Bible Study Reviews: A Look Within, God's Portrait of a Beautiful Woman

A Look Within by Faith Alvis Taylor explores the lives of such Bible women as Eve, Leah, Miriam, Michal, and Mary Magdalene. This Bible study’s strength is in its practical applications about developing Christian character. Through each featured woman’s strengths and weaknesses, we find parallels in our own. Some of Mrs. Taylor’s observations are simple, yet I had never thought about them in quite that way. For example, she points out how Rebekah is a manipulator, Leah let her suffering control her, and Miriam let her pride grow because of her position of leadership. These eleven lessons can be used effectively in personal devotions or in groups with a discussion time after each one. The eleven lessons are based on different Bible women, each with practical applications for us today. Each lesson explores numerous Scriptures on the character topic presented. I enjoyed these studies and enjoyed the book as a whole. It is simply organized, but there’s much spiritual profit in this Bible study. I would definitely recommend A Look Within and have already bought a copy as a gift. (Available from www.bjupress.com under Women’s Bible Studies.)

God’s Portrait of a Beautiful Woman by Dorothy Davis is a Bible study that I think would be best used in a group discussion-type Bible study. It hits me as one that would be good for “beginners,” women who haven’t done many Bible studies before. Its strength is in the concept, which I found fascinating, due to my background in art. Mrs. Davis applies each section to one aspect of painting a portrait, from preparing the canvas to framing the finished piece. I also really liked some of the groupings and themes of Bible passages and verses. (Any time you get into the Word, it’s a blessing!) The weakness of this study is that sometimes it seems disjointed, and sometimes, the verses to look up seem not to have anything to do with the questions asked. A few of the questions were confusing to me. (Maybe my problem; I don’t know.) Sometimes you would look up a verse on one page and then be asked to do it again on the next page. Personally, I thought these minor glitches with organization were distracting. But, that doesn’t mean the study wasn’t good. I enjoyed the concept and the verse groupings, and I think it would be a great study for beginning group studies with ladies. (It is in 13 Lessons. Available from Regular Baptist Press, Schaumburg, IL.)