Customer Reviews

Life Principles from the Prophets of the Old Testament (Following God Character Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Several Bible study groups in my church recently used this book as a guide. It is organized into daily material for 12 weeks (1 prophet/week) and focuses on their experiences more than teachings. The study is very in-depth. Each "day" will take 30-60 minutes for the diligent student. If you are planning a group around this guide, weekly discussions may be too often because of the depth.

Strengths... highly in-depth and insightful. Our study group really enjoyed scouring through this OT material because it is not as familiar as other parts of the Bible. After the reader answers a question, the author writes his take on the question, which I found very helpful. In a lot of study guides, it's hard to know where the author is leading, but this method solves that problem. Excellent time line, cross-reference, and background information is provided throughout. It really tied together some OT themes and history for me.

Weaknesses... Concerning OT prophets for whom scant biographical information is documented in the Bible, the authors had to stretch. It is particularly awkward in the Isaiah section, where the author pursues a pride theme for the prophet that is not evident in the text. But this problem only pops up in a couple spots and discerning readers will catch these weaknesses and bring them into the group discussion.

Overall, excellent study guide. I have been consistently frustrated with study guides that are too superficial and ask obvious questions. This guide goes much deeper and offers well-researched background information. I look forward to trying other guides in this series.

The 'Following God series" is a wonderful study and tool. We are using it for our Home Bible Fellowship group; the study is lengthy but light and meaty enough for all!

We ordered this Bible study for our small group because we wanted a broad Old Testament focus so that our group members could become more comfortable with this portion of the Bible. It has worked well for that purpose, and the price is certainly right - about $5 cheaper than at most Christian bookstores. However, some of the studies have been a little disappointing; sometimes basing most of the lesson on an assumption about the prophet's life that isn't really known rather than focusing on his message. Isaiah was particularly disappointing in light of the incredible depth of that book... I felt they did it a disservice. But overall it has been a good study and challenging to our group.

This is a great bible study. Very educational, includes timelines maps and interesting facts from time period. Each lesson includes a relevant background of the prophet under study that week. Aside from the historical information the study provides spiritual insight and time for reflection and prayer. This bible study is well worth the time. Like most, the lessons are divided into daily sections, which are not overwhelming and short enough to do each day. It also leaves a lot open for discussion, good for small group studies.

I'm really enjoying this study so far. I have done Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and Precepts in the past but it's just too hard to get out with 2 small kids. This is just perfect for me right now. No, it's not as in-depth as I'm used to. But for a workbook study, I think this is one of the better studies I've done. I like that there's not a lot of personal reflection. And I feel that the authors are giving me a fair amount of background to help me better understand what's taking place historically during these prophets lives.