Is The Bible Reliable? This DVD and study guide is an invaluable resource that anyone with a high school or college student should have. This second DVD set in the TRUE U series by Focus on the Family is very well put together and provides the tools that students need for defending their Christian beliefs. This DVD set focuses on buildin the historical case for the Bible and has 2 disc with 5 episodes each (10 total). The topics discussed are:
1. The Patriarchal Narratives and Documentary Hypothesis
2. The Exodus
3. The Israelite Conquest
4. The United Kingdom of David and Solomon
5. Historicity of the Old Testament
6. The Babylonian Conquest of Judah
7. Canons of Historicity: The New Testament
8. Early Composition of Luke and Acts
9. External Corraboration
10. The Trial of Jesus
The episodes are filmed in a classroom style setting with a professor and several students. Each topic discussed focuses on showing historical and archaelogical evidence that the accounts in the Bible are true. I truly found these episodes to be fascinating. The items found in the excavations of the cities that the Israelites conquered gave extra-Biblical evidence that confirms many of the stories contained in the Bible. What I really like about this series is that the explanations given to give the Bible reliability are from sources outside of the Bible, such as historians and archaeologists.
Even such small details as name popularity and writing styles give proof to the accurate timeline depicted in the Bible. The excavations of the ancient Biblical cities have uncovered pottery, coins,and other items that were accurate to the time period, as well as external writings on tablets and cylinders that tell the same stories that are recorded in the Bible. All of these give evidence to the fact that the Bible is accurate and reliable.
We actually have been using this DVD with our high school students for our summer Bible study and they have really gotten a lot of valuable information out of it. I am so thanful to be able to equip our student with the tools to help them defend their faith. In a generation when so many of our young people are in need of resources to be able to not only say what they believe, but why they believe that way, this DVD will equip them in one more way to be able to give an answer to those who ask.
I highly recommend this DVD set. The study guide that comes with it allows the students to fill in the blank as they watch the series and has addition study helps in it as well.
I was provided with a copy of this DVD set by Tyndale House Publishers, but was under no obligation to give a positive review.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
My Review of An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser
An Unlikely Suitor was my first book to read by Nancy Moser and I must say that I really enjoyed it. The book tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Italian seamstress, Lucy and one of her wealthy clients, Rowena. When she was younger, Rowena suffered a leg injury and now walks with a limp. Rowena's parents have arranged for her to become engaged to Edward, an eligible suitor who will further their family business.
As Rowena and her family depart for Newport for the season, Rowena misses her friend and arranges for Lucy, and later her mother and sister, Sophia to come to Newport as well.
As Rowena tries to deepen her reltaionship with Edward, she begins to question if she is really doing the right thing to marry him as a business arrangement when there is someone else that she truly loves. Lucy is rescued by a man who is not of her social class, yet love begins to grow between them. Young Sophia also find a special friendship, yet is surrounded by questions from the beginning of how their relationship can ever work out as they are so young and from different social standings as well.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Rowena, Lucy and Sophia and how each of them feels as the story is brought to resolution. I especially liked the viewpoint of Sophia and how she matured from selfish to more thoughtful as the story progressed. I felt that the book gave the reader a lot to think about regarding the marriages of that time period for the upper class. The attention to historical detail was evident and made the story even more engaging.
I also appreciated the appendex at the end of the book that gave chapter by chapter details about historical items, places and facts that were mentioned. I am excited to further research some of the historical items that she wrote of.
After reading this book, I have already purchased another of Nancy Moser's books to read on my Kindle. If you are a fan of historical fiction and an enchanting love story, then this is the book for you!
I was provided with a copy of this book by Bethany House publishers but was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
As Rowena and her family depart for Newport for the season, Rowena misses her friend and arranges for Lucy, and later her mother and sister, Sophia to come to Newport as well.
As Rowena tries to deepen her reltaionship with Edward, she begins to question if she is really doing the right thing to marry him as a business arrangement when there is someone else that she truly loves. Lucy is rescued by a man who is not of her social class, yet love begins to grow between them. Young Sophia also find a special friendship, yet is surrounded by questions from the beginning of how their relationship can ever work out as they are so young and from different social standings as well.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Rowena, Lucy and Sophia and how each of them feels as the story is brought to resolution. I especially liked the viewpoint of Sophia and how she matured from selfish to more thoughtful as the story progressed. I felt that the book gave the reader a lot to think about regarding the marriages of that time period for the upper class. The attention to historical detail was evident and made the story even more engaging.
I also appreciated the appendex at the end of the book that gave chapter by chapter details about historical items, places and facts that were mentioned. I am excited to further research some of the historical items that she wrote of.
After reading this book, I have already purchased another of Nancy Moser's books to read on my Kindle. If you are a fan of historical fiction and an enchanting love story, then this is the book for you!
I was provided with a copy of this book by Bethany House publishers but was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
My Review of Spring for Susannah
Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond is the story of Susannah, who travels to Dakota territory to marry the brother of her minister. She has never met her future husband, but has agreed to marry him based on the recommendation of her pastor and his wife since she hold them both in high regard. When she meets Jesse, her husband whom she had married by proxy before she left, she discovers him to be nothing like his brother.
After Susannah gets used to Jesse's less than polished behavior, she comes to love him. He says that he loves her, but Susannah is so afraid that her failures as a wife will cause Jesse to send her back home. Having been brought up in a home where she was not treasured or shown affection, she cannot understand why Jesse would care for her.
As Susannah and Jesse grow in their relationship with each other, tragedy strikes and Jesse chooses to leave in order to save all they have worked for. He promises to return, leaving Susannah to wait for him on the homestead. As the months roll by, Susannah is forced to answer questions about the reality looks like. Will she choose to wait for Jesse? Will he keep his promise to return?
This story was such a beautiful tale of the journey of the people growing in their love for each other and discovering more about their relationship with Christ in the process. While deeply passionate, the author kept the book appropriate and tasteful, while still conveying the progression of the relationship between Jesse and Susannah.
The author also does an excellent job of describing the lifestyle of the homesteaders following the war, as well as the variety of people that were settled there. The historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book and I highly recommend it!
I so enjoyed reading this book and am eager to read other books by this author. I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for my review, however, the opinions stated are completely mine and I was not obligated to give a positive review.
After Susannah gets used to Jesse's less than polished behavior, she comes to love him. He says that he loves her, but Susannah is so afraid that her failures as a wife will cause Jesse to send her back home. Having been brought up in a home where she was not treasured or shown affection, she cannot understand why Jesse would care for her.
As Susannah and Jesse grow in their relationship with each other, tragedy strikes and Jesse chooses to leave in order to save all they have worked for. He promises to return, leaving Susannah to wait for him on the homestead. As the months roll by, Susannah is forced to answer questions about the reality looks like. Will she choose to wait for Jesse? Will he keep his promise to return?
This story was such a beautiful tale of the journey of the people growing in their love for each other and discovering more about their relationship with Christ in the process. While deeply passionate, the author kept the book appropriate and tasteful, while still conveying the progression of the relationship between Jesse and Susannah.
The author also does an excellent job of describing the lifestyle of the homesteaders following the war, as well as the variety of people that were settled there. The historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book and I highly recommend it!
I so enjoyed reading this book and am eager to read other books by this author. I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book by the publisher in exchange for my review, however, the opinions stated are completely mine and I was not obligated to give a positive review.
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