Things without structure have a way of failing at the most inopportune times. Things without structure can tend to languish behind in the forgotten world of “I’ll get to it when I have time.” One of the most helpful and uplifting things for a Christian is to have a steady structure for spending time in God’s Word - which is Life itself. Balancing the Sword is a meticulous study of the Bible, designed to give its users a comprehensive working knowledge of what the Bible actually says. Each volume of this two-volume set covers every chapter of all 66 books in the Bible, though each set of questions is different. With over 7,000 questions in all, the average verse to question ratio is 2.7. There are also 54,000 cross references, over 1,000 quotes from famous people who acknowledge the Bible’s greatness, and over 1,000 illustrations, literal depictions, charts, and maps. The answers to all the questions are actually included, and space is provided on every page to make notes of things that occur to the reader along the way. The set comes with a reading planner CD-ROM that will help you customize a reading schedule all your own. The introduction includes ideas and tips for getting the most from this comprehensive and dedicated Bible study program. Each volume is 589 pgs, hc. - Zach

Customer Reviews

 
Susannah B. from Asheville, NC wrote the following on 08/05/2008:
Wow! This is a great Bible study tool! Our family is using it for all ages (preschool to adult). We have incorporated it into our daily family worship. We completed the first book in one year. We are taking the second more slowly, so we can incorporate other study tools as well. With the enclosed CD, creating a reading schedule is easy. You can proceed at whatever pace is manageable, or in whatever order you would like. You enter your preferences and then can print out a personalized schedule where you can check off each day's reading as you accomplish it. You can specify if there will be certain days you will skip reading (weekends, Holidays, etc). The program is extremely easy to use; you basically just open the textbook to the section that corresponds with your Bible passage you are reading and proceed. We like to read a chapter at a time, and then ask all the questions that go along with that chapter. This helps ensure that everyone is listening to and processing what they are hearing. The questions are simply a recounting of facts, not an interpretation of the Scriptures, making this study perfect for any denomination or belief. It is simply an extremely in-depth study of the Bible. We write answers in the appropriate spaces, and then other things in the spacious lined margins. For example, since everyone reads along in their own Bible (some of which are different versions), we discuss and note any verses that have interesting variations among the versions we are reading. The charts, maps, illustrations, and quotes generously sprinkled throughout the volumes are great! They are not intrusive and can be skipped or savored, according to your preference. Having tables of weights and measures handy is convenient for understanding physical dimensions and the magnitude of things mentioned in the Bible (Noah's ark or the Temple). We are able to work out math conversion problems, study historical and cultural topics that corresponded with the daily readings, link prophecies with their fulfillments, and gain a deeper and fuller understanding of the Bible, without having any particular viewpoint or interpretation pressed upon us. True, the size of the books looks overwhelming! But break the readings down into the individual daily assignments and it is very doable. Plus you can go at your own pace. Book One covers Genesis to Revelation in sequence. Book Two does the same. So this study is simply two in-depth readings of the Bible, with comprehension questions on every chapter. We believe these books are well-worth every penny we spent! A set could easily be divided between 2 students, and they would each complete a reading of the Bible with different questions and could do it on a different time schedule to match their individual reading levels. For us it worked great to just read and answer the questions together and take turns writing our answers or discussion questions and observations down. There is an answer key in the back of each volume. I heartily recommend using this set. Knowing what the Bible says is important for defending the Christian faith to others, for formulating personal beliefs, for answering questions that come up about issues facing us today, and for drawing comfort and instruction from God's Word. This set is a cost-effective and highly usable tool to accomplish those goals.

 
Joy S. from Cary, NC wrote the following on 05/14/2009:
This has been an invaluable resource for our family. Dad reads the Bible every morning while we all listen. But how do we know all the children are listening? Because they each try to answer the questions when he's done (even the younger ones) and when he gets to the end of each day's reading... "Awww! Read some more, Daddy! Please!" I used the software to print out a reading schedule for our high schooler. She'll read through the entire Bible by the time she graduates! If you get a copy for your family, be sure to get an extra set for yourself. The wide margins are a great place to record prayers and notes. I've got schedule on a 4-page layout, printed as a booklet (1 page, front and back), folded and put in my Bible. I love BTS software almost as much as I love the Bible.