| Book Reviews
Connect to God
Mick (Wisconsin)
This book is easy to read and understand. I have had many questions unanswered regarding Jesus and God. Jesus is for Everyone is laid out nicely in the chapters so you can find what you want to learn about first or if you need to go back to refer to something.
By reading this I feel I have a better understanding of God and a real relationship with God. I feel better about myself and I have a sense of peace with all of the understanding I have gained. The author, Sophia White, did an excellent job writing this as anyone who can help to change a person's life (or people) is phenomenal.
Everyone can use a guide
T. Norwood (Virginia)
Sophia's book is an intermediate guide to understanding the Word of God and the need for relationship with Jesus outside of religious ritual. She does not dismiss traditional church: it seems to be an introduction or a way to get a foundation towards this relationship. The great thing about the book is how easily the reader can connect the teachings from the Bible and church to an interactive relationship. The important need for seeing God's work in every aspect of human life is shown by anecdotes and related biblical text. If you have been involved in church for awhile and are ready to explore a personal relationship, start with this book.
Faith and Belief - The Cornerstones of Life
G. Reba (Panama City, FL)
In the crazy world we live in, it is nice to have something we can depend on...our faith. Faith and belief in a power higher than us can be a strong force. Many adults come to find this later on in their life's journey, while for others it is something that is cultivated at a very early age. Any aid rendered in the growing process allows all involved to be rewarded tenfold both now, in the satisfaction of sharing believed truths with another, and in the hereafter, adding riches to our treasures for when we pass. Our faith can comfort us in our times of need, bring us up when feeling down, and celebrate the good things in life with the fanfare of many.
Within the pages of this work, author Sophia White managed to pull together many powerful passages from the sacred works of the Bible, while drawing out their most basic meanings. She offers guidance on how they can be interpreted, and yet allows the reader to fully develop their own understanding based upon their beliefs. The acknowledgement and acceptance of the fact that many believe in the same higher power yet choose to call it by different names, is also rather refreshing; it reflects what many consider to be a truth within the teachings given. Tolerance, virtue, understanding, and love; all undying descriptions on a way to spread the Word while healing the hearts of the lost along the way.
Reading at the Beach
This is a wonderful book that is told in an easy to understand way and helps you learn how to build a faithful, trusting intimate relationship with God. I recommend this book to anyone who feels they've lost their way in a very confusing world. This book will help you find the peace and joy missing from your life.
http://ilratb.blogspot.com/search?q=jesus+is+for+everybody
The Well-Read Commuter Reviews
What this book is about: Jesus is for Everybody explains how to build a personal relationship with God based on the teachings of Jesus Christ associated with common knowledge. White explains that her goal is to provide insight into the way of life that leads to the Kingdom of God as illustrated through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Several ministries tend to mirror that of a motivational speaker while she writes about developing a personal relationship with God in terms of life, rather than religion.
In this book Sophia writes about developing a personal relationship with God. She focuses on life rather than religion. The book is a nice read and well organized. Overall I am glad that I picked it up.
http://ablogofbooks.blogspot.com/search?q=jesus+is+for+everybody
Interesting and Informative
Jennifer S (Ball Ground, GA)
As a Christian, the title of this book intrigued me. My faith has taught me that Jesus truly is for everyone and I was curious to see what Sophia included in this book. I was very impressed with her writing. She writes in a way that holds the reader's attention. Her audience is people who know very little about Jesus and may just be curious as to what a relationship with him entails, as well as a seasoned believer just interested in some new inspiration.
If you are looking for information on a relationship with Jesus, White explains things in an easily understood way. She includes passages from the Bible to support her ideas and inspire a nonbeliever. She does not "preach" at all. In fact, her views are never clearly stated. It is obvious she is a believer but she lets the verses support her ideas. You will not feel that she is telling you what to believe but instead showing you different aspects of faith. Even if you don't agree with the religious aspects, you can see her reasons for her beliefs.
Religion is such a vast topic that a believer, one who has a relationship with Jesus, will enjoy this book. They may also pick up some good ideas or verses that they can share to their non believing friends. I know I enjoyed reading this book and learned a thing or two too.
Tiffany Norris Blog Spot
Sophia White's Jesus Is for Everybody is targeted toward new Christians, but believers at any stage of faith could benefit.
White examines broad issues within Christianity like God, faith and the church, beginning each chapter with a few pages of her personal commentary and finishing with many biblical passages.
It's edifying for me as a believer to read the scriptures she includes, and White's thoughts are interesting, albeit hard to follow at times. However, I think I would have preferred her to cite the scripture passages, then interact with and/or explain them rather than just citing--especially since she targets new believers who might not yet fully understand a lot of the context of some of the verses.
I plan to have an author interview with Sophia tomorrow, so I hope to hear more about her process and why she organized the book the way she did. Check back in if you're curious!
http://tiffanynorris.blogspot.com/search?q=jesus+is+for+everybody
Tiffany Norris Blog Spot - Part 2
I was excited to chat with Sophia, author of Jesus Is for Everybody and get her take on the book, her writing process and her faith.
Thanks, Ms. White!
http://tiffanynorris.blogspot.com/search?q=jesus+is+for+everybody
Jennifer Walker, Author
There was a time when going to church and being religious was a foregone conclusion: of course one believes in God! It's what one does! However, as time marched on, many people moved away from the church and their faith. It became somehow politically incorrect to be publicly faithful. As a result, many people grew up in non-religious households or left the church when they grew older.
In recent years, it seems that people are returning to the church once again. Hard times especially lead people to think about the faith they had abandoned or never had in the first place. However, faith can be a confusing and complex concept to the non-educated. Sophia seeks to help those who are lost, showing them that, truly, Jesus is for Everybody.
In Ms. White's book, she discusses faith and the scriptures as they tell us about God, faith, church, the world and wisdom. In each section, she gives an introduction with what she has learned through her studies and her life, then provides passages from scripture to illustrate the concepts further.
While the Bible can be challenging to read and intimidating to approach because of its language and random layout, Ms. White seeks to remedy that by grouping the passages together that tell us about each of the subjects she covers. For the newcomer to these ideas, Jesus is for Everybody is a useful study guide and a valuable introduction to scripture.
While I would have liked to have seen a bit more help in the book for examining, interpreting and applying to everyday life each passage she quoted from the Bible, I found Jesus is for Everybody to be an interesting and educational read.
Be sure to read Sophia's guest blog and interview!
http://jennifersbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Wonderful Book for Singles, Couples & Families
Cassie Mae (USA)
Jesus is for Everybody is very interesting and informative. I went to church sparingly as a child. This book really helped me to understand Jesus and the Bible. I love that the author gave out an awesome website. I will be a frequent visitor to that website. My husband and I want our children to learn more about Jesus Christ and this website along with our church will help to teach them. I will also refer back to this magnificent book. Many times our children ask us questions about Jesus and God and we do not have the answer. Both of these will help us immensely and they can help you, too.
I highly recommend this book so you can build a relationship with God for all single people, couples and those with families.
Lady D Books Blog Spot
Sophia has a great understanding that the basic nature of humanity is self preservation. I think that's what makes grace so beautiful on the undeserving heart because it's God's kindness that leads us to repentance. I like Sophia's approach to the Gospel being for everyone no matter how much money, education or power attained, the need for humanity to reconcile with God is the heart of the Gospel message and is the solid teaching in Sophia's book.
Another part of Sophia's book that I like is surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Although we really think we know what we need based on what we know so far, we really need to relinquish overall control to the director of our future for His purpose. My favorite chapters of the book are Faith & Prayer, Faith & Love and Church & Giving.
Sophia does a great job in mapping out the believer's mission to show the world how God lives through us by how we continuously honor Him in the good we show others. If you're looking for an intellectual approach and strong convictions on serious subjects such as the rights of the unborn, discussion on race, split target marketing with black gospel/ Christian contemporary music pick up a copy of the book today.
The one thing that I did not like about the book was this overall sense of being 'talked at' instead of 'talked with'. I missed reading "What do you think?" or 'What is your experience or opinion?'
I give Jesus is for Everybody 4 ****. You will find so much information packed in Sophia's book that it will take you several days to process and review her opinions. Being a Grandmother, I am fond of Sophia's writings about decisions that drive success, about children's mistakes of today becoming wisdom for tomorrow and from page 206 " As we learn to love, we recognize that unconditional support can build unlimited self esteem." Sophia White revitalizes that love with an exploration of the scriptures of the Bible and the intimate relationship we were meant to have with God in "Jesus is for Everybody".
http://ladyd-books.blogspot.com/search/label/Sophia%20White
Life's Greatest Personal Relationship!
Rseifert
This book is subtitled "Building a Personnel Relationship With God." Personally, there has been no greater relationship in my life. It is God who has walked with me through the pains and joys I have experienced while making my journey on this earth.
Sophia has taken the scriptures and made them approachable to the average person. She has taken the words and made them comprehensible to those of us who use modern day English. There are times that I have read the bible and certain phrases simply did not seem to make sense to me. The reason being, those words had different meanings when the bible was written. Sophia explains what those words meant in the biblical age and this puts even more impact into the sermons of Christ. There have been no words ever strung together that have had more impact on humanity and I thank Sophia for helping me understand them. Sophia's personal insights add to the book and make this a very interesting read.
A Wonderful New Tool!
Mylinda Elliott (Louisiana)
Jesus is For Everybody by Sophia White is a lovely book. She has a deep understanding of her walk with God and wants to share that understanding with the reader. She accomplishes this in some unique ways.
First is the unique perspective she brings to studying the word of God. Ms. White starts the book with a detailed Introduction. Then she organizes her chapters according to important topics in the bible. These topics range from God to Faith, Church, The World, and Wisdom. Each major topic has several subtopics under it allowing the reader to easily go to parts of the book and the explanations there.
Another unique perspective is that although each chapter has an introduction, the rest of the chapter is Bible verses. Ms. White arranges the verses in a manner to tell the story or tell a logical progression. Sometimes the verses will be in order but more often than not the arrangement follows her understanding of that topic. The comforting part is the way she does it with the arrangement of real verses one after another with no discussion breaking the flow.
There are also other really useful parts to this book. There is a useful bibliography included for the reader to be able to consult resources she has used. An appendix is included listing all the chapters in the New Testament, the author, and an understandable description of each chapter.
Included in the appendixes is an organized listing of all the chapters, the verses used in that chapter, and where that verse is found in the Bible. In this manner you can go directly to the source. Then as an added bonus the author reverses the order in a totally separate list. She gives you the book and verse in the Bible and where she uses it in her book. These two lists are a great tool in the average person's study of the Bible and all it has to offer.
I find Jesus Is For Everybody a wonderful addition to my library of study books. I will use it in the future to further develop my understanding of God, Jesus, and the Bible. I am sure you will find it of great use as well.
Interesting point of view
Writing/reading any books on the subject of religion is always touchy. It's a fine line between walking the line of informing and preaching - but I have to say that Jesus is for Everybody is a refreshing, interesting read. Taking the subject of Jesus and how you can build a relationship with God.
I think one of the issues with religion and the bible, in my opinion, is that it has gotten way more complicated over the years. I, myself, have felt intimidate with the whole concept of reading the bible, what if I don't get it, or interprete it correctly?
This book takes a look at all of this and tells us that it's time to get through the fear and just pick up the bible and believe that it's possible to have a strong, loving relationship with God.
Loaded with beautiful passages and some inspiring comments, this book takes the fear out of being with God.
The writing was down to earth and layperson and I did enjoy reading this book although I am not 100% up to speed quite yet.
www.bookshipper.blogspot.com
No truer book title
Timothy D. Webster (Marana, AZ)
Sophia White has written an introductory book on faith in Christ and the Holy Scriptures that has accomplished two seemingly contradictory elements. She has delved into a subject that can be very complicated even for the life-long believer let alone the novice. She has gone into just enough detail to cover all aspects of faith in Christ while at the same time keeping it simple enough to understand.
The other wonderful aspect of this book is that she keeps her part of the narrative almost clinically detached, which whether done purposely or not, has accomplished what I feel is the best compliment that you can give someone who has written a book about the Scriptures -- she has allowed the Scriptures verses themselves express the emotions, the joy, and the eternal hope that is available through faith in Christ. This is where her book shines.
While no book about Christianity will be able to agree doctrinally with all Christians, I feel that this is a wonderful, in-depth primer for anyone who wishes to learn more about Christianity and have it written out in easy-to-understand English.
Jesus and relationships
M. Stanhope "Defining normal..." (Chesapeake, VA)
Where can you go wrong building a relationship with God? Did you ever pick up a bible or read a verse? Sometimes you ask yourself what languages are they in...or, you put it down because you didn't know what it meant? God, the creator of all beings (my opinion too) has helped us, all of us, in life fulfill our hearts and to see the good not always the bad. Learn you're not alone and most of all allow you to be able to receive comfort from his guiding hand through prayer. This book is about believing, deciphering, and understanding plain and simple. Sometimes we need help with the translation. The steps to get there, what it took, the road traveled and what it means now to Sophia is the "something special" you get to take away with you after you read this book.
After all isn't death the graduation we celebrate and the chance to go forward without pain, guilt, or suffering we look forward to. Any relationship you can build with God will help you find comfort and peace. If you're a believer you'll enjoy this book. If not, give it a try anyway...it won't hurt.
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