If you’ve read my blog at all – you’ll know that my #1 favorite, couldn’t live without, my family wouldn’t be this way without company is Doorposts .  So when the Schoolhouse Review Crew posted that we’d be doing a review – I was crossing my fingers that it would be for a product that we didn’t already own. (Slim pickin’s.)

I was excited to see that we could choose  “Because You Are Strong” A Study of Godly Strength for Young Men written by Daniel Forster.

This study has two goals in mind. To “gain a biblical understanding of strength” and to “learn and practice Bible study skills”.

I am excited that Nathan, our 15 year old used this workbook. He is growing into a fine young man, has been working several jobs this summer, and has collected a following of friends. People in the community seek him our for volunteer work, and listen to his advice. He has great abilities with electronics, trading, and music.  But how is he going to use this strength and potential?  My prayer – is for the Glory of the Lord.

For the first goal, to “gain a biblical understanding of strength” the study leads the young men through 74 days of study covering 11 chapters. For Nathan’s age, he was able to read the daily lessons and do all of the work on his own without my help. He learned about:

• Strength for the Race
• Strength with No Limits
• Strength and Wisdom
• Strength and Temptation
• Strength to be Valiant
• Strength in Our Weakness
• Strength in the Battle
• Strength Serving Others
• Strength and Gray Heads and,
• Strength in the Faith

Each chapter studying a different part of the Word. 

Which brings us to our second goal – “Learn and practice Bible study skills”.

In learning about the strengths above, they student also learns HOW to study the Bible. They focus on what God Says and not what we think God says. Hebrew and Greek studies, comparing passages, repeated words and themes, outlining, topical study and studying the lives of people in the Bible.  This thrills me to no end since I have done many precept upon precept type studies over the years and have enjoyed the new studies on the Doorpost website which have also been made into daily Bible studies. (Thirty Days of Bible Study for Busy Mamas Colossians 3)

Nathan went through quite a bit of the study the last month or so on his own in the morning. The workbook has plenty of space to write in, but he gets timid, so he writes his devotional text in a private notebook.

He read a few verses, and then wrote down what he thought, or what happened in the Bible. I asked him, what about the ‘Bible Study”  part? He said – that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing, Bible Study. We read the verse over and over and look at it in all different ways. Even if I am not spending time memorizing the verse, it is pretty much locked into my memory and I know exactly what it means.

Nathan, what did you do in the study?

“We wrote it over and over again, study it, reading it, re reading it, writing it more, then answering different things. Each chapter is studying one verse until it is mentally locked into the brain.”

How did you do completing this on your own, the first study without an adult helper? Could others do it?

“It sort of – is not hard, but not easy. It is in between. Reading it was easy – it was simple to read. I’m not a fan of writing so it took me a while to write it out. I think Jon (12) could do it. You have to think about things when you are doing it – so it matters how mature you are with Bible Study.”

Who do you think would like this study?

“I think it is really good for anyone – if you are just starting to be a Christian or if you have been a Christian for a really long time. If you are just starting  – it gives you a lot to think about. If you have been a Christian then you know the verse  and it gives you an extra step to knowing about it to a higher level to the full capacity of the entire verse. I’ve read these before, but never thought about it as much as they asked me to.

Would you recommend this to your friends?

“I would.  Maybe not all my friends, but ya.”

Was there anything you disliked?

“I would get confused, and it seemed like a lot of steps, but I figured it out. Sometimes I had to re-read the lesson to figure out what they wanted me to do.”

I’ve been waiting to write this review so I could get Nate’s answers. He has been working on it on his own – which is new for us. Usually we study as a family. His notebook is full, and he has spent quite a bit of time writing in it. I was surprised that the “dislike” part wasn’t the writing. He doesn’t like to write –but does it willingly.

I look forward to continuing this study and having Jon work through it as well. I have, and will continue to recommend this product to my friends!

If you are reading this and have young ladies in your home they might be interested in Beauty in the Heart, however, if you order Because You Are Strong for your young man, there are additional pages in the back to turn some of the questions to be more suited for ladies.  Young women can be strong in the Lord as well, and would benefit from this study.

The softcover book, beautifully crafted, is on sale for $12.00, normally $14.00. It is suggested for ages 12 and up. The ebook is available for $10.00. The e-books I have received from Doorpost have had wonderful editing done to them to perfectly suit my Kindle Fire. I do not have this particular one on Kindle, but have been pleasantly surprised at the editing done to help it be a delight to read on an ereader.