This is a great devotional to start your day. Lisa Harper writes in such a down to earth way with antidotes that will make you laugh while giving out thought provoking scripture and words of wisdom. I loved early mornings on my back porch with this book. HE's where the Joy is!

I adore Lisa Harper, like absolutely adore her. The way she can combine her amazing, laugh out loud humor with a deep knowledge and well researched biblical understanding... I-mean what more could you want? I'm not a big devotional person, so I wish she would put out a regular book that draws from these strengths of hers. I felt the the devotional was often times more stories about her than about Jesus, then a cute anecdote about Jesus at the end that went along with her story, instead of the other way around. Again, I’d rather her write a regular bible-based teaching book next than a devotional. But as for devotional go, this one sure is funny!

I thoroughly enjoyed JESUS by Lisa Harper. Not your typical devotional, but Lisa is not your typical Bible teacher! Very relatable, filled with humor, sweet "stories", and always pointing the reader to Jesus. Will make a great gift for a friend!! Thank you NetGalley and B & H Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I have to say that I love Lisa Harper’s style. She is down to earth and tells it like it is using phrases like “Geez Louise” and words like “despots” on the same page. Her Biblical knowledge and references are spot on as she speaks to the women of today. She has been through hurts and disappointments, helping us make sense of it all while clinging to our amazing Jesus. This book has so many great topics that are meshed with scripture and wrapped in Jesus.

Format-60 Days, each day outlines-
An attribute of Jesus
A descriptive account of a scripture
The scripture reference
A contemporary example
Comparable scripture

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

I love this devotional by Lisa Harper! Some of the stories I had already heard in a Bible study that I did by her, but I think you will enjoy this book. There are questions and suggestions of things you can do at the end of each devotional. If you need a reminder of Jesus' love for you like I do, this book will help you remember.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I first encountered Lisa Harper through her writing for She Reads Truth, and I have always enjoyed the way she can take deep theological truth and present it in an accessible, engaging, and often hilarious, way.

I was pleased to get the opportunity to read this review copy of her new devotional. It includes 60 days of readings, exploring the character of Jesus. Each day has a short Bible reading, a devotional thought, and some questions for reflection, and each day focuses on a different aspect of Jesus’ character, for example:

Jesus is perfectly divine
Jesus is also perfectly human
Jesus is the King of all kings
Jesus draws near to those who are alienated
Jesus is worth whatever it costs
Jesus is the Prince of Peace
Jesus is a relentless pursuer
Jesus is our only atonement

It is an ideal book to dip into or to read each day, whether you’re new to discovering Jesus or whether you’ve known him for a long time. Very helpful and enjoyable!

In this book, Lisa Harper brings through facets that characterize the person of Jesus, through scripture passages and simple anecdotes. I found the ‘rubber meets the road’ life application questions at the end of each day’s ‘lesson’ quite useful and profound.

This is a wonderful, based devotional! Lisa Harper will always be an author that I recommend! I love the lens this book takes with devotions to focus solely on Jesus and what we can exposit from the theme.

I am saddened to rate this book so low, as the topic has much potential. However, I found the writing style of this devotional to be off-putting. The majority of the book uses a formal style of speech; what I would call typical in a nonfiction text written with the purpose of helping the reader learn. The appropriate style is, however, the victim of random insertions of colloquialims or slang, which is jarring. It disrupts the flow of the reading, distracts from the focus, and comes across as trying too hard to be “hip”.

For example, “...scholars agree that there are at least two separate anointings going on in these scenes based on the chronological differences and unique characteristics in the individual narratives.” This writing style sounds like it comes from someone who is an expert in their subject matter and has done serious study. Watch what happens in the next paragraph: “Furthermore, John’s account specifies that the ‘anointer’ was Lazarus’s dear sister, Mary of Bethany, who was a good girl despite the fact that she chose to chill at Jesus’s feet instead of crushing it in the kitchen like her super-productive sibling, Martha.” (Italics are mine.) Later in the same passage, the text is interrupted with phrases such as, “Jesus and the other fellas”, and “yucky tootsies.” When Simon is saying, “If this dude was really a prophet or even a relatively astute rabbi, he would’ve realized this chick is trashy and would’ve removed his feet from her filthy hands,” I knew that this wasn’t going to be a book for me.

The changes in tone of the writing style greatly detract from the impact of the Biblical teaching. If the colloquial, slang-laden voice was reserved for the sections in which the author refers to her own life, it wouldn’t be as problematic, but when it’s interspersed throughout the entire book, it just doesn’t work.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read a lot of Bible teacher and author Lisa Harper works. She, in a most practical manner, draws her readers into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

This study is so personal, and I truly enjoyed learning about Lisa and Missy's life. The chapters are often funny, and will relate to the life of each and every reader no matter your stage in life.

"JESUS" is a 60-day devotional and each devotional begins with a biblical passage followed by personal insights. Harper includes points of reflection with each devotion designed to prompt readers to look inward and find a more engaged relationship with Jesus.

I think you will find this 60 day experience one that you will want to visit again and again.

I'm going to start by saying that I really enjoyed this book. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had taken time with each devotional as intended, but I was reading it on a timetable that pushed me a little faster through it than the author intended.

In a world where the church is so often influenced by culture and our preaching reflects that - sermons about politics and social justice and marriage and abortion and whatever else the headlines might be - it is refreshing to see something hit the market that takes us back to what is central: Jesus. Just Jesus. Just the character of Jesus, the voice of Jesus, the stories of Jesus, the exploits of Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. THIS is what today's church is, ironically, so desperately missing.

There are a few chapters in this book that are only tangentially about Jesus, and several where the connections aren't really that strong, but the overwhelming testimony is...Jesus. I will also comment to say that it's very easy to tell that this book was written by a person who makes her living as a speaker. There's a fundamental difference between the written word and the spoken word that is blurred here, and that's a turn-off for me as a reader. I don't love reading a bunch of asides meant to break the tension, for example - these work well in speaking, but are noisy and distracting in print. Also, the extremely frequent use of the word "y'all" keeps reminding me that this author is talking at me, which feels like less of an invitation to actual engagement. Like I am just supposed to be reading the book and nodding and saying "Amen" rather than deeply engaging with the material. That's what I mean when I say that it is distracting; it keeps me from deep engagement because at all of the wrong moments, the speaker-trying-to-author pulls me back out of it by drawing attention to herself as presenter.

Still, I liked the book. I would read it again. I probably will read it again. I will recommend it to others. As I said, this is what our Christianity really needs more of. Jesus.

With her follow-up to the bestselling devotional "LIFE," acclaimed Bible teacher and author Lisa Harper practically pulls us into a deeper relationship with Jesus with "JESUS: A Scandalously Devoted, Conspicuously Uncool, Super-Transparent Homage to Who Our Savior Is and How Much He Loves Us Devotional."

For the record, I'm calling it "JESUS."

For those seeking a more traditional devotional experience, look elsewhere. "JESUS" is immensely personal, unapologetically relational, frequently funny, and fiercely relatable. Harper opts for full-on engagement with "Jesus" rather than simply aiming this devotional at yet another round of Biblical exegesis (though exegesis is certainly important).

If you know Harper, and you likely do, then you know what to expect from "JESUS" and that's what she serves up with heartfelt storytelling, lots of laughs, personal experiences, and so much more. Harper lets us know early on that her daughter Missy, whom she adopted from Haiti, is going to feature often throughout "JESUS" and this is very much the case whether we're talking about childlike faith or the realities of racism.

Harper, not to be confused with the more progressive Christian voice Lisa Sharon Harper, is a long-time popular Bible teacher with numerous appearances in-person, on television, and across radio platforms. With a 30+ year history in vocational ministry, Harper has written twenty books and Bible study curriculums, however, these days would likely tell you that her greatest accomplishment is being a mama to Missy on a hilly farmette south of Nashville, Tennessee.

"JESUS" is a 60-day devotional with each devotional introduced via biblical passage followed by personal testimonials of varying lengths and deeper personal insights. As is practically necessary for devotionals, Harper includes vital points of reflection with each devotion designed to turn the reader inward and to turn the reader toward a more engaged relationship with Jesus.

While some may struggle at times Harper's more casual approach with "JESUS," rest assured that she's remarkably serious when it comes to encouraging us to reflect upon who Jesus is and how much He loves us.

For fans of Lisa Harper, "JESUS" is a must-have. For those new to Harper, it's a beautiful way to be introduced to her ministry and her writings.

I've known of Harper's strong Bible studies and the like for a while but never read any of her books. I'm spending a year in the Gospels so when I saw this one pop up on Net Galley, I thought I'd read it.

Harper is quite the character and wonderful storyteller that makes her very easy to read. She clearly has a deep love for Jesus and does a good job weaving stories of her own life with stories and principles of Jesus. Each of the 60 devotions starts with a biblical passage and then Harper shares reflections on her own life that fits with the 'theme' of the passage. Then she brings Jesus into the picture to share her reflections including references to many well known sources and wise others. Once again, it';s all very readable and gives you a better insight into the person of Jesus.

She concludes each day's reflection with 3 prompts centred around other Bible verses to challenge the reader to explore the points of the devotional a little deeper.

This is good but I was left most days reflecting more on Harper than on Jesus which I'm sure isn't her intention. Now this might be simply because I'm new to Harper's style and person. Don't let my assessment stop you from giving this a go. I suspect fans of Harper's work will enjoy it, just make sure the emphasis when reading/studying it is to discover more about Jesus in order to fall more in love with Him.

I received an early ebook copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley but this has had no bearing on my review.

So thrilled to find that one of my favorite Bible teachers wrote this new devotional. It’s full of the humor we’ve come to know and love, along with of course, God’s word, and questions for study and reflection.

Day 19 and 39 are tying for my favorites:

Day 19 Jesus gives extra rest to the most exhausted
“He can easily tote the weight of our heaviest burdens and His are the safest arms in which to collapse. When’s the last time you exhaled emotionally and put all your weight on Jesus?”

Day 39 Jesus was never in a hurry
“Sometimes it just takes a few minutes to stop and evaluate how fast we’re going, then slowing down to match Jesus’s pace. I don’t know what your goals look like when it comes to slowing down in our lightning-fast world, but my goal is to live the rest of my life—or at least long stretches of it—at 3 mph.”

SOOO good! I love that this devo is releasing in the fall so I can grab copies to gift to my girlfriends and adults making a huge difference in the life of my son with autism.

Lisa Harper’s new 60-day devotional, JESUS…, is an incredibly thorough and insightful deep-dive into our Lord and Savior. Each day is filled to the brim with firsthand accounts and beautiful stories from the author’s life, backed up with accompanying scripture and prayer. This will be a 60 day experience that you will want to visit again and again.

I love how the author makes scripture come alive with biblical theology while also including her trademark humor and personal stories. While the devotionals are short they leave you with a lot to reflect on.

Any book about Jesus is one I’m interested in. Lisa Harper’s devotional is perfect. Her writing is easy to read and Scripturally-sound. In true Lisa Harper fashion, this book is authentic and funny, and it keeps the spotlight on Christ.

Having followed Lisa Harper on Instagram for many years, I was excited to discover that she has a new Bible study releasing soon. "Jesus: A Scandalously Devoted, Conspicuously Uncool, Super-Transparent Homage to Who Our Savior Is and How Much He Loves Us" is her newest devotional book. Harper does a fantastic job of making Jesus relatable and approachable, and I loved reading about her relationship with her adopted daughter, Missy. One passage that I found particularly touching was as follows: I still believe the "Yes, Jesus loves me" refrain in our hearts and minds will get loud enough to change the world around us when we better understand, appreciate, and trust the "For the Bible tells me so" part!

This was an easy devotional to read and very enjoyable! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.