Samuel L. Jackson Books

The Story Behind the Book

It was the first Monday in August 1985. Mondays can either be real good or real bad for pastors depending on the day before Monday-Sunday! Sunday is the day the self-worth and even the calling of the pastor are tested to its limits. An experienced pastor has counseled wisely, "Never resign on a Monday!" On this particular Monday, I walked up to a few pastor friends who were gathered in the parking lot of the Conference center. The annual denominational conference was about to begin. The typical Monday morning pastor's conversation was in full bloom. "So, how many did you have in church yesterday?" was the operating question. Now, we all know that that question is usually asked by pastors who had a "good" Sunday, and this is the way they can let others know how well they did. Actually, it is a very self-serving question. It is not about the questioned; it is about the questioner! The respondent, who usually had a "bad" Sunday responds by shuffling his feet, clearing his throat, and saying something like, "We've had a lot of sickness in our area and seems like so many people were out on vacation. . ." This one-upmanship in the parking lot that Monday morning got the best of me. So, as a junior member of the clergy, I timidly asked, "Do any of you have low Sundays? Do you ever get discouraged? Do you ever feel like giving up? Do you ever wonder if it's worth it?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I had said the wrong thing! Why deal with reality when denial serves us so well? The book in your hands was born on that Monday morning in that parking lot. The accounts in the book finally answer the questions that were asked in the parking lot and remind us that failure is the womb of success. As you read this book, you will laugh and you will weep. You will shake your head in agreement as well as amazement. Failure is not a popular subject. Go to your nearest bookstore and look for the shelf marked FAILURE; that shelf does not exist! Everyone wants to talk about success (it sells), but we all know we fail at more things than we succeed at. So let's talk about it! This book will get you started.

Samuel R. Chand Coordinator and collaborator of this book

I met Samuel Chand after he spoke at a conference in Los Angeles, and bought his book right off the table. My wife and I had been struggling to plant a church in South Central Los Angeles, and at the time were stinging from several painful setbacks... could we have done anything to avert those disasters? 20-20 hindsight always accuses "Yes!". Chand's book helped us deal with our failure, pick up the pieces (those available to pick up at least) and continue on. Best thing about this book: it is not mere cheerleading or positive-thinking, but honest, bold approach to understanding and redeeming failure so that "all things [really do] work for the good of those who are called according to His purpose". Don't read it when things are going well. Read it when you are angry, despairing, or ready to give up.

This is a very handy volume, part of an equally valuable series. This one is volume 3 and first of two volumes covering the Old Testament (OT). It isn't an in-depth analysis or verse-by-verse commentary on the OT, but a light weight overview of each volume in the first part of the OT, per the order of book in KJV. It is edited by Kent Jackson and Robert Millet and includes 20 articles by various LDS scholars and General Authorities.

The articles are well written and discuss basic issue with respect to the OT. They range from the approaches to study of Pentateuch, the documentary hypothesis to the lives of the patriarchs, exodus, the law of Moses, lessons learned in the wilderness, conquest, judges and on through 2 Samuel. While the articles aren't in-depth they are most helpful as introductory material for those who're getting acquainted with the OT , but they can also serve as a nice reference for those more familiar with it. I would recommend this volume (and any of the volumes in the series) to anyone interested in the scriptures.

I gave this as a gift and my mother-in-law loved it. I started to listen to the first CD. I wasn't impressed, but as a gift, it was a hit.

This recording provides an awe-inspiring experience for Christians. It's like walking with Jesus and listening to his teachings. Later, you'll find yourself in prison with a chained Paul as he sends his letters of love and admonition to the various churches.

There's only so much spiritual growth you can gain by merely reading the Bible. You also need to feel it deep inside your heart. To access your heart in this way, I strongly recommend listening to this recording which re-enacts the New Testament in the Today's New International Version. With music, sound effects, and excellent pacing, reading these sections of the Bible will never be the same for you.

These aren't just any performers: They are an all-star cast of some of your favorite performers. The excellence of their performances helps the words ascend towards heaven.

I intend to listen to these performances again and again. I'm sure you will, too!

The Bible Experience (Complete Bible) was by far one of the best purchases that I've ever made! This is such a powerful piece work that I even purchased a 2nd set of cd's for another family member. I'd recommend it to anyone!

This is totally awesome. I recommend that every household purchase at least one. I purchase serval for Christmas gifts for family and friends. They loved it and said that it was one of the best gifts they have ever received.

I was very excited when I first got these recordings. I've put them on my iPod. The readers are fantastic. They definately add the needed emotion and inflection to the Word. Where the production falls short is the periodic musical breaks. Every few minutes there is a song that is interjected into the text. It usually has little to do with the text and is rather distracting. Also, it's all black gospel. Don't get me wrong, it's good music, but it's definately not my style. Zondervan should really consider alternate versions with different music styles. But this is all or nothing. I've found it distracting to the point that I'm getting little out of the scripture I've just heard.
Definately worth a try, but be warned. If you don't like black gospel, or don't want your scripture interrupted by song, look for another version.