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Start! The Bible for New Believers: New King James Version, Red, Study
A brand new life of faith begins when we place our trust in Jesus Christ. Start is the perfect Bible for new believers or believers who want to learn more about their faith. Ideal for introducing new believers to the Bible, Start focuses on basic discipleship with articles and devotions on subjects including prayer, Bible study, church involvement, sharing your faith, and discovering God's will. Core biblical themes are introduced at basic levels of theological sophistication and presented in very simple language. Features
- GenresChristianChristianity
1372 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2010
23 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Greg Laurie
294 books230 followersGreg Laurie is an American author and pastor who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, Harvest Corona in Corona, California Harvest Woodcrest in Riverside, California, Harvest at Kumulani in Kapalua, Hawaii, and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 28, 2011
What kind of Bible would you give to a brand new Christian? You would want one that includes a good overview of the Christian faith, a short introduction to every Old and New Testament book, and guidelines in the spiritual disciplines. In short, you may just give them this Bible.
In addition to the sacred text (the New King James Version, easy to read and faithful to the original Biblical languages), this Bible includes a simple explanation of salvation, and 30 pages of spiritual growth material that every Christian would do well to heed.
The brief book introductions are valuable reads: simple, yet meaningful; the essence of each book with a few crucial highlights that bring each portion of Scripture to life.
The final pages include a good topical index as well as a brief survey of essential Christian doctrines.
SO WHAT?
This is not a review of "The Holy Bible," but of this particular example of man’s packaging of God’s Word.
A hungry seeker will devour this Bible. The notes before, after, and throughout the Scripture provide many "Aha!" moments. Key verses are highlighted as pull quotes and would make excellent memory verses. A baby Christian who cut his teeth on this Bible would most likely experience rapid spiritual growth. This is a great tool in the hands of those who are about the business of making disciples.
This Bible is aimed primarily at an American audience with references to "America's problems" in the introductory notes.
At first I thought that this was a little pricey (around $13) for only being a paperback Bible, but the little extras add monetary value to a book that already possesses infinite eternal value.
I received this book free to review from Thomas Nelson.
In addition to the sacred text (the New King James Version, easy to read and faithful to the original Biblical languages), this Bible includes a simple explanation of salvation, and 30 pages of spiritual growth material that every Christian would do well to heed.
The brief book introductions are valuable reads: simple, yet meaningful; the essence of each book with a few crucial highlights that bring each portion of Scripture to life.
The final pages include a good topical index as well as a brief survey of essential Christian doctrines.
SO WHAT?
This is not a review of "The Holy Bible," but of this particular example of man’s packaging of God’s Word.
A hungry seeker will devour this Bible. The notes before, after, and throughout the Scripture provide many "Aha!" moments. Key verses are highlighted as pull quotes and would make excellent memory verses. A baby Christian who cut his teeth on this Bible would most likely experience rapid spiritual growth. This is a great tool in the hands of those who are about the business of making disciples.
This Bible is aimed primarily at an American audience with references to "America's problems" in the introductory notes.
At first I thought that this was a little pricey (around $13) for only being a paperback Bible, but the little extras add monetary value to a book that already possesses infinite eternal value.
I received this book free to review from Thomas Nelson.
December 2, 2022
I read it daily. I love the learn and grow commentary.
April 11, 2012
Christ 101, the Simple Gosple of Jesus Christ explained very simply, Greg Laurie has a wonderful gift and he is very cool, understandable, funny. IF you don't believe, won't believe, or just cannot connect the dots of the God life- your best opportunity is by reading this book of the new testament from cover to cover!
God bless you as you seek Him wholeheartedly, seek and you Will find, knock and the door (to your heart and mind) will be opened.....
God bless you as you seek Him wholeheartedly, seek and you Will find, knock and the door (to your heart and mind) will be opened.....
January 16, 2026
The primary objective of prayer is to align our will with the will of God. Prayer is not getting our will in heaven, but it is getting God's will on earth. Prayer is not pulling God to our will; it is you being pulled toward His. Our forgiveness of others should hinge on our understanding of God's gracious and generous forgiveness of us. The proof that we are forgiven and have accepted God's forgiveness is that we forgive. The person who has known God's forgiveness must forgive others. To discipline someone means to teach him or her to observe what God has commanded. It is to live our faith in this world and also to share it with others--to teach it by word and model it by example. When you place your faith in Jesus Christ, you are justified, sanctified, redeemed, sealed with the Holy Spirit and much more.
January 16, 2011
Start! The Bible for New Believers is designed to teach those who are new to the Christian faith to place their trust in Christ, the fundamentals of Christianity, and refresh lifelong believers on the foundations of their faith. This Bible is designed to take the reader by the hand and lead them deeper into God’s word in an friendly conversational tone that is very understandable. Unlike other Bibles this edition never assumes that the reader knows what wording and passages mean. The primary focus of this Bible is on basic Christian discipleship with articles and devotions on subjects including; prayer, Bible study, church involvement, sharing one’s faith, and discovering God's will. Core biblical themes are introduced at basic levels of theological sophistication and presented in very simple language.
About The Binding & Cover:
The Bible featured in this review is the paper-backed edition that has a glued binding. Although paper-backed editions will not with stand years of daily use they are the most economical. This Bible is available in three cover options paperback, jacketed hardcover, and Leathersoft. A New Testament Edition is also available in paperback.
What’s Inside:
Features of this edition include: Grow entries- which focuses on key disciplines of the Christian life. Know articles- that focus on the core beliefs of the Christian faith. · Live messages- which focuses on various aspects of salvation. · Learn notes- which provide mini-commentaries on key passages for spiritual growth. · Topical Index to articles and Scriptures. Secrets to Spiritual Success- from the General Editor Greg Laurie – a pastor and author who has impacted over four million people with the Gospel. This edition also has introductions to each book of the Bible.
Table of Contents
* The Plan of Salvation
* Secrets to Spiritual Success
* Preface
* Books of The Old Testament in Canonical Order
* Books of The New Testament in Canonical Order
* Essentials- What Every Christian Needs to Know About God and Jesus
* Topic Index- Scriptures and Features
* Blank Notes for Personal Use
About the General Editor:
Greg Laurie serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a Calvary Chapel, in Riverside, California. He is the host of the television program “Knowing God with Greg Laurie” and of the syndicated radio program “A New Beginning.” Laurie has appeared on “ABC World News Tonight,” Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. He also functions as a guest commentator at Worldnetdaily.com and appears regularly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Laurie founded Harvest Crusades which are large-scale evangelistic events attended by more than 4 million people since 1990.
About this Translation:
The New King James Version is a modern translation of the Bible commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. One hundred and thirty respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven years to create this translation. Their goal is a completely new, modern translation of Scripture that retains the purity and stylistic beauty of the original King James Version.
My Personal Opinion:
My thoughts of this Bible are somewhat mixed as I love the translation and page designs but not the editors notes or view points. While I see the value of this edition I also see its short comings. As an edition labeled by its editor as “Christianity 101“ this edition falls short of that title. With that said I feel many will enjoy this edition because of its strait forward approach, and common language. But personally I did not find this edition to be very helpful due to the fact that I expected more in depth notes.
Pro’s
* Interesting Page Design
* Economical
Con’s
* The Paper: Personally I hate the paper this edition is printed on... While thin paper is a good thing when the paper is of good quality this edition has economical paper.
* Ghosting: This edition (the paper back edition) has a fair amount of ghosting that I personally find distracting. Ghosting is the term used when you can see the writing on the other side of the page (or the next few pages) while reading. After reading the text for a few minutes my eyes begin to ache.
* Text: While many readers will find 8 point type very readable, the front and paper used for this edition makes it somewhat hard to read.
* Notes: Personally I found some of the notes in this edition helpful. But sadly I found more that were not helpful because they seemed geared towards to the editor’s view point. While this can be very helpful to some I find it distracting.
Just because I did not find this edition to be helpful does not mean that it will not speak to you. I recommend downloading the free sample of this edition to help you decide for yourself if this it is right Bible for you.
The Start! Gospel of John can be download for free at
http://www.thestartbible.com./John_Do...
About The Binding & Cover:
The Bible featured in this review is the paper-backed edition that has a glued binding. Although paper-backed editions will not with stand years of daily use they are the most economical. This Bible is available in three cover options paperback, jacketed hardcover, and Leathersoft. A New Testament Edition is also available in paperback.
What’s Inside:
Features of this edition include: Grow entries- which focuses on key disciplines of the Christian life. Know articles- that focus on the core beliefs of the Christian faith. · Live messages- which focuses on various aspects of salvation. · Learn notes- which provide mini-commentaries on key passages for spiritual growth. · Topical Index to articles and Scriptures. Secrets to Spiritual Success- from the General Editor Greg Laurie – a pastor and author who has impacted over four million people with the Gospel. This edition also has introductions to each book of the Bible.
Table of Contents
* The Plan of Salvation
* Secrets to Spiritual Success
* Preface
* Books of The Old Testament in Canonical Order
* Books of The New Testament in Canonical Order
* Essentials- What Every Christian Needs to Know About God and Jesus
* Topic Index- Scriptures and Features
* Blank Notes for Personal Use
About the General Editor:
Greg Laurie serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a Calvary Chapel, in Riverside, California. He is the host of the television program “Knowing God with Greg Laurie” and of the syndicated radio program “A New Beginning.” Laurie has appeared on “ABC World News Tonight,” Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. He also functions as a guest commentator at Worldnetdaily.com and appears regularly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Laurie founded Harvest Crusades which are large-scale evangelistic events attended by more than 4 million people since 1990.
About this Translation:
The New King James Version is a modern translation of the Bible commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. One hundred and thirty respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven years to create this translation. Their goal is a completely new, modern translation of Scripture that retains the purity and stylistic beauty of the original King James Version.
My Personal Opinion:
My thoughts of this Bible are somewhat mixed as I love the translation and page designs but not the editors notes or view points. While I see the value of this edition I also see its short comings. As an edition labeled by its editor as “Christianity 101“ this edition falls short of that title. With that said I feel many will enjoy this edition because of its strait forward approach, and common language. But personally I did not find this edition to be very helpful due to the fact that I expected more in depth notes.
Pro’s
* Interesting Page Design
* Economical
Con’s
* The Paper: Personally I hate the paper this edition is printed on... While thin paper is a good thing when the paper is of good quality this edition has economical paper.
* Ghosting: This edition (the paper back edition) has a fair amount of ghosting that I personally find distracting. Ghosting is the term used when you can see the writing on the other side of the page (or the next few pages) while reading. After reading the text for a few minutes my eyes begin to ache.
* Text: While many readers will find 8 point type very readable, the front and paper used for this edition makes it somewhat hard to read.
* Notes: Personally I found some of the notes in this edition helpful. But sadly I found more that were not helpful because they seemed geared towards to the editor’s view point. While this can be very helpful to some I find it distracting.
Just because I did not find this edition to be helpful does not mean that it will not speak to you. I recommend downloading the free sample of this edition to help you decide for yourself if this it is right Bible for you.
The Start! Gospel of John can be download for free at
http://www.thestartbible.com./John_Do...
December 3, 2010
MY REVIEW:
Start! is a fantastic way to start the Christian life! I appreciate the work developed here to help new believers Live, Grow, Know, and Learn God's Word. The New King James version is easy to read, the bright red cover is attention catching, and the introduction chapters so very helpful. It is a Bible without the stuffy feel of the traditional award Bibles given out to new believers and comes with the benefit little tidbits and helps which will aid greatly in their understanding and continued growth. Every person should have one on hand to give to someone they lead to Christ!
Be sure to check out the Start! Bible website for more information.
BOOK OVERVIEW:
Start! The Bible for New Believers, NKJV was developed to help those beginning a brand new life of faith to place their trust in Jesus Christ while refreshing the foundations of the faith for longtime believers. START! is designed to take the hand of a new believer, or perhaps a believer who does not know their way around the Bible as they ought to, and lead them through. All of the notes are written to be understandable, conversational, and friendly while never assume that the reader knows what all the words mean. Start! The Bible for New Believers focuses on basic discipleship with articles and devotions on subjects including prayer, Bible study, church involvement, sharing your faith, and discovering God's will. Core biblical themes are introduced at basic levels of theological sophistication and presented in very simple language. Features include: · Grow entries, revealing key disciplines of the Christian life. · Know articles, exposing the core beliefs of Christians. · Live messages, focusing on various aspects of salvation. · Learn notes, providing mini-commentaries on key passages for spiritual growth. · Topical Index to articles and Scriptures · Secrets to Spiritual Success from the General Editor Greg Laurie – a crusading pastor and author who has impacted over four million people with the Gospel message, and seen well over 340,000 people come forward to make professions of faith in Christ.
* * * * * *
This review copy was provided courtesy of Book Sneeze Blogger Review Program through Thomas Nelson. The opinions expressed are my own.
Start! is a fantastic way to start the Christian life! I appreciate the work developed here to help new believers Live, Grow, Know, and Learn God's Word. The New King James version is easy to read, the bright red cover is attention catching, and the introduction chapters so very helpful. It is a Bible without the stuffy feel of the traditional award Bibles given out to new believers and comes with the benefit little tidbits and helps which will aid greatly in their understanding and continued growth. Every person should have one on hand to give to someone they lead to Christ!
Be sure to check out the Start! Bible website for more information.
BOOK OVERVIEW:
Start! The Bible for New Believers, NKJV was developed to help those beginning a brand new life of faith to place their trust in Jesus Christ while refreshing the foundations of the faith for longtime believers. START! is designed to take the hand of a new believer, or perhaps a believer who does not know their way around the Bible as they ought to, and lead them through. All of the notes are written to be understandable, conversational, and friendly while never assume that the reader knows what all the words mean. Start! The Bible for New Believers focuses on basic discipleship with articles and devotions on subjects including prayer, Bible study, church involvement, sharing your faith, and discovering God's will. Core biblical themes are introduced at basic levels of theological sophistication and presented in very simple language. Features include: · Grow entries, revealing key disciplines of the Christian life. · Know articles, exposing the core beliefs of Christians. · Live messages, focusing on various aspects of salvation. · Learn notes, providing mini-commentaries on key passages for spiritual growth. · Topical Index to articles and Scriptures · Secrets to Spiritual Success from the General Editor Greg Laurie – a crusading pastor and author who has impacted over four million people with the Gospel message, and seen well over 340,000 people come forward to make professions of faith in Christ.
* * * * * *
This review copy was provided courtesy of Book Sneeze Blogger Review Program through Thomas Nelson. The opinions expressed are my own.
December 6, 2010
The Start Bible is designed for the new believer. It is full of wonderful articles and helps that enable the new believer to begin the journey with Jesus on a clear path. This bible has features such as “grow entries” which reveal key disciplines of the Christian life, “know articles” which teach the core beliefs of Christians and “learn notes” which provide commentaries on key passages. Greg Laurie’s “Secrets to Spiritual Success” is included in this bible which is a wealth of Christianity basics that are a “must know” for all Christians.
I read the bible every day. I have read many versions of the bible, and many different study bible notes. This bible is a “must have” for all new believers! The study notes and articles are right on with scripture. I was pleased to find notes strategically placed throughout the text, which encourages the reader to stop and think about what they just read. I believe Greg Laurie is anointed of God, as I can sense the Lord’s anointing when I read Greg’s notes. I was also please to see the introductions for each book of the bible. In my own personal bible study, I find these introductions to be beneficial in stepping into the word to see what the Lord is saying. I recommend this bible to anyone who is looking for a fresh anointing, a renewed experience in the word of God and His presence.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”
I read the bible every day. I have read many versions of the bible, and many different study bible notes. This bible is a “must have” for all new believers! The study notes and articles are right on with scripture. I was pleased to find notes strategically placed throughout the text, which encourages the reader to stop and think about what they just read. I believe Greg Laurie is anointed of God, as I can sense the Lord’s anointing when I read Greg’s notes. I was also please to see the introductions for each book of the bible. In my own personal bible study, I find these introductions to be beneficial in stepping into the word to see what the Lord is saying. I recommend this bible to anyone who is looking for a fresh anointing, a renewed experience in the word of God and His presence.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”
November 7, 2011
Get Started
Book Review by Jo Rae Johnson
Recently BookSneeze offered Start! The Bible For New Believers as a selection for review. This New King James version of the Bible is edited by Greg Laurie, well known pastor of one of the largest churches in America—Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California.
Laurie starts with his five secrets to spiritual success. They include read, study and love God’s Word; have an active prayer life, be actively involved in a local church, learn the joy of giving to and serving others, and tell others about Jesus Christ. These introductory pages lay a foundation for the new believer.
Inside the Biblical text, Laurie has inserted an introduction to each book of the Bible and added highlighted commentaries in the areas of Live, Grow, Know and Learn. The areas are also cross referenced in a topical index in the back of the Bible.
Following Revelation, Laurie offers up Essentials//What Every Christian Needs to Know About God and Jesus. Here Laurie explains truths about God and identifies Jesus as both God and man.
As an aficionado of Bibles and a fan of Greg Laurie’s teaching, I was curious to see if Start! The Bible For New Believers would help bridge the gap between the crawl of salvation to a walk of faith. In my opinion, Start! would strengthen the muscles of a new believer’s legs of faith, and remove misconceptions that could become road blocks.
Book Review by Jo Rae Johnson
Recently BookSneeze offered Start! The Bible For New Believers as a selection for review. This New King James version of the Bible is edited by Greg Laurie, well known pastor of one of the largest churches in America—Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California.
Laurie starts with his five secrets to spiritual success. They include read, study and love God’s Word; have an active prayer life, be actively involved in a local church, learn the joy of giving to and serving others, and tell others about Jesus Christ. These introductory pages lay a foundation for the new believer.
Inside the Biblical text, Laurie has inserted an introduction to each book of the Bible and added highlighted commentaries in the areas of Live, Grow, Know and Learn. The areas are also cross referenced in a topical index in the back of the Bible.
Following Revelation, Laurie offers up Essentials//What Every Christian Needs to Know About God and Jesus. Here Laurie explains truths about God and identifies Jesus as both God and man.
As an aficionado of Bibles and a fan of Greg Laurie’s teaching, I was curious to see if Start! The Bible For New Believers would help bridge the gap between the crawl of salvation to a walk of faith. In my opinion, Start! would strengthen the muscles of a new believer’s legs of faith, and remove misconceptions that could become road blocks.
August 18, 2015
The title of this book is just perfect. I knew I would love it when in the beginning Greg Laurie compares a sick person with no appetite for food to a person sick in faith with no appetite for the Bible. After having a weakened relationship with God and finally realizing I needed to get closer to Him, I found this book as a great complement to the traditional Bible (not that the Bible needs anything additional). As a beginner, a new believer, sometimes we feel intimidation (as least I do) about diving headfirst into connecting with the Lord again. This book tells the truth while being very comforting and spelling out in plain terms, the steps we can take to live a Jesus-led life.
November 13, 2014
What a perfect Bible for a brand new Christian!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews