Begin (Download)

It has been common to give a New Testament, with or without Psalms and/or Proverbs, to people who do not have a Bible but would like to read one. But as Ken Ham points out, in our current culture it is necessary to provide the basic foundation found in Genesis to provide context for the gospel message in the New Testament. Through ESV selections from Genesis to Revelation, with easy to read commentary, this book offers a wonderful introduction to the redemption story. I had a copy with me in my purse and gave one to a cancer patient who hadn’t read the Bible and had many questions. While of course the goal is that they will eventually read the Bible in its entirety, I feel this is an accessible introduction that will, Lord willing, be used of the Lord to draw souls to Himself. Its power, after all, is that it directly quotes portions of the Word of God, which He promises will not return void, but accomplish what He pleases and prosper wherever He sends it!

What a gift that this book is! Begin takes you on a journey through key passages in the Bible (in Genesis, Exodus, John, Romans, and Revelation) to present what the big picture of the Bible is truly about. It was written for new and old believers alike, as well as anyone seeking to know more about the Christian faith and the trustworthiness of the Bible. It presents you with the Good News of the New Testament, but also takes you through the Bad News (our sin) at the beginning so that you might have a greater understanding of what the Gospel truly is.

The full text Scripture is included with plenty of space to journal and take notes throughout. There are brief introductions and history reviews between passages, with explanations placed throughout to go deeper for better understanding of the passage. After certain passages, reflection questions are presented with space to write out your thoughts.

I love that this is all-in-one with Scripture included because it makes it so easy to be able to gift to anyone! I think that this is also a great book to go through with your kids or in a small group setting.

Begin is a great introduction to the Bible for new Christians or those new to reading the Bible! Starting to read the Bible can be intimidating, so I love how this book makes reading and understanding the Bible so approachable. It covers a few sections of the Bible to give the reader an overview of the Christian faith and encourages the reader to continue reading the rest of the Bible. The format is great – I love how the original scripture is included, along with interesting facts and commentary pointed out along the way. I love how there is a focus on apologetics to help the reader defend his or her faith. There are also journaling questions to help the reader reflect on the text. The book includes lines for journaling comments, questions, or reflections. This book exceeded my expectations, and I plan to use it with my older kids this year as well.

I’ve been a Christian my whole life but am just recently beginning an actual relationship with God. This book is helping me to better understand who is and our purpose on earth.