A while back I posted on why I like the ESV Study Bible and my plan to read through it by the end of 2009. Here’s my first update on how it’s going.
I just started 1 Samuel. If I continue at my current pace, I should be done before the end of 2009. I’ve only grown in my appreciation for the precise scholarship, helpful layout, and pastoral thought that went into producing this study Bible. The maps are abundant, easy to use, informative, and relevant, as are the various charts. The introductions to each book have helped me grasp the overall flow of the book as well as how the book fits into salvation history.
I haven’t spent much time using the online version, but it contains everything in the printed version, only it’s also searchable and you can attach your own notes. My good friend Tony Reinke says it’s outstanding.
Using the ESV Study Bible is like having a Bible pastor/scholar with me each morning as I read. But rather than becoming dependent on the notes themselves, they build my faith for hearing God speak to me directly through his Word.
I’d like more people, especially corporate worship leaders, to benefit from the resources of the ESV Study Bible by reading through it. And what better time to start than the beginning of a new year! (West Breedlove mentions in the comments that Crossway has a great list of Bible reading plans at their site.)
So I’ll be giving away ten of them - free - to people who didn’t get one for Christmas and want to join me in reading through it. Here are the details:
1. Send me an email to me by 11:59 PM EST, Saturday, January 3, using the Contact Me tab above.
2. In your email, use no more than 50 words to tell me why you’d like to receive the ESV Study Bible and read through it.
3. Include your full name, address, and email address in your email. I won’t count those words as part of your word total.
4. If you’re not already signed up to receive Worship Matters by email or through an RSS reader, do me a favor and do one or the other.
5. I’ll pick 5 “best entry” winners, and 5 “out of the hat” winners.
6. I’ll announce the winners on Monday, January 5. You should receive your Bible shortly after that.
Whether or not you participate in the giveaway, I pray you become more devoted to mining the riches of God’s Word in 2009.
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Prov. 30:5
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Ps. 119:16
UPDATE: Apparently the “contact me” form was not working all day Monday and most of Tuesday morning. It’s working now. If you sent an email to me during that time, feel free to send me another one. Sorry about the inconvenience. We’re working on recovering the lost emails.
UPDATE #2: I’m happy to report that we found the emails that were sent Sunday night through Tuesday morning. They were in the SPAM folder of our off-site server. Ah, the joys of technology.
