Saturday, January 21, 2012

Live Reflectively; Live Abundantly

recommended by Suzie Johnson

Those looking for a new Bible study may want to consider one or both of the two latest books in The Fresh Life Series.

Published by David C Cook, this is a series of Bible studies marketed as being “created for women who crave a profound experience of God’s Word without an overwhelming time commitment.” Appropriate for women at all levels of spiritual maturity, these books are intended to inspire women to deepen their relationship with God.

Each chapter is divided into five lessons that can be done in twenty minutes per day without skimping on food for thought. Each day is nicely divided into five sections that are presented in an easy to follow manner that flows from one section to the next. These studies can be individual, or group studies. A leader’s guide is provided.

Each Day You Will:
Lift up – each day begins with a prayer
Look at – Scripture reading followed by questions relating to the passage
Learn about – the margins on each page are filled with interesting facts
Live out – applying the day’s lesson to one’s own life
Listen to – each day ends with a quote appropriate to the day’s lesson

Live Reflectively: Lessons from the Watershed Moments of Moses by Lenya Hertzig explores the life of Moses and the many ways his life reflects Jesus. My favorite chapter in this book is titled A Rogue Wave, and talks about one of my favorite images: the pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites on their journey. (I wrote a post on this very subject last year. If you’d like to read it, you may click here.)

Live Abundantly: A Study in the Book of Ephesians by Lenya Hertzig and Penny Rose is a study of Ephesians and leads readers on a journey to discover God’s gifts of spiritual treasures. The authors start out reminding us we are God's daughters, His heavenly saints. What better way to infuse an abundance of joy into our hearts and minds before starting a study? 

Bible studies are the most valuable when they encourage readers to dig deep and take a closer look at their lives in relation to their walk with God. With their enjoyable teaching style, the authors succeed in prompting readers to reflect on how life’s events have shaped and influenced them and how they can use those lessons to continue growing on their spiritual journey.  

There are several other books in this series, and each one looks as good as the one before. I'm planning to try Live Beautifully: A Study in the Books of Ruth and Esther, and Live Deeply: A Study in the Parables of Jesus.

You can find out more about the Fresh Life Series at either the Fresh Life website: http://freshlifeseries.com/ 
or at the publisher's website: 

Suzie Johnson has won several awards for her inspirational novels (writing as Susan Diane Johnson), including the Maggie, Lone Star, Heart of the West, and Beacon awards, and has been a finalist in the Touched by Love, Finally A Bride, Linda Howard Award for Excellence, and Virginia's Fool For Love contests. She is a member of ACFW, RWA, and is a cancer registrar at her local hospital. The mother of a wonderful young man who makes her proud every day, she lives with her husband and naughty little cat on an island in the Pacific Northwest. And although the beaches are rocky instead of sandy, lined with Madronas and Evergreens instead of Palm trees, and the surf is much too cold for wading, it is still the perfect spot for writing romantic fiction. You can visit her blog, Suzie's Writing Place at http://suzieswritingplace.blogspot.com/.

6 comments:

  1. These sound really cool. Must let my pastor's wife know about them.

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  2. Dina, I was thinking they'd make a good study for Ladies Class. Ours is doing Ruth, but not this series. It was supposed to start Monday, but we had that snowstorm.

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  3. They are, DeAnna, and one thing I forgot to mention is the feel of the covers. I know that sounds weird, but the covers feel cool. I'm not sure, but I think it's from the matte finish. Not a reason to buy a book, of course, but I just love the feel.

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  4. Thanks, Suzie. This sounds really interesting. I'll mention it in church tomorrow, too. :)

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  5. Thanks, Anita. I hope someone you tell will be blessed by one of these studies.

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