Bethel Grove
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Redeeming Cinderella
    • Abiding Grace
    • Beyond the Manger
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready Series >
      • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
      • Are You Ready to Take Communion
      • Are You Ready to Repent (Again)?
      • Are You Ready Leader's Guide
    • Youth Ministry Books >
      • Volunteer Youth Minister
      • Other Youth Ministry Books
    • Shoebox Resource Books
    • Other Books >
      • Redeeming All Hallows' Eve
      • Learning to Mourn the Wicked
      • How to Launch a Book
      • Book Launching 101
      • Other Books
    • Bethel Grove Publications
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Rating Systems
    • What is a Book Launcher?
    • Review Requests
  • Bethel's Store
  • Simple Youth Ministry
  • Operation Shoebox Resources
  • Other Resources
    • PDF Downloads
    • Apparel and Accessories
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Book Reviews
    • Book Qualifications
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Abiding Grace Ministries
    • Abiding Grace Story
    • Links
    • Affiliates
    • Blogging Programs
    • Statement of Faith
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Portfolio
Picture

Books in Review: Bad Girls of the Bible

12/3/2025

0 Comments

 
I have always been curious about Liz Curtis Higgs’ books, but it was for a very different reason. My mom told me the story of Liz Curtis Higgs coming to the church where my dad was youth minister at the time to come and share her story. She ended up staying with my parents. It turns out that my mom has just found out that she was pregnant with me, and Liz was one of the first people she told the news. Years later, she was at a conference, and my mom introduced me to her as the baby she was expecting when they met. I love the irony that one of the first people that knew about me was an author and all these years, I myself am an author and book reviewer.
​

After years of planning to read Bad Girls of the Bible, I finally did, and I was not disappointed. This is engaging and just as relevant as it was when it was first published in 1999. We all need to be reminded of how God can redeem our lives and continue to use us, even when we mess up. I would love to see more books like this today. ~ Bethel

Picture
​In her book Bad Girls of the Bible, Liz Curtis highlights the stories of ten women in the Bible who did something “bad”: Eve, Potiphar's wife, Lot's wife, the woman at the well, Delilah, Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal, and the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. Eve is unique because she is the first bad girl. But some of these women were “bad to the bone” (Potiphar's wife, Delilah, and Jezebel), some were “bad for a moment” (Lot's wife, Sapphira, and Michal), and some were “bad for a season, but not forever” (Rahab, the woman at the well, and the sinful woman). But all of them did something wrong that we can identify with in hopes that we can learn from their mistakes and discover how God can redeem them for His glory. Each chapter starts with a creative, fictionalized retelling of the biblical story, with the names and context changed for a contemporary audience. Then, she walks through a verse-by-verse exploration of the story from the New International Version [1984] and concludes with lessons we can learn and thoughts to consider for each story. Through it all, you will be challenged when your story relates to these bad girls and inspired by ways that you can change.

​This book is creative and useful book that studies these character in a relevant and engaging way. If you are looking for a unique Bible study experience, this is a book for you. Get your copy today.
Picture
Teen Rating. I think teens could get a lot out of this book. I’d recommend it for those 15 and older.
Picture
Male-Friendly Rating. While this is written for women, I think that men could get a lot out of this book if they were interested.
Picture
Personal Rating. I really enjoyed this book a lot. It’s both entertaining and spiritually enriching. I highly recommend it.

Picture
Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Purchase Bad Girls of the Bible: https://amzn.to/48w0A0B

To read my review of Liz Curtis Higgs' book
Really Bad Girls of the Bible, click here

To read reviews of other Bible studies, click here


Help Me Grow My Christian Publishing Ministry

As I have been looking toward the future of this blog and my ministry, I am excited about focusing my work on the goal of building a sustainable income from the books and resources I create so that I can officially dedicate my time to full-time volunteer ministry, which will include the work of supporting other Christian authors by writing reviews of their books. While I have made great strides towards this goal by publishing 13 full content books, 52 low content books, over 200 digital products, and much more, I know that it will take me a long time to get to the point of sustainability unless I am able to invest back into my business by purchasing tools, services, and subscriptions that will help my business grow. That's where you might be able to help.

​I would like to raise some of the money I need to help me grow my Christian publishing ministry to cover some expenses by the end of 2025 that will help me grow my business in 2026 and beyond. I hope that you will consider partnering with me in the work of supporting Christian authors, volunteer youth ministry, and other ministry projects by contributing to this campaign. There are three ways that you can help:

1) Donate - If you are financially able or willing to give, please consider contributing to my fundraiser on GiveButter, where you can see what expenses I hope to cover and my progress towards my goal: https://givebutter.com/growmyministry2025
​2) Share - If you know anyone that you think would be interested in contributing to support the work of Abiding Grace Ministries, you can either share the campaign page above or you can share this page, which is a public version of my latest email newsletter: https://bethelgrove.kit.com/posts/helpmegrowmychristianpublishingministry

3) Pray - Even if you aren't able to donate or share, I would appreciate your prayers as I work hard towards making this ministry sustainable while also continuing to serve others where God has me right now.
0 Comments

Books in Review: Really Bad Girls of the Bible

12/3/2025

0 Comments

 
After I read Bad Girls of the Bible, I knew that I wanted to read this sequel book. I read it (or technically listened to it) just a few days later. I found it to be just as good as the first book. This is engaging and just as relevant as it was when it was first published in 2000. We all need to be reminded of how God can redeem our lives and continue to use us, even when we mess up. I would love to see more books like this today. ~ Bethel

Picture
​In her book Really Bad Girls of the Bible, Liz Curtis highlights the stories of nine women in the Bible who did something "bad": the medium at En Dor, Jael, the adulteress, Athaliah, Bathsheba, Herodias, Tamar the Widow, and the Bleeding Woman. Some of these women were "bad and proud of it" (Athaliah and Herodias), some were part of a “bad moon rising” (medium at En Dor and Bathsheba), some were “bad for a good reason” (Jael and Tamar the Widow) and two was "bad, but not condemned" (the adulteress and the bleeding woman). Each chapter starts with a creative, fictionalized retelling of the biblical story, with the names and context changed for a contemporary audience. Then, she walks through a verse-by-verse exploration of the story from the New International Version [probably the 1984 edition] and concludes with lessons we can learn and thoughts to consider for each story. Through it all, you will be challenged when your story relates to these bad girls and inspired by ways that you can change.

​Just like the first book, this book is creative and useful book that studies these character in a relevant and engaging way. If you are looking for a unique Bible study experience, this is a book for you. Get your copy today.
Picture
Teen Rating. I think teens could get a lot out of this book. I’d recommend it for those 15 and older.
Picture
Male-Friendly Rating. While this is written for women, I think that men could get a lot out of this book if they were interested.
Picture
Personal Rating. I really enjoyed this book a lot. It’s both entertaining and spiritually enriching. I highly recommend it.

Picture
Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the purchase at no cost to you.

Purchase Really Bad Girls of the Bible: 
https://amzn.to/4pKkOdY

To read by review of Liz Curtis Higgs' book
Bad Girls of the Bible, click here
To read reviews of other Bible studies, click here

Help Me Grow My Christian Publishing Ministry

As I have been looking toward the future of this blog and my ministry, I am excited about focusing my work on the goal of building a sustainable income from the books and resources I create so that I can officially dedicate my time to full-time volunteer ministry, which will include the work of supporting other Christian authors by writing reviews of their books. While I have made great strides towards this goal by publishing 13 full content books, 52 low content books, over 200 digital products, and much more, I know that it will take me a long time to get to the point of sustainability unless I am able to invest back into my business by purchasing tools, services, and subscriptions that will help my business grow. That's where you might be able to help.

​I would like to raise some of the money I need to help me grow my Christian publishing ministry to cover some expenses by the end of 2025 that will help me grow my business in 2026 and beyond. I hope that you will consider partnering with me in the work of supporting Christian authors, volunteer youth ministry, and other ministry projects by contributing to this campaign. There are three ways that you can help:

1) Donate - If you are financially able or willing to give, please consider contributing to my fundraiser on GiveButter, where you can see what expenses I hope to cover and my progress towards my goal: https://givebutter.com/growmyministry2025
2) Share - If you know anyone that you think would be interested in contributing to support the work of Abiding Grace Ministries, you can either share the campaign page above or you can share this page, which is a public version of my latest email newsletter: https://bethelgrove.kit.com/posts/helpmegrowmychristianpublishingministry

3) Pray - Even if you aren't able to donate or share, I would appreciate your prayers as I work hard towards making this ministry sustainable while also continuing to serve others where God has me right now.
0 Comments

Books in Review: Esther (True Girl Bible Study)

8/6/2024

0 Comments

 
I have enjoyed reading and reviewing the True Girl Bible Study series by Dannah Gresh. But when I found out that their next study was going to be on Esther and focus on purpose, I was both excited and curious to read it. When I finally did, I was not disappointed. This Bible study is an incredible resource for tween girls as they learn how to study God’s word and what it means to understand and live out your purpose, especially as a pre-teen girl. This is one I highly recommend for tween girls, their moms, or their youth leaders ~ Bethel

​Most people in our world struggle to understand why they are here on this earth. While the world continues to offer ways of identifying ourselves and finding fulfillment, it usually doesn’t satisfy us. As a result, we struggle to know who are and what we are supposed to do with our lives. This is especially true when it comes to pre-teen girls. It makes them ask the question: what is my purpose and how can I live it out?
Picture
​In her tween girl Bible study Esther: Becoming a Girl of Purpose, author Dannah Gresh teaches girls how to understand and live out your purpose by looking to the example of Queen Esther. Through this 6-week study on the story of Esther, girls learn how to find their purpose by discovering the plan God has for their life. It clear to see through the story of Esther that God was at work behind the scenes to save His people, and that Esther was a significant part of that plan. Through all the difficulties that Esther experienced, she realized that she came to her position for a purpose and when she realized how important it was, she was willing to risk everything to fulfill it. It wasn’t easy and required her to do some uncomfortable and risky things, but God used her boldness and her wisdom to save His people. Through this study, pre-teen girls are reminded that even when they are discouraged and face things they don’t want to do, God has a good plan and can use them to fulfill it if they trust Him. All these powerful truths and more are shared in the context of a Bible study that is geared to tween girls (between 7-12 years old). This study specifically does an excellent of simplifying and explaining some of the more mature aspects of the story (such as harems and eunuchs) in an age-appropriate way.
​
Including fill-in-the-blanks, places to highlight Scripture, and interactive puzzles and prompts, this book will be engaging and impactful to any tween girl that reads it. It would also be a great resource for the moms of tween girls or youth leaders looking for a Bible study for this unique age group. Get your copy today! 

​* I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review

Picture
Pre-Teen Rating. This book is perfect for tween girls!
Picture
Teen Rating. While geared at slightly younger girls, I do think older teens could get a lot out of this book. Even I as a Bible college graduate learned some things about the story of Esther that I did not know before. This would also be a great option for an older teen wanting to lead a Bible study for younger girls.
Picture
Personal Rating. This has become one of my favorite studies in this whole series. This is a great pre-teen bible study that I highly recommend for its given age group.

Picture
Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Purchase Esther (True Girl Bible Study): https://amzn.to/3VCMk0C

Make sure to check out my reviews of the other titles in this series:

Ruth
Miriam
Mary
0 Comments

Books in Review: Holy Grit

8/28/2023

0 Comments

 
​When I attended Ozark Christian College, I had to take a lot of Bible classes. Some of my classes were incredibly memorable and some were much less memorable. One of the classes that I remember most clearly was Hebrews with Chad Ragsdale. While I had memorized Hebrews 11 in the eighth grade, I had otherwise not paid much attention to Hebrews before then. However, this class changed all that. I began to see how this book helps modern Christians see some incredible connections between the Old and New Testament and teaches many relevant lessons on faith, trust, endurance, and community. So when I heard that he had published a book about Hebrews, I was excited to read it. It reminded me of some of the illustrations and applications we discussed in class and how they still apply to our lives today. It’s definitely worth the read ~ Bethel

Picture
​In his book Holy Grit, Chad Ragsdale walks through the practical application of the book of Hebrews chapter by chapter to help his readers discover how to develop a faith that lasts. Instead of approaching the text as a commentary, this book focuses largely on making sense of confusing concepts and how the truths from the book of Hebrews apply to our lives today. We discover how the original audience was also struggling with their faith when things got difficult and even with moving forward in their spiritual maturity, which are struggles Christians still face today. While some of the Old Testament references are considered to be confusing by many, this book helps clarify much of the confusion surrounding these metaphors and how the elements of the old covenant made way for the new. Throughout all of this, we see how we can cultivate a faithful resilience, which Ragsdale calls “holy grit”, which will allow us to stand firm and hold fast to faith and hope when life becomes difficult or uncertain. As it does in the book of Hebrews itself, each chapter of Holy Grit builds on the hope and endurance it gives its audience to live out faithful resilience, both individually and in the context of community with each other. With personal stories throughout and discussion guides at the end of each chapter, this book is a great resource of knowledge and wisdom from one of the New Testament's most mysterious books. This is one I highly recommend.

Picture
Personal Rating. My only criticism is that I think that the book got slightly confusing in some places. Because this book was largely applicational, it sometimes got confusing to track where the narrative of each chapter was going in comparison with the text from Hebrews. However, most of this can be resolved by reading Hebrews with each corresponding chapter of the book. Aside from this minor issue, I enjoyed this book very much and would highly recommend it.

Picture

​Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Purchase Holy Grit: https://amzn.to/4izUmRF

To read my review of Chad Ragsdale's book,
​Christian Convictions, click here
0 Comments

Books in Review: Mary (True Girl Bible Study)

8/11/2023

0 Comments

 
​I was excited to hear that Dannah Gresh was going to be releasing another True Girl Bible Study. But when I found out that it was going to be about Mary’s faithfulness, I was all the more interested in reading it. When I finally did, I was not disappointed. This Bible study is an incredible resource for tween girls as they learn how to study God’s word and what it means to live in faithfulness to God. This is one I highly recommend for tween girls, their moms, or their youth leaders ~ Bethel

Faithfulness is a virtue that we struggle to find in our culture today. While we want to have it in our lives and relationships, we struggle to find it and often struggle even more with practicing it. We want to trust and be trusted, but we also want to do things our own way or have felt the string of betrayal or rejection, which makes us unable to trust others fully. This is especially true when it comes to pre-teen girls. It makes them ask the question: how can I live a life of faithfulness?
Picture
In her tween girl Bible study Mary: Becoming a Girl of Faithfulness, author Dannah Gresh teaches girls how to live a life of faithfulness by looking to the example of Mary, mother of Jesus. Through this 6 week study on the story of Mary, girls learn how faithfulness begins with trusting God’s plan, no matter what happens. Through all the difficulties, uncertainties, and even pain Mary experienced, she trusted God and obeyed what he asked her to do. Even in the moments when her life was ordinary, she continued to trust God, which allowed her to rely on Him when difficult times came her way. This knowledge is what gave her the ability to worship when things were uncertain and believe that God could provide when natural resources had been exhausted. And it was by this incredible faithfulness to Him that God used Mary to fulfill his plan to save us from our sins through His son, Jesus. All these powerful truths and more are shared in the context of a Bible study that is geared to tween girls (between 7-12 years old).
​
Including fill-in-the-blanks, places to highlight Scripture, and interactive puzzles and prompts, this book will be engaging and impactful to any tween girl that reads it. It would also be a great resource for the moms of tween girls or youth leaders looking for a Bible study for this unique age group. Get your copy today! 

* I received an copy of this book for the purpose of this review

Picture
Pre-Teen Rating. This book is perfect for tween girls!
Picture
Teen Rating. While geared at slightly younger girls, I do think older teens could get a lot out of this book. This would also be a great option for older teen wanting to lead a Bible study for younger girls.
Picture
Personal Rating. This is a great bible study that I highly recommend for its given age group.

Picture

​Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Purchase Mary (True Girl Bible Study): https://amzn.to/3BqMukK

​Make sure to check out my reviews of
the previous True Girl Bible Studies:
Ruth (Becoming a Girl of Loyalty)
Miriam (Becoming a Girl of Courage)
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    Lion's Eyes Reviews is a blog dedicated to reviews of Christian books, most of which are non-fiction, but may also occasionally review movies and musicals. It will also feature the work Bethel does to help launch and promote the works of Christian authors.

    The name is derived from one of Bethel's favorite books, Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko. Through these reviews, Bethel hope to give Christians the tools they need to look at the world "through the eyes of a lion" so they can find the courage to "run toward the roar". 

    To find the detailed archives of these reviews, you can check them out here:

    Books In Review
    Movies in Review
    Broadway In Review

    Quick Reviews

    ​
    To understand the rating used in these reviews, click here

    Note: Any Amazon links listed in these posts are affiliate links, which means I will recieve a small commission from any sales made from those links at no additional cost to you. Consider supporting this work by using one of these links.

    Categories

    All
    Abiding Grace Updates
    Alex & Stephen Kendrick
    Alyssa Bethke
    Apologetics
    Beyond Your Wardrobe
    Bible Studies
    Biblical Womanhood
    Biography
    Bob Goff
    Book Series
    Books I Don't Recommend
    Books In Preview
    Books In Review
    Broadway In Review
    Caleb Kaltenbach
    Carpe Aeternatatum
    Chad Ragsdale
    Christian Fiction
    Christian Living
    Christmas
    Coming Soon
    Controversial Topics
    Corrie Ten Boom
    Creativity
    C.S. Lewis
    Dannah Gresh
    Devin Brown
    Devotionals
    Disney In Review
    Douglas Gresham
    Dr. Juli Slattery
    EBook Releases
    EBooks In Review
    Entertainment
    Exegesis And Hermeneutics
    Forgiveness
    For Women
    Friendship
    Gary Chapman
    Girl Talk (Teens)
    Girl Talk (Tweens)
    Grieving With Hope
    Healing
    Holidays In Perspective
    Interviews
    Jackie Hill Perry
    Jefferson Bethke
    Jon Jorgenson
    J.R.R. Tolkien
    Katie Davis Majors
    Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal
    Lee Strobel
    Lessons From The Bible
    Lessons Learned
    Levi Lusko
    Linda Dillow
    Lion's Eyes Updates
    Liz Curtis Higgs
    Love
    Lysa Terkeurst
    Mark Batterson
    Mark Ward
    Modesty And Fashion
    Movies In Review
    Music In Review
    My Cloud Of Witnesses
    My Generation
    My YouTube Videos
    Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
    Personal Experiences
    Personal Updates
    Prayer
    Princess Worth Dying For
    Priscilla Shirer
    Purity Movement
    PWDF Updates
    Reading Recommendations
    Reflections On Middle Earth
    Reflections On Narnia
    Relationships/Sexuality
    Robertson Family
    Running Toward The Roar
    Sarah Arthur
    Singleness
    Theology (Study Of God)
    To The End Of Her Days
    Youth Ministry

    Archives

    December 2025
    October 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    August 2024
    May 2024
    December 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    RSS Feed


Author Bethel Grove
​Bethel Grove is a Christian young woman who loves to read and write, eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards, and disciple teen girls as a youth leader. What started as a hobby of writing book reviews and doing deep biblical studies eventually led her down the path of self-publishing and supporting other Christian authors and ministry volunteers. She hopes to someday be a vocational youth minister and well-known author.
Learn More

Follow AUthor Bethel Grove

Why This Millennial Isn't Leaving the Church eBook

Receive This eBook for Free


​Sign up for Bethel's newsletter to receive monthly updates for Abiding Grace Ministries, and you will receive a copy of this exclusive eBook for free
Sign Up

Bethel's STores

Bethel Grove Store
​Simple Youth Ministry Store
​Operation Shoebox Resources Store

Other Pages

Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Profile
© 2025 Bethel Grove. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Bethel's Books
    • Redeeming the Beast
    • Redeeming Cinderella
    • Abiding Grace
    • Beyond the Manger
    • Beyond Your Wardrobe
    • Are You Ready Series >
      • Are You Ready to Be Baptized
      • Are You Ready to Take Communion
      • Are You Ready to Repent (Again)?
      • Are You Ready Leader's Guide
    • Youth Ministry Books >
      • Volunteer Youth Minister
      • Other Youth Ministry Books
    • Shoebox Resource Books
    • Other Books >
      • Redeeming All Hallows' Eve
      • Learning to Mourn the Wicked
      • How to Launch a Book
      • Book Launching 101
      • Other Books
    • Bethel Grove Publications
  • Lion's Eyes Reviews
    • Blog
    • Books in Review
    • Movies in Review
    • Broadway in Review
    • Rating Systems
    • What is a Book Launcher?
    • Review Requests
  • Bethel's Store
  • Simple Youth Ministry
  • Operation Shoebox Resources
  • Other Resources
    • PDF Downloads
    • Apparel and Accessories
  • Services
    • Book Launch Services
    • Book Reviews
    • Book Qualifications
  • Other Projects
    • LOTR Fanfiction
    • Spoken Word
    • Personal Blog Posts
  • About
    • Meet Bethel
    • Abiding Grace Ministries
    • Abiding Grace Story
    • Links
    • Affiliates
    • Blogging Programs
    • Statement of Faith
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Portfolio