Published mid-September 2016, the buzz surrounding Searching the Scriptures intensified as the publish date crept closer. As an employee of Insight for Living Ministries (the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll) I stalked my email in hopes of an advance preview of the book, which I heard was a game changer.

But alas. All was quiet.

Because, you see, the book-end and the broadcast-end of Charles R. Swindoll are quite separate. But Tyndale was releasing review copies of the book so as soon as I got my chance I lept. And I was not disappointed.

Searching the Scriptures is unlike any book I’ve read. I’d boil it down to Chuck’s personal Bible-study method, which he has broken out into four easy-to-remember steps.

Observation
Interpretation
Correlation
Application

Chuck describes Searching the Scriptures as the culmination of 60-plus years of cultivating a love for an pursuing an understanding of the Bible.

Broken into 10 sections and themed after cooking and serving a meal, Chuck takes the reader on a journey towards understanding—beginning, well, at the beginning. He overviews the entire Bible, then builds an argument for careful study of the Bible.

At the end of each chapter is a “your turn in the kitchen” challenge, and as the chapters build (from choosing the recipe to adding the spices), the reader is asked more and more to become an active participant in the book.

I love this book and the approach Chuck used to teach us how to study the Bible. We should not be satisfied letting others tell us what the truth is, we should seek it for ourselves by careful reasoning, study, applying wisdom, and knowing Scripture.

This book is more of a manual than a one-and-done read. I can see myself using it in group Bible study, personal devotions, and for those times I feel stuck and need a push in the right direction.

I’m grateful for this work and believe it more than met my expectations. For me, this book is a game changer.

Charles Swindoll shows how Christians can read the bible and find scripture to enrich their daily lives, showing how they extract relevant and pertinent information for their current problems.

A great guide for anyone desiring to learn more from the Bible and how to study it.

Chuck Swindoll has spent his life studying and it shows as he guides you through this book.!

I grew up listening to Pastor Swindoll’s messages on Insight for Living, and then had the pleasure of attending Stonebriar Church for several months, hearing his sermons in person. All of his messages are bed-rock solid, and have impacted me throughout my life. In “Searching the Scriptures” Pastor Swindoll lays out his method for crafting those messages, and how to apply that to our own Bible Study.

He correlates the process of planning, preparing, and cooking a meal to the steps of Bible study. I enjoyed this allegory, as it was easy to follow and put into practice. There are certain starting foundations and patterns to follow to get the most out of what you’re consuming – whether the food be physical, or spiritual.

You will need to allow time and mental space to work through this book – there’s a lot to absorb in each chapter, and they just build upon themselves. The study questions help to facilitate that well. The author’s writing style is very conversational, which also helps the reader in understanding what is being said.

In all it was a very enjoyable, and quite instructive, read. I greatly recommend!

I received a review copy of this work from the publisher through NetGalley

This was not the book I thought it would be. And did not continue with it.