Highlights from the Bookstall
Have you checked out our bookstall at the Connections Centre? It will finish next Sunday when we wrap up our series ‘The Bible: A Story That Makes Sense of Life’. The heavily discounted prices we’ve been given (which we are earning nothing from) are also ending at that time, so, make sure you check it out before next Sunday!
If you aren’t sure what book to get, here are some highlights depending on what you need and where you are at in your journey of faith.
“I’m a visual learner”
If you like pictures, charts and visual expressions of information, The Infographic Bible is for you! This is a really cool resource, filled with detailed expressions of biblical information presented in a clear and useful way. This is the ideal conversation start to keep on your coffee table! We’ve already sold all the copies of The Infographic Bible we ordered, but more are on the way.
“I’m new to this (or know someone who is)”
There are two short books by Gary Millar, which are a great guide for those new to the Bible and new to following Jesus. Read this First is an introduction to what the Bible is, how it fits together, and how to approach the different genres and styles found throughout. Need to Know is a simple guide for Christians on what to expect when you decide to follow Jesus. It speaks about the basics of Christian life, from knowing and living with God, to understanding ourselves, and to engaging with others. Both are short and simple, and include questions for self-reflection or to guide time spend reading through the book with someone else. We are running low on copies of both (again!), but more are on the way.
“I want a better understanding of the Bible”
A lot of the bookstall fits in this category! We have books which show how the Bible fits together, which we’ve referred to plenty of times in this series, such as God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts and The Bible: A Story Which Makes Sense of Life by Andrew Ollerton. To learn more about what the Bible is and how to approach it, check out Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible by Michael Bird. Or for a more specific biblical theme, have a look at my personal favourite, Not Home Yet by Ian Smith. This book shows how we are designed to be at home in a perfect, physical creation, and points us toward what we can look forward to in the future.
“I want to deepen my personal Bible reading”
If you often find yourself reading the Bible and saying “That’s a cool story, but so what?”, or “I have no idea what that word means”, or “What’s the deal with that talking donkey?”, then a Study Bible is for you! Study Bibles have the text of the Bible on about half a page, with brief notes from world-leading scholars and commentators on the other half to help you see the context of each passage and how it all fits together. There are also references in the margins to other passages which cover similar themes. They also include introductions to each book of the Bible, plus articles on various key topics. We have the ESV Study Bible, which is a bit more detailed and presents a more scholarly approach, and the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, which is more useful for seeing how the Bible connects together. These are two of the best study Bibles around and we highly recommend that every Christian owns and regularly uses a good study Bible. We did sell out of these, but we’ve got more of both back in stock now.
“I’ve got young children”
There are several excellent resources available for families. There are lots of pictures and simple explanations of biblical events in The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross. Or you could enrich your family time with The Whole Story for the Whole Family: A Year of Jesus-Centred Family Devotions.
I hope that you find some useful resources, and if you have any questions about these resources you can email me (nathanael@oasischurch.com.au) or chat on Sunday.
Have a blessed week!
Nathanael
