Beauty in the Heart

The world has always emphasized beauty's outward forms. A beautiful woman, according to this standard, has a stunning figure, a flawless face, and wears the most fashionable clothes. Not only is this an unattainable standard, the Bible makes it clear it's a false one. True feminine beauty begins within, stemming from a heart and soul devoted to Christ. Beauty in the Heart directs young women toward this godly standard while teaching them the basics of Bible study and character development.

Ten studies with a review chapter revolve around the biblical idea of beauty and virtuous womanhood. The text offers Bible study instruction and workbook elements for girls to record their thoughts and observations. To complete each lesson you'll need a copy of Nave's Topical Bible and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, both used to teach important skills like how to do word studies and use cross-references. Both topical and verse-by-verse studies are covered so students will be equipped for most kinds of personal Bible study.

While studying godly beauty in Beauty in the Heart, you will also learn the fundamentals of different Bible study methods. In this book, you will learn how to:

• Use a concordance
• Study a specific topic in the Bible
• Perform a character study
• Use marginal study notes
• Study a verse, passage, or entire chapter or book of the Bible
• Find the original word used in a passage and how it is used in other passages
• Use free Bible study tools on computers and mobile devices

Charts, information on Hebrew and Greek words, guidance for making appropriate and contextual observations, and poignant questions to induce self-examination help girls understand not just the importance of understanding Scripture, but also the nature of Christian femininity, character and genuine beauty. The classic texts are here—1 Peter 3:3-4, the books of Esther and Ruth, 1 Samuel 25, etc.—as well as a word study on "good works," a character study of the life of Sarah, and more.

While Beauty in the Heart is intended to be used by middle and high school aged girls and their parents, young men can also benefit from this text. An "Alternative Questions for Young Men" section at the end includes suggestions for tailoring each study for use by boys. Girls need to learn how to be truly beautiful—boys need to know how to recognize true beauty. Like every offering from Doorposts, this one ably combines practical and doctrinal elements to help you train your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Highly recommended!

Ten Bible study lessons include:

• Beauty in Submission – An Inductive Study of 1 Peter 2:11-3:9
• Beauty in the Heart– Verse study of 1 Peter 3:3-4 *
• Beauty in Trusting God – ACharacter Study of Sarah *
• Beauty in Humility – A BookStudy on the Book of Esther *
• Beauty in Modesty – A Verse study of 1 Timothy 2:9-10
• Beauty in Serving – A Word &Topical study on Good Works*
• Beauty without Discretion– A Verse Study of Proverbs 11:22 *
• Beauty under Pressure – A Chapter study of 1 Samuel 25 *
• Beauty in the Gates – A Book Study of Ruth *
• Beauty in Review
• Alternate Questions for Young Men

Each study uses a different study technique and is divided into daily assignments (between 5 and 20 minutes per day). Beauty in the Heart contains 86 days of study plus 49 more suggested studies—enough to fuel serious Bible study for more than a year!

* Some studies in this book were originally included in Beauty and the Pig (2003). This content has been revised and updated. Scripture quotations are from the KJV and ESV translations of the Bible.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.