Living So That
Making Faith-Filled Choices in the Midst of a Messy Life
Wendy Blight

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson
Genre:  Bible Study
Released:  2014

[rear cover]
Living So That is a fresh approach to understanding God's Word, focusing on many of the powerful "so that" verses in Scripture, including:


Through her approachable style, personal examples, and biblical teaching, Wendy Blight equips readers to take what they study in the Word of God and practically live it out in order to impact the world around them.  The result is a renewed appreciation for the power and applicability of Scripture.  Through practical examples and biblical truths, Wendy helps readers gain a new perspective on daily living, equipping them to apply these biblical truths to present-day decision-making.

This is a beautiful study filled with truths that are deeply rooted in the Word of God.  Each section begins with a memory verse for that week and ends with a call to action.  There are five sections with five chapters in each part, making it easy to do in five weeks.  Keep in mind this is a Bible study, and therefore has Scriptures to research and dig deeper into, with follow-up questions.  There are spaces left for your notes, but I would definitely encourage getting your own journal for this.

The first memory verse is a classic, but one we all too often tend to take for granted.

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, [so] that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (NIV, bold emphasis added)

Mrs. Wendy Blight stresses the importance of memorizing Scripture.  And for good reason.

"If we can so easily remember catchy lyrics and memorable movie lines, how much more should we seek to remember the precious words of our Lord and Savior?" (Chapter 1, page 3)

Ouch.

Before this book, I had never really noticed the "so that" verses.  And there are so many!  Each hold a beautiful promise.

But let's back up a little.  What exactly is a "so that" verse?  Mrs. Blight enlightens us with a bit of Greek grammar in which we learn that each "so that" statement is called a hina clause, which simply means a "purpose" clause that is used in conjunction with a subjunctive participle.  *pause*  Yes.  I had to stop and reread the whole paragraph regarding this.  It's been too long since my English grammar classes. . .

Anyway, a subjunctive participle sets the mood of a sentence and usually indicates the possibility that something might happen.  When an author uses a hina clause ("so that") in conjunction with a subjunctive participle, it changes the mood of that sentence from one of possibility to one of result or purpose.  Understand?

"The authors of Scripture knew this. . .and, led by the Spirit, intentionally chose to use these two words to connect a truth of Scripture to a practical application of that truth.  They used them to bring truth alive and make it relevant and applicable to our everyday lives." (pg. 7)

Simple, right?  And enlightening.  I didn't realize!  This is so cool!

The book goes from there and tackles the most common "so that"s:  Jesus Came So That. . . God Spoke So That. . . Pray So That. . . Trials Come So That. . . Let Your Light Shine So That. . .

In conclusion, I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it to my Christian sisters.  Sometimes we need a fresh perspective on God's Word and this book acts as another tool in deciphering it.  But always remember: a study is a study.  The Bible can--and will--stand alone.  It's just nice to have another way to help better understand the words of our King.