Unto the Hills by Billy Graham

I had never really read a daily devotional before so the opportunity to review a devotional written by one of the most influential Christians of my life time was pretty exciting.   This was everything I had hoped it would be.  It's simple yet powerful with the classic Billy Graham insight that has inspired millions of Christians throughout the last several decades.  For each day of the year, the Reverend Graham quotes a Bible passage then reflects on that days message with a couple of richly written paragraphs then he ends each devotion with a short prayer.  This was well worth the read and was an excellent starting point into the vast world of devotionals.

Start! The Bible for New Believers by Greg Laurie

Start! The Bible for New Beginners is a New King James version Bible edited by Greg Laurie.  From the perpsective of a relatively new believer, Start! has many things going for it.   To start with, the New King James version is easier to understand and follow along with than a standard KJV Bible.   Start! is well referenced so little is "lost in translation".  The magnified text that helps to highlight important passages and the "blurbs" that help put certain passages in context or help define confusing terms are wonderful, although I do wish there were more of them, especially for the Old Testament.   The Old Testament can be confusing to new believers and new converts could easily benefit from a bit more direction and explanation in that area.