Very user friendly, especially for people who would like to be more familiar with the bible but are not sure where to start. It makes the bible accessible, and can be a starting point for further research or a standalone for people who dont feel equipped to read the whole bible.

Great book loved it, thank for let me read this book Netgalley hope it will come out in Dutch as wel.. My friends will love it.

From chapter one: You’re more like God than anything else he created. At times you might feel worthless. Perhaps this is why the first chapter of the Bible sends the unmistakable message that you are priceless. Even on days when you feel barely human, you are, in fact, more like your Creator than anything else in existence.

Premise/plot: This book is meant as a guidebook to the Bible for spiritual ignostics; the term describes those "with no God history and no Christian memory." In other words, those new believers or near believers that have not grown up in the church or in Christian culture. Spoo has selected forty chapters of the Bible to serve as the "basis of the faith we know as Christianity…" and which are "absolutely essential for understanding the big ideas of the Bible."

The book is divided into eight sections with five chapters apiece. Each chapter is prefaced with one of the forty chapters of Scripture. So at the very, very least--if readers don't skim the reprints--one will have read forty whole chapters out of the Bible. Spoo encourages his readers to read these scriptures before and after his "brief exploration" of each passage.

The forty chapters: Genesis 1, 3, 6, 12, 22; Exodus 3, 14, 20; Judges 16; 1 Samuel 17; Job 1; Psalm 23, 51, 139; Proverbs 1; Isaiah 53; Jeremiah 1; Daniel 3, 6; Jonah 1; John 1, 3; Luke 2, 8, 15; Matthew 5, 6, 7, 28; Mark 15; Acts 1, 2, 9, 10; Revelation 22; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5; James 1; 1 John 3.

My thoughts: I have very mixed feelings on The Good Book.

Spoo seems to be suggesting that new believers need to read books about the Bible more than they need to read the Bible itself--that handing a new believer, a new disciple, a copy of this book, for example, would be more beneficial than handing them the very Word of God. He assumes that they simply are not ready for the Bible.

Spoo promises much in the introduction. "After understanding these chapters, you’ll be able to recognize the rhythm of the Scriptures and tap your toes to the cadence." Also, "Finally, I encourage you to reread the Bible chapter with the benefit of knowing more about the context and content." I was led to believe that Spoo's exploration of these passages would be MEATY, providing actual content and context. I didn't find that to be the case.

Though the introduction seems to be God-centered, gospel-centered, Spoo has a tendency to wander into it's-all-about-you land. In some of his discussions, the focus doesn't seem to be on God but on YOU and what YOU can get from the passage to make you feel warm and fuzzy.

But. My main issue with this book, however, is the dominance of stories, more stories, even more stories which overbalance any focus on the text of Scripture itself. There may be the barest of backbones of context--capable of being detected within each chapter--but, the focus isn't on the Word of God, isn't on the divine or human author of the book, isn't on what it meant to the original audience or even what it means today to you and me. If you're clueless--truly clueless--about the Bible, about the faith, hearing anecdotes and personal stories that have just the smallest link to the Scripture passage itself will not strengthen your faith and shine light on your path.

I'll swing over to the positive side for a minute. He said two things in the introduction that I wholeheartedly agree with.

1) Reject the tendency to be satisfied with your current understanding of the Bible. Refuse the temptation to think that what you grasp of the Scriptures today is somehow enough.

2) Remember that the ultimate benefit of reading the Scriptures isn’t greater familiarity with the Bible but deeper intimacy with God.

And there were plenty of solidly true statements for new believers to digest within the book itself.

In conclusion, IF I bought the premise that new believers need books for new believers and not the Word of God itself, would I hand them Spoo's The Good Book, OR, would I choose another book instead? That's a question I think is worth asking--and answering. I don't think it would be my top choice--or even in my top five.

In the book The Good Book, author and Pastor Deron Spoo, selects 40 chapters from the Bible to discover what God is saying and how God wants to connect to us as His creation. After each chapter Spoo writes a devotional highlighting what God is saying.
This book would be good for someone without any background in the Bible. It gives a quick overview of the story of the Bible as a whole and connects it to people living today. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Good Book

by
Deron Spoo

A Review

The author has written a series of essays that look at 40 important chapters from the Scriptures (20 from the Old Testament and 20 from the New Testament). The book begins each essay by providing the chapter as written in the Christian Standard Version. The essay then begins to discuss the chosen chapter that reads much like an extended sermon - with illustrations and applications. The essay ends with a brief exercise allowing the reader to personalize the chapter.

As the reader moves through the book he or she will see the connections that make the 66 books ONE book. The book provides an overview of the scriptures - its story, its theology, and its application.

The material is suitable for both individual study or small group study. The material might also serve as the foundation of a year long preaching series - allowing a church to review the teaching of the entire Bible together.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received The Good Book by Devin Spoo with a foreward by Kyle Idleman, in exchange for honest review from Litfuse. The book is a user-friendly guide to understanding each chapter of the bible.

In the introduction, the author discussed how the bible is hard to understand at times, even for advanced readers at times. I know I struggle with certain things in the bible, which is why I downloaded a few translations on both my Kindle and phone to better understand context.

The book has 40 chapters to help people better understand the bible's biggest ideas. The author does provide bible verses in the book.

For example, The author provides the first few verses of Genesis, which describes the first seven days. Then Chapter 1 starts off by focusing on how we are unique and created in God's image. We are priceless. We have value. The author says we don't need to know the exact date, we was created or the age of the universe, but God did not mention the dates in the bible.

Many people today are not familiar with the Bible and its major concepts. Some might find the Bible intimidating. Spoo has taken 40 chapters from the Bible, those containing the big ideas of the Bible, and has tried to make them understandable and personal.

The format of the book includes each Scripture passage so the book can be read without having a Bible nearby. The chapter in the Bible is followed by comments from Spoo and then a small section with comments and questions for reflection.

I appreciate Spoo's comments. He sometimes adds cultural or historical information to help readers understand the major theme represented by that particular Bible chapter. He also adds stories to illustrate the themes. I didn't see the significance of some of the stories, such as what was found upon demolishing of the Alton Towers Corkscrew roller coaster.

This is a good book for people unfamiliar with the Bible who want to know its major themes. It is good for someone who looks at the Bible and has no idea where to begin to understand it. It is also a good book for Christians who don't regularly read their Bible, to be reminded of these themes and experience them in a fresh way. It would make a good forty day time of Bible refreshment, such as for Lent or Advent.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.
http://litfusegroup.com/author/DSpoo

You can find out more about the book at http://www.readthegoodbook.com.
You can watch the book trailer here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9oPa50G6uc

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Deron Spoo is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the past 16 years, Spoo has quided the church as it transitions from being simply a downtown church to a regional church committed to urban ministry. His television devotionals, “First Things First,” reach 100,000 people each week. Spoo is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife have three children.

David C Cook, 400 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The Bible is the infallible, inerrant, living, breathing Word of God. This book takes you on a journey through the forty most essential themes in Scripture, connecting the lessons taught thousands of years ago with the struggles and uncertainties of life today. Deron Spoo highlights key themes and scriptures to provide new believers an introductory understanding of Christian values and beliefs. However, mature Christians will also find a renewed appreciation for the principles contained in these passages as they dive deeper into the bedrock foundations. The Bible is not a one and done book. Each time you read the Bible or study certain passages you will discover something new and gain a deeper understanding of it.

This book contains passages from both the Old Testament and New Testament. The forty Bible chapters that are highlighted and discussed are broken down into eight sections. Each section contains five chapters of Scripture under one theme that is both biblical and applicable to our current culture.

I like the format of this book. Each chapter begins with a passage of Scripture, followed by a brief exploration of the scripture and it's relevance to our lives. Then there is a reflection section designed to make you think deeper about the scripture and how it is relevant to you. The explanations and commentaries by the author are biblically sound and practical.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians. I think it is a good self study book, but it could easily work for small group studies or Sunday school classes. I also believe that pastors could use this book as a guide for sermon prep. I received this as a free ARC from David C. Cook Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect book to explain the bible in a way that is simple and accessible to almost everybody! The author breaks down the key themes from the bible and discusses the crucial points christians should learn. I feel like this book broke down scripture in a way that I haven't seen before, I will be recommending this book to my youth group in particular since it's perfect for group discussions.

Deron Spoo has written an excellent book that can be used in so many different ways. It can be used as a personal devotional, a Christian Education class, a Bible study, etc.

My only disappointment, minor because I may have read something into his introduction. I was under the impression that he had created this book of stories to help an unchurched (ignostic he calls them) to understand the Christian faith better. In reality the title says it all, 'the Bible's biggest ideas.

The book is written to all levels. A person who has read the Bible and studied it can gain some new insight. I know that I looked at some scriptures in a way that I would not have before. On the other hand, a person who is unchurched can pick up the book can gain an understanding of what it truly means to be a Christian and what we believe.

Forty ideas are presented. 20 from the Older Testament (Old means we do not use it any more, older means it still has value), and 20 from the New Testament. One might have their own scriptures that they might include, but I feel that Mr. Spoo has chosen with care what he thought were the best ones. I am sure it was hard to narrow it down to 40 ideas.

If you are looking for a book that argues theology, this is not it. Nor does it deal with the issues that as Christians separate us into denominations. It does, however, introduce the key concepts of Christianity in nice bite sized pieces.

High recommendations from me on this book.

In an increasingly impatient world, we often get challenged by the request: "Just get to the point!" This is a popular method to get us to come down to the very basic of basics. Unfortunately, it could be a challenge when it comes to the Bible. How can anyone get to the point about the sixty-six books of the Bible? Moreover, the Old Testament alone is already a huge amount to work through. Perhaps, the next best thing is to summarize big ideas of the Bible. This book attempts to summarize the beginning of the world; how the world fell into sin; making sense of God in the suffering; learning about what tough love means; the coming of Jesus; and what it means to live for Jesus, through Jesus, for the world.

This book makes the Bible a personal expedition for us to journey along and to find ourselves in the big story of God. It helps us move from Genesis to Revelation without being bogged down by the many chapters and verses. Many people do not read the Bible in its entirety partly because it seems impossible to read such a thick collection of books. Many of the passages are also difficult to read. Though the wisdom of old reminds us about the Power of the Word of God, we still fail to appreciate the Bible partly because we lack the rails to the whole story. Through forty selected chapters, it is hoped that this book will not only give us a gist of where the Bible narratives, teachings, and stories are heading, we are encouraged to read the Bible eventually. Like a mini-walk through the Bible project, this book contains an overview of some of the key ideas of the Bible. Key ideas such as:


We are created in the image of God
The world is in sin, including us
God initiates communications with us
The reason for the Ten Commandments
Suffering is real but God has not left us helpless
Jesus
We are not to Worry
Jesus' Death and Ressurection
The Church
Heaven
God's love
,,, and many more


It is hard to summarize the Bible in any way. This book is definitely a modest attempt to do that. Forty has been a popular number these days since Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life was published. Perhaps, it has also got to do with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. Thus, this book can be read like a 40-days devotional in order to get at the key ideas of the Bible. While nothing beats the reading of the actual Bible, this book will encourage us to start with baby steps, and gradually to read the real meat.

Deron Spoo is pastor of First Baptist Church in Tulsa Oklahoma. He has a television devotional called "First Things First" that reaches 100,000 people each week.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of David C. Cook Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Encouraging people to read the Bible has been a goal at least since the book of Deuteronomy was written. The refrain was picked up by Paul in his epistles and the church fathers added their voice in various ways even to the point of coming up with a three-year cycle of Bible reading so believers could work their way through the Bible over three years.
I have found that it is difficult to both read and understand the Bible when I try to read it through in a year. So, I like the idea of a Bible reading plan that provides a way to read the Bible and get an overview without having to read 4 or 5 chapters a day. That is what Deron Spoo has provided in The Good Book. Kyle Idelman writes in the preface that this book “…takes you on a journey through the forty most essential themes in Scripture.”
The author takes twenty chapters from the Older Testament and twenty chapters from the New Testament to give an overview of the Bible. He is not the first provide a Bible reading plan that takes the reader through the Bible. (I used E-100 a few years ago.) However what Deron Spoo adds is a brief commentary after each reading that puts the chapter in a specific context and within the context of Scripture.
After the reading in Jonah Deron connects the Older Testament and the New Testament with a chapter called Why Two Testaments? He shows that, though there is a 400-year gap between the two testaments, they fit together and the New Testament continues the story begun in Genesis 1.
I might ask why one of my favorite books did not at least get a chapter but, by and large, the author has chosen well and does a good job of tying everything together. The illustrations he uses are helpful in picturing the state of the world. For example, he tells us that the largest man-made object on our planet is the Fresh Kills Landfill and says it is telling that largest man-made item on the planet is a pile of garbage. We have made a mess of God’s creation.
Each reading concludes with a commentary and thoughts for reflection making this book a good Bible study resource. It would make a good small group study. It could encourage people to read the Bible and give opportunity to dig in.
I do have few concerns. In the author’s commentary on Genesis 1 Deron writes, “Many people wonder whether Adam and Eve were the only people God directly created. In later chapters of the Bible, their descendants went off and met other people east of Eden. Where did these people come from?”
There are explanations about the people East of Eden that don’t imply that God also created other people besides Adam and Eve. If God created other people I would have to wonder not only if Jesus died for them but also whether they ever sinned. I, for one, would not want to marry a person who never sinned. Although I have met many spouses who think they are perfect I think we all trace our ancestry back to Adam and Eve.
There was one other issue that gave me pause. Maybe in a group discussion the author could have cleared this up but right now all I have is his commentary and I don’t know where he is going with it. My concern comes from the commentary on Romans 8 entitled “Is God Ever Mean?”. I understand the author’s concern to present a balanced picture of God but I wondered if Deron was downplaying the reality of judgement. I do not believe God is mean or vindictive but at the same time I believe he is holy and just.
All in all, I think this book will be helpful the those who are biblically illiterate or alliterate. I believe the Bible is a living book and we can get caught up in that life if we read it. This is one pastor’s effort to get people to read the Bible.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley.com with the understanding I would read it and write a review.