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Hebrews (Life Application Bible Studies: NLT)

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Life Application Bible Studies: Hebrews

Tyndale has published a massively useful and thoroughly engaging study-guide for those Christians looking for help in understanding one of the more difficult New Testament books. Based on their New Living Translation, the guide is comprised of two major sections. First, the text and notes of the NLT are offered and second, a series of 13 'lessons' naturally based on the 13 chapters of Hebrews.

The lessons consist of a set of questions (called 'Reflections'), a 'quiz' on the content of the biblical text and textual notes (titled 'Read'), a section called 'Realize', one called 'Respond' (which is of course self explanatory) and finally 'Resolve'. The questions are designed either for personal or group use.

The heart of the guide, though, is of course the biblical text. The translational basis is introduced rather thoroughly and then it commences. The text is fair to the original language (here of course that being Greek) and the notes are unashamedly and unabashedly Christian. Unapologetically the editors assert the truth of Christianity's claims, and that's the most refreshing part. In a day when editions of the Bible are often besmirched by rather sterile and uninteresting marginal notes and explanations, the NLT is thoroughly Christian in outlook and result.

For example, in explaining two very difficult and controversial passages, the editors don't shirk from plain speaking. At Hebrews 6:4-6 the notes assert that 'those who persist in believing are true saints; those who continue to reject Christ are unbelievers, no matter how well they behave' (p. 13). Further, at 6:6, the write observes 'However, the author does not indicate that his readers were in danger of renouncing Christ (see 6:9). He is warning against hardness of heart that would make repentance inconceivable for the sinner' (ibid.).

This Christocentric focus continues at 10:26-29 where we learn that '' the point is that there is no other acceptable sacrifice for sin than the death of Christ on the cross. If someone deliberately rejects the sacrifice of Christ after clearly understanding the Good News teaching about it, then there is no way for that person to be saved, because God has not provided any other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them' (p. 22).

No one reading this study guide will be able to come away from it with anything other than a clear and precise understanding of the intention and purpose of the book of Hebrews and a firm grasp of its underlying theology. I highly recommend it.

Tyndale House has expanded the reach of its excellent Life Application Study Bible through its line of Life Application Bible Studies. These study books offer the text from the Life Application Study Bible for a specific book of the Bible, and add a study guide and workbook. The result is a perfect Bible Study booklet for use in small group Bible studies.

I was privileged to get the Hebrews NLT Life Application Bible Studies booklet through my participation in the Tyndale Blog Network. This study booklet on Hebrews is packed full of information and provides a wonderful resource to be used in all kinds of different Bible studies or small groups. Students of every level will benefit from the text study notes and the well framed questions in the workbook.

While one could argue against including the introduction to the New Living Translation and the Life Application Study Bible in a simple Bible study booklet, I actually enjoyed reading through that material. It increased my respect for the NLT translation, and made it easier to follow the study notes as presented in the Life Application Study Bible text.

After the text is given, the 13 lessons on Hebrews follow. Don't think the lessons line up perfectly with the chapters of Hebrew (13 lessons for 13 chapters), they don't (which I think is a good thing). The study follows the flow of Hebrews more closely. Each study starts with a reflection section, asking questions which will draw the reader into the topic the lesson is focusing on. Then the section of the text of Hebrews to read for that lesson is noted, along with which study notes are especially helpful to read. Some questions about the reading follow, and then a "realize the principle" section states the main point of the lesson in a few sentences. Several more questions follow and then a "respond to the message" section includes questions designed to help the reader/student apply the lesson to their life. A "resolve to take action" section sums up the application to be gained from that lesson, and a few points for further study are offered.

I found the questions to be both practical and true to the text. The study is careful but it doesn't go too in-depth. The "for further study" section allows Bible study groups who want to, to explore the deeper or more controversial areas of the text. And the study notes in the text that aren't read could provide some help for this.

What's also nice about the study booklet is that there are spaces provided for the answers to each question to be recorded. The text is in the booklet so everything you need is in one handy source. Not every study member is likely to have the NLT text so it is nice to have it in the booklet for one to compare with their own translation. Literal translations will make a great comparison to the NLT and allow the careful reader to observe how and where the NLT makes the meaning of various passages more explicit for modern readers.

The study on Hebrews would make for an excellent adult bible study. It's well done and allows enough of a gap for a small group leader or teacher to add his own unique input into the study. I recommend this study booklet to everyone most heartily.

First of all, thanks go out to Tyndale House for this review copy of Hebrews, Life Application Bible Studies (NLT).

I took my time with this book study, and am glad I did. Hebrews points out the supremacy of Christ and the need for the body to persevere corporately and individually as they follow him. Using a bounty of Old Testament Scripture to firmly cement Christ's mission and person, it stands out as a powerful encouragement to trust in Christ alone. As for this study, I really enjoyed the insightful questions that challenge the reader to do more than just regurgitate the text. The lessons were reasonable in length; I would estimate I spent about half and hour on each lesson (not counting the "in-depth" questions), and then more time on my own in Hebrews on the side.

This book covers the book of Hebrews in 13 lessons. It is made up of two parts. Part 1 is the full text of the book of Hebrews, with footnotes at the bottom of each page, and scripture references in the gutter. Footnotes that will be assigned as reading in the lesson are marked with a dot. Part 2 is the lesson questions, with space for notation. Each lesson is divided into 5 basic parts:

1. Introductory questions that do not require reading of the Scripture, but introduce the topics to be addressed. These could be used as warm-up questions if this study was done in a group setting.
2. Scripture assignment, with specific footnotes assigned for review to reinforce and support the reading.
3. Questions that deal with the content of the Scripture
4. Questions that require personal reflection and application of the principles found through part 3. This section has an introductory remark that highlights the major theme of the reading.
5. Additional questions for more in-depth study.

I thought that the reading was divided well, and that the questions were well written to make the reader go back over Scripture and apply it. The fact that the entire text of Hebrews is provided in the text make this a very portable Bible study for someone who is on-the-go. However, this comes with a price. There are many scripture references in the gutter - Hebrews is full of Old Testament references - and if you go the route of only carrying this study with you, deeper study will be impossible at the time. And there is no way of getting around double book-marking with this study if using the provided scripture text, since the lessons are not inline. I'm torn as to whether this is good or bad. Having scripture chopped up throughout the lessons makes me cringe. Overall, I think multiple markers is the lesser of two evils.

I would gladly suggest this study to individuals and groups. Hebrews is a great book for personal study in its own right, and the lesson authors do a great job of bringing the richness of the book to the forefront.

This is a great one volume/one source Bible Study of the Book of Hebrews. It provides the reader background and history on the text in one neat and clean presentation. The complete text of Hebrews is included along with an application commentary for selected verses. There are lessons and discussion questions for each chapter of Hebrews and this will make a great accompaniment to the Life Application Study Bible.

The study guide is easy to use with the first part of the book containing the complete text of Hebrews(NLT), easy to understand study notes, application notes, and biblical profiles along with the same maps and charts you would find in the Life Application Study Bible.

The second part of this guide includes thirteen lessons meant to stimulate thought, discussion, and practical application. There is plenty of space to write answers to the questions and there are special applications that will help you map out your own personal plan of action.

This volume has everything that you would need to encourage growth in the knowledge of Scripture and to learn how to apply it to their lives. I would highly recommend this study guide to everyone.

I admit I was a little leery of a Bible study specifically meant to be application focused. I feared it might be too much focused on "me" like many studies I have picked up. I tend to want a study to teach me more about God and his attributes and his redemptive plan for man. This study did just that.

I was pleased that the commentary section of the study was actually quite good and detailed. It was nice to have the Scripture text on the same page as the extensive commentary. Some nice charts and tables were included as well.

I especially appreciated that the editors commented when certain changes were made in the New Living Translation from the original manuscripts. For instance, the translation often changed "brothers" to "brothers and sisters".

The questions in the study section of the book are divided into 13 sections. Some are questions from the text while others encourage the participant to reflect on his or her life. Both types of questions are helpful and should make the meaning of the text more memorable.

I liked the small size of the book which made it very easy to carry around as I was completing the study.

I believe I will go through this study with my 9-year old son once we begin our homeschool year. He is ready for more than just Bible stories at this point and I believe we will both enjoy going through the study together.

In summary, the Hebrews Life Application book is a good Bible study for anyone who wants to dig deeper and find the treasures written in the Bible to help us to glorify God by living our life as followers of the true Christ written of in the Bible.Hebrews (Life Application Bible Studies: NLT)

When I first opened the book, it looked a bit intimidating. I was not sure where to start. The print is on the small size, but besides these few complaints, this is a wonderful study where you will be richly blessed by its content. Once I figured out how to navigate myself through the study of Hebrews, I saw many lessons in a new light along with learning all about the history of the text. Included in the book is the complete text of Hebrews along with a verse by verse breakdown. In the back of the book there are lessons and discussions.

In the lesson, the book focuses on the Five R's:

Reflect
Read
Realize
Respond
Resolve

This is a wonderful resource to have on your shelf.

I received a review copy of this study from Tyndale and, while I appreciate the format, I found that the notes did more to lose the meaning of the text than illuminate it. Hebrews is written to keep a community together under the greatness of Jesus' ministry, while the life application notes are all about what it means for "me."

So, while the format is good (though the text really is small the combination of materials is ambitious and usually well laid-out), the content of the notes seem to only tangentially be related to the actual book of Hebrews and keeps it from being usable in the church I pastor.

I love this Bible Study of the Book of Hebrews. It gives me so much background and history on the text that I'm reading it's so much easier to understand it. The complete text of Hebrews is included along with a breakdown verse by verse. There are lessons and discussion questions for each book of Hebrews. This is a great accompaniment to the Life Application Study Bible.

This would be an excellent resource for personal study, small group Bible study, or even if you're teaching Sunday School or leading a small group study.

The study guide is easy to use with the first part of the book including the complete text of Hebrews(NLT), easy to understand study notes, application notes, and biblical profiles along with maps & charts like you would find in the Life Application Study Bible.

The second part of this guide includes thirteen lessons meant to stimulate thought, discussion, and practical application. There is plenty of space to write answers to the thought provoking questions and there are special applications that will help you map out your own personal plan of action.

There are six parts to each lesson: Reflect, Read, Realize, Respond, Resolve and More.

This volume has everything that you would need to encourage one to grow in the knowledge of Scripture and to learn how to apply it to their lives. I would highly recommend this study guide to everyone.

The only problem that I did have with this study was that the print was soooo small. I would think that it could be very difficult for many people to read and use. Other than that I thought that it was a wonderful resource and would love to purchase more in this series.
Glitter Text Generator

If I had anything to do with teaching and/or organizing a church small group I would use this resource. It is perfect for that type of teaching setting. It can also be useful for a mid-week Bible study at your local church.

The Life Application Bible Studies series includes the New Living Translation of the biblical text (in this case the Book of Hebrews). There are study footnotes provided along with the text for when you are reading along either in preparation to teach a lesson, leading a small group, or just participating in some sort of Bible study.

Next you will find thirteen lessons on the Book of Hebrews with a guide on how to use this section. The lessons include the following:
Lesson 1: God's Best: Hebrews Introduction
Lesson 2: No Escape: 1:1-2:4
Lesson 3: Man Alive! 2:5-18
Lesson 4: Hardening of Hearts: 3:1-19
Lesson 5: Rest Stop: 4:1-5:10
Lesson 6: Get Growing: 5:11-6:12
Lesson 7: A Priest Forever: 6:13-7:28
Lesson 8: Direct Line: 8:1-13
Lesson 9: Real Forgiveness: 9:1-10:18
Lesson 10: Hold On!: 10:19-39
Lesson 11: Faithfully His: 11:1-40
Lesson 12: Get in the Race! 12:1-29
Lesson 13: Don't Forget! 13:1-25

As you can see there is a lesson for every section of the book. Once you have gone through each lesson you will have taught the entire Book of Hebrews. If you are thinking about doing a study like this you should consider purchasing Tyndale's resource.

The Life Application Bible Studies are condensed treatments of Bible books that are plentiful in information and focused on life application (thus the title!). There are two aspects of this volume on which I want to comment: the format and the content.

Concerning the format, each guide boasts several features designed to facilitate familiarity with the Bible book and aid in navigating its contents. These include notes, book introductions (which is further subdivided), outline, personality profiles, maps, charts and diagrams, cross-references, textual notes, and highlighted notes. The lessons are laid out very well and only employ certain features on each page, thus not overloading the reader. A slight drawback (as is the case with smaller-sized guides) is the small print. While easy enough to read for many, some may find the text a little too small.

The content of this particular volume was very informative and reflected a conservative interpretation of the text (which I prefer!). Hebrews can be a tough book for many students, especially when dealing with the use of the Old Testament throughout. Part 1 of the book, which is the biblical text along with all of the notes and other features mentioned, is taken largely from the NLT Study Bible. Part 2 is comprised of study questions that are based on smaller segments of the biblical text. The authors' goal was "to write thoughtful, practical, dependable, and application-oriented studies of God's Word" (p. 33), and to this end they are largely successful. Applying Scripture to modern scenarios is a task that requires diligence and discernment and I believe that the authors have posed questions that rightly reflect the intent of the passages chosen. There are always minor things that one will find in such questions that perhaps could have been better worded or more targeted, but there is nothing here that should give attentive Bible students pause.

The downside that often comes with Bible studies such as this is the lack of depth concerning the exegetical process and argumentation. Again, as mentioned previously, this is purposeful in that these are not full-blown commentaries, but guides designed to facilitate a greater understanding of Bible books without the often-cumbersome reading of technical exegetical treatments. Even so, there were a few places where more information concerning how the author arrived at a certain conclusion would have been helpful. Nevertheless, this guide fulfills the purpose for which it was created.

The Life Application Bible Studies are a great resource for Bible students of varying levels of knowledge and should prove to be a useful tool in studying and teaching God's Word.