I don't know where you are at in your walk with God, but if you are looking for a bible study that will bring you encouragement, I think this will do the trick.

Lisa is authentic and open as a writer. I'm really impressed with the level of scholarship that Lisa brings to the table without appearing to be 'scholarly'.

A Perfect Mess is a romp through the Psalms. It touches on our attempts to be perfect, looking for approval, emotional upheaval, anger, fear just to name a few of the topics.

I don't know if I'd do this study as a group or not. The first chapter wasn't my favorite (and that usually determines whether people come back), but the more I got into this book, the better it got.

This is definitely worth the read.

Recently, I had the opportunity to read A Perfect Mess, Why You Don't Have to Worry About Being Good Enough for God by Lisa Harper.

This is one of the few Bible study books I've read and wasn't tempted to "skim" the scripture discussions. Why? Because Lisa Harper is FUNNY. She has an irreverent way of describing things that makes her book entertaining and exciting to read. But just because she talks like an Everyday Jane, don't underestimate the weight and importance of her words. Lisa Harper is a biblical scholar to the nth degree. She just has the uncanny ability to make her wisdom and knowledge accessible to her readers.

I really needed the message of this book because I'm definitely more Martha than Mary. I feel the need to earn my salvation, and when my efforts fall short, my prayer time is spent disbelieving that God really wants anything to do with a failing worm like me. What I didn't expect is that a Bible study on certain key Psalms would help me. Why? Because I don't like the Psalms. I know, I know, everyone likes Psalms . . . except me. But I like them a lot more after Lisa Harper walked me through them!

A Perfect Mess is a wonderful book. Lisa Harper is completely transparent in showing us the messiness in her life and what your own messiness means for your spiritual relationship with God. My favorite chapter was entitled "Frantic Isn't a Spiritual Fruit". In fact, I read that chapter first and then went back to the beginning of the book! Since everyone of us is A Perfect Mess, this book is a must read.

Lisa Harper is an authentic and engaging author who shares her stories of her own shortcomings and God's amazing love in spite of them. I loved this book! It had the perfect blend of humor, relatability and depth.

A Perfect Mess- Why you do not have to worry about being Good enough for God. The title and the description should let you in on the secret that this is a unusual devotional book or bible study of the Psalms! I loved it! It was not a typical devotional book with the bible verses and explanations. It is sprinkled with stories of Lisa's experiences, direct quotes from the bible and things that we as moms and women in particular can relate to. I have to say Lisa's engaging writing and honesty was so refreshing in this book. It would be great for a personal devotion book or a group bible study, although you would have to read the chapter during the bible study, but they are pretty short and easy to read. The questions are at the end and are great, direct and really interesting!

Thank you to Lisa and Waterbrook Press for the opportunity to review this book.

With the premise that God can make our mess into a message, Lisa tears apart some passages in Psalms to show us just how He accomplishes that in her book A Perfect Mess: Why You Don't have to Worry about Being Good Enough for God. Chapter titles include, but are not limited to:

"Leaping over Legalism: What Psalm 62 says about wriggling out of the trap of wrong expectations."

"Tumbling Toward Approval: How Psalm 139 describes the way God sees the beauty behind our blemishes."

"When God's People Lose Their Groove: What Psalm 43 Teaches us about dealing with our less-than-lovely-emotions."

"Project of a Lifetime: What Psalm 8 says about God's partnering with imperfect people like us."

and my favorite,

"Frantic Isn't a Spiritual Fruit: What Psalm 23 illustrates about how our Shepherd compels stubborn sheep to rest."

There were times throughout the book that I felt lost. I wondered where Lisa had been and where she was coming from and I struggled to see how it all tied in together. That said, this book is probably best read a chapter at at time, rather than a sit-down-and-read-it-all-at-once book, so that the reader can stay on track with Lisa as she meanders through the different Psalms--and her accompanying (often-humorous) stories that round them out.

I love the writing of Lisa Harper. Her writing is so down to earth and applicable to life. When I got this book, I wanted to sneak away and slowly read, think on stuff, read, think on stuff until it was done all it one sitting. Harper's writing though really gives food for thought, which deserves more time to soak it in.

Lisa Harper is one of my favorite Bible teachers; her theological depth, humor & authenticity help me "get" how the Bible applies to my life today. In this particular book, she shed such fresh insights on the Psalms - a section of scripture I thought I knew pretty well - that I found myself deeply encouraged in ways I hadn't expected. "A Perfect Mess" reminded me of what an amazing gift it is to be adored by God...even on those days I'm not really living in light of my faith.

"A Perfect Mess" by Lisa Harper is a wonderfully encouraging and insightful look at 13 Psalms that consistently points the reader to Christ. This Bible study has some wonderful questions at the end of each chapter for reflection and discussion, and is appropriate for personal or group study. "A Perfect Mess" is nicely structured and is filled with helpful lessons that we all need to learn - but this title is geared toward women. It is overflowing with new insights into several Psalms that I've studied before. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.