The Bible Savvy Believer

Made up of four individual volumes (Epic, Foundation, Context, and Walk), Bible Savvy is a foundational resource for those wanting to better understand the Bible. From the whole storyline of the Bible to the personal application of it, this set of four accessible books is an ideal resource for small groups, Sunday school classes, youth groups, and individuals seeking to increase their breadth of knowledge about God’s word. Epic: The Storyline of the Bible unveils the single theme that ties all the various parts of scripture together: redemption. Foundation: The Trustworthiness of the Bible explains that the Bible is God's book, not merely man-made, and why it can be wholly trusted. Context: How to Understand the Bible shows readers how to read the different parts of the Bible as they were meant to be read, and how they fit together. Walk: How to Apply the Bible helps readers put their greater understanding of the text into practice and know how to draw real-life applications from it.

Can the Bible be trusted? Do we even know how it was formed and how it got to us? What makes this book so special? Questions like these have nagged at the minds of many people over the years, including Christians. In Foundation, Pastor Jim Nicodem gives clear answers to these and other pressing questions about the trustworthiness of the Bible. Foundation makes the case that the Bible is God’s book. God: “Breathed” it out through human authors (inspiration) Gathered its 66 books into one volume (canon) Protected it from errors through centuries of copying (transmission) Faithfully reveals himself and his will for our lives in its pages (revelation). How can we be sure of these claims? Foundation provides plenty of evidence to back them up, giving us the confidence to build our lives on God’s Word. Perfect for believers at any stage as well as questioners or skeptics, Foundation provides an accessible resource explaining why the Bible can be trusted and how we can more fully understand it.

From the beginning of lockdown in 2020, the online newsletter of Cupar Old Parish Church became a focus for the church’s life. I offered to join the small team who prepared weekly Reflections for it in support of our minister Rev Jeff Martin. Jeff followed a study guide, We Take the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren in many of his weekly sermons during the first year of restrictions. I followed his lead with digressions to respond to what was happening at the time; for some Saints’ Days, and to consider some Bible passages from the Common Lectionary. I have never been much of an original thinker, preferring to recycle other people’s insights. I always kept a large notebook of snippets and ideas for sermons and have dipped liberally into it in preparing these articles. Unfortunately, I didn’t always note where I had found these bits and pieces and apologise if I have failed to attribute any of my quotes to their authors. Above all, my prayer is that we might all find renewed joy and hope as we walk the road of Christian faith together following this time of acute pandemic.

To many people, the Bible is a series of incongruous and confusing stories. It jumps from one person or place to the next leaving the reader scrambling to keep up and make sense of it all. That’s a tall task. Epic provides a big picture view of the Bible to explain how its individual pieces fit together. Is it really possible that the Bible’s collection of 66 books actually has a single storyline? Yes! The theme of that storyline is redemption, and Epic traces it from Genesis to Revelation. Discover in the opening chapters of the Bible why redemptionbecame humanity’s desperate need. Learn how God set this rescue effort into motion through promises He made to Abraham. Follow the unfolding of these promises through Old Testament history. Note the role of the prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi, in the overall drama. Witness Jesus Christ bringing redemption to a climax. Perfect for believers at any stage, small group leaders, and those discipling others, Epic will open your eyes to the way all the different parts of scripture contribute to a single story that can change your life.

What Life as a Christian Really Looks Like New believers need to know what to expect. While many books cover the nuts and bolts of new faith--how to read the Bible, how to pray, how to find a church--in this book, Alex Early focuses on issues of the heart. What are Christians supposed to feel? What happens when they sin? What does God want from them? Designed to challenge and reassure, this book gives a realistic depiction of the Christian life, and includes such topics as how to rest in God's love, what forgiveness looks like when you blow it, what it means to find your identity in Christ, and how to pray with honesty and transparency. God isn't surprised when we struggle, and although being in a relationship with God is amazing, he never promised that this life would be easy. He can handle "real" people, and he pours out his reckless love regardless of what we do or think on any given day. We all need to be reminded of this, but especially those new to the faith. This book is ideal for new believers, but seasoned Christians should also have copies on hand to give away. Includes end-of-chapter questions and a "Christianese to English" glossary.

Enjoy these SAMPLE pages from Context- History, instructions, poetry, prophecy, apocalypse, sermons, and all of it written thousands of years ago - the Bible is a complex book that can be difficult to navigate. One of the hardest things for a reader is to figure out how to read different sections of Scripture the way they're supposed to be read and then to figure out how they all fit together. Pastor Jim Nicodem has written a wonderful, accessible resource to help with these challenges. Context explains four different aspects of the Bible that readers need to understand in order to be able to understand the Bible as a whole. In these pages, Nicodem takes the reader through the history, literature, theology, and how we should see this ancient book through modern eyes. In short, he gives the context needed to read the Bible well. Perfect for believers at any stage and those seeking to teach the Bible well, this book is a wonderful tool to help with basic Bible reading or more in-depth study.