Gideon: A Review
The story of Gideon leading a tiny army of three hundred against the Midianite army and then defeating them without using any real weapons is one that stands out in the Bible. However, I've never done much beside read through it quickly, probably because it's in the middle of Judges in the Old Testament, and seriously I am not an OT Bible Study person. It is just too much for me!
So when my church group put this up for the study last session, I was sure I would never make it through the entire study. I would be bored, or in way over my head and give up. Surprisingly enough I loved it! Priscilla Shirer's Gideon: Your Weakness, God's Strength was an amazing study that truly reached in deep into scripture to force participants to reevaluate their relationships with God.
Priscilla is down to earth and knows the pressure of raising kids while keeping up a home and caring for a husband, not to mention keeping up with a career for the Lord. She admits to times when she's messed up or when sin and the broken world have overwhelmed her, which allows the participant to feel a real connection to a teacher in a forum that could alienate the participant.
There is so much in this study, I could do a whole series, but then you might not set up this study for your own group, and that would be a shame. So here's my review, and let me know if you are a Priscilla Shirer study fan also.
Study Overview
The homework takes about fifteen to twenty-five minutes a day, five days week. So while there is a considerable amount of time needed to complete, you do not leave the study without being stretched spiritually, which is a great thing!
Priscilla does a great job of incorporating historical information along with a verse breakdown of the events shown in these three quick chapters. No matter where you are in your faith journey, she will make a point that will make you stop and really think about your relationship with Jesus.
Personal Likes
The study really did pull so much out of three chapters that many people know in some form. It's the great underdog story of the Bible, second probably only to David and Goliath. I certainly was well acquainted with the bargaining with God where Gideon asks for the dew to be on the grass one night and then the next night asks for the dew to be on the mat only... So it was nice to see all the details of the whole story flushed out and presented in a light I'm not sure I would have seen otherwise.
I also enjoyed the digging deeper sections where Priscilla had some great details on the historical nature of equipment, status and such to help add to the Bible's account.
Personal Dislikes
Also I struggled with the end of each section recap question. The question never seemed to directly follow the study in a way that lead me to think over it throughout the day. I'm sure for some it was perfect though, just a personal issue.
Another minor point was with the video - the filler music of the menu screens was this campfire/wilderness noise. It just grated me, mostly because it filled the background during the group meeting times. I know that isn't really a major fault...
Reasons to Read
Reading List Rating
My Suggested Audience
Also I would say that mothers, of any age, would get the most out of Priscilla's personal stories and vantage point.
***If you're interested in writing a book review on Reading List, please message me on the Facebook page! Of you're curious about a book, ask me... I love to hear from you!
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