Discovering Hope in the Psalms: A Creative Devotional Study Experience

by Pam Farrel, Jean E. Jones, Karla Dornacher (Artist)

"What an incredibly unique and creative Bible study! It's multilayered, dimensional, theologically rich, touching the senses—enlightening the mind, capturing the heart."
—Kay Arthur, cofounder of Precept Ministries International "I love the encouragement, inspiration, and delightful details woven throughout."
—Darlene Schacht, Time-Warp Wife and bestselling author of Messy Beautiful Love This Isn't Your Average Bible Study Explore God's Word on a deeper level and engage with his truth in fresh ways! This study of 10 psalms of hope invites you to discover the incredible design and purpose of inspired Hebrew poetry.

Perfect for group discussion or personal reflection, Discovering Hope in the Psalms offers compelling teachings, motivating devotions, and plenty of creative options for interacting with the psalms—including beautiful artwork to color. This discovery book will show you how to... Immerse your mind, heart, and soul in the hope flowing through the psalms.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2017

About the author

Pam Farrel and her husband, Bill, are the authors of Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti (more than 300,000 copies sold) and Red-Hot Monogamy. In addition, Pam has written 52 Ways to Wow Your Husband and The 10 Best Decisions a Woman Can Make. They are cofounders and codirectors of Love-Wise, an organization to help people connect love and wisdom and bring practical insights to their personal relationships.

Reviews

[Prairie Sky Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book of Psalms is undoubtedly one of the most beloved books of the Bible.  It certainly is for me.  Still, I never truly realized the deeper meanings found throughout the Psalms. The many facets of the writing style, the structure, the imagery and many other aspects all work together to create this much deeper meaning than I would have understood at first glance.  “Discovering Hope in the Psalms” by Pam Farrel, Jean E. Jones, and Karla Dornacher, is an invaluable resource to help you discover that deeper meaning.

While “Discovering Hope in the Psalms” is a Bible study which contains a wealth of information and food for thought, it is very unique to it’s genre as it is also a creative experience.  On numerous occasions throughout the book you will be invited to experience the Psalms through visual, performing, literary, culinary, and musical arts.  Needless to say, this variety of options gives a very three-dimensional feel to the Psalms, and even to Biblical study as a whole.

Yet another aspect to this book is the addition of colouring pages.  These illustrations are truly some of the nicest I’ve seen, as they are beautiful and fun, but generally simple enough for anyone to enjoy.  I particularly appreciate this simplicity, as I am not fond of extremely intricate colouring designs.

It is plain to see that much work and time was placed in the writing and designing of this book.  The result of that effort is a creative approach to Bible study that I would highly recommend, as it will add an entirely new dimension to the already-beloved words of the Psalms.

This book was provided courtesy of Harvest House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

[BreeAdoresReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Bible Study!

Discovering Hope In The Psalms is a wonderful Bible Study that will fill you with great hope. Each chapter is a deep dive into the hope of God's Word. There is a full coloring page that accompanies each chapter for you to color and meditate on God's promises. I just completed an eight week online Bible study using Discovering Hope In The Psalms and my faith is renewed and my hope is strong. This is definitely a five star study that you'll be glad you purchased!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my Women's Bible study, I read this study of Psalms co-written by Pam Farrell and Jean Jones. Each chapter covered a different psalm that focused on a specific lesson. Some of the psalms covered themes ranging from "Hope of God's Blessings", "When Life Seems Unfair", "Finding Hope When Downcast."
Readers are given the opportunity to write their own psalms. This action lends itself to a better understanding of the psalms as they apply to life situations and as they related to David in the Old Testament.

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've done in this series, and I really enjoyed it. They don't attempt to cover all the Psalms - that would be an extremely long study. But the selections they chose for in-depth study covered a wide range of styles and topics. Specifically, they focused on Psalms 1, 2, 23, 30, 42-43, 51, 71, 73 and 146. Topics included hope related to (a) God's blessing, (b) the Messiah's reign, (c) mercy and (d) the Lord's good care. They also looked at hope when (e) downcast or (f) when life seems unfair; and the importance of (g) continual hope and (h) hope fulfilled. As well as the in-depth study of these Psalms, there were also extra insights into the structure and style of Psalms in general, and anecdotes of how God has worked in the lives of the authors.

I enjoyed the studies and got a lot out of it. As with the 'Joy' book I had done previously, I also enjoyed the creative elements. Each of the eight chapters came with a bookmark and full-page spread that you could colour in, as well as other smaller pictures you could also colour if you wished. I did a little bit most days and I found it to be meditative and a good way to focus on the key scripture for that chapter.

If you like some in-depth Bible study, with a creative bent, you'd enjoy these studies. I'll be looking for more in the series.

[Kristi Elker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is one in which the authors hand-hold readers throughout, leading them to exactly the interpretation that the authors have already arrived at, themselves. I did not find this to be a serious study of scripture, one that might confront difficult questions or even allow for questions. The interpretations that these authors came to really support a transactional faith and a violent God. The Psalms are not approached as poetry and songs as much as "God's words." These are records of how men saw God and how they expressed their human experience and beliefs through song. Why not study them in the light of that? David said so and so, which means he believed such and such. Instead, what the Pslamists thought or felt is interpreted in this study as the truth of who God is: but they were people working out their faith. Jesus is the exact representation of God, which should make it clear that God had been misrepresented in the past. "You have heard it said ..., but I tell you ...". I recently heard Wil Gaffney interviewed on the podcast "The Bible for Normal People," and she said, "When it comes to scripture we have veils over our eyes, as the apostle says. Sometimes we can't read critically because of our devotion to the text and the god of the text."

[Rachel Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

So wonderful. My favourite Bible study I've ever done. I intend to buy every bible study these three women create together. Beautiful colouring pages, loads of fascinating facts and information, easy engaging questions and step by step process to writing your own psalms. I have found so much joy studying the Bible with this beautiful book.

[Beth Beutler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent study that goes deeper into the Psalms and incorporates several opportunities to use your creativity in the process. I plan to keep it in my travel bag as I still have several pages to color and re-consider.

[Deanna Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Bible Study. I appreciated the extra tidbits on Psalms that I never knew. How the writers outlined different types of psalms and encouraged us to write our own. I also loved the creative side and coloring.

[Shelley Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Seasoned Sisters group took one year going through this amazingly simple yet complex bible study on the Psalms and how to find Hope. We all loved it. Full of valuable extras and a comprehensive inductive bible study that any level of learner could do on their own or study with others. Loved it.
And the coloring makes it uniquely your own.

[Roxi]

WOW - Women of the Word - Summer 2018 Study