Saturday, September 5, 2020

About the Book

Book: The Other 3:16s

Author: Malinda Fugate

Genre: Christian Living

Release Date: May 12, 2020

“For God so loved the world . . . “

Many of us could finish that sentence in our sleep. John 3:16 is a beautiful Scripture that neatly and simply sums up the message of the Gospel. But what do all the other 3:16s in the Bible have to tell us?

The words of the Bible weave a tapestry of love, particularly the love that our Heavenly Father has for His children. But a love so deep and so wide cannot be contained in one memorized phrase. It takes multiple authors of sixty-six individual books to begin to explore the mystery of God’s care for us.

The Other Three Sixteens by Malinda Fugate examines each third chapter and sixteenth verse in the Bible and invites a fresh, new perspective to help readers uncover surprises or remind them of forgotten truths of a faith that has become routine.

Through Genesis to Revelation, we can soak in its depth, wonder at its intricacies, and be moved at how much the Lord truly does lavish upon us. Together, we discover God’s love under the weight of Eve’s sin in the garden. It’s there in front of Moses, burning in a bush that is somehow not consumed. God’s love sits in the dark with Job, rebuilds a wall with Nehemiah, and encourages a young pastor named Timothy. Together we will find a deeper understanding of the way our Heavenly Father cares for each of us today.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

I remember Sunday School so well as a child. My dad was a pastor so I was at church every time the doors were open. The one scripture that I memorized first was John 3:16. It was the focal point for every thing that was taught to me in church. The foundation of my Christianity was that one scripture. When I started reading this book, I saw a new perspective of 3:16 that could be found in other Books of the Bible.

I like how the author goes methodically through the Bible and directs readers attention to little gems that are often passed over. I really liked so many of the scriptures that it was hard to pick out my favorite. The book travels from Old Testament to New Testament showing us how God’s Word is truth. One of the things I discovered was that the scriptures all lead back to the one thing which is how much God loves us. We may go through trials, but God is always there. “He doesn’t rush into punishment, but instead gives His children plenty of warning and time to repent and reverse course.”

I liked when the author pointed out that God “is the Prince of Peace.” He doesn’t like chaos but rather loves us enough to surround us with joy, love and peace. When we are in crisis, He doesn’t ignore us. He wants us to cry out to Him to find comfort. Throughout the book, the author reminds us that God does love us and gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we would be free.

This will be a book that I will go back to often and refresh myself with God’s words. I did take lots of notes in my journal because I love to go back and read things that really stood out to me in books I read. The author does a good job of breaking scriptures down and showing us that there is more 3:16s to gain wisdom from.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Malinda Fugate grew up in children’s ministry. Now, after two decades of dedicated volunteer service, she now serves full-time as the Children’s Education Director at a church in Southern California. Malinda studied communications and theatre at Azusa Pacific University, then worked behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Salem radio stations, including The Fish and KKLA. Her writing includes The Other Three Sixteens, Bible Time for Active Kids, commercial copywriting, various faith-based stage and screen plays, as well as co-producing A Single Girl’s Guide To, a lifestyle blog and web series. Her lifelong study of God’s Word continues to reveal more about the Lord every day. She lives by the beach with her pup, Yoshi.

More from Malinda

It’s the first verse many of us memorized in Sunday School and perhaps the most familiar to any Christian: “For God so loved the world….”

In one sentence, we celebrate the incredible love of God and the amazing gift of salvation that Jesus gave through the cross. John 3:16 is a beautiful Scripture to keep in our hearts and minds.

Of course, John did not assign chapters and verses when he penned his gospel. Those were added later to help us reference as we study. Yet, years of reciting John 3:16 have etched these lines into our brains, making it an easy combo to remember. What if we looked at the other 3:16 verses in each book of the Bible? What treasures would we unearth hidden in our well-worn pages?

We find Adam and Eve in their last days in a garden paradise, dealing with the consequences of a terrible decision.

There is a young boy training to be a priest who suddenly hears the audible voice of God.

A king’s cup-bearer journeys to his homeland to lead a massive construction project despite adversity.

We sit next to Job in his darkest days, crying out to God for answers.

We meet a young pastor named Timothy, experience miraculous healings, and witness the baptism of Jesus Himself.

Most of all, in every verse, we discover the immense love of God. We learn that it cannot be contained simply in one phrase; such a great love is too full of rich detail. Most of all, we find that His love is alive and active in our very own lives, right this minute.