 2/20), I've had the added pleasure of completing this study with a friend. We enjoy diving into God's Word together and the book of James gave us plenty to discuss.
Format:
Of the 176 pages in the study, 122 have content while the final pages are intended for the purpose of writing out the entire book of James. There are 25 lessons broken down into an opening (personal story) from the author, a portion of James, cross references,"Diving Deeper" questions, and a prayer. Apart from the scripture writing portion, you can expect to spend 15-20 minutes on each lesson.
What I liked:
- Hughes pens the most concise and well worded prayers. On day 23 (James 5:12), she writes about making our words count, and I feel that is exactly what Hughes did in these prayers. They are beautiful!
- I accepted the challenge to write out the passage that corresponded with each day's lesson. While I probably will not continue to do so beyond this study, this simple act forced me to linger a little longer in the message. Even those of us with larger script are afforded plenty of room for this exercise.
- It's not all about James. While each lesson progresses through James, Hughes also directs readers to other books which support James' teachings.
I would have liked:
- More probing questions. Each day consisted of two or three objective questions and about the same number of subjective questions. They suited the topic of the day well, but they weren't particularly deep or challenging. For me the book had more of a devotional feel than that of an in-depth study.
- Additional space to answer questions.
Word Writers: James would be a wonderful starting point for new believers. As such, it would be a good study for mentors to complete with their mentees.
With thanks to the author/publisher for providing me with a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Format:
Of the 176 pages in the study, 122 have content while the final pages are intended for the purpose of writing out the entire book of James. There are 25 lessons broken down into an opening (personal story) from the author, a portion of James, cross references,"Diving Deeper" questions, and a prayer. Apart from the scripture writing portion, you can expect to spend 15-20 minutes on each lesson.
What I liked:
- Hughes pens the most concise and well worded prayers. On day 23 (James 5:12), she writes about making our words count, and I feel that is exactly what Hughes did in these prayers. They are beautiful!
- I accepted the challenge to write out the passage that corresponded with each day's lesson. While I probably will not continue to do so beyond this study, this simple act forced me to linger a little longer in the message. Even those of us with larger script are afforded plenty of room for this exercise.
- It's not all about James. While each lesson progresses through James, Hughes also directs readers to other books which support James' teachings.
I would have liked:
- More probing questions. Each day consisted of two or three objective questions and about the same number of subjective questions. They suited the topic of the day well, but they weren't particularly deep or challenging. For me the book had more of a devotional feel than that of an in-depth study.
- Additional space to answer questions.
Word Writers: James would be a wonderful starting point for new believers. As such, it would be a good study for mentors to complete with their mentees.
With thanks to the author/publisher for providing me with a review copy. All opinions are my own.
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