What do you think?
Rate this book
Explore by the Book #2
90 Days in John 14-17, Romans and James
Let Timothy Keller and Sam Allberry sit alongside you as you open up your Bible day by day. Their helpful questions, insightful explanations and prompts to apply God's word to your life will take you to the heart of God's word and then push God's word deep into your heart.
Enjoy the treasures of John 14-17, Romans and James as you explore the Bible, book by book.
Enjoy the treasures of John 14-17, Romans and James as you explore the Bible, book by book.
- GenresDevotionalChristianFaith
192 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2017
61 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Timothy J. Keller
396 books5,728 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 26, 2024
This is a very doable and easy to understand devotional. I think 90 days is the maximum amount of time I can be in the same devo. I can force myself to do a year-long one but it's hard for me to stay in one book for an entire year.
As with other Keller books, the writing is practical, concise, and profound. While many of the answers to the questions are obvious, it can still be useful to ask yourself the obvious. Oftentimes I read verses but don't read them slowly enough to consider the deeper meaning.
My two primary takeaways are to have more spiritual conversations with friends (gently and empathetically of course) and to pray with God's purposes in mind.
As with other Keller books, the writing is practical, concise, and profound. While many of the answers to the questions are obvious, it can still be useful to ask yourself the obvious. Oftentimes I read verses but don't read them slowly enough to consider the deeper meaning.
My two primary takeaways are to have more spiritual conversations with friends (gently and empathetically of course) and to pray with God's purposes in mind.
February 13, 2017
Tim Keller is a pastor, popular author and a sought-after conference speaker. Even those of us on the egalitarian, non-Reformed end of the evangelical spectrum appreciate Keller's graciousness, intelligence, and humility. He is kind of like our Calvinist, complementarian man-crush. Sam Allberry is an editor at the Gospel Coalition, a global speaker for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) an author, and the founding editor of Living Out (a ministry for those struggling with same-sex attraction). Keller and Allberry have teamed up for a 90 day devotional on John 14-17, Romans and the book of James. Their walk through these passages were first published in Explore Quarterly, a journal published by the Good Book Company.
The daily entries walk through a passage of scripture by breaking it up into a verse or two mini-sections, asking probing questions, and providing brief explanatory notes. Each day closes with suggestions on how to apply the passage, and often suggestions for what to pray in response. There is a blank, lined page for notes and prayers for each entry. These studies are designed to be done with an open Bible beside your devotional, so you can reference the words on the Page.
Carl Laferton, Good Book Company Editorial Director, writes a helpful introduction (seems like a series introduction as he makes no reference to the actual passages discussed in this volume). He suggests that as you read the passage for each day you note a highlight (the truth from God which strikes you most) the query (questions about what you are reading) and the change (ways God's spirit is prompting you to change) (8). At the close of each study Laferton suggests writing a one sentence summary of how God spoke to you each day and a short prayer about what you have seen. This format is not reflected in the notes of Keller and Allberry's daily entries; nevertheless it seems like a fruitful way to approach God's word expectantly.
Because Keller and Allberry elected to write questions and notes for each verse or two mini-section, there isn't a heuristic framework for the type of questions they ask. For example, many Bible Study methods use some version of Observation, Interpretation, Application. Mostly they ask the observational questions (questions about what it says in the text) and interpretive questions (questions about what you think the passage means) for every couple verse section, saving the application questions for the whole passage.
This is a 90 day journey and I have had this in possession for about a week. I haven't been able to more than skim through it; however I read enough to get a sense of the entries for the purposes of this review. I will focus mostly on entries from Romans in my comments bellow.
The authors of this volume are both theologically conservative and this is reflected in their approach to passages and particular notes. That is to be expected, we all bring our own theological lens to scripture, but they do attend to what they read in each passage. So for example, in their discussion of Romans 1:26-32 they give a brief explanation of how homosexuality is viewed as a sin in the passage, "homosexuality is described as 'against nature' (para phusin)." But they are also careful to not turn it into a super sin as some conservative interpreters might, "But notice it comes after Paul has identified the root of all sin: worshiping something other than God. And it comes before a long list of other sins, including envy and gossiping. Active homosexuality is no more or less sinful than these—all come from worshiping the created, rather than the Creator" (104). This is perhaps a controversial passage to highlight (the only verses in this study which would address anything about homosexuality and the LGBTQ lifestyle) but it gives you a sense of how they attempt to follow the contours of the biblical text and are constrained by it. Romans 9-11 give a classic Reformed understanding of election, predestination, God's foreknowledge and the future of Israel (175-192), though not in a heavy-handed way.
The notes are not detailed. There are no footnotes or suggestions for further reading to delve deeply into the passage. Keller and Allberry give a non-technical, lay-person friendly interpretation of the passage, but if you do each daily study right, you, the reader, are doing all the heavy lifting, accessing biblical truth for yourself rather than depending on them for interpretation. Because they walk through whole books of the Bible, or sections of books in the case of John 14-17, this is much more detailed than those daily-thoughts-on-a-verse devotionals they sell at the supermarket.
Yet, because this work is not scholarly, there are the occasional lapses common to popular preachers. When they are discussing Romans 8:15-17 they write, "Abba means 'Daddy,'" I know how well this preaches (I've preached it myself), but the best linguistic evidence would just translate Abba as father or dad without the informal, familiar feel of daddy. Nothing serious but not always careful speech. I also think breaking up passages into small daily chunks, can obscure the rhetorical structure and the flow of an argument. I think a bird's-eye-view is so important for grasping an epistle's meaning (especially a theologically sophisticated one like Romans). Keller and Allberry clearly have a road map they are following through each biblical book, but like your GPS they only reveal where to turn next. They don't give you a large overview of the terrain, trajectory and destination of each book. A good orienting essay introducing the books covered would help tremendously.
I love the Bible. The upper room discourses & Jesus' high priestly prayer, the book of Romans and James, contain some of my go-to passages. If you are looking for a devotional or guided study to discover these sections of scripture, this is a good choice. It would be impossible to read through this in 90 days and not grow in your understanding of these books and their meaning. And reading this devotional, as intended, will help you hear the voice of God in the text. Keller and Allberry are good guides, by no means perfect, but this would be helpful alongside other resources which help you to engage the Bible. I give this three-and-a-half stars.
I received this book via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for my honest review.
The daily entries walk through a passage of scripture by breaking it up into a verse or two mini-sections, asking probing questions, and providing brief explanatory notes. Each day closes with suggestions on how to apply the passage, and often suggestions for what to pray in response. There is a blank, lined page for notes and prayers for each entry. These studies are designed to be done with an open Bible beside your devotional, so you can reference the words on the Page.
Carl Laferton, Good Book Company Editorial Director, writes a helpful introduction (seems like a series introduction as he makes no reference to the actual passages discussed in this volume). He suggests that as you read the passage for each day you note a highlight (the truth from God which strikes you most) the query (questions about what you are reading) and the change (ways God's spirit is prompting you to change) (8). At the close of each study Laferton suggests writing a one sentence summary of how God spoke to you each day and a short prayer about what you have seen. This format is not reflected in the notes of Keller and Allberry's daily entries; nevertheless it seems like a fruitful way to approach God's word expectantly.
Because Keller and Allberry elected to write questions and notes for each verse or two mini-section, there isn't a heuristic framework for the type of questions they ask. For example, many Bible Study methods use some version of Observation, Interpretation, Application. Mostly they ask the observational questions (questions about what it says in the text) and interpretive questions (questions about what you think the passage means) for every couple verse section, saving the application questions for the whole passage.
This is a 90 day journey and I have had this in possession for about a week. I haven't been able to more than skim through it; however I read enough to get a sense of the entries for the purposes of this review. I will focus mostly on entries from Romans in my comments bellow.
The authors of this volume are both theologically conservative and this is reflected in their approach to passages and particular notes. That is to be expected, we all bring our own theological lens to scripture, but they do attend to what they read in each passage. So for example, in their discussion of Romans 1:26-32 they give a brief explanation of how homosexuality is viewed as a sin in the passage, "homosexuality is described as 'against nature' (para phusin)." But they are also careful to not turn it into a super sin as some conservative interpreters might, "But notice it comes after Paul has identified the root of all sin: worshiping something other than God. And it comes before a long list of other sins, including envy and gossiping. Active homosexuality is no more or less sinful than these—all come from worshiping the created, rather than the Creator" (104). This is perhaps a controversial passage to highlight (the only verses in this study which would address anything about homosexuality and the LGBTQ lifestyle) but it gives you a sense of how they attempt to follow the contours of the biblical text and are constrained by it. Romans 9-11 give a classic Reformed understanding of election, predestination, God's foreknowledge and the future of Israel (175-192), though not in a heavy-handed way.
The notes are not detailed. There are no footnotes or suggestions for further reading to delve deeply into the passage. Keller and Allberry give a non-technical, lay-person friendly interpretation of the passage, but if you do each daily study right, you, the reader, are doing all the heavy lifting, accessing biblical truth for yourself rather than depending on them for interpretation. Because they walk through whole books of the Bible, or sections of books in the case of John 14-17, this is much more detailed than those daily-thoughts-on-a-verse devotionals they sell at the supermarket.
Yet, because this work is not scholarly, there are the occasional lapses common to popular preachers. When they are discussing Romans 8:15-17 they write, "Abba means 'Daddy,'" I know how well this preaches (I've preached it myself), but the best linguistic evidence would just translate Abba as father or dad without the informal, familiar feel of daddy. Nothing serious but not always careful speech. I also think breaking up passages into small daily chunks, can obscure the rhetorical structure and the flow of an argument. I think a bird's-eye-view is so important for grasping an epistle's meaning (especially a theologically sophisticated one like Romans). Keller and Allberry clearly have a road map they are following through each biblical book, but like your GPS they only reveal where to turn next. They don't give you a large overview of the terrain, trajectory and destination of each book. A good orienting essay introducing the books covered would help tremendously.
I love the Bible. The upper room discourses & Jesus' high priestly prayer, the book of Romans and James, contain some of my go-to passages. If you are looking for a devotional or guided study to discover these sections of scripture, this is a good choice. It would be impossible to read through this in 90 days and not grow in your understanding of these books and their meaning. And reading this devotional, as intended, will help you hear the voice of God in the text. Keller and Allberry are good guides, by no means perfect, but this would be helpful alongside other resources which help you to engage the Bible. I give this three-and-a-half stars.
I received this book via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2017
This is exactly what I have been looking for a devotional that goes through entire books of the bible, well Romans and James and half of John.
A friend told me that the book of Romans was the Jewel of the Bible and Romans 8 was the crown. Being a relatively new Christian I wanted to go through an entire book (or more) and do a bit each day and answer questions that would make me think about what I had read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the more than 90 day experience and looking forward to receiving 90 days in Genesis, Exodus, Psalms and Galatians.
A friend told me that the book of Romans was the Jewel of the Bible and Romans 8 was the crown. Being a relatively new Christian I wanted to go through an entire book (or more) and do a bit each day and answer questions that would make me think about what I had read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the more than 90 day experience and looking forward to receiving 90 days in Genesis, Exodus, Psalms and Galatians.
July 26, 2020
The John and Romans sections were outstanding and edifying to my mornings. James was a little hit and miss but still good overall. Really enjoyed this devo and looking forward to jumping into another one sometime in the future.
January 20, 2025
Ahhh the best Bible study! Appreciated the suggestion to come up with a "Highlight, Query and Change" after reading the passage before working through the study. Definitely worked through it slower than 90 days, but it could have reasonably been done in that timeline!
February 13, 2017
Read my review here:
http://reformed-at-last.blogspot.com/...
http://reformed-at-last.blogspot.com/...
January 3, 2021
Great for personal devotional
December 20, 2025
Such an incredible dive into these scriptures. The commentaries are short and sweet and surprisingly rich. It has helped me with my walk with Jesus and I have even passed on a copy to a friend!
February 21, 2017
The search for a meaningful devotional that actually focuses upon Scripture is finally over! 90 Days in John 14-17, Romans, James by Tim Keller & Sam Allberry is a great book that will actually enhance your devotional time in the Word. Many devotionals simply use Scripture as a launching pad in order to get to the author’s helpful thought or deep reflection. In other words, you read the Scripture and then forget about it. This book was intended to be read with your Bible open and continually points you back to Scripture thereby giving you a better understanding of the Word.
On the other hand, neither is this book an in-depth commentary. You won’t be digging deep into systematic theology, although there is the occasional reference to the original languages. The real aim of this book is to get you into the Word and learn how to study with an aim toward personal application. Dig into the Word and live it out in your daily life.
Each passage is divided up into several sections. First Keller and Allberry break down each book passage by passage with just a few explanatory notes to aid you in understanding the text. You will be answering questions along the way to challenge your mind, also helping you to get behind the true force of the text. These sections end with prayer and thoughtful application. Finally there is a section for you to journal your own thoughts and reflections.
This book is helpful to both the theology students and laymen alike. The authors recommend setting aside a half hour’s time to really get into this and from my experience that seems about right – and time well spent. Buy the book and jump right in!
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
On the other hand, neither is this book an in-depth commentary. You won’t be digging deep into systematic theology, although there is the occasional reference to the original languages. The real aim of this book is to get you into the Word and learn how to study with an aim toward personal application. Dig into the Word and live it out in your daily life.
Each passage is divided up into several sections. First Keller and Allberry break down each book passage by passage with just a few explanatory notes to aid you in understanding the text. You will be answering questions along the way to challenge your mind, also helping you to get behind the true force of the text. These sections end with prayer and thoughtful application. Finally there is a section for you to journal your own thoughts and reflections.
This book is helpful to both the theology students and laymen alike. The authors recommend setting aside a half hour’s time to really get into this and from my experience that seems about right – and time well spent. Buy the book and jump right in!
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
February 9, 2017
Explore by the Book looks at John 14-17, with verse by verse readings/commentary written by Sam Allberry, Romans, written by Tim Keller, and James, written by Allbery. The 90 devotionals included in this book are taken from the Explore Quarterly devotional. The book is referred to as an “open Bible devotional”, in that you will need to keep your printed or digital Bible open as you use these studies. You’ll be asked questions throughout so that you think about the text. While it is commendable to provide a product which will have you interact with the Scriptures such as this, I feel it was a major misstep to not include the actual Scripture text (or at least a hyperlink to the passage in the e-book edition), being discussed in the book. I read almost all of my books in the Kindle version. As I read the book, I had to constantly exit the book and look up the passage in my Kindle version of the Bible. This decreased my devotional experience with the book.
It is suggested set aside a half an hour a day for 90 days to work through these studies, and to respond to the questions that are provided. Each study has sub-sections of the passage covered. After each small chunk of teaching there will be questions to address, and one or both of the headings Apply, and Pray. You are to use these sections to turn what you have read in the Bible and speak back to God.
This book, which features excellent content, would best be read in the hardback edition, which comes with ribbon marker and space for journaling. It is suggested that before you read each study that you read the passage and then include several things:
• The Highlight: the truth about God that most struck you.
• The Query: the questions you have about what you have read (and your best attempt at answering them).
• The Change: the major way you feel the Spirit is prompting you to change either your attitudes, or your actions, as a result of what you have read.
After you have completed each study, record:
• One sentence summing up how God has spoken to you through his word.
• A short prayer in response to what you have seen.
Explore by the Book is a wonderful concept that is best used with the hardback edition of the book and a physical copy of your Bible open. I would not recommend the e-book format, due to the concerns expressed above.
It is suggested set aside a half an hour a day for 90 days to work through these studies, and to respond to the questions that are provided. Each study has sub-sections of the passage covered. After each small chunk of teaching there will be questions to address, and one or both of the headings Apply, and Pray. You are to use these sections to turn what you have read in the Bible and speak back to God.
This book, which features excellent content, would best be read in the hardback edition, which comes with ribbon marker and space for journaling. It is suggested that before you read each study that you read the passage and then include several things:
• The Highlight: the truth about God that most struck you.
• The Query: the questions you have about what you have read (and your best attempt at answering them).
• The Change: the major way you feel the Spirit is prompting you to change either your attitudes, or your actions, as a result of what you have read.
After you have completed each study, record:
• One sentence summing up how God has spoken to you through his word.
• A short prayer in response to what you have seen.
Explore by the Book is a wonderful concept that is best used with the hardback edition of the book and a physical copy of your Bible open. I would not recommend the e-book format, due to the concerns expressed above.
February 14, 2017
This is a difficult book to review because of it's structure. It is a 90 day devotional that I had two weeks to review. Hard to spend 90 days in a book and judge the results when you have 14 days. So I approached this book like I would any devotional, I skimmed the book first to see the structure. It is laid out in easily read portions of scripture (usually 4-10 verses) with sections about the context of the verses, an application section, a prayer section followed by space to journal. The comments in the section on the context are brief but weighty, the application section is quality as are the prayers.
I chose several passages from each author to go through as my devotional time and was blessed by these devotions. Even though it has the names Timothy Keller and Sam Allberry (great writers in the own way) neither author contributes much except to point the reader to God's Word, truly these two guys just got out of the way and point to God in these passages. I loved that aspect of this book. I would highly recommend this book and have already given a copy away to a newer believer and may be buying more. A great resource thank you!!!
I chose several passages from each author to go through as my devotional time and was blessed by these devotions. Even though it has the names Timothy Keller and Sam Allberry (great writers in the own way) neither author contributes much except to point the reader to God's Word, truly these two guys just got out of the way and point to God in these passages. I loved that aspect of this book. I would highly recommend this book and have already given a copy away to a newer believer and may be buying more. A great resource thank you!!!
February 9, 2017
We are in need of truth more now than ever before. In their book, 90 Days in John 14-17, Romans, James, Timothy Keller & Sam Allberry deliver just that – truth in small snippets for the reader to take in and ruminate.
The authors write in a style that comes alongside the reader, provoking one to look at the Scriptures for oneself. Each day’s reading is easy to understand, written as a devotional and not as a commentary. Yet each day provides enriching and illuminating exposition on the passage selection.
Included in each day, along with the Scriptures, are questions which help to apply the Scriptures in a practical and manageable way. There is space to record one’s observations, applications, and prayer daily.
This is a wonderful devotional and study book for anyone and especially for those newer to the Scriptures. The format helps in keeping one organized and the study method is very effective and enjoyable. For those who are familiar with Scripture, the readings will be a breath of fresh air, sort of like CPR, they will bring life to a devotional time that may have become more rote and stale.
** I received this book in exchange for my review from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews. 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.”
The authors write in a style that comes alongside the reader, provoking one to look at the Scriptures for oneself. Each day’s reading is easy to understand, written as a devotional and not as a commentary. Yet each day provides enriching and illuminating exposition on the passage selection.
Included in each day, along with the Scriptures, are questions which help to apply the Scriptures in a practical and manageable way. There is space to record one’s observations, applications, and prayer daily.
This is a wonderful devotional and study book for anyone and especially for those newer to the Scriptures. The format helps in keeping one organized and the study method is very effective and enjoyable. For those who are familiar with Scripture, the readings will be a breath of fresh air, sort of like CPR, they will bring life to a devotional time that may have become more rote and stale.
** I received this book in exchange for my review from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews. 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.”
February 12, 2017
I’m excited about this devotional book by Tim Keller and Sam Allberry.
Each short chapter gives the Bible text for the day followed by a few helpful notes. The notes are split up by sub headings, as well as questions which aid the reader to think about the passage and how it applies to your life. At the end of the chapter is a small paragraph with suggestions of how to pray in to what you have just read.
The page layout (it’s on my Kindle) is easy on the eye with lots of white space and clear headings and short paragraphs. It is appealing and draws you in, making you want to read it.
This is precisely the kind of devotional I like to start my day with. I don’t have to work at trying to wake up reading lots of dense text, and at the end of a chapter wonder what I’ve just read because I haven’t taken any of it in. With a book like 90 Days In, I can begin reading and find that my brain and heart are engaging with the subject matter almost at once.
Each short chapter gives the Bible text for the day followed by a few helpful notes. The notes are split up by sub headings, as well as questions which aid the reader to think about the passage and how it applies to your life. At the end of the chapter is a small paragraph with suggestions of how to pray in to what you have just read.
The page layout (it’s on my Kindle) is easy on the eye with lots of white space and clear headings and short paragraphs. It is appealing and draws you in, making you want to read it.
This is precisely the kind of devotional I like to start my day with. I don’t have to work at trying to wake up reading lots of dense text, and at the end of a chapter wonder what I’ve just read because I haven’t taken any of it in. With a book like 90 Days In, I can begin reading and find that my brain and heart are engaging with the subject matter almost at once.
February 9, 2017
Timothy Keller & Sam Allberry. Explore by the book: John 14-17, Romans & James (Kindle). The Good Book Company.
I like Tim Keller a lot and is the author I have mostly read in the recent years. That is why I picked up this book for review. I was a little disappointed, but not because the book is bad. I don't use devotional books.
If your Bible study is done with the use of devotionals, you need this one. Brief and to the point, you will walk through these two books and fours chapters of John very well.
I can give the book four stars.
I got the book for free from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
I like Tim Keller a lot and is the author I have mostly read in the recent years. That is why I picked up this book for review. I was a little disappointed, but not because the book is bad. I don't use devotional books.
If your Bible study is done with the use of devotionals, you need this one. Brief and to the point, you will walk through these two books and fours chapters of John very well.
I can give the book four stars.
I got the book for free from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews