~~Words~~ What is in a word? ~~ Or rather, what is in THE Word!~~ Enduring Word Study Bible Review and Giveaway

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Are you new to studying the Bible, or are you very familiar with Bible study tools? First and foremost, is of course, a Bible. After that, people utilize the features found in many Bibles including center column references, a concordance, and also a commentary (usually separate from the physical Bible being held in the hands. We could call these the 3C's of Bible study. 

Center Column References (or bottom of page references) show how the verses of the Bible cross-reference one another, or create a "chain" of ideas. 
Concordance~ My first memories of this word "Concordance" relates to the relatively small list of words in the back of most(?) Bibles, and the major references where they can be found, and also of my Dad's Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, which was a HUGE book, filled with ALL of the words of the Bible (KJV), references of ALL the places they could be found, their definitions, and the Greek and Hebrew lexicons. It's a fantastic study resource, and I greatly appreciate today's availability and ease online use. 

Commentaries are typically books or series of books, usually with a single Biblical scholar or pastor's insights and thoughts, often written verse by verse. God’s Word is meant to be known—and lived. God wants you to know, understand, and apply His Word. But sometimes you need help making sense of a tricky passage or knowing what it means to live in light of the Bible’s teaching, and that is exactly what a commentary can help you with.

I frequently use the Blue Letter Bible App, and occasionally check out one more commentaries. I usually go to the ones that I am familiar with, but I had fairly recently noticed the name David Guzik, so I was pleased to be given the opportunity to check out the newly published Enduring Word Study Bible, with commentary by David Guzik.  

David Guzik (Author & General Editor) Bio:

David Guzik is a pastor, Bible teacher, and author of the Bible commentary used by millions at EnduringWord.com. David has been in Christian service for more than 40 years, including two church plants and more than seven years as a missionary in Germany where he was director and teacher for Calvary Chapel Bible College Germany. David and his wife, Inga-Lill, have three adult children and three grandchildren.

There is just something about holding a physical Bible in your hands, and actually turning to specific pages and passages as you study God's Word, and thus far I have appreciated being able to use this one. 
Just a side note on the name~ as a whole it works nicely, but I also appreciate it as it is broken down... 

~ ~ ~ Enduring Word ~ ~ ~ Word Study ~ ~ ~  Study Bible ~ ~ ~ 

For more than 20 years, readers have turned to Bible teacher David Guzik’s verse-by-verse commentary at EnduringWord.com as a source of practical and pastoral insights into the Scriptures. Now you can appreciate this same commentary in the Enduring Word Study Bible! 

Features include:

• Frontpage articles about the Encouraging Word Bible, "Getting to Know God" (An introduction to reading the Bible By David Guzik), and "about" the New King James Version (which tends to be what I memorize any new Scripture in, as it is the closest to KJV, which is what I know by heart best).
• 
  Introductions to every book of the Bible that explore key themes, tell you about the author, and give you things to "look for" when reading that specific book. (Purple rectangle in photo on the right)
• Study notes based on Guzik’s commentary assist you to explore the meaning of every chapter of the Bible. (Orange, Red, and Blue highlights in the photo on the right, showing the verses, and the corresponding notes down below)

• 
• 400 application notes to help you live in light of God’s Word. The one highlighted in the purple box in the photo on the left talks about the difference between saying vs doing (the idom "actions speak louder than words" has a Biblical Foundation!)

• 
  50 articles offering a deeper exploration of challenging or key topics throughout Scripture. One example talking about putting on the Full Armor of God is shown in the bottom purple highlighted rectangle in the photo on the right, with the study note highlighted right above it, and the verse in the text highlighted nearer to the top. 
• 
• Translators’ notes and cross references
• Line-matched, double-column typesetting
• Clear and readable 9.5-point NKJV Comfort Print®
• The Concordance, with over 200 entries is a great tool to use as a word study.  

Whether you are a new Christian, or you've been a Christ-follower for years, there are plenty of tools to help you explore the Enduring Word, as you use this Study Bible to grow closer to God. 

If this looks like a Bible for you or someone you know, you can purchase it anywhere Christian Books are sold (Including my affiliate Amazon links Hardcover $38.57*  Brown Leathersoft $54.98* Purple Leathersoft $53.68* Black Bonded Leather $75.03* if you're so inclined*prices at time of posting... dynamic pricing... not my favorite...).
This Thomas Nelson page has a link to locate your nearest Christian Bookstore, as well as links to Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, Barnes and Noble, and FaithGateway. 

You can also sign up for my giveaway! I would love to see this Bible go to a new Christian, or to someone who is seeking to find out more about God. There were so many people going to church for the first time in September~ desiring to read the Bible for the first time. If you are, or know someone who is, please... enter the giveaway! There are no strings beyond sending me your US street address, so the Bible can be sent to your door. :) 

Blessings~

Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

 #EnduringWordBibleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork @nelsonbibles @davidguzik @enduringwordcommentary

Peace: who, what, when, where, why, how? (Bible review and giveaway)

** Note, if viewing on a phone, turn horizontal for optimal reading. 

In a world full of chaos and uncertainty there is an something that can bring peace and calm to your life, regardless of the circumstance, and I have found ample evidence of this throughout my life, in various difficult and troubling circumstances. That "something" is the Word of God. 

Today I am delighted to share a new Bible that focuses on the peace that reading His Word can bring, the Peace of God Bible, published by Thomas Nelson, edited by Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD*. 

• Who~ Anyone and Everyone! You were made for peace, and to be a peacemaker. The story of the Bible is the story of peace—peace with God and with one another. 
• What~ Peace of God! But peace isn’t simply a feeling of calm or ease. It is a way of experiencing life as we were always meant to—in relationship with our Creator and with each other. We can recover a completeness that was once lost but is restored in the gospel.
• When/Where~ Any Time, and Any Place ~ Today is a great day to read God's Word! 
• Why~ Why the Bible? Because it is our sword (Protector) and guide  (the Lamp that lights our path), and God's instruction book, showing not only how to live, but also how to find and experience His Peace.
• How/Where~ Read, Memorize, Meditate. These are all excellent activities, and to answer this "where" question, of course, any Bible will do, but the Peace of God Bible makes it much easier to focus on finding peace through God's Word in a number of ways, and be equipped to share that peace with others.

Features include:

• Book introductions to help reveal the part peace plays in each book of the Bible
• Aesthetically, this text of this Bible features line-matched, double-column typesetting in clear and readable 9.5-point NKJV Comfort Print®
• Bottom-of-page translators’ notes and cross-references are useful study tools
• 365 devotionals based on a key verse or passage to guide you in how to receive and live by God’s peace. These can be found as you read through the Bible. If you would like to be more systematic, over 100 of the devotions are listed in a topical index to help you study on your own how God's peace can shape different relationships in your life. If you would like to use the 365 devotions daily for a year, you can find the references where they are found, by book, in the Features Index at the end of the Bible.  

          

• 365 peace notes can also be found in the Features index. These offer short, powerful insights to help you understand more deeply the wholeness you have in Christ. I would appreciate these a little more if they included (even in tiny font) the references of Scripture that they were drawn from, but they are good thoughts to carry through the day. 
  

• 3 Articles in the front pages explore what the peace of God is, how to find or recover it, and how to experience eternal salvation because of what God has done for you~ This is a great Bible to gift someone who is seeking to know more about the Gift of Salvation, and/or is looking for real and lasting peace~ the Peace of God! 
•  Concordance and previously mentioned Index of Features
  
  

I am drawn towards music on a daily basis, and love when I find songs that relate to whatever I am thinking about. When it comes to peace, and God's provision, there are so many good songs! 

Christian Musician Leanna Crawford's Still Waters (Psalm 23) includes these lyrics:

Great Aunt Maurine said at a hundred and three

"Write scripture on your heart for when you need it

'Cause anxiety hates Psalm 23

and later on...

Lord, I believe You can set mе at ease
Turn this broken piеce in me to peace and quiet
I know there's power in Your word
So I'll say it over and over 'til my soul's reminded

Jonny Diaz's song Breathe saysBreathe, just breathe

Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe

What does "rest at My feet" mean? I believe that Diaz is pointing us towards God's Word, and the Peace that passes all understanding that can be found there, especially if we are regularly reading and writing Scripture on our hearts, as mentioned in Crawford's song. 

Music is great, but the Bible is greater, it is the source of peace, the still water, or the anchor that holds when the water isn't still. 

The Peace Of God Bible is focused on showing how the scriptures point to 

finding not only peace WITH God, 

but also 

knowing the Peace OF God.

You can find purchasing options for yourself or as a gift at PeaceofGodBible.com, with links to Christian Book Distributers, Mardel, or your local bookstore (the Thomas Nelson site includes a local Bible Bookstore location finder, which is pretty nice!), or if you prefer to support some small change for a family, you can shop through my affiliate links on  Amazon [Brown Leathersoft] (Same Bible I received, list price is $59.99, currently $45.98). There are other color options (including a pretty purple, floral embossed Leathersoft cover), Hardcover, Softcover, and Genuine Leather. Prices currently range from $29.48 for the paperback to $89.59 for the Black Genuine Leather cover.

Here is a short video trailer for the Peace of God Bible, so you have a better feel of the size in hand. :) 

Thank you for reading this far~ please feel free to enter (and share!!!) this giveaway below. 

I love being given the opportunity to share physical copies of God's Word for Free! 

Blessings~

Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing a sample of the product for this review. 

Opinions are 100% my own.

*Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD, is an elected member of the preeminent New Testament scholarly guild Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) and ministers internationally as president of Christian Thinkers Society. Jeremiah loves the local church, and also serves as pastor of apologetics and cultural engagement at Prestonwood Baptist Church.

#PeaceOfGodBibleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork  @nelsonbibles, @_jeremiahj 

Hello, and Happy Fall, 2025!

Hey friends! Hope your fall is going well! The leaves have been much more gorgeous here in New England than I expected (due to the drought we had this summer).

Anyway, a couple of things~

1) Keep your eyes open for a new Bible Review and Giveaway post the first week of November. (And possibly a 2nd shortly thereafter) :)

2) Giveaways: Crowd-sourcing question... If you run giveaways on your blog, how do you go about that these days? My longtime platform for giveaways (Rafflecopter) is now defunct, and I'm not sure where to go. Thanks for any input you might have!

3) Pinterest: I just realized that I haven't kept my Pinterest boards up-to-date, so I just went through my blog posts and added *most of the Bibles and Devotionals that I've reviewed over the years. Adding the link to my Bible Pinterest board here.

https://pin.it/3kV8grgCW

4) Would love to hear from you all~ check in, tell me how you're doing!

If you are still on your homeschooling journey, let me know if you have any questions!

I'm almost done (final year for my youngest to get everything completed, and then I will be "retired" from homeschooling~
If you're in this stage, or have recently gone through it, I'd love to hear what you're doing now~ I have to figure out what I want to be when I'm done growing up (my kids 😉).

Blessings! Blessings~

Review: Alexander Maclaren Study Bible

Hello, Dear Readers!

I am back with another Bible review, the Alexander Maclaren Study Bible, NKJV, HarperCollins Christian Publishing. 

I was intrigued by this Bible, because although Alexander Maclaren was considered by many to be one of the best preachers of the 19th century (he was known as as the "Prince of Expositors"), and held positions in the Baptist Union of Great Britain, I was not particularly aware of him historically, being much more familiar with his contemporary (the "Prince of Preachers"), Charles H. Spurgeon. 

I was also interested, given my background as a Baptist PK (Preacher's Kid), in that he would have been a contemporary of my GGG-Grandfather, Hugh Duncan. Hugh, who would emigrate to Montana and become a Methodist circuit-riding preacher was born two years before Maclaren, also in Glasgow, Scotland. Just a lot of connections that I find interesting, and I only wish my dad was still around to have a conversation with about Maclaren.  

A little more background on Maclaren, before I dive into the review of the Bible. As mentioned, he was a contemporary of Spurgeon. They were both highly acclaimed ministers in Great Britain. Maclaren was more of the quiet, scholarly type, focusing on exegesis (critical explanation of a text and what its original intent and meaning is), and his published sermons were globally received with acclaim for remarkable biblical insights delivered in a poetic style vs Spurgeon's active ministry, which included traveling and preaching to large crowds, and establishing a college, orphanage, and publishing house (you could say he was the Billy Graham of his day). That being said, scholars continue to read and study Maclaren's works, and their poetic, timeless relevance are now available for us to enjoy in this new study Bible. 

Now about the Alexander Maclaren Study Bible. 

• Physically, it is very pleasing and impressive. The copy I was sent was the Black/Gray Leathersoft Comfort Print (It also comes in Brown Leathersoft, a light Blue Leathersoft, and a Hardcover version). 
• Little aesthetic details that I appreciate~ there are two bookmark ribbons (of different colors), and the gilt edges of the pages, which in this case are silver with a design.

• 
  The easy to read 9pt "Comfort Print"font used in this Bible is "exclusive to Thomas Nelson Comfort Print® type fonts uniquely created for the NKJV, KJV, NET, NIV, NASB. These exclusive family of fonts are expertly designed reflect the history and legacy of each translation, and also use the latest in the art and science of typography design to create a smooth reading experience."*
  
• 
  One of the first things I noticed was the huge concordance in the back. One of my favorite tools to use when using a study bible, and although not exhaustive, quite convenient!
• 
  Center-column cross-references that link topics throughout the entire Bible. 
  
• 
  Book introductions exploring each book’s background and key themes with insights from Maclaren’s work
  
• 
  Bottom of page study notes (over 1,400) in Maclaren's words gleaned from his over 1,500 published sermons. 
  
• 
  380 Christ Connection notes showing the relevance of Christ to all Scripture
• 380 Life Application notes to help you live out the Bible’s principles
  
• 209 Passage Outlines based on Maclaren’s sermon outlines help to guide in a systematic study of key texts
• 
  Index of Features just pior to the Concordance shows where the 3 previously mentioned features, the Christ Connection notes, the Life Application Notes, and the Passage Outlines can be found in each book of the Bible.
  
• One of the features mentioned talks about 8 included essays, but I was only able to locate 2 of them, curiously enough also the only two that are pictured on the website~ so, something to look for, I suppose? 
• p820 (in Isaiah) What is the Significance of Christ's Death?
• p1436 (in Hebrews) Why Did Maclaren Regard the Bible as Unique?

Ultimately, I am looking forward to using this Bible more, to discover fresh insights from a preacher that might have been a friend of my GGG-Grandfather! 

Purchase your copy of the Alexander Maclaren Study Bible today on Amazon or Thomas Nelson!

Blessings ~

 

Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#MaclarenStudyBibleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

*https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/comfort-print/