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The Bible in 10 Words: Unlocking the Message of Scripture and Connecting with God
Get a better understanding of the Bible through ten words that help define God's plan for restoring and redeeming our broken world.
The Bible contains around 750,000 words—a number that would intimidate even the most seasoned readers of the Bible. Yet, from the beginning of time, God set in place a plan to bring us back to the One who loves us.
Remarkably—as though God couldn't wait to tell us—this plan is telegraphed in the first few pages of the Bible and can be summed up in just ten light, dust, breath, garden, river, eat, alone, naked, afraid, sweat.
Deron Spoo traces each word through the Bible and explains how these words reveal God's plan for restoring our broken world. Each word is both rich in meaning and full of promise. Following the thread of each word as it appears and reappears in the Bible, The Bible in 10 Words offers a compelling glimpse of who God is and what He is saying to us.
The Bible contains around 750,000 words—a number that would intimidate even the most seasoned readers of the Bible. Yet, from the beginning of time, God set in place a plan to bring us back to the One who loves us.
Remarkably—as though God couldn't wait to tell us—this plan is telegraphed in the first few pages of the Bible and can be summed up in just ten light, dust, breath, garden, river, eat, alone, naked, afraid, sweat.
Deron Spoo traces each word through the Bible and explains how these words reveal God's plan for restoring our broken world. Each word is both rich in meaning and full of promise. Following the thread of each word as it appears and reappears in the Bible, The Bible in 10 Words offers a compelling glimpse of who God is and what He is saying to us.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 18, 2020
3 people are currently reading
890 people want to read
About the author
Deron Spoo
5 books15 followersDeron Spoo is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the past 16 years, Spoo has guided the church as it transitions from being simply a downtown church to a regional church committed to urban ministry. Church members describe him as "down to earth" and "authentic." His television devotionals, First Things First, reach 100,000 people each week. Spoo is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Paula, have three children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 27, 2020
We know words are powerful and well chosen words are very powerful. Spoo has chosen ten words to explore major ideas in the Bible. His writing style is pleasant and he includes many interesting stories illustrating his teaching.
While each essay is insightful, I think my favorite was on breath. We can't live without it. God breathed into Adam and elements became a living being. Jesus breathed power into the disciples, the Holy Spirit. We might try to breath life into a dying project. We have breath to bless others. We have breath to praise and worship God. Breath reminds us of the brevity of life. When we die we are said to breathe our last.
Spoo reveals similar insights for each of the ten words: light, dust, breath, garden, river, eat, alone, naked, afraid, and sweat. While the words have their roots in Genesis, they form a good overview of the Bible in general. He closes each chapter with a prayer (talk to God), discussion questions (talk to one another), and Scripture for further reading. And, as an added bonus, you'll find out why your shoe laces come untied.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
While each essay is insightful, I think my favorite was on breath. We can't live without it. God breathed into Adam and elements became a living being. Jesus breathed power into the disciples, the Holy Spirit. We might try to breath life into a dying project. We have breath to bless others. We have breath to praise and worship God. Breath reminds us of the brevity of life. When we die we are said to breathe our last.
Spoo reveals similar insights for each of the ten words: light, dust, breath, garden, river, eat, alone, naked, afraid, and sweat. While the words have their roots in Genesis, they form a good overview of the Bible in general. He closes each chapter with a prayer (talk to God), discussion questions (talk to one another), and Scripture for further reading. And, as an added bonus, you'll find out why your shoe laces come untied.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
February 7, 2020
“Each word, found in the first page or two of the Bible, sets the stage for God’s perfect world, the brokenness that follows, and the restoration God has in mind for those he loves,” Deron writes at the beginning of his book, The Bible in 10 Words: Unlocking the Message of Scripture and Connecting with God.
~ What ~
This two-hundred-and-nine-page hardbound targets those who like a simplistic devotion of the Word of God concerning less than a dozen keywords. Using the Christian Standard Version of the Holy Bible, the NIV is also referenced. The ending includes acknowledgments, notes, and the author’s biography.
In this short read, ten simple words from the first three chapters of Genesis are discussed and shown how they relate to Jesus being revealed from the beginning to the end of the Bible. The major words are Light, Dust, Breath, Garden, River, Eat, Alone, Naked, Afraid, and Alone as well as one final, perfect word: Jesus. With an introduction and ending, each chapter begins with a written out Bible verse or two and a quote, followed by several pages regarding the topic. Chapters end with a prayer, three to four discussion questions, and further Scripture to research.
~ Why ~
This is a thoughtful read regarding ten words from Genesis and follows them through the Bible. The author discusses finding the True Light, accepting our ordinariness with humility, having a spirit-filled breath to worship; allowing God to tend to our needs; noticing blessings and boundaries; listening with our hearts to the Lord’s instructions; being alone yet wanting God’s companionship; shedding guilt and shame when our true self is uncovered; instead of freezing, fighting, and fleeing when afraid, have the fear of the Lord; understanding life is a gift with a curse so we must persevere, and Jesus is the answer.
~ Why Not ~
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you may not like this book, yet it may be one that ties the Bible together as it focuses on how Christ is shown throughout it. Others may not appreciate reading the writer’s personal stories about his wife, children, family trips, and visits to a monastery as well as tales of chess games, the Heimlich maneuver, shoelaces, and the Mona Lisa to name a few.
~ Wish ~
While I enjoyed the down-to-earth explanations of the words conveyed, I expected there to be more detailed discussions about each as written in the Bible (one word is mentioned only twice in Scripture). I wish it was more of a study book with more Biblical research. I prefer all pronouns of God capitalized for reverence.
~ Want ~
If you like reading a contemporary book of ten words found in the first book in the Old Testament and their correlation to Jesus Christ, this is a nice read at a sophomoric level that contains the writer’s personal reflections. It may be a good read for a new believer.
Thanks to Hachette Book Group for this book that I am under no obligation to review.
~ What ~
This two-hundred-and-nine-page hardbound targets those who like a simplistic devotion of the Word of God concerning less than a dozen keywords. Using the Christian Standard Version of the Holy Bible, the NIV is also referenced. The ending includes acknowledgments, notes, and the author’s biography.
In this short read, ten simple words from the first three chapters of Genesis are discussed and shown how they relate to Jesus being revealed from the beginning to the end of the Bible. The major words are Light, Dust, Breath, Garden, River, Eat, Alone, Naked, Afraid, and Alone as well as one final, perfect word: Jesus. With an introduction and ending, each chapter begins with a written out Bible verse or two and a quote, followed by several pages regarding the topic. Chapters end with a prayer, three to four discussion questions, and further Scripture to research.
~ Why ~
This is a thoughtful read regarding ten words from Genesis and follows them through the Bible. The author discusses finding the True Light, accepting our ordinariness with humility, having a spirit-filled breath to worship; allowing God to tend to our needs; noticing blessings and boundaries; listening with our hearts to the Lord’s instructions; being alone yet wanting God’s companionship; shedding guilt and shame when our true self is uncovered; instead of freezing, fighting, and fleeing when afraid, have the fear of the Lord; understanding life is a gift with a curse so we must persevere, and Jesus is the answer.
~ Why Not ~
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you may not like this book, yet it may be one that ties the Bible together as it focuses on how Christ is shown throughout it. Others may not appreciate reading the writer’s personal stories about his wife, children, family trips, and visits to a monastery as well as tales of chess games, the Heimlich maneuver, shoelaces, and the Mona Lisa to name a few.
~ Wish ~
While I enjoyed the down-to-earth explanations of the words conveyed, I expected there to be more detailed discussions about each as written in the Bible (one word is mentioned only twice in Scripture). I wish it was more of a study book with more Biblical research. I prefer all pronouns of God capitalized for reverence.
~ Want ~
If you like reading a contemporary book of ten words found in the first book in the Old Testament and their correlation to Jesus Christ, this is a nice read at a sophomoric level that contains the writer’s personal reflections. It may be a good read for a new believer.
Thanks to Hachette Book Group for this book that I am under no obligation to review.
February 24, 2020
Deron Spoo says there are 10 words in the Bible that can sum up God's plan. His new book, The Bible in 10 Words, reveals those words.
The Bible in 10 Words is divided in to chapters that mostly contain the 10 words that Spoo talks about along with an introduction and a conclusion. I can tell you the 10 words but you are going to want to read the book to find out why they are important: Light, Dust, Breath, Garden, River, Eat,
Alone, Naked, Afraid, and Sweat. Spoo shares why each word is important by beginning each chapter with a Bible verse and a quote about the word. He concludes each chapter with a prayer, questions to ask yourself or others in a group setting and more verses to think about relating to each word.
At first glance, The Bible in 10 Words may not sound like a very interesting book. However, Spoo is both an interesting writer and a great communicator. He shares some fascinating stories about each word and really brings the Bible to life through this book. The stories and his thoughts seem to flow effortlessly through each reading. I think this would be an especially great book to give a new Christian but it is also interesting to those who have been Believers for a long time. It would make a great book for a small group to use together too. It isn't a book that you will want to just read straight through but rather a book to use as a devotional or to read through slowly and reflectively.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. #sponsoredbyfaithwords
The Bible in 10 Words is divided in to chapters that mostly contain the 10 words that Spoo talks about along with an introduction and a conclusion. I can tell you the 10 words but you are going to want to read the book to find out why they are important: Light, Dust, Breath, Garden, River, Eat,
Alone, Naked, Afraid, and Sweat. Spoo shares why each word is important by beginning each chapter with a Bible verse and a quote about the word. He concludes each chapter with a prayer, questions to ask yourself or others in a group setting and more verses to think about relating to each word.
At first glance, The Bible in 10 Words may not sound like a very interesting book. However, Spoo is both an interesting writer and a great communicator. He shares some fascinating stories about each word and really brings the Bible to life through this book. The stories and his thoughts seem to flow effortlessly through each reading. I think this would be an especially great book to give a new Christian but it is also interesting to those who have been Believers for a long time. It would make a great book for a small group to use together too. It isn't a book that you will want to just read straight through but rather a book to use as a devotional or to read through slowly and reflectively.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. #sponsoredbyfaithwords
February 17, 2020
God created the world with words. He inspired people to write books included in the Bible which we call God's Word. In "The Bible in 10 Words", Deron Spoo chose ten words in Genesis 1-3 that give a complete summary of the 66 books of the Bible: light, dust, breath, garden, river, eat, alone, naked, afraid and sweat.
In each chapter, Spoo describes the importance of each word as it pertains to God's purpose for the world and ends with a prayer, discussion questions and additional scripture references.
While inspirational, creative and unique, some parts of the book were a little boring. Some chapters were better than others. It would be a good small group study because it lends itself to interesting discussion.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Hatchette Book Group, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. 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.”
In each chapter, Spoo describes the importance of each word as it pertains to God's purpose for the world and ends with a prayer, discussion questions and additional scripture references.
While inspirational, creative and unique, some parts of the book were a little boring. Some chapters were better than others. It would be a good small group study because it lends itself to interesting discussion.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Hatchette Book Group, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. 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 15, 2020
The Bible in 10 Words sounds like an impossible task, but in this new book, Deron Spoo takes the premise to a deep level of connecting readers with God in a fresh and meaningful way. Simple words like light, alone, afraid, garden, and others come alive with a perspective that spans the whole of scripture. The thread of redemption that begins in Genesis is made clearer with Deron’s timeless illustrations and relatable prose style. My favorite chapter was “garden” beginning with Eden and ending with Gethsemane, but in between were numerous applications relating to the word that I’d not considered before. And I must confess, I found myself peeking ahead to see what the next words would be.
I used the book for my daily study and prayer time and highly recommend it for personal devotions or group studies. As Deron suggests, take time to savor the words, let them soak in and speak to you.
I used the book for my daily study and prayer time and highly recommend it for personal devotions or group studies. As Deron suggests, take time to savor the words, let them soak in and speak to you.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews