Thomas Nelson's LessonWorks and Logos Lesson Builder Queries

Ann Hudson
Ann Hudson Member Posts: 178 ✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

I currently own Thomas Nelson's LessonWorks Deluxe (ver. 1.2) and Logos Lesson Builder products. I use these on an old Windows 98 PC, as they appear not to be useable on higher platforms (eg. Win XP, where I currently use Logos3.0/Libronix) where there are formatting issues. The products are excellent for use with Bible study groups, as new lessons are able to be customized to suit the group situation. Unfortunately, Thomas Nelson have never updated this product past ver. 1.2 to a Win XP or greater platform compatibility. I have contacted Thomas Nelson over the years to see if there is any solution, only to be met with a 'stoney silence'.

 

Unfortunately, the older Logos Library System (Logos 2.0) was never compatible with LessonWorks/Lesson Builder  when these products were released, hence I cannot transfer the '.lbr' format files to my current Libronix resources folder to see if that might work. So that option has been tried.

 

I do own a number of Thomas Nelson Lifeworks series (eg. John Macarthur, Jack Hayford, Max Lucado, etc.) which cross-match the study guides found in LessonWorks. However, they are neither intuitive or new lessons able to be customized the way that LessonWorks is set up to do. Wordsearch have a product called LessonMaker, which is of similar workability to LessonWorks and which is integrateable with their Bible Explorer, and Wordsearch 7 and 9 platforms. This means your library is able to be used within the LessonMaker package, which works great!

 

Although I have not registered LessonWorks with Logos in the past (there apparantly is not a programmed option to do so), there are also some study guide collections available for purchase (eg. Word in Life Bible Discovery Series) that are included in LessonWorks. Does this mean that I would need to re-purchase these series to be able to use them in Libronix?

Hopefully there is someone (either from Logos or the forum) who has encountered the same dilemma(s) that has now bugged me for years!

Comments

  • Mark Smith
    Mark Smith MVP Posts: 11,845

    George,

    I, too had Logos Lesson Builder and did make some use of it years ago. I never had the Thomas Nelson product. You are quite committed to keep a Windows 98 computer running to continue to use the programs.

    Logos Lesson Builder's demise has been discussed both here and in the old Logos Newsgroup. It was a joint product with IVP, and it seems it is truly dead and there are no plans to bring it back to life. I assume this is the case with LessonWorks.

    As far as using study guides in Libronix I can only speak from my understanding, not in any official capacity. You will need to purchase them again. They were not actually part of Logos or Libronix so they don't 'carry over' to use in those programs. Lesson Builder was always separate though you could for awhile use it along with Logos.

    I assume either low sales or too much support was involved in killing these programs, or perhaps IVP lost interest and that led to the end of the Logos program. I've never heard any 'official' story.

    Others have mourned the loss of Lesson Builder and would like to see Logos develop the ability to create lessons in Logos 4 just like Lesson Builder allowed independent of Logos. The templates and lesson plans already in the software were a good starting point to create one's own lessons. Of course using a word processor and some copy and paste with Logos 4 one can produce something almost as easily. Sadly they are no more, and I don't think they will return.

    You must be one of the last people on the planet using that software.

    Pastor, North Park Baptist Church

    Bridgeport, CT USA

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 55,539

    When the handout is revised we can have, in effect, a lesson builder in Logos 4.

    1. Build clipping and/or notes files with explanatory information you may wish to use

    2, Build clipping and/or note files with questions you may wish to use. Use the color of the note icon to indicate the type of question - descriptive, application, theological, apologetic ...

    3. Build (or copy) example answers ... either within the question file or as a separate file carefully keyed or linked to the question file.

    4. Together with the Handout, you have everything necessary to create lessons.

    Be careful to not violate copyright laws.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Scot Wright
    Scot Wright Member Posts: 170 ✭✭

    I also still use Logos Lesson builder for my sermons. My copy at least still works well in Windows 7 and I've never had any problem with the upgraded platforms. I used it with Sermon builder in Libronix and it worked quite well.

  • Mark Martin
    Mark Martin Member Posts: 147 ✭✭

    Scott,

    You are using Lesson Builder with Windows 7?  I just upgraded to Windows 7 and it still has the .dll issue that the previous op systems had except I was told that there was not a simple fix for this.  Please tell me how you are doing this as I have been using LLB for creating Bible study lessons all along until my recent os upgrade.

    Thanks,

    Mark Martin

  • Jesse Blevins
    Jesse Blevins Member Posts: 639 ✭✭

    Morris Procter has the needed file available for download on his website.

  • Mark Smith
    Mark Smith MVP Posts: 11,845

    Morris Procter has the needed file available for download on his website.

    Jesse, I can't find any reference to this on MP's site and there is no search feature. Would you happen to have a direct link?

    Pastor, North Park Baptist Church

    Bridgeport, CT USA

  • Ann Hudson
    Ann Hudson Member Posts: 178 ✭✭


    Morris Procter has the needed file available for download on his website.


     

    [N]  Jesse, if you are going to make such comments, a link would be helpful.

  • Mark Martin
    Mark Martin Member Posts: 147 ✭✭

    Two things - I was using Lesson Builder with Vista and it worked fine with the Riched32.dll file correction.  Morris Proctor has this available along with the program and manual.  I recently upgraded to Windows 7 and just placed the Riched32.dll file into the Logos Lesson Builder program subdirectory and the program continues to work fine under 7.

  • Scot Wright
    Scot Wright Member Posts: 170 ✭✭


    Two things - I was using Lesson Builder with Vista and it worked fine with the Riched32.dll file correction.  Morris Proctor has this available along with the program and manual.  I recently upgraded to Windows 7 and just placed the Riched32.dll file into the Logos Lesson Builder program subdirectory and the program continues to work fine under 7.


    Mark,

    I just got back to this thread and saw your question and I see you also got the answer. Over the years I've always kept a copy of Riched32.dll file since that problem was identified and it has thankfully worked through the many software upgrades, even windows 7!

  • Ann Hudson
    Ann Hudson Member Posts: 178 ✭✭


    Morris Procter has the needed file available for download on his website.

    Jesse, I can't find any reference to this on MP's site and there is no search feature. Would you happen to have a direct link?


    Mark, I found out that you actually have to email mpseminars for the file. I used their web page contact. They will email it to you with instructions to drop in into the Lesson Builder folder (under the Program Files directory). Pastor Jessie did not have the right information that you could download straight from their site ([N]). Mark Martin and Scot Wright did not give all that much helpful information either ([N][N]), you certainly don't need to purchase anything to get the file fix for the programs. Scott and Martin, research a little deeper and you will be able to help others more effectively.

    I also dropped the riched32.dll file into my Nelson Lesson Works folder (under program files directory). It is the Win 95 version, and works nicely!!

    Kudos to mpseminars for being able to supply the file fix. Both Lesson Builder and Nelson Lesson Works are now operational on my upgraded Windows platforms, YAHOO!! - years of pain washed away.  So for anyone with similar problems, go to mpseminars for the fix.

  • Rick Ianniello
    Rick Ianniello Member Posts: 4 ✭✭

    Very helpful discussion. What about unlocks? I've managed to get myself in a situation where I need to reinstall LLB and there's no one to provide the unlock codes. Any thoughts? I'm waiting to hear back from the folks at MP but ...