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‘The Good, the Bad, the New, and the Perfect’ by Bernard Bell

‘The Good, the Bad, the New, and the Perfect’, by Bernard Bell.  A brief overview of the Bible.  Available free online HERE.

Bernard Bell writes: “Psychologists know that a sense of purpose is essential to emo­tional and psychological health. We look for a meta-narrative, an overarching story that makes sense of all of the little stories of our lives. Fragmented by the loose strands of our lives, we yearn for a sense of ending that ties everything together.” 

We can only really make sense of our individual lives in the context of God’s great Story, the Story we read in the Bible.  Bernard Bell brilliantly captures this overarching story in four short studies that combine faithfulness to the Bible’s narrative, spiritual insight and pastoral wisdom.  The studies are entitled ‘This is my Father’s world’,  ‘Adam, where are you?’, ‘Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham’, and ‘The end of the beginning’.

Bernard Bell is Pastor of Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino, California.  Other sermons by Bernard Bell are available HERE.

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‘The Epic of Eden: a Christian Entry into the Old Testament’ by Sandra Richter

Cover for Richter S L 'The Epic of Eden'

‘The Epic of Eden’, by Sandra L. Richter.  Published by  IVP Academic, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois.  First published in 2008.  ISBN 978-0-8308-2577-6. 263 pages.

This book is quite simply, brilliant.  Dr Richter guides the reader clearly, lucidly, and with insight through the Old Testament story.  This is the book that I recommend to anyone who needs someone to take them by the hand and lead them through the often unfamiliar culture, geography, history and characters of the Old Testament. There’s much here to enrich the understanding of beginner and seasoned Bible student alike.

The author unlocks ancient Biblical culture for us, and guides us through to the beating heart of the Old Testament – the ideas of redemption and covenant.   She unfolds the Bible story through Noah, Abraham, Moses and the Tabernacle, David and the monarchy and the promise of the new covenant and Jesus’s coming.  And we see the Old Testament story in the context of the whole Biblical drama – from the Garden of Eden to New Jerusalem.

View the publisher’s description page HERE.  And you can download the ten audio files of her series of lectures on the Epic of Eden, plus the series outlines, HERE.

Dr Sandra L. Richter is currently Professor of Old Testament at Wesley Biblical Seminary.  She regularly speaks and lectures in church, para-church, and university settings.