Come and See Catholic Bible Studies (Emmaus Road Publishing)

There are many different Bible study programs out there, and I have read, watched, and used many of them. However, until recently, I have not had the opportunity to try Emmaus Road Publishing's Come and See Bible Study programs. That has been remedied, and I would like to tell you about two of their recent study programs.

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Israel is a DVD and workbook program that covers the Old Testament books of Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Amos, Hosea, and Jeremiah. It is divided into 21 lessons with each lesson covering approximately 10-15 chapters of one of the above mentioned books. The program covers a period of time that is approximately 600 years in length (1208 B.C. to 587 B.C.) The study begins by examining Joshua the man, the significance of his name, and his ultimate task of leading his people into the Promised Land. We then progress to the time of the Judges with specific emphasis given to Gideon and Samson. The books of Chronicles begin to focus on the King Saul, King David, and King Solomon and the building of Jerusalem. We then enter a time of the prophets, like Elijah, Elisha, Amos, and Hosea. The study then ends with chapters devoted to the lesser known kings and Jeremiah's message during the fall of Israel.

The Gospel of Luke is another DVD and workbook Bible Study program. However, unlike others that tend to focus on multiple books of the Bible, this one focuses solely on Luke. It is divided into 21 lessons, which is nearly as many chapters as there are in Luke's Gospel. With this many lessons, you get a deeper and richer study, which is necessary, because Luke has some pretty long chapters. Subjects covered include the Annunciations (John the Baptist and Jesus); the Nativity; Jesus' ministry, parables, and miracles; and His Passion and Resurrection. This study highlights key aspects of Luke that make his Gospel different from the other three. For starters, his formal education, meant he used method like research and firsthand accounts. He also emphasized prayer, the importance of women, and the poor.

I cannot speak for the DVDs as I only studied the books, but these study programs are solid in message and delivery. In addition to using the Scripture you are studying, these programs pull from the Catechism, Church Fathers, and other related Scripture passages to provide you with a fully orthodox and fully comprehensive lesson. As someone who has led Bible studies in the past, one of the worst things is coming up with questions to spur conversation. The Come and See Bible Study programs provide you ample questions as well as other study tools, like outlining what you read, prayers, and helpful tables and charts. Working through these workbooks, I gained wisdom on Scripture passages that I have read multiple times, but overlooked or just didn't understand. There are many programs in this series and even several designed for kids, so find a subject that interests you and start studying!

These books were provided to me for free by Emmaus Road Publishing in exchange for an honest review. If you found these reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!