Reading, Writing & Pondering

    The new NIV Application Study Bible is a study Bible that I find jam-packed full of information. I often read the NIV version so that part isn’t new to me. However, this Bible is unique as it has notes drawn from the NIV Application Commentary. This Bible is designed to help you understand ancient Scripture and apply it to your life today. I think that would be helpful for many of us.  This study Bible shares insights from trusted scholars along with timely Biblical application principles.   This NIV Application Study Bibl e is full of notes alongside the NIV text with Jesus words in red letter. (I always like red letter Bibles!) There are book introductions, Bible character profile articles, more than 50 in-text charts, 16-pages of maps, a dictionary-concordance, 2 satin ribbon markers and easy to read 9.5 print. It really is easy to read this print. I don't need to use my reading glasses. It is dark. The pages are thin like many Bibles and the margins a...

  The Timeless Truths Bible from Thomas Nelson is a Bible founded on the unchanging truth of the Word of God. This Bible is designed to encourage Christians throughout the whole Bible with devotional notes and commentary from theologians and pastors through all the ages until now. This Bible has notes in the margins from notable figures throughout church history including Augustine, Martin Luther, Matthew Henry, John Wesley and C. H. Spurgeon. I really like these notes in the margins as they add to the text. I also like that there is wide margin space to write my own notes. The Timeless Truths Bible also includes many key creeds and confessions including: The Apostle's Creed, The Nicene Creed, The Augsburg Confession, The Heidelberg Confession and much more. There is also full-color artwork with explanation of who did the work in the back of the Bible. I like having all of this included with the Bible text. The text of The Timeless Truths Bible is easy to read. It is a 9-point comf...

  Several years ago, I worked at a Christian bookstore and the NIV Study Bible was one of our top sellers. I didn't own one but I sure did want one. Now I am so excited to have this new fully revised edition of the NIV Study Bible from Zondervan through Bible Gateway. The NIV Study Bible is a heavy Bible, which is the only drawback that I can see. For me, I probably wouldn't carry it to church--it does weigh 5 pounds. However, I definitely appreciate having this rich resource for doing Bible study at home. In that case, it doesn't matter to me that it is fairly heavy. To start using the Bible, there is a Quick Start Guide in the front which explains what a Study Bible is and explains some of the features. There is an extensive table of contents which contains not only the books of the Bible but also lists what page the articles, maps, models and such are on. Then a preface and introduction to the study Bible give a little more information on using the Bible followed by a co...

Shortly after I became a Christian, I had an opportunity to work at Back to the Bible in Lincoln, NE when Warren W. Wiersbe was there. It was a great opportunity for me to learn and grow and one I am forever grateful to have had. When I saw that Thomas Nelson had a new Wiersbe Study Bible, I jumped at the chance to review this one. The Wiersbe Study Bible I received is the deluxe leather binding. It has three ribbon markers, guilt edges and a beautiful leather cover with comfort print writing in the New King James Verson--which is the 10.5 point print size. It is easy for me to read without my glasses and I love that. It is an especially nicely bound and put together study Bible. I anticipate using this one for many years to come and I can see that it was made to last. The Wiersbe Study Bible features Dr. Wiersbe's historical background, themes, and practical lessons from each book of the Bible. His "Be" Series of books has been especially popular for many years. T...

Several years ago I heard Dr John Maxwell speak and I have been a fan ever since. However, I have never owned The Maxwell Leadership Bible. I'm not sure how this one compares to previous editions, but I like it for so many reasons! I like that Dr. Maxwell created the study features of this Bible with people who have any kind of influence in mind--either as an executive, a coach, a teacher, a parent or any kind of leader that influences others. Right now I am mainly a parent and a teacher and this helps me remember my responsibilities. The side bars all over are so helpful. I like the one about distraction, the enemy of direction in 1 Kings 11. There is one in 2 Samuel about people pleasing vs. God pleasing that is also helpful to me. There is a side bar in Zechariah on teachability. If we don't learn from history, we will repeat it. These are just a few examples of some great nuggets of information throughout this Bible. Each book has an introduction that comes with sp...

The Woman's Study Bible in the blue/brown leathersoft cover is absolutely gorgeous! This richly decorated Bible also contains a lot of helps inside that make it a truly nice Bible for doing Bible study. The Woman's Study Bible is in a nice sized 10.5 font so it is easily readable. The study notes are also fairly large. The print throughout the Bible is quite dark although the pages are thin like many Bibles. It is also red letter, which I like. Each book of the Bible has an introduction and an outline. Then throughout the Bible, there are biographical portraits of women, insightful essays on various topics relevant to today's world, quotes from godly women throughout history, and a lot of full-color maps, charts. family trees, and timelines. At the back of The Woman's Study Bible are a topical index and concordance for easy reference. I can't begin to tell you how much I like this Bible. All of the features work together to create a Bible that is easy...

Charles Spurgeon has been impacting people through his sermons since the late 1800s. He has been called the "Prince of Preachers." Holman has recently released a Spurgeon Study Bible to feature Charles Spurgeon's excerpts chosen and edited by Alistair Begg. The CSB Spurgeon Study Bible features the text of the Christian Standard Bible "which stays as literal as possible to the Bible's original meaning without sacrificing clarity." Along with the Bible text, this Bible features an introductory biography of Charles Spurgeon, study notes taken from Spurgeon's sermons, extracted sermon illustrations on the same page as the Bible text it was taken from, Sermon notes and outlines written in Spurgeon's own handwriting, Spurgeon's quotes inserted throughout the Bible and book introductions with Spurgeon's insights. I like this new Spurgeon Study Bible so much! Besides all of the Spurgeon information, which I find interesting and want to lea...