Review of The Spiritual Treasure Trove
Posted: 06 Apr 2023, 22:10
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Spiritual Treasure Trove" by Charles R Smith.]
Having an extensive list of topics covered in a series of devotions can be quite an asset. The Spiritual Treasure Trove by Charles R. Smith is like a roadmap of the scriptures. With over 200 topics to choose from, this book has it all. Each section is divided by topic. It starts with the title of the topic for that section. Then multiple scriptures are quoted that relate to that topic. Next, the author includes discussion questions and fill-in-the-blank Bible verses. After that, the author gives a brief explanation of the topic and then includes a long list of scriptures that all fit the topic or theme. The topics include acceptance, humility, God’s promises, the cry for justice, and many more.
This book has clearly undergone extensive research to be able to pull together so many Bible verses that apply to each of the topics. I applaud the author for his hard work because it must have taken ages to find and catalog these scriptures. I also liked the discussion questions. They are great points to think about and answer to get you really thinking and interacting with the text in a more immersive way.
However, I wish it didn’t use the King James Version of the Bible. It was difficult to read some of the scriptures because of the old English they were written in. It would have been nice to have a modern language version, though I see why the author chose the King James Version because it’s so commonly used and accepted. I also wish that the author had included more commentary and made the book less of a list of Bible verses. I think having a devotional with something to think about from the author is more useful than just reading Bible verses on a topic and regurgitating them.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is an excellent resource and would be fantastic for a Bible study group that wants to take a deep dive into certain aspects of the Bible. Unfortunately, I did find quite a few editing errors. These errors combined with the drawbacks previously mentioned reduced my score.
I recommend this book to Christians who are looking to deepen their faith or who need more guidance on a certain topic in the Bible. It would be especially good for Bible study groups because they could look up the verses and discuss them as a group. Because a large portion of this book is Bible verses, it would be unlikely to be suitable for people who are not open to Christianity. Check out The Spiritual Treasure Trove to see what this treasure is all about!
******
The Spiritual Treasure Trove
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Having an extensive list of topics covered in a series of devotions can be quite an asset. The Spiritual Treasure Trove by Charles R. Smith is like a roadmap of the scriptures. With over 200 topics to choose from, this book has it all. Each section is divided by topic. It starts with the title of the topic for that section. Then multiple scriptures are quoted that relate to that topic. Next, the author includes discussion questions and fill-in-the-blank Bible verses. After that, the author gives a brief explanation of the topic and then includes a long list of scriptures that all fit the topic or theme. The topics include acceptance, humility, God’s promises, the cry for justice, and many more.
This book has clearly undergone extensive research to be able to pull together so many Bible verses that apply to each of the topics. I applaud the author for his hard work because it must have taken ages to find and catalog these scriptures. I also liked the discussion questions. They are great points to think about and answer to get you really thinking and interacting with the text in a more immersive way.
However, I wish it didn’t use the King James Version of the Bible. It was difficult to read some of the scriptures because of the old English they were written in. It would have been nice to have a modern language version, though I see why the author chose the King James Version because it’s so commonly used and accepted. I also wish that the author had included more commentary and made the book less of a list of Bible verses. I think having a devotional with something to think about from the author is more useful than just reading Bible verses on a topic and regurgitating them.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is an excellent resource and would be fantastic for a Bible study group that wants to take a deep dive into certain aspects of the Bible. Unfortunately, I did find quite a few editing errors. These errors combined with the drawbacks previously mentioned reduced my score.
I recommend this book to Christians who are looking to deepen their faith or who need more guidance on a certain topic in the Bible. It would be especially good for Bible study groups because they could look up the verses and discuss them as a group. Because a large portion of this book is Bible verses, it would be unlikely to be suitable for people who are not open to Christianity. Check out The Spiritual Treasure Trove to see what this treasure is all about!
******
The Spiritual Treasure Trove
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon