A Navpress Bible Study on the Book of John

Lifechange

by The Navigators

LIFECHANGE Bible studies allow the Bible to speak for itself. You'll see for yourself what it says-not what someone else thinks it says-and develop the skills and desire to dig even deeper into God's Word.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published November 1, 1988

Reviews

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started doing this study with a women's group at my church, but it didn't take long for me to fall behind, so I ended up breaking away from the group and completing the study at my own pace. Although I didn't have the benefit of learning from other women in discussion, I found that this study still had a ton to offer for someone flying solo, from cross-references and cultural explanations to life application. It's a meaty study, one that will take a long time to complete even for a consistent person. (My goal was to work on it for 15 minutes per day.)

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of working through this study, and I especially appreciated the cultural explanations. Still, occasionally I would disagree with the study. (For example, emphasis is made on Jesus having a distinctly different appearance after his resurrection, but although I am open enough to admit that I could be wrong, I couldn't find enough evidence to believe that. My take: Mary thought he was a gardener, but she was also distraught and her eyes were filled with tears. Peter didn't recognize him at first, but he was on a boat a distance away from shore. For every encounter, it seemed that there was a human explanation for why people wouldn't recognize him. If I thought someone was dead and I was too wrapped up in my own grief to notice everything going on around me, seeing that person again is the last thing that I'd expect and it would probably take a little bit for me to come to my senses. Again, I could be wrong, but this is the impression that I got from reading the actual text.)

Admittedly, I was stubborn and did not read through the entire book of John before beginning the study itself. (It was advised to read the entire text first before unpacking it.) I tried to, but I kept stopping at things that stood out to me! (Maybe it was because I'd read John before- because we can read the Bible over and over again and still learn something new, there were so many shiny things popping off the page at me!) Although I am generally a staunch rule-follower to the point where it irritates people around me, this time I was a rebel. (Sorry, but not exactly.) I think part of the problem was that I'm super detail-oriented. If you haven't read John before, it probably will benefit you to read the whole book first so that you can get the big picture before unpacking it, but either way we are getting into the Word so don't get too hung up on the logistics.

I am not sure if my church will be doing another LifeChange study, but I look forward to doing another one either way. Despite any challenges I encountered (including personal differences in both approach and interpretation) I feel well-fed and appreciated the structure the study lent me in my time with God. If you don't already have somebody walking through John with you, I'd recommend this study (although if you don't have much Bible background, working through it with someone who does is advised, as I have the impression that it assumes a degree of familiarity).

[Laura Bazal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great year-long study of the book of John. It brings forth so much insight from the culture, history, and theology regarding the times of Jesus all the way back to the beginning of the Old Testament (where relevant). With that, we were able to wrestle with the scripture to help us see what God was and is doing through his Son.

The study leans reformed in the beginning, but it was otherwise very solid. We did this with both Neel and seasoned Christians, and God absolutely works through that.

[Darla Ebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is deep teaching with questions to make a reader think.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Tuesday group thrived with fruitful discussions inspired by the questions and study notes in this guide to the Gospel of John. The 22 Lessons are well crafted for in-depth Bible study.

[Cadence Messenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great way to get closer to God but you will definitely need to carve out two hours to go in depth and do the devotions.

[Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the books in this series are solid theologically and ask good questions. Its the best single series I've personally used for introducing a book along with its purpose and who it was written to (if its an epistle) and why it was written. Very good stuff.

[Andy Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

good bible study with fill in blank. Thought provoking questions. Took over a year to go thru, but a very good study.

[Maggie Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

John differs significantly from the synoptic gospels and I wish this study would have addressed that a bit more.

[Steven Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine group Bible Study.