FINALIST FOR THE CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD® • Join beloved Bible teacher and best-selling author Dee Brestin in discovering the surprising places Jesus shows up in the Old Testament and the unexpected ways He speaks into our lives today.Offering a fascinating perspective on the historic, poetic, and prophetic books of the Old Testament, Brestin draws on her deep understanding of the full scope of the … full scope of the Bible to explore the timeless story of God’s quest to rescue each of us. She combines rich teaching, memorable storytelling, and an in-depth Bible study component to create a resource that shows readers how the story began (the books of Moses), how to live in the story (the poetic books), and how the story will end (the prophets).
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This is an excellent Bible study. As someone who has studied and read God’s Word often, sometimes it can be hard to find studies that stretch my knowledge and understanding. The approach that the author takes on looking at the Old Testament through the eyes of Jesus is an excellent starting point. I have been taking my time going through it with my Bible close at hand, so that I do not miss anything. She makes connections with different points in God’s Word where Jesus can be clearly seen. While she does share personal anecdotes, she also points out different relevant stories that relate directly to Scripture. Every chapter ends with an in-depth study that includes questions to examine regarding the verses as well as personal examination that leads to application. While I have enjoyed reading through this study on my own, I would definitely enjoy completing it at some point with a group. I have not taken the time yet to watch the free videos that correlate with the study that are on her website, but I definitely appreciate her willingness to provide resources for further understanding. I definitely recommend this book! The Subtitle sums it up well: Opening Our Eyes to His Presence in All of Life and Scripture. A big thank you to Net Galley and to Multnomah Books for allowing me to take a look at this study. All opinions are my own.
Author and speaker Dee Brestin has written a book to help us ‘discover Jesus in the most unexpected places’ and she uses both scripture and personal experiences to help us do this. We know that the New Testament is devoted to Jesus but Brestin shows that Jesus can be found in ALL of the Old Testament. The Jesus Who Surprises has 256 pages devoted to learning more about Jesus and there are three parts. Part One: How the Story Began–The Books of Moses; Part Two: How to Live in the Story–The Psalms; Part Three: How the Story Will End–The Prophets.
This book has been written so that it can be used for both personal bible study or as a small group bible study. I especially like that there are questions to spur my thinking and I appreciate that the author has included Facilitator Resources at the end of the book, with both hints and lesson-by-lesson facilitator notes. There is also a Prayer Time at the end of each chapter and this should help to deepen our prayer life. It is, after all, a fact that God wants to hear from His children.
This is a wonderful resource and I heartily recommend The Jesus Who Surprises for all of those who want to draw closer to Jesus and to increase their understanding of God’s Word!
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher Multonomah and I am voluntarily sharing my thoughts in this review.
The Jesus Who Surprises, by Dee Brestin, is a well-written and thought-provoking Bible study that is perfectly designed to be used by groups or individuals. With short, engaging chapters, corresponding videos that can be watched online for free, and daily homework questions that help the reader explore Scripture more deeply, this Bible study is user friendly, Biblically sound, and faith-filled.
With genuine humility, honesty, and authenticity, Ms. Brestin shares relevant stories from her own experiences in which Jesus surprised her with his great love, mercy, and care. In addition to the encouraging real-life stories, Ms. Brestin also leads the reader through a study of well-chosen scripture passages that highlight the presence, compassion, forgiveness, salvation, and hope that is revealed in Jesus throughout the entirety of the Bible.
I found this Bible study to be refreshingly compelling and soul-stirring. Truly informative and inspiring, The Jesus Who Surprises is a Bible study I sincerely recommend to everyone.
*I was given a copy of this book from the publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written contains opinions that are entirely my own.
I am enjoying reading this book, and love filling out the study each day as I ponder each of selected readings.
At end of each study I surprised myself as I recalled several ways I saw God today, then think I don’t know why I’m surprised, He is everywhere!
Now I did this study alone, but it is set up for use with a group, and I just skipped over that part. Each chapter begins with words from the author, and each study is divided into five days, beginning with the get acquainted group study, which you can skip.
I will be continuing on and growing using this book! Thank you Dee Brestin.
I received this book through the Publisher Waterbrook, and was not required to give a positive review.
Sometimes I can be a tough sale. I’m sure many of my friends and family would be surprised with this confession, but when it comes to bible study books I am a cautious consumer. That being said I was simply thrilled with the new bible study by Dee Brestin titled, The Jesus Who Surprises. Now, I was a little concerned when I requested this book, because I received an advanced reader’s copy of The Jesus Who Surprises by Dee Brestin from Waterbrook & Multnomah as a member of the Launch Team for an honest review. I was afraid that it might be a light, charismatic offering. Boy, was I happily “surprised”! Brestin’s bible study has meat, and depth. It asks tough questions in the written answer section and causes the reader to do some soul searching along with scripture delving to uncover the answers. Brestin encourages the reader to look for surprises throughout the bible and life in seeing the life of Jesus as foretold through the old testament prophesies, the new testament and in evidence of our everyday lives.
As a bible study student, I am particularly concerned that passages used in various bible study books reflect the context of the passage and are not pulled out of context to simply support an author’s whim. Brestin stays true to the bible and supports her teaching with well thought out personal stories, historical accounts, and intact biblical excerpts. I simply adore this bible study and feel excited to suggest it to my friends.
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