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Elyssa Nalani

Elyssa Nalani

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My Favorite Books for Bible Study

August 31, 2022 · In: FAITH

As a Bible nerd who is also a book nerd, I really love books about the Bible! In today’s post, I’m sharing 9 books that I have found really helpful and have added to my personal reference library. If you’re also a Bible and book nerd, maybe you’ll enjoy adding some new-to-you titles to your own shelves!

One thing I do want to mention about my reference library. One result of Bible study is the development of discernment. This is when you’re able to recognize and make decisions about what’s right and wrong. When reading from various authors who come from a tapestry of theological and denominational backgrounds, you start (should start) to develop a muscle for understanding where you agree or disagree with what you’re reading. I don’t agree with every single author about every single thing they write. I exercise discernment that I’ve developed (and continue to develop as I mature) to make decisions about what I’ll use and what I’ll leave alone. 

As you choose and read books, make sure you have your thinking cap on and don’t just take every word as gospel. Pray about it, do your own research in the Bible, ask questions, compare it with what you’re learning in church and from people in your real life that you trust. Wrestling with truth takes work and I think it’s super important work because when you come finally come to a conclusion, you’ll be better at sharing, discussing, teaching, and defending that truth.

Okay, now for the books. 

(this post contains affiliate links. see disclosure here)

Women of the Word

This book got me started on my adult Bible nerd journey. In a lot of ways, it lit the fire that I needed to take my upbringing and all that I’d learned up til then, to the next level. Jen Wilkin’s voice, her style, her passion, and her humility, really make me want to do the hard work of digging deep into the Bible for everything God has to offer us. If you’re just starting out in Bible study, I highly recommend this book to get you started!

How to Study Your Bible

I constantly referenced this book while researching for the How to Study Your Bible Masterclass. It’s a classic on the topic of Bible study. This book will take you step by careful step through the points of inductive Bible study. In Women of the Word, Wilkin recommends it as a help for developing a study method on her resource list. I would actually recommend this book right after Women of the Word as the next stop on your journey.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

This is another book that I used for the How to Study Your Bible Masterclass research. This book covers rules of interpretation for the different genres of biblical literature. I’d say it’s an intermediate level book. It’s practical and a great resource to have for your Bible study.

The Bible Handbook

I absolutely love this book! Not only is it gorgeous, it’s such a helpful resource! It outlines every book of the Bible, highlights themes, and even has beautiful maps, timelines, charts and diagrams. This is a great addition to your library especially if you don’t have a study Bible – this has much of the great reference material that you would find in a good study Bible. The Daily Grace Co. hit it out of the park with this beautiful book! 

The Theology Handbook

Another gorgeous handbook! This one covers major theological themes of the faith. It has beautiful photos and charts and it’s easy to understand. It’s super helpful and useful to have on hand!

The Bible Themes Handbook

This is the newest handbook from Daily Grace Co. and it’s sooooooooooooo nice! It covers several major themes that run through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This makes it easy to see the significance of different topics throughout scripture! As always, the Daily Grace Co., delivers another fantastic resource for your Bible study.

Bible Dictionary

I absolutely love having a Bible dictionary on my shelf! The Nelson Illustrated Bible Dictionary is the one I have but I’ve heard the Zondervan Bible dictionary is also good. You can look up pretty much any term found in or related to the Bible. I love looking at the photos, drawings, and maps. It makes what I read in the Bible feel just a bit more real and concrete. Sure, there’s always Google, and thank God for that! But if you are able to, I highly recommend adding a Bible dictionary to your library – you won’t regret it!

ESV Bible Atlas

Along with my Bible dictionary, I’ve also really enjoyed my Bible atlas. There are so many maps and illustrations that can’t fit in the back of a Bible. Knowing about landscape of ancient civilizations is so helpful when reading all the stories in the Bible. The ESV Bible Atlas is the one I own but I have also heard that the Holman Bible Atlas is also very good!   

Literarily: How Understanding Bible Genres Transforms Bible Study

I don’t recommend books that I haven’t read but this book just came out, I just got it, and it’s endorsed by people I trust so I couldn’t leave this off the list. Understanding biblical genre is sooooooooooooooo incredibly important when studying scripture. Kristie Anyabwile goes through each literary genre and talks about how understanding it transforms our Bible study. I’m several pages in and I think it’s going to be a mainstay in my reference library.  

Authorized: The Use & Misuse of the King James Bible

I recommended this book in the post about picking a translation but I wanted to go ahead and highlight this one again because I think that it’s so helpful for anyone who wants to know more about how we should view and use the King James Bible. If you have any questions about the KJV and modern translations, this is the place to start. Mark Ward is a pastor who was raised on and still loves and uses the good ol’ KJV but is honest about some of the challenges we face as modern readers. This book is a totally accessible, well-thought out, easy read and I HIGHLY recommend it – especially if you’re having conversations about Bible versions and you want solid information about the topic. 

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible

This book is such a great read! Many of us don’t often think about how the modern, western lenses we view the Bible through really skew our understanding of what’s really going on in this ancient text. The Bible tells us of different times and places and cultures. And while it is a timeless book, we do need to consider the culture that it originally lives in so that we can understand it the way God intended. I definitely recommend this book and the follow up to it – Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World.

Is the Bible Good for Women?

I bought this book on clearance one day because the title intrigued me. I read it and felt like I had such a better foothold to tackle some of the really difficult questions that come up when talking about the Bible. Questions about justice and rights for women and what do we do with passages about the rape and abuse of women. This isn’t an end all be all book on hard questions regarding women and the Bible but man, it’s a great jumping off point for more study. This is one of those books where I didn’t necessarily agree with every conclusion the author makes (simply because we have different theological backgrounds) but I really appreciated the well-constructed arguments and presentation. It’s a really helpful book for some pretty hard passages and topics.


What books have helped you in your Bible study? Do you have any recommendations for me? I’d love to read them in the comments below!

All of these books, except The Bible Handbook, The Theology Handbook, and The Bible Themes Handbook, are available on Amazon and you can check out this list in my Amazon store here!

By: Elyssa Nalani · In: FAITH · Tagged: bible, bible study, bible study project, books, reading, resources

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February 2024 will come before you know it. What a February 2024 will come before you know it. What are you willing to try and possibly fail at in order to be in a different, might I say better, place that you are now? I don't know about you but I don't want to be the same person, doing the same things, and struggling with the same mess I am now. I want to have grown and matured. I want to have taken risks. I want to have learned a thing or two. But I can't do any of those things if I'm not willing to try. ⁠
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Happy Tending List Tuesday 🎉 This post is later Happy Tending List Tuesday 🎉 This post is later than I planned but better late than never! 

The best way I can describe January is cattywampus. I was equal parts catching my breath, checking items off my list, and trying to establish rhythm & balance that never quite happened. Even so, it was actually a good month and I’m satisfied with what I managed to accomplish. 

Now it’s time for a new Tending List. Even though February is a shorter month, I’m determined to get really focused and accomplish even more. 

How about you? How was your January? And what do you have on your February list? Let me know! And if you want to check out my full January Review and February Tending List post, you can find my blog post linked in my bio! 
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#tendinglisttuesday #powersheets #goals #goalsetting #goaldigger #makeithappen #cultivatewhatmatters #getitdone #buildabetteryear #focus #livewellstayfocused
When you haven’t posted anything on your feed al When you haven’t posted anything on your feed all week so now you have two charcuterie boards side by side 😆 Welp whatever - I’m documenting this beauty! 
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Our 2nd Friday night charcuterie in the bag! I’m Our 2nd Friday night charcuterie in the bag! I’m loving the berries and pears on this one! It’s making me look forward to summer produce 😋 (and there isn’t a whole lot that makes me look forward to summer 🥵). Also, this time I included my husband’s charcuterie board without the food so you could see it ☺️ I want him to make us some more 😁
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I finally posted my 2023 Resolutions & Goals on th I finally posted my 2023 Resolutions & Goals on the blog today. It took me a lot longer to process my goal setting needs this year. Even though it was unexpected, it was good and I needed it! 
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If you’re still trying to wrap your mind around goal setting for 2023, it’s not too late to check out my goal setting course, Build a Better Year! Link in my bio 😎
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You can check out the full post on my website and see what I plan to work on in 2024. Link also in my bio ☺️
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Happy Tending List Tuesday! This year, I want to Happy Tending List Tuesday! 

This year, I want to be more intentional about sharing what I’m working on, both personally & professionally so I’ll be posting my Tending Lists here and on the blog every month. I’m a bit tardy with January’s list but better late than never! 
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#tendinglist #tendinglisttuesday #powersheets #powersheetstendinglist #powersheets2023 #makeithappen #getitdone #livewellstayfocused #goals #goalsetting #goalsetter #cultivatewhatmatters
My husband made a gorgeous charcuterie board durin My husband made a gorgeous charcuterie board during his time off for the holidays and I’m so excited to serve dinner on it tonight 😋 

We’re going to be more intentional about rhythms and rituals in our home in 2023 and as part of our Friday night ritual, we’ve decided to make it charcuterie night! I’d say this first one is a huge success 🎉 

(Next time I’ll get a shot of the board without food 😆)
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#dinnertime #fridaynight #fridaynightcharcuterie #charcuterieboard #charcuterie #livewellstayfocused #sabbath #sabbathritual #fridaynightritual #livewellphysically #livewellsocially #yummy #livewellfaithfully
My resolutions for 2023. One for each of the Live My resolutions for 2023. One for each of the Live Well 6.⁠
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Some people write resolutions and others write goals - I write both. A resolution tells me WHAT I want to accomplish and WHY I want to accomplish it and a goal tells me HOW I'm going to get it done. Sometimes a goal needs to change because life changes. Not so much with resolutions because they are based on the kind of person I want to be regardless of what's happening around me and what I have or don't have control over. ⁠
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Do you write goals or resolutions? Do they tell you your what, why, and how? Let me know how you set intentions for the new year!⁠
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If you'd like to know my full process for writing resolutions and goals, you can check out my goal setting course BUILD A BETTER YEAR 2023! Link in bio 😊⁠
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My word for 2023 is MAGNIFY. It was a no-brainer c My word for 2023 is MAGNIFY. It was a no-brainer choice after playing "Christ Be Magnified" about a million times on repeat over the past several months (I never get tired of it!). ⁠
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Happy New Year!⁠
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