Follow Me (Ascension Press)

The Gospel of John is arguably the toughest of the four Gospels to study. The reason for this is because it is so much more different than the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). There is no Nativity, no temptation, no Transfiguration, and no Sermon on the Mount. Instead, we are treated to a Gospel that is a bit higher in theology than the other three. Because of the uniqueness of this Gospel, there have been many books written on it to try and help us understand it. Ascension Press has joined the mix by creating a Bible Study DVD program called Follow Me: Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John. Follow Me is an eight-session program led by Dr. Edward Sri. The lessons are as follows:

1. "In the Beginning": Jesus at the Center
2. "Come and See": Becoming Disciples
3. At the Well: Our Deepest Thirst
4. "Believe in Me": Trust and Surrender
5. Encountering Mercy
6. The Law of Self-Giving
7. The New Commandment and Life in the Spirit
8. "It is Finished": A Dying and Rising Love

The last session is obviously the most powerful one, as it deals with the Passion, the Crucifixion, and Resurrection. The session begins with the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane and ends with Jesus questioning Peter after the Resurrection. In this session, we see Jesus' self-sacrificing love, which was freely given. Despite this being the most powerful session, Session Three was the one that spoke to me the most. In this session, we encounter two people that Jesus not only encountered, but changed forever. Those people are Nicodemus and the Woman at the Well. In this lesson, we learn several important lessons. The first one is that only God can satisfy the longing in our heart, a lesson it took some time for St. Augustine to learn.The second lesson is that God will always seek us out, no matter how far away from Him we have ran, and He will always forgive us too, if we but ask.

Like all of the Study Programs from Ascension Press, Follow Me is high quality. Dr. Edward Sri is a top-notch teacher and brilliant man when it comes to Scripture. The material is inviting enough for the newest Bible student, but profound enough to challenge the experienced student. The entire presentation of materials is of high quality as well, from the professional videos all the way to the full-color leader guide and student workbooks. Here's the kicker though...you can get the whole set of materials for $100! For all that you get, that is a steal of a price. With all these factors, Ascension Press continues to prove that it is the leader for Catholic Study Programs. If you would like to lead a program, consider this one or one of many others. Share this company with your pastor and DRE as well, because they have great programs for adults and children as well.

This program was provided to me for free by Ascension Press in exchange for an honest review.