Great for Baptists, particularly. :)
346559
A great resource and tool for Sunday Schools or family devotionals. Introductory material is great.

Paperback cover seems a little flimsy. Other than that, 5 stars!
4877638
This is about perfect for a small group of seasoned Christians. It bypasses much of the patronizing simplicity of many other studies and goes into stuff you can really use to grow. You don't need a theology degree, but you'd better come ready to wrestle with God.
2305568
I'm an Associate Pastor of Care Ministries in a large Southern Baptist Church. We have used this book with a video/discussion series for about 5 years.  It's an easy read.  Very user friendly.
Boundaries has given many  of our people a "new lease of life" and has "connected them  more effectively with God and others".
2485967
Love this bible and version. Southern Baptist girl. Great references and made well. Can't beat the price for a study bible. Boy is it not cute too.  Love the cover.
3337193
My mom had this, and said she really enjoyed it. I ordered it, too, and it is really helpful when I am needing Scriptures for certain situations. It's also good for memorization of Scripture along specific themes. I especially like how they personalize them. This is a great gift for any Mom who doesn't always have time to flip through her full Bible when she needs a verse in a hurry! It's certainly not a replacement for a full Bible, but great for finding what you need when you need it. I do wish they had a few more themes, though. I can't recall right now exactly what, but a couple of times I've gone to look for a verse regarding something and then having to think, ok what in here is the closest to this situation? But, the good thing is I've always been able to find something to help.
2302130
These tabs are great! I'm a spaz and even I managed to get them on properly. My Bible (I have a lot of them, but this is "my" Bible) is quite large and potentially awkward, but I was very careful and it came out great. I especially love the "Life Verse" tab (in my case, John 4:24, lol).
4127537
I just read this book and it filled in a lot of gaps for me.  I knew I was Reformed Baptist by listening to Reformed Baptist preachers, but after reading Mr. Waldron and Barcellos' book, I now know why precisely I am.  I know where I fit in now and I am thankful for that.  The thrust of the book is the New Covenant as the Constitution of the Church and how that works itself out as it relates to law and grace, Arminianism and Calvinism, Paedobaptism and Credobaptism.

I currently attend a Presbyterian PCA church and have many brethren there that I love, but some of their practices I cannot get over, as much as I have tried.  One in particular is Paedobaptism (infant baptism.)  Though not an exhaustive treatment, A Reformed Baptist Manifesto forcefully presents why Reformed Baptists do not hold to infant baptism and why they believe in Believer's Baptism only.  I am not going to spoil why because I want you to buy the book.  I have to admit that I skipped ahead and read the Paedobaptism chapter, but after reading the book I believe it probably would have been better to start at the beginning.  This is not only chapter in the book or even its main argument, but it was the initial reason I purchased it.  The Reformed Baptist Manifesto contains more than a fight about baptism. It allows one to understand why there is a denomination called Reformed Baptist.  Paedobaptism is only one aspect that interested me, but after reading why it is rejected, I see much larger issues.

The book itself is easy to read, not too technical, and continues to be edifying to this believer.  If you want a super technical treatise of everything this book is not for you.  If you want a good overview with apologetic content, then you should like this book.  It is a departure point to other works on the subject.  It also does not contain a lot of history.  The book is about the New Covenant as found in the book of Jeremiah and Hebrews and it gets to that topic immediately.

Concerning the book and its writing mechanics, I liked the larger print, but in reality it is a larger book because of the size of the print, not the content.  Some of the grammar I thought was a little less polished in places, but nothing that could not be understood.  I remember no misspelling or gross errors in the writing.

This work does what I think may be better than anything else.  The Reformed Baptist Manifesto causes you to go back to the Bible and study for yourself, seeing and being interested in things you may have not thought about before.

I gave this book five stars because I believe it accomplishes what it is intending to do.  It stays on topic and gives an overview and comparison to competing thoughts to clarify its thesis.  The small faults above do not amount to enough to drop a star, and if you do not buy the book intending to find an encyclopedia, then you will be pleased with your purchase.
154207
I have Bibles!  I have several different versions, and even parallel Bibles, so when I received the FamilyLife Marriage Bible, I thought, oh, another Bible.  To my surprise,  it isn't just another Bible!  The first feature that immediately caught my eye was that it is the New King James version.  This was a plus, because this is an easy version for me to read.

As I began to read my nightly devotional in Luke, I noticed that this Bible includes "Biblical Insights" that gives you more information on key verses, "Intimate Moments" which provides ideas on how to draw close to your spouse, "FAQ" that they answer and other bits of information throughout the pages.  For me, I find this helpful as I read the Bible, and this will give me ideas on marriage and family.

Great Bible and it will be used for many years to come.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
213118
Great message, very biblically accurate. Great application. The only con, it's not very professionally written, but it doesn't detract from the message in my opinion.
2722739
We recently used this book as the basis for a small group study in our church and it was a great hit. The book focuses on living out your Christian faith within the body of Christ--the church. There is also a 10-week Bible study available for this title, which I also highly recommend.
1901930
This book is perfect for the littlest of learners. It would be a great book for the nursery class age, but my 2 1/2 year old has enjoyed it, too. Each "story" gets two pages, with a brief little "story", a Bible verse, and a prayer. Some of the pictures are labeled with words, so it's a great way to introduce words to little ones. My little one has enjoyed pointing at pictures, and attempting to say the words. He's a late talker, so his words are still in the super precious stage(when we can understand them).

This definitely isn't a book to use exclusively for Bible lessons, by any means, but it is a sweet way to get in a little Bible lesson(and snuggles) with younger babies/toddlers.

*We were provided a review copy, in exchange for our honest opinion.
4121400
Very good overview of the dispensations of the bible plus as a bonus the author address's other biblical topics like, can a person lose their salvation. The author gets right down to where the rubber meets the road so to speak. I don't know if the author is a Independent Baptist or not but he sure does write like one. I really enjoyed this booklet. My hope is others will buy it and enjoy it as much as I did. If you do not believe in the dispensations of the bible well thats your loss ( you just don't know how fun and exciting God's Word is if you rightly divide the WORD OF TRUTH ) and in that case this booklet is not for you. To the author, I would personally like to say that you did an amazing job and most importantly thank you.
2940770
Super.  Have enjoyed  it very much.
Using it in a Bible  study group.
3390197
Does the title of this book arouse your curiosity? If you are a Southern Baptist, it should. If you are a Christian and follow the world of Christianity, it should. Serving as a Southern Baptist pastor, it sure piqued my interest. What's this volume all about  projection, prediction, propaganda?

First, let's get into the basics of the book. The formal title is The SBC in the 21st Century: Reflection, Renewal, & Recommitment. It is written by an all-star cast of Southern Baptists. You know  the likes of seminary presidents and professors, SBC presidents (former) and a few other SB luminaries. It was edited by Jason K. Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and published by B&H Academic, a division of Lifeway.

The volume is sectioned off into three distinct divisions with an Introduction and Conclusion (those written by the editor). The first section, Southern Baptist Convention and Cooperation, is historical both in prose and statistics. If you have a numerical interest in Southern Baptist history, Thom Rainer, currently in charge of Lifeway, contributed an essay analyzing the historical numbers of the SBC. It is highly informative.

Section two is Southern Baptist Doctrine and Distinctives. It is this section I found most appealing, particularly the essays by Christian George, Downgrade: Twenty-First-Century Lessons from Nineteenth-Century Baptists, and Owen Strachan, Steel-Toed Birkenstocks and Doctrine-Loving Christians: Southern Baptist Witness and Ethics in the New Sexual Age. George is the curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern and make a compelling comparison between Spurgeon downgrade challenge and the present day. Strachan takes on the issue of sexuality in the church in todays culture.

The third section is entitled Southern Baptist Ministry and Mission. In summary, its a Whats Up and a Whats Going to be Up series of essays. Pay attention to the entries by Jason Allen concerning the training of new Christian workers and by Tony Merida on Southern Baptist preaching in the 21st century.

I will admit I was pleasantly surprised that there were only hints of propaganda in the book. It is rich in history and how we as Southern Baptists can draw from that history to present the Gospel in the 21st century. The overall emphasis presents a challenge. If you are at all involved in ministry or leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention, The SBC in the 21st Century is a volume that should must be read. If your pastor is unaware of the book, do him a favor and buy him a copy.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by B&H Academic for a fair and honest review.
3006760
This was an unbiased history of the Baptist Reformation.  The writing was clear and concise, and the footnotes completed the narrative.  I highly commend this work to all who are interested in contemporary Baptist history.
2107706
It has been said "You can't argue somebody into the Kingdom of God." While I fully agree with this statement, there is still a real place for apologetics in the life of the Christian. Not all the questions people ask about Christianity are smokescreens for rebellion; most, but not all. Besides, all thinking Christians have questions ourselves; like Job, we want to know why God allows or does certain things, and like him we do not sin in so asking.

This Bible really shines in this area. It seems to me that most Bibles that try to integrate good books with the Good Book end up feeling rather disjointed. This does not. It integrates four of atheist-turned-apologist Lee Strobel's books (The Case for Christ/Faith/the Bible/a Creator) very well with the text. The only real problem I've had with Strobel's books is not at all the fault of the author: they have so much content, it's difficult to keep it all in the old brain! This Bible integrates the content of his other books well into a context that makes sense. It is best absorbed as part of your daily Bible reading. I have been using this Bible for my daily reading for about two weeks now, and can remember his other books' material better because of how it's integrated with the Biblical text.

This Bible also includes "The Verdict" notes - short "testimonies from scholars and other Christians who have examined the evidence, discovered the reality of Jesus, and put their faith in him." These make for absorbing and worthwhile reading. The appendices are very good - the table of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus on pages 1783-5 is an excellent summary, for example. It also has a good subject index (that points you back to his book excerpts) and short concordance.

The only negative I can find for this fine edition are the formal study notes, which are a little light in some places. It is not stated who wrote these notes - one would presume Strobel, as general editor, is responsible for them but probably did not write them, but I can't find their author listed anywhere. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some very good study notes provided in places, and the aforementioned book excerpts are well worth having. Still, I would probably not make this my primary study Bible. I think the combination of this Bible for my daily readings and the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/NASB-MacArthur-Study-Bible/dp/0529122502/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">NASB MacArthur Study Bible</a>&nbsp;for my in-depth study (which I do for my sermons) is an excellent one-two punch.

Overall, this is an excellent edition of the Bible, one that should be on the bookshelf of every Christian today.
2093394
How refreshing to read such a beautiful compilation of Bible doctrine in a question and answer format from a 1689 Baptist, and one of the contributors to the 1689 Confession no less. It is truth that will bless the soul and move one to worship, be the person young or old. It certainly did for me.

The introductory material is also excellent, providing very helpful historical background and context. The editors are to be commended!

I unreservedly recommend this catechism for anyone and everyone, for personal learning or family and church instruction.