Rating: 
Summary: Fun, Easy, and Worthwhile Bible Study for a Bunch of Women!
Review: We just completed the ten lessons in this book. By "we", I mean a group of women, who met at a friend's home on Wednesday evenings, while our kids were at Awana. Some of us knew more about the Bible than others, some were new Christians, some were Catholics, others were protestants, one Pastor's wife...a real "mixed" group of ladies. I used the "Workbook" as my only resource. Some preferred reading out of the hardback, and not doing the homework. Our leader used both, one adding more depth to the other. The Workbook has five days of questions and answers for each of the ten weeks. The answers are to be supplied from Bible verses, and your own introspection. The "homework" in the Workbook was not as daunting as some of the other Bible studies I've been involved with (Beth Moore, Nancy Missler), but was still enough to cause me to examine myself and my Christian walk. Our leader enjoyed using the "Leaders Guide". The Leaders Guide had pre-selected questions from the Workbook to discuss. This kept the class focused on the lesson, and the discussion involved everyone. We used the videos, featuring the authors Dee Brestin and Kathy Troccoli. Dee is a wonderful teacher, sweet and friendly. Kathy sings, and adds some wonderful stories and insights of her own. The video is well produced. You could do a study with or without it, but I sure recommend it. With prayer, video, and focused discussion, we were able to keep our class time to 90 minutes. I did not have trouble with the "Jesus as bridegroom" aspect of the study. It is all very scriptural. The word "Romance" is used in the same vein as "Relationship". This book never talks about erotic love, but about God pursuing a loving relationship in a faithful, and restorative way with each of us. I think my husband would enjoy this Bible Study, but it's made especially for women as Dee and Kathy talk about "chick flicks", love songs, and other notions that women enjoy talking about. Not just entertaining, this is real spirituality, and a deep and vital Biblical study for a wide variety of Christian women.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!!!
Review: What an awesome book.Kathy Triccoli shares her personal journal/while she is waiting for the right Christian man for her,she will settle for nothing else,Nor should she,She and Dee are both so deeply in love with Jesus.This book is breath taking! I read it cover to cover in one night!I plan to read it again and again,It really boosted my love for Jesus.I would recommend this book to all Christians,even the men! Sincerely Paticia L
Rating: 
Summary: Sadly, the premise of this book is unscriptural.
Review: With respect to the idea of looking at Jesus as my husband, I must respectfully disagree with the authors. I have found this to be a very popular brand of theology that is being passed around the Church today, aimed mostly at single young ladies, and although I didn't agree with it at first, I eventually bought into it a few years ago. After learning the hard way, however, my stance on the matter is that the idea of looking at Jesus as a husband or lover is unscriptural. I would encourage you to give it some thoughtful and prayerful consideration. We are to "search the scriptures" as the Bereans did and "Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good." (I Thes. 5:21) We are to be "sober and vigilant" because our tricky and subtle enemy, satan, walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (I Pet. 5:8) Some of the aspects of this "doctrine" with which I take issue are: * The idea of looking at Jesus as a lover puts Him in competition with a spouse. * It implies that a woman who is "in love with the Lord" will have all her emotional and romantic desires met by Him so that she no longer has a longing for an earthly spouse. It implies that such a woman is so spiritual that she no longer needs a man in her life because God is meeting all her needs. This is not true because God says that marriage is good. Even when He and Adam had perfect fellowship in the Garden of Eden, He decided that Adam needed a companion of his own kind other than Himself.
(Gen. 2:18 "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.") * It makes men feel uncomfortable and does not apply to men, leaving them out. (How many men can we think of who want to look at Jesus as "husband" and "lover"?) * It is not supported by the Scriptures. Throughout the scriptures, Jesus encourages us to look at God as our Father with respect to our individual relationships with Him. In the model prayer, we are told to pray "Our Father." (Matthew 6:9) We are considered "joint-heirs with Christ" in Romans 8 (v. 17). Christ is the "first-born among many bretheren." (Rom. 8:29) * The Scriptures do make mention that the Church is the Bride of Christ. This is also picture of the marriage relationship that believers are to emulate. However, it is not a picture of an individual believer's relationship with Christ. With respect to Christ and His bride, the term "Bride" applies to the entire body of believers; not individual persons. * The Bible refers to Israel as God's wife; again, this applies to the Jewish people and not individual persons. * Biblical references to God as a Father to the Fatherless and a Husband to the Widows are not implying He meets romantic relationship needs; they are indicating that God takes care of His own and cares for and protects those who are in needy lonely positions. * God created us with physical, biological and emotional desires that He designed to be met by a spouse. He created most of us in such a way that we need a spouse. He doesn't say that we need to try to obliterate all our desires for a spouse and deny they exist in an effort to show Him that He is number one. Our relationship with Him is *different* than a relationship with a spouse and these are not designed to be competing relationships. * I am highly suspicious of any reading material that indirectly encourages Christian women to imagine Jesus in bed with them and uses the word "honeymoon" to describe one's relationship with Christ. I have a number of friends who have bought into this idea. They try to look at Jesus as their "Beloved" because they are single. One of my friends has gone so far as to put on a special "nightie" for God. She said she felt a warm presence enveloping her in bed as she slept. While this sounds appealing to some, we must remember that God is in Heaven (Our Father Who Art in Heaven) and Jesus is seated at the right-hand of God. We are not to imagine them "in the room with us" as deomons are all too eager to take advantage of such a situation and deceive a believer with various spiritual experiences. "The wisdom of this world is foolish, sensual, devilish." (James 3:15) The idea of looking at Jesus as a husband lover is a sensual idea. Please consider the scriptures, ladies. Looking at God as your Father does not mean you have a distant relationship with Him. Jesus looked at God as His Father and He walked more closely with Him than any of us. A Sister in Christ
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