NIV Stewardship Study Bible
Stewardship is about more than money and the "stuff" of life. From that basic conviction, Zondervan released the NIV Stewardship Study Bible, designed to encourage believers to view their lives in light of God's ownership, and to manage everything that God has entrusted to them with great care, thankfulness, and joy.
Strengths:
Purposes. One of the features that sets this Bible apart from other study Bibles is its focus on seven purposes of biblical stewardship (and also reinforces that stewardship is about more than money):
1) Unique Calling: a prompting toward fulfilling our unique role in the Body of Christ.
2) Unquestionable Character: a prompting toward who we are called to be as individuals.
3) Unquenchable Compassion: a prompting toward placing others' needs before our own.
4) Undying Commitment: a prompting toward obedience to God regardless of the cost.
5) Unending Celebration: expression of worship as God's stewards fulfill their calling.
6) Unparalleled Commission: recognition of the privilege to share in God's mission.
7) Unwavering Conformity: a prompting toward conforming to God's will and desires.
Thought-Leaders. Enlightening insights from over 300 renowned stewardship thought-leaders, including well-known authors, theologians and practitioners-present and past.
Profiles. Unique profiles of Biblical characters provide "real life" learning examples of how God worked through the experiences of a variety of people to convey important truths about stewardship.
Reading Plans. NIV Stewardship Study Bible contains helpful reading plans (i.e. 30 days on generosity, creation care, etc.), as well as a year-long plan ("God's Design for Effective Living: A Year-Long Journey to Becoming Mature Stewards"), built around the seven purposes of stewardship (listed above) to help readers discover God's design for stewardship.
Stewardship Challenges. This feature heightens awareness of some of the most common stumbling blocks that we encounter in life's stewardship journey, and provides practical helps to overcome those challenges.
Book Introductions. Every book of the Bible opens with a one-page synopsis of the basic stewardship principles, key features, and practical applications of the principles found in that book or letter.
Paper Choice. This was an innovative, nice touch. True to the spirit of stewardship, The Stewardship Study Bible was printed on recycled paper and produced by carbon conscious suppliers.
Concordance. A 70-page concordance was included, customized to include the most significant stewardship-related words and themes.
Index. Crown Financial Ministries granted special permission for the NIV Stewardship Study Bible to include a modified version of the index that formed the Scriptural basis for Crown Financial Ministries - exploring over 2,000 Biblical texts related to money and possessions.
Things to Consider:
Some may wonder if there is room - or even a need - for another study Bible (i.e. "study Bible" produces 28,000 hits on Amazon.com). Despite their popularity, however, none of the study Bibles on the market focus (or in most cases even mention) stewardship. Consequently, laypeople and church leaders alike will thoroughly appreciate this stand-out resource, which speaks to the core of our walk with God, and aims to help us grow from the inside out.
Available at www.christianbook.com