Blog Tour: Living the Parables by Hank Smith with Kathryn Jenkins

Reviews * Giveaway

Living the Parables: Applying Christ's Teachings to Our Lives

by Hank Smith with Kathryn Jenkins

Book Description:

As the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus Christ used His skills as a storyteller to teach and inspire His followers. The parables of Christ contain a wealth of guidance, but the deeper meaning of His words can sometimes be difficult to decipher. Now, best-selling authors Hank Smith and Kathryn Jenkins—known and loved for their ability to approach gospel topics in a clear, light, and understandable way—take a careful look at the finer points of the Savior’s stories. They uncover the profound spiritual lessons hidden within and illustrate practical and accessible application for our day. In Living the Parables: Applying Christ’s Teachings to Our Lives, readers are presented with commentary from generations of Church leaders and religious scholars, as well as modern-day interpretations of the underlying significance of each account. This volume will inspire followers of Christ to draw on the power of His Atonement by embracing a deeper understanding of His parables.

Andrea's Review:

I found the Living the Parables to be such a timely read as it went along with my study of the New Testament. It is definitely a book to keep on hand and to refer back to. I appreciated the side explanations about things like why foot washing was so important in Jesus' day and the information about the writers of the Four Gospels. There were some jokes and humor (which I think Hank Smith is known for) that at times was a bit much for me, but on the whole I enjoyed the presentation. I liked the inclusion of historical and modern tidbits, along with quotes from prophets and apostles that helped me understand the why of many of the parables. 

Rorie's Review:

I have never had the pleasure of hearing Hank Smith speak, but my oldest son has, and he really enjoyed the fireside. I was hesitant to read this book at first, mostly because I have to be in the right mood to read nonfiction. I'm glad I chose to read it though.

With the new Come, Follow Me program this year, I've been making more of an effort to study the New Testament than I ever have. This book is a great resource to use alongside my studies. The author does a really good job at explaining the meanings of the parables, as well as giving the reader several valuable insights.

I'm hoping that I can get my oldest to read this book too, I really think he'd get a lot out of it as well.

Tarah's Review:

What a great book to have this year while studying the New Testament. Especially if you have a family with kids that like Hank Smith. I love how this book is broken down. It is really useful and easy to find a specific parable if that is what you are studying. I enjoy how this book is written in more of a someone talking to me style. Smith makes it not only enjoyable, but easy to understand. More importantly, he makes it applicable to every day use.

A lot of the parables were not easy for me to understand, but the culture and the setting is explained in a way that makes the parables really come alive. In fact, while reading one of the chapters I felt like it was something I really wanted my kids to hear. I have five kids ranging in age from 6-13. My three older kids really sat down and listened to me read an entire chapter. They even requested I read the next one. Is that going to happen every time and with every family? No. However, when they do have questions it's nice that this book explains the parables in a way that is interesting for me and entertaining for them.

I will be using this book often and I will definitely keep it and use during this years study of the New Testament.

Tour Giveaway:

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Title: Living the Parables

Author: Hank Smith with Kathryn Jenkins
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: May 2019
ISBN: 1524410357
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book