Review of The Spiritual Treasure Trove

[Vivian Writes]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Spiritual Treasure Trove" by Charles R Smith.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. But the first step is to seek the face of God. The Bible also says that we should seek first the kingdom of God, and all things will be added unto us. It is on this premise of seeking the face of God that Charles R Smith wrote The Spiritual Treasure Trove. There is no better way to know God than to read and understand the Bible. With over 200 topics, Smith provides Bible passages that can guide readers to a deeper unveiling of the Bible, God’s benevolence, His care for us, and how to apply the Bible’s teachings to lead a purposeful and God-filled life.

The author used the same format to discuss every topic. For each topic, there was a first page that contained three relevant Bible quotes. What came next was a “Discussion Questions” section and a Bible trivia section (called “Fill in the Blanks”), where readers can fill in the blanks in a fun way. The discussion questions added an interactive dimension to the book. With the questions, readers can think critically about what they just studied from the Bible and have conversation topics for Bible group discussions. The author was careful to be objective with the questions and did not input his interpretations, which I believe would allow for deeper discussions that can lead to an even deeper understanding.

There was also a second page for each topic, where the author provided a brief personal explanation of the topic followed by more Bible passages, this time sectioned into five parts with both Old Testament and New Testament passages each, for readers to visit at their leisure. This second page allowed the author to express himself better while providing more references for readers to use to improve their understanding of the topic.

The author’s explanations were always valuable but brief. This book is a spiritual treasure trove in the sense that it provides readers with Bible passages that can help strengthen their faith. But this book is not for new Christians who are only just starting to find their footing in Christianity because Smith mostly leaves readers by themselves with only a few words of encouragement. However, this book is a gem for Christian teachers who want a plethora of topics they can use and refer to when teaching Bible classes.

There is a fine line between organization and monotonicity. While the book’s teachings and Bible passages were relevant and insightful, the book’s organization soon crossed the line and became monotonous. Considering this, readers who want to glean the full benefits of the teachings should read, study, and digest one topic per day. Readers should also find discussion partners, as the “Discussion Questions” section can easily be a drag if you have no one to discuss them with.

Consequently, The Spiritual Treasure Trove would be a good fit for Christian families to use for their morning devotions. For this purpose, the author should have increased the topics to 365. My rating is 4 out of 5. I removed one star because of the author’s scant personal input and not including up to 365 topics for a complete devotional. I did not remove more stars because the author set out to create a spiritual treasure trove and did just that; I also found no errors. Positively, however, the short messages are uplifting and give room for teachers to input their wisdom into the topic to bless the class they are teaching even more.

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The Spiritual Treasure Trove
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[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

Reading this review was such a delight. My God, thank you. This book is worth reading. Thanks for the review!

[Baggett Yori]

As a prospective reader, "The Spiritual Treasure Trove" by Charles R Smith seems to offer a comprehensive resource for deepening one's understanding of the Bible and strengthening their faith. The book's format, with over 200 topics accompanied by relevant Bible passages, discussion questions, and fill-in-the-blank trivia sections, provides an interactive and engaging way to study scripture.

[Amanda Kenneth]

"The Spiritual Treasure Trove" by Charles R. Smith is a comprehensive guide to understanding the Bible and seeking the face of God. With over 200 topics, it offers insights into God's benevolence, care, and guidance for leading a purposeful, God-centered life.