Unfailing Love by Karol Ladd

The unique format of this book got my attention.  It is like a commentary on the book of 1 John, going through each verse and explaining all background information to help the reader understand what the words meant to John's original audience.  However, it is written like a Christian-living book; pulling in stories, quotes, and other scriptures to help the reader fully process the themes and learn to apply them.

I started out really enjoying this format.  The author has a clear love of the Scriptures and does a good job adding relevant information and explanations.  Then I began to lose interest.  Sometimes it seemed like the focus of the text moved too much into "related themes" instead of focusing on the words of 1 John.  I also felt that I wasn't learning very much that I didn't already know, which made it difficult to stay focused.  I did like that each chapter ended with summary points, additional reading, and action steps.  There are also discussion questions included in the back of the book to use in study groups.

For those wanting to study the book of 1 John without having to read a dry textbook-like commentary, this would be a good resource. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.