gorgeous, clear font, excellent commentaty and resources

If I could have given this Bible a 5+ rating, I would have done so. Imagine being able to have study questions for the entire Bible and excellent study notes all in one Bible. I can't say enough about this wonderful study Bible. God's words are always the most important part of any study Bible, so I'll start there.

TRANSLATION: The CSB translation is my favorite, although there are several other excellent translations of God's word. The CSB is a mediating translation in that it is quite literal, but translates for meaning when the underlying Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek is difficult to understand in English. Translation notes are provided to indicate literal or alternate translations. Gender has been modified to include men and women, but only to the extent allowable in the original languages (the 2011 NIV by contrast has gone far beyond this). Another feature of the CSB, is that it uses natural English. Nouns and verbs appear in the order that an English speaker would use, so this translation communicates clearly and accurately.

FORMAT: The Life Connections Study Bible uses a single column layout for God's word (in a generous 9.75 point font), with small group study questions placed vertically along the sides of the pages. The study notes are printed in columns, at the bottom of the page. A very clean and clear 7.5 point font (slightly larger than most study Bibles) is used for the study notes. The Bible paper is thicker than most; very white and with minimal bleed through. The notes themselves are tremendous; evangelical, conservative and just what is needed (some study Bibles provide notes for questions that will never be asked and for points that are apparent in the text itself). A hearty concordance and Bible reading / study plans are also included.

QUALITY: As I mentioned above the Bible paper is top notch; something you seldom find in a Bible at this price point. The cover is a good quality, soft, leather-like material and the page binding is sewn, rather than glued, for a longer life. This Bible has a generous 9.75 point font for the Biblical text and a very clear 7.5 point font for the study notes.

CONCLUSION: This gem is one of my favorite study Bibles for every reason I can think of. I only wish Holman Bible Publishers would have done a better job of marketing this excellent study Bible and offered it with a genuine leather cover. If your small group / life group would like to study God's Word directly, this is a fantastic Bible to use. I purchased this Bible from christianbook.com and have no affiliation with Christian Book Distributors or Holman Bible Publishers.

I've had this bible for almost 3 months now and it's become one of my favorite bible's! I absolutely love it!

The paper is thicker than some other bible's that I have, I really like the feel of it. The size of the font is really nice and very readable! It's a bold font so you're not straining your eyes to read. I love the questions on the sides that it gives you, it helps you better understand what you're reading and to apply it to your life. The study notes at the bottom are good also. It's got 16 topical study courses, 200 bible stories, and 60 life needs all in the front of the bible, I haven't actually used them yet but I have looked over some of them when I first got it and they were good! It also has a good concordance in the back along with some maps. I also love that it has a sewn binding and not to mention really like that it's a single column, I've grown to love single column bible's. But overall it's a really awesome study bible and would definitely recommend this bible to anyone!

I received this bible in exchange for my honest review.