Customer Reviews

Serendipity Bible: New International Version 4th Edition (10th Anniversary edition)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was first introduced to this Bible when I was 14 years old; that was 16 years ago. I have since used this Bible to help teens get into reading God's word daily and journaling the questions and answers. This Bible was designed with group study in mind but I have found it to be one of the best for individual daily study as well. It has thought provoking questions that really help you think about what you have read and makes it applicable to your life. I have had teens tell me that they just couldn't get into reading God's word because it was hard to understand and boring. When I gave them this Bible they were amazed at how now they were understanding and excited to read. The questions in the margins and the short bible studies within the books helped make it more than words on a page. I HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS BIBLE FOR TEENS.

If anyone is looking for a Bible that aids in group Bible studies then this Bible is the one for you. Many Bible study teachers often lack the knowledge to guide members in a thorough study of the Bible. This is due to the fact that there are no proper guides in many of the study Bibles that are out there (though the "NIV Study Bible" and the "Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible" are somewhat exceptions). The problem with many study Bibles is that they just provide brief commentaries on the passage at the bottom. The problem, however, with this is that they do not challenge the reader to critically examine the passage themselves. It provides explanations but does not push readers to think through the passage. This Bible, however, provides a series of questions at the side of the page for the readers to think through carefully. This greatly aids teachers and readers to ask the relevant questions pertaining to a passage to effectively lead a study group.

I've been training Christian college students for 13 years now in Christian education and if there was only ONE resource for effective Bible teaching I could issue as a textbook, it would be "The Serendipity Bible."

Bar none, the best Bible teaching resource you can get your hands on.

Why? Because the secret to Bible teaching comes from the golf course. If you want learning to occur you have to "drive for show (be creative) but putt for dough (spark understanding and application of the Word). Creativity is vitally important to teaching the scriptures (the first step to boredom is predictability) but if you can't invoke insight, thought, reflection, application and understanding, you'll never win in effective Bible teaching.

This resource won't help you be more creative (plenty of great other resources there) but it will do the ONE thing most Bible teachers can't do: ask the RIGHT questions! Even seasoned professors may never learn that lesson. The Serendipity Bible solves the "question" hurdle. It powerfully packs into every Bible passage helpful introduction, study and application questions. It's a perfect companion for creating excellent small group studies, handouts or spontaneous Bible discussion times.

To tell you the truth, I rarely write reviews for books but this one is different. Once you start using it, you won't want to be without it. Guaranteed.

A Professor of Christian Education and Youth Ministry

A great Bible that we use for small group devotionals. This Bible leads in with generalized questions and brings out the important messages. Especially great for smaller fellowships to learn more about the word of God. All you have to do is open up your home and provide the snacks.

I've had this bible for quite some for personal study and love it. This bible has study questions along with a passage to help you identify the ideas/themes of the passage. Working through these questions helps me to discover the truth and remember (vs. just reading notes on the bottom of the page). Also included in the questions are cross references to other passages to reinforce or help interpret the what's happening. Each book has background information on who, when, what. An excellent tool for group AND personal study.

I've been leading a study with this Bible for 3 years.

I'm no Bible scholar. For everyone who has said, "Gee, I wish there were a Bible Study for just my particular group," you have no excuse any longer.

YOU can lead a study from this Bible. There are many different slants to the studies: women, men, singles, recovery from addiction, parenting, marriage, finances, etc.

I love it, and I just bought a second one to give to a friend who asked me to start a study. I'll just hand her the Bible and say, "You're on your own!"

It's really that easy.

This Bible contains great tools for helping groups explore every section of the Bible. Each section moves from exploratory questions that are inviting at any level of Bible knowledge or group dynamic to questions that help one search for deeper meaning and personal application. A must have tool for anyone who leads Bible study groups.

This Bible is a must for any teacher or small group leader. It includes discussion questions related to each scripture passage which are practical and interesting. It can be used as a supplement to other curriculum or enable a teacher to create his/her own lessons from scratch. This Bible takes much of the work out of teaching.

This Bible is great for anyone wantign to lead small group discussions. Using the Serendipty approach, each passage of the Bible has Opening, studying, and closing questions. Following the guidelines set forth, it is easy to use these questions to create an entire small group discussion time. Furthermore, this Bible has many, many, ready-made lessons divided into categories such as: Youth, Singles, Family, Married, Men, Women, Marketplace, etc. Its all in this one Bible. I have found that this Bible ot only provides me with ready-made questions, but enhances my le3sson preparation in other ways. When leadign a discussion, I can always look to the margins for a question to ask. Sometimes, the questions lead me to an area of study I haven't considered. This is a must-have for any small group leader!

What is most unique about this Bible is that this Bible contains more questions than answers! Almost every page is filled with questions to start a discussion (if you are leading a bible study), questions to help you reflect on what the text is saying, and questions to apply to your daily life. For me, the questions help me think through a passage much better than just reading what a commentator wants to say about that passage in a study bible. I can also take the questions and do further research and reading.

This Bible is also filled with resources for bible study for different groups such as men, women, singles, etc., topical bible studies etc. I didn't give it a 5 star only because 1) I should have bought a hard cover copy instead of soft cover, 2) I wish they would have included maps in it but that is pretty minor.

Ben