Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy - Member Book

by Kelly Minter

Ruth's journey of unbearable loss, redeeming love, and divine legacy comes alive in Kelly Minter's Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy—the second study in the Living Room Series. This 6-week Bible study delves into the noble character of Ruth, her unique relationship with her mother in-law Naomi, and her blossoming love with Boaz.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christianity, Devotional, Spirituality

176 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2009

About the author

Kelly Minter is passionate about God’s Word and believes it permeates all of life. The personal healing and steadfast hope she’s found in the pages of Scripture fuel her passion to connect God’s Word to our everyday lives. When she’s not writing or teaching, you can find her tending her garden, taking a walk with friends, cooking for her nieces and nephews, riding a boat down the Amazon River, or walking through a Moldovan village with Justice & Mercy International. Kelly holds a master’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Denver Seminary.

A few of Kelly’s past Bible studies and books include: Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This; Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith through the Spiritual Disciplines; and The Blessed Life: A 90-Day Devotional through the Miracles and Teachings of Jesus. To see a full list of Kelly’s Bible studies and books, visit kellyminter.com/store.

Reviews

[Rayna]

A thought-provoking breath of fresh air! Kelly Minter has a way of challenging you without overwhelming you. There are two things that really got me thinking: 1) what it means to fully surrender to God, and 2)what it means to see the way God sees, looking at the heart instead of the outward appearance. Highly recommended!

[Becky]

5 stars

Wonderful women's study about the book of Ruth. Lots of contextual information about the circumstances surrounding Ruth and Naomi's journey from Moab to Israel, from bitterness to blessing & legacy. Lots of flipping through the Bible to link past and future...Lots of personal connections for all women. Kelly Minter is a single woman, and I appreciated how she casts her literary net to capture the needs and questions posed by women of many different life circumstances...not just wives and mothers. Great discussion questions, great music, and great recipes! I would definitely recommend this for groups of women who want a solid Bible study along with some female fellowship and fun.

[April Carmack]

This is my first Kelly Minter bible study. She provided a great study on the book of Ruth that breathed new life into an old bible story I heard as a child. Overall, I found this study and the book of Ruth fascinating. Kelly provided sound scriptures to support the study and I really enjoyed this one!

[Swmartz]

I really enjoyed this Bible study. A great and thorough look at Ruth and how God used her in so many ways.

[Liz Yavinsky]

This book touched my heart…

[Becky Devito]

It was a wonderful Bible study! I learned a lot!

[Cole Ramirez]

Ok. I almost feel bad writing this because Kelly Minter comes across as a really genuinely GOOD person - fun, funny, friendly and warm - someone I could actually be friends with - but I found it almost impossible to believe that she did not in fact write this bible study in a vacuum. It's shocking to me that she developed this project with active participation from multiple friends AND presumably went through some sort of editing process with the publisher and yet no one told her to scale it back on the personal stories.

It's not that the stories are boring, but we bought the book to learn about Ruth, not the life and times of Kelly Minter and friends. Some stories made sense in the context of what we were studying, but others really just felt out of left field. Even if all of the personal stories were totally applicable, the quantity was over the top.

It was a bummer too, because I actually think I would really enjoy a more focused bible study from Ms. Minter - hiding amongst the myriad of Kelly stories were many great insights, things about Ruth and the historical context that I never would have known or thought about myself. I liked the structure of the study, how it picked apart the book verse by verse, and I even really appreciated Kelly's vulnerability when it came to topics like singleness. Had the book been thoroughly edited, pruning many (most?) of the fringe stories, it would have been much stronger.

I wish I could say it was just me who had this impression, but alas, I did not do the study in a vacuum either, and all seven of the women that went through it together agreed: MORE RUTH, LESS KELLY.

[Karen Locklear]

I loved Kelly Minter's Thirsting for God. However, her study of Ruth didn't live up to my expectations.

If you look at the book of Ruth, strictly from a literary standpoint, it represents a great analogy of obedience, faith, loyalty, and redemption on so many levels. Plus, it's awesome forshadowing for the coming of Christ. However, by week four it turned kinda, well, romantic on me. In shifting to that focus much of the author's purpose (in my opinion anyway) is lost.

[Nicole]

This is the second Kelly Minter study I've done, and I really enjoy them! Kelly is very down to earth. She uses some humor and she is just "real" which is refreshing. She makes you feel like she is just like anyone of us doing her study. The study also opened my eyes to things I never realized about the book of Ruth and opened my heart through the personal and thought provoking questions. I would definitely recommend it!

[Hillary Franklin]

This was such a great study! I wasn't sure about it at first because there were no DVDs and I was used to that with Beth Moore. Plus at the time that I did this I hadn't heard of Kelly Minter. Well now she is one of my favorites as well! I have always loved Ruth and this made me love it more. I had read the book so many times that I wondered just how much more I could see in it, but she helped me look at it in a whole new way. Every now and then I will just go to the book of Ruth and read it through. It's one of the things she had us do towards the end of the study and it's just such a nice reminder of God's love and care for us. I love Ruth and this study!

[Valerie]

I know some reviews did not enjoy her personal stories, but I think they actually added to the discussions, and allowed for myself and others to reflect on our own past/stories. Even though this is a short book of the Bible, she paces it well, and allows decent amount of thought and reflection so you understand are are able to connect it to your own life, as well as the Gospels. The other ladies I was doing this with also enjoyed. I did try a few of the recipes, but I found my own versions of them were bit tastier.

[Kathleen Meacham]

Used this book for a women's bible study. It was my first experience with Kelly Minter. She brings a lot to the table, and although I have studied the book of Ruth before, Kelly truly brought different things to light. Probing questions, personal insight, music links, a deep dive into scripture, and even recipes included, and more. A lot of bang for the buck. Excellent pacing. Enjoyed this study immensely.

[Rose]

After Minter's excellent study of 1, 2, and 3 John, I was disappointed in this study of Ruth. It was much "lighter," almost seeming padded with too much personal anecdote in order to reach a 6-week study format. Also, I questioned her impositions of attitudes on the characters and her designation of the book as a romance. The book of Ruth is not a romance. It is a book about God's lovingkindness. It's not a love story; it's a lovingkindness story--and there's a big difference.

[Gayle Brown]

This was an interesting version of Ruth. I was enthralled by the way Kelly, the author, was able to take you to other scriptures in the Bible which addressed Ruth and her situation. What was interesting was how she compared Leah and Rebekah and Tamar to Ruth. You will have to read the book to see how all of this came together. An excellent read either by yourself or with a small group!

[Stacey]

This is such a great Bible study!!! I did it by myself instead of in a group. I’m sure it is even better with a group of ladies. It taught me a lot and was such an encouraging study. It really makes you appreciate the genealogies listed in the Bible which people often see as boring. I loved it! Highly recommend! 10/10

[Angela Medina]

Ruth is one of my favorite Bible books my entire life I have read it, studied it, and dreamed about what Ruth went through. Yet, the way Kelly Minter presented the information about Ruth's life was fresh and exciting. It was exactly what my life needed at this moment.

[Rachel]

I had only ever seen Ruth as a wonderful love story between her and Boaz. I don't think I ever truly saw how Boaz redeeming Ruth and Naomi mirrored so exactly the way Jesus redeems us. Very insightful study.

[Rachel]

I really like how she breaks it down verse by verse,
takes history and culture into account, and connects it to other verses in the Bible. Ruth has been my favorite by Minter so far. It could do with a few less of her personal stories.

[Robin Densmore Fuson]

Excellent study in Ruth. I appreciate the other scripture references and the history Kelly brings out. I looked forward to digging in every day. Her video clips were also good. I loved it so much I recommended it to some friends of mine and they will be doing this study as a group.

[Sarah Ketchum]

An excellent, in-depth look at the story of Ruth and how it connects to the larger story of God’s redemption. Each verse is considered in great detail and nothing is skimmed over. Lovely study.

[Shannon]

Good study for women with lots on their plates...not too much to study throughout the week, but not a superficial study either. Has a good balance of story and study.

[Jennifer Barten]

Fun book! I love the way she goes through Ruth and the recipes in the back of each chapter. She does tell a few too many personal stories.

[Megan]

This is a wonderful study of the book of Ruth. The only technical change I would make is bigger spaces for writing answers to questions!

[Joni Hartman]

A good book to help develop a deeper appreciation for how God works in and through our circumstances.

[Rachel Burton]

Kelly Minter has the most down-to-earth way of writing Bible studies that make you laugh, think and feel deeply. This one was phenomenal and I already ordered another Living Room series book.

[Jacqueline]

Absolutely love Kelly Minter.

[Alisha Gsell]

My first Kelly Minter study and I really got a lot out of it. I appreciated learning about the book of Ruth through the eyes of another single woman.

[Shelby Cothern]

Such a good devotion!! Helped me a lot through my trials of getting out of a three year relationship and what it means to be a woman of God looking at the Ruth story.

[Amber Rensberger]

This study changed my life!

[Jessica Gardner]

I loved this study! The homework was a bit much, but I got a lot from it! Because of the study, Ruth is my favorite book in the Bible.