Archive for the ‘What He Said – The Book’ Category

Read The Gospels With Us

Friday, February 18th, 2011 by JEL

I’ve been thinking. Lots of people have Bibles, but don’t read them. Some number less than “lots of people” now have What He Said. Maybe they’re not reading it, either! That would be a shame.

Want to read it together? It’s been a while since I went through the Gospels with a fine-toothed comb, and I’m ready. To keep things manageable, I propose that we read four chapters per week, and then discuss them on Fridays. I’ll put up a post and then everyone can chime in using the “comments.”

So get your copy of What He Said (off the shelf or from Amazon if you don’t already have it), and start reading.

Assignment for February 25: Matthew, chapters 1-4

IPPY Winners Announced

Monday, May 17th, 2010 by JEL

Last Monday I wrote that What He Said had been named a finalist in the national/religion category of the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Judging apparently finished up on Friday. At the risk of “sounding a trumpet before” ourselves, I am very excited to announce that What He Said took the Gold medal!

The other two books on the podium are beautiful and powerful; check them out.

You can see the full list of IPPY winners here.

We’re Up for an IPPY!

Monday, May 10th, 2010 by JEL

Last fall we entered What He Said in the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards. I just found out that our book has been named a finalist in the National – Religion category. “Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to each of these finalists and presented at a gala awards ceremony in New York on May 25th.”

I like a good “gala ceremony” as much as the next person, but I don’t think our schedules will allow us to attend. Our fingers are crossed nonetheless.

You can view the full list of finalists here.

Good Friday

Friday, April 2nd, 2010 by JEL

Happy Good Friday, everyone. I hope you will enjoy the beautiful spring weather (after so much cold and rain) and take a moment to witness all the re-birth and renewal that is happening around you.

For an account of what happened on Good Friday, you could certainly grab your copy of What He Said and read the narrative of the Four Gospels. Or, you could rely on trusty Wikipedia. Interesting to see that the Crucifixion of Jesus was “most probably on a Monday” in the year 33 AD.

“Jesus, Reconsidered”

Friday, March 26th, 2010 by JEL

The title of this post is taken (hence the quotes) from this NPR story by Barbara Bradley Hagerty. You can read the text of the story, but I recommend listening as the voices add a lot. It concerns reaction over Brian McLaren’s new book, “A New Kind of Christianity.” McLaren is a prominent and influential evangelical and a writer of both books and blogs.

He was also one of the first people to give us a review of What He Said. Again, listen to the story.

New Review

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 by JEL

We got a nice review yesterday from Amy Bayliss, a leading voice in women’s online ministry. Amy is a dynamo in Christian media circles, writing for many publications and websites and speaking at conferences around the country. Here’s what she said about our book:

“What He Said is just a brilliant concept. It is such a handy reference tool, and I really don’t know what I ever did without it. It makes studying easier and simply reading through the book gives you new insight to our Lord and Savior.”

You can find Amy online at Amy Bayliss.com and also at Inspired Hearts Media.

Reader Review

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 by JEL

When we were designing What He Said, we often thought it would be great for Bible study groups or religious education classes. For young people, or those diving deep into the Gospels, the new layout should make their efforts a little easier. Which is why it was so nice to see this new review which just appeared on our Amazon page:

“I bought this book for my husband for Christmas. This was exactly the book that he had been asking for. He had said over and over how he wanted a book that highlighted the words of Jesus, and What He Said does an excellent job of emphasizing the words of our Savior in context with the remainder of the Gospel. My husband is using the book to lead a small group class at our church.” – sval59, Greensboro, NC

Sorry to get all commercial on you, but I don’t think we’ve ever explicitly said that What He Said is only available at Amazon or in our e-Store. It might be available someday in your local bookstore, but not yet.

A Perfect Example

Monday, February 1st, 2010 by JEL

Peter and I are often asked why we created What He Said. Besides our usual response (the Bible is a hard book to read and there had to be an easier way for busy people to access the teachings of Christ), we often point out that we’re dismayed that so many self-professed Christians seem to get Jesus’ message so wrong.

Case in point: this guy. Can you imagine a worse way of getting the message across to young people than yelling out “You’re a hussie and going to hell!” and wearing a big red sign around your neck proclaiming, “You Deserve Hell”?

Bible Design Through the Ages

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 by JEL

In spare moments, of which there are increasingly few, I like to research Bible design and see how What He Said compares and contrasts with other books from the past and present that try to ease a reader’s access to the words of Christ.

I recently came across this article which provides a nice overview of Bible design from the times of illuminated manuscripts to what the author, Matthew Griffin, calls “postmodern power plays.” He ends the piece with some interesting thoughts on timeless design:

“A truly Christian design of the Bible is one of balance. It is excellent, beautiful, and well organized. It does not elevate utilitarian concerns to the exclusion of beauty. Nor does it elevate embellishment to the exclusion of meaning. Its aim is toward God’s truth, not personal rhetoric. It is not afraid of legitimate graphical diversity. And It respects the text as a unified work of literature.”

I really like his definition and believe that What He Said (even though it’s not the entire Bible) meets his criteria. It is certainly graphically diverse, but does not disrupt the text as a unified whole.

Joining Technorati

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 by JEL

As part of our marketing efforts, we are listing our What He Said blog with some directories. Technorati is one of the biggest, so we’re starting there. Hopefully, doing so will expand our reach and let users access updates in their feed readers of choice.

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