Howard Hendricks Living By The Book Summary

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Overview Howard G. Hendricks, a faculty member of Dallas Theological Seminary and international lecturer, and his son, William D. Hendricks, president of the Giftedness Center, a Dallas-based consulting firm specializing in organizational design and strategic people management, collaborated in writing Living By The Book. This book serves as a practical guide on how to study the Bible. Hendricks lays the groundwork for effective personal Bible study by pointing out that the study of the Bible is essential to growth, spiritual maturity, and spiritual effectiveness. The author describes his three-step, life-changing approach as observation, interpretation, and application. Step 1 in the process is known as observation. This step answers the question, “What do I see?” The writer begins…show more content…
Application answers the question, “How does it work?” Hendricks gives four steps to correctly applying the Scriptures. The steps include: knowing the text and yourself, relating the text to personal experience, meditation, and practice. The author also gives nine questions to make application easier: Is there an example to follow? Is there a sin to avoid? Is there a promise to claim? Is there a prayer to repeat? Is there a command to obey? Is there a condition to meet? Is there a verse to memorize? Is there an error to mark? Is there a challenge to face? The author says “the objective of this book is to help you ask observational questions of the biblical text, explain what a passage means, and then describe practical ways to use what you’ve learned in everyday life.” Hendricks accomplished his objective. Strengths and Weaknesses Although the book is helpful, it is also rather long. Some details are covered more extensively. The section dealing with Observation almost takes up half the book. One feature I especially enjoyed were the “You Try It” sections that helped to reinforce what was just learned. This was an enjoyable
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