Wednesday 30 March 2016

One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm

I'm back!  I've had a busy year so far.  My older daughter got married in February.  It was a very good day, but the arrangements did keep me busy, and if not physically busy, very occupied mentally.   Now it is Easter time, and I'm enjoying some time off from home educating and time with my family including my army son who's home for the holidays. 

I read an article about one-to-one Bible reading recently and this book was mentioned, so I decided to purchase it.  A friend of mine was already doing this with one of her friends, without knowing it was "a thing" so I was already familiar with the concept but excited to find that it was an idea that could also be developed into something with more structure. 

One-to-One Bible Reading
David Helm
(c) Holy Trinity Church (Chicago) 2011
Matthias Media
ISBN 978 1 921441 98 1

This book is very short, so if I say too much about it, I'll end up telling you all the ideas - and then you'd miss out on reading it! 

It's divided into two parts, with some appendices.   Part one is titled "What, why and how" and Part two is called "Framework and Ideas."

Part One begins by describing the different kinds of people we are likely to know - non-Christians, new Christians, and more mature Christians.  There is a bit on why and how reading the Bible is beneficial to each type of person. David Helms shares some tips on how to get started and what a typical meeting might look like.  There is a discussion on preparing for a meeting and Part One ends with an account of a personal experience with reading the Bible with someone. 

Part Two, Framework and Ideas, has 4 chapters (again, all very short):

Two simple frameworks for Bible reading (with helpful acrostic names)
Books of the Bible for different situations
Help with reading different biblical genres
Eight weeks through Mark's Gospel


I found this book very helpful and encouraging. The author tackles head-on the usual fears many of us Christians face of being inadequate and not up to the job by reminding us that the growth of God's kingdom does not depend on us or our abilities.  The Holy Spirit can use us.   He also reminds the readers that God uses His word - we must not disbelieve the power of it.

Here's a site where this book is currently for sale in the UK:
https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/one-to-one-bible-reading


Thursday 21 January 2016

A Ransom for Many

A Ransom for Many   

 the Gospel of Mark simply explained
by Steve Wilmshurst

Evangelical Press, Welwyn Commentary Series

I've been studying the book of Mark over the last few months and this book by Steve Wilmshurst is what I have been using to help me lately.   I like this commentary, which although explains historical and cultural facts and links plenty to the Old Testment, is not overly-academic.  It's definitely devotional and I appreciate the opportunity to not only learn more facts but to be drawn to love the Lord Jesus more, and also to be challenged in my Christian walk.

The book is based on a series of sermons and it is because of that, I think, that there are both scholarship and practical applications that are presented in a fashion which is thoughtful and very human.

This is not a book that would be easy to use just to dip in and get facts from, but would be useful to read sections from if one needed to learn more about a certain chapter.  Mostly, though, I think the benefit would come from reading the whole thing, along with the relevant sections of Mark as you go through the chapters.

It's not what I expected from a commentary but I am enjoying it very much.