Through the Bible, Through the Year: Daily Reflections from Genesis to Revelation (Hardcover)

~ John Stott (Author)
Key Phrases: Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

While many Christians are aware of and even adhere to the church calendar, few understand how it can enrich the way they read the Bible. Realizing this widespread need, respected preacher and scholar John Stott has assembled a new book that will guide readers through the Bible according to the church calendar. Seeking to renew a Trinitarian approach to Scripture, Stott divides these daily reflections into three sections. From September to December, Stott focuses on how God the Father revealed himself in the Old Testament. From January through Pentecost, he focuses on the life of Christ in and through the Gospels. And between May and August, Stott looks at the Holy Spirit in Acts, the epistles, and Revelation. Any Christian seeking to better understand the correlation between the calendar structure and the biblical story will be greatly enriched by this new material.

From the Back Cover

"I can't think of anyone who has been more effective in introducing so many people to a biblical worldview. He represents a touchstone of authentic biblical scholarship that, in my opinion, has scarcely been paralleled since the days of the 16th century European Reformers."-Billy Graham in Time magazine John Stott is without question one of the most beloved and significant pastors and authors of the last fifty years. Named by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the world's 100 most influential people and as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America, Stott commands a huge following that defies his quiet demeanor. Now, in Through the Bible, Through the Year, Stott offers original, never-before-published reflections on the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. These daily readings take you through the Scriptures with an emphasis on both the "big picture" of the story of God and the nature of God as Trinity. Christians seeking a stronger, holistic grasp on the Bible will treasure this work that overflows with wisdom gleaned from a life of study and reflection by an internationally beloved pastor and scholar. John Stott is an internationally acclaimed preacher and scholar. He is the author of many works, including Basic Christianity and What Christ Thinks of the Church. He lives in London, England.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801012678
• ISBN-13: 978-0801012679
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #148,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking daily devotional, February 10, 2007

By	Stephen Byrd (Sunnyvale, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Daily devotionals come in many varieties -- from simple one paragraph reminders of the fundamentals of the Christian faith, to several pages of relatively in-depth bible study on a short passage. Stott's book falls into the latter category. With one page per day, it's not too much to read when time is short, but the thoughts recorded within are clear, concise, and well worth thinking about for the rest of the day.
If you're having trouble spending time in God's word daily (as I was), then I definitely recommend this devotional. Start with just reading a page a day -- once this becomes a habit, you can breaking out your bible and reading the passage referenced as well as the devotional. Regardless though, reading a page from this devotional and spending time discussing it with God is an excellent way to draw nearer to Him.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Apostle Paul gives three striking examples of how divine power can be shown through human weakness., June 5, 2007

By	FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

While the Bible is central to the Christian faith, polls and surveys have repeatedly shown how little people know about the holy book and how rarely they read it. With John Stott's new book, any Christian can be given a guided tour of the Bible in short doses throughout the year.

The majority of devotional Bible reading books starts in January, but this one is different. While you can pick it up anytime, if you want to start at the beginning and follow to the end, the readings begin the first week of September. Organized in 52-week segments, the readings follow the liturgical church calendar, which divides into three periods, each containing four months. From September to December, Stott focuses on how God the Father revealed himself in the Old Testament. From January through Pentecost, he focuses on the life of Christ in and through the Gospels. And between May and August, Stott looks at the Holy Spirit in Acts, the epistles, and Revelation.

Each day includes an achievable one-page reading with a Bible verse, a brief devotional thought and some further Bible reading with a reference to between three and five verses. Each devotional is a simple yet inspirational focus on a different portion of the Bible from Stott, who has spent a lifetime creating commentaries on various books of the Bible. For each reading, an individual gains an experienced mentor through the difficult and story sections of the Bible with insight from this theologian.

As an example, consider his look into 2 Corinthians during week 44 in the book's third section. The Sunday devotion titled "Power through Weakness" begins, "The lust for power has been a characteristic of the human story ever since Adam and Eve were offered power in exchange for disobedience. Still today the pursuit of money, fame, and influence is a concealed drive for power. We see it in politics and in public life, in big business and industry, in the professions and the media, and even in the church and in parachurch organizations. Power! It is more intoxicating than alcohol, more addictive than drugs."

Then, on a single page, Stott describes how the Apostle Paul gives three striking examples of how divine power can be shown through human weakness. God uses the weak vessels of this world through the power of His spirit to shame the strong. It teaches a pointed lesson --- and is just one example of the multiple teaching points in this powerful devotional book.

Many people know Stott from his 1982 bestseller BASIC CHRISTIANITY, which has sold over two million copies. Now, with THROUGH THE BIBLE, THROUGH THE YEAR, he touches the readers' hearts and connects them to the inspirational words from the Bible yet in daily bite-sized sections. For a heart-rending journey, I recommend this book.


--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a Guided Tour Through the Scriptures with this Respected Scholar, August 25, 2006

By	W. Terry Whalin "Publisher/ Editor / Writer" (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviews

What if you could read through the Bible shoulder to shoulder with a Bible scholar? Wouldn't the experience keep you motivated and give you an "edge" to keep going? It's what you get with THROUGH THE BIBLE, THROUGH THE YEAR.

Dr. John Stott, best-known for his BASIC CHRISTIANITY gives a fresh, devotional look at the Scriptures. Each day is loaded with spiritual insight and highly recommended.