Sunday, October 30

A Year With Jesus


Using the NIV translation, author R.P. Nettelhorst has put together a devotional that is both simple and direct. Each reading consists of a short passage of scripture featuring Jesus' own words followed by a brief reflection or insight on what the passage teaches us. Readings are grouped by theme: love and hate, truth and lies, etc. Each reading is a single page long.

Each reading was only a page long, making it accessible to devotional times fit into a tight schedule. I liked the grouping of readings by theme and that each reading was focused on Jesus' own words, which might increase the range of people interested in reading the book.
A few drawbacks: the themes were loose, lacking the depth and organization of the mini-studies they had the potential to be. The reflections were accurate and sometimes quite interesting, but most lacked any hard-hitting or inspirational messages likely to give you anything to chew on. There were no additional related verses or resources to read if something spoke to your heart, and no interactive questions or activities to prompt prayer or discussion.
Great for someone seeking simple, quick to do devotions, or those studying the words of Jesus. Ultimately less satisfying for those seeking a serious devotional to engage with, however.

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