Hello friends, so thrilled to be on this journey with all of you. I will follow suit and share a bit about myself. I am 43 years old, born in the middle east, and migrated to the states after a bit of a world tour. I have three kids and have been married to my love for over 20 years. I have been working in full-time ministry for over nine years, seven of which have been here at 242.
I will approach the questions from last to first; I think that from what I experienced as a pastor and in our culture is a lack of allowing The Bible to be a guide in our lives. We will enable an idea of the interpretation of the scripture to allow for a lack of application. In Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Cost of Discipleship, he challenges readers with passages like Mark 10:21, where the rich young ruler is sent away with the command to go and sell all he has. Bonhoeffer asks readers how we apply this scripture regarding our property or wealth and how it should affect us.
The most compelling reason for me to read the Bible is to become more and more like Jesus. To learn and study him so that I can apprentice Him well. Throughout the Bible, I am constantly reminded of how God is always in the business of ushering in the upside-down kingdom. Suppose it's using Abraham as an unlikely candidate or Joseph's dire situation. The Bible helps me see what God calls good isn't always what I naturally call good, so studying the scripture helps me realign myself to who He wants me to be.