30 DAYS
A 30-day introduction to reading the Bible
By Nicky Gumbel. Alpha. 140 pages. £3.99
ISBN 978 1 907 950 070
As the subtitle indicates, this book is intended for new believers to get them into the habit of daily Bible reading.
It begins with a brief section on how to have a quiet time. Its aim is laudable. As there is a dearth of such material available, I read this book with interest.
Nicky Gumbel has chosen 30 of his favourite passages. Each passage is printed in full and has an explanation which is more like a mini-sermon. There is much good practical application. Finally, there is an idea for prayer. Nicky Gumbel is an able communicator and so the book is easy to read, which is great for new Christians.
However, I do have some reservations. Firstly, the passages chosen seem random. It would have been good if there was at least one week on one Bible book so that the reader gets used to studying Scripture systematically. The random nature of the selection means that not everything that would be helpful to a new believer was covered. Secondly, the mini-sermon explanations are not always good expositions. Thirdly, the examples given are dated, more 20th-century than 21st-century. Because it is not helpful in teaching a correct handling of God’s Word, it will not be top of my list to give to new Christians.
