Book Review: The Expanded Bible

Recently I got my hands on a copy of The Expanded Bible put out by Thomas Nelson. This is an modified version of the New Century Version with a ton of valuable extras, all in one handy location. The Bible has, in bold, the main text of the New Testament. Using brackets and a non-bold font, it then “expands” the text to include various notes and study helps to deepen your understanding of the passage. These expansions include:

    [...] expanded understanding of the text
    [L] literal renderings of the text
    [T] more traditional translations of the text
    [or] alternate translations of the text
    [C] commentary on the text

Overall, I love the concept of this Bible and the information it contains. I am in love with the idea of the text, other translations, commentary, and study notes contained in one volume. With The Expanded Bible, it is not necessary to have multiple other Bibles or commentaries littering your desk as you study the Scriptures.

When I first started reading The Expanded Bible, it took some time to really understand the flow of how it works. There is so much information and so many brackets and notations, my brain tended to get bogged down at first. Once you get into the flow, though, this resource is incredibly valuable.

But, these drawbacks are minimal when compared to the wealth of value found in these pages. I would highly recommend this Bible to any serious student of the Bible.

Book Review: The Lucado Inspirational Reader

Anyone who knows me, knows I am an AVID Max Lucado fan. I've read many of his books and I have a whole stack of others I've bought with the intention of reading through. If thats not enough, I've also borrowed even more from friends who had books I didn't have yet. So needless to say I find Max Lucado to be an incredible writer. I recommend him to anyone who wishes to read a Christian book that will draw you closer to God in a way that is natural and fluid. His stories are deep and meaningful. He has a way of writing that will draw you into the story, into the moment and hold you there so that you can experience first hand the incredible majesty of God.

This particular book is a Max Lucado fan's dream come true! All of the best quotes and stories from more than 50 different books he's written all in one place. It's well organized into 27 meaningful categories for easy access to relevant writings and even contains a topical index in the back of the book. I am extremely impressed with this book and recommend it to everyone who knows and loves Lucado's writing and even to those who have never even heard of him. This is a great way to introduce someone to his writings and would be an excellent gift to friends, coworkers and family of all ages.

Comfort and the cross. Faith and  forgiveness. Salvation and spiritual refreshment. Spend a few minutes or a couple of hours at the foot of the cross. Take a moment or an afternoon to search the heart of the Savior. Seize a second for a second chance. Return to these words time and again for a dose of hope and encouragement straight from Max's heart to yours.