One of my favorite books on prayer is Prayer Coach by James Nicodem. So, I was excited when I saw that he had a series out on the other pillar of the Christian life—God’s Word. This isn’t one book, but four small volumes that make up the Bible Savvy series. Each volume looks at a different aspect of God’s Word, hoping to move from “the whole storyline of the Bible to personal application.”
The first book is called, Epic: The Storyline of the Bible. Here Nicdem walks through the “big picture” of the Bible’s story from creation to new creation. The second volume is Foundation: The Trustworthiness of the Bible. One thing necessary for Christians of every generation is to be shown the evidence of the Bible’s trustworthiness. That’s the goal of volume 2. The next volume moves from reading to interpretation. Context: How to Understand the Bible helps readers see that different parts of the Bible should be read differently. The final volume is Walk: How to Apply the Bible. As the title suggestions, this last book shows how to move from understanding to living.
Many good things can be said of these books. First, they are written in a down-to-earth style. The Epic series is ideal for the everyday Christian or busy pastor, looking to get helpful information on the Bible in a “fast and friendly” way. Nicodem manages to work several illustrations and real world situations into each volume, which helps hold the interest of the reader while also showing the practicality of the content.
Second, this series is helpful for the timeless nature of the subject matter. For Christianity to survive at all, believers must read, understand, and apply the Bible. All of that is based on their confidence in the Bible. This series addresses all of these issues with verve and integrity to the Bible itself.
The only downside is that this content is spread across four books. This will seem daunting for younger Christians or those that are not strong readers. I wonder if the content couldn’t have been condensed and bundled as a bigger volume. That being said, I can see where these slim volumes—even four of them!—might be less intimidating than a single, larger one.
Regardless of this small quibble, I would highly recommend these books. They would be great for the leadership of the church to teach through in a class setting, or for members to read through together in a small group setting. One might simply sit down and read them by him or herself. Read these books and you will better read and live out the Bible.
Note: I received this book from the publisher for review. This has not affected the content of the review.
MAGNIFY CHRIST 