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The Bible is meant to be read and understood by everyone. These readings provide some essential insights that can help you clear up some of the misconceptions and help you grasp a clearer meaning of how to live into its story in this present century.
Reading 1. It’s Not the Book That’s Dull!
Reading 2. What Did God Say?
Reading 3. God-Breathed Human Words!
Reading 4. The Word of God in the Words of Humankind
Reading 5. How the Bible Came to Us
Reading 6. Ten Reasons Why it is Difficult to Read the Bible
Reading 7: An Overture of Old Testament Literature
Reading 8. An Overview of New Testament Literature
Reading 9. Beyond Reading to Bible Study: Skills
Reading 10. Beyond Reading to Bible Study: Observing
Reading 11. Beyond Reading to Bible Study: Words
Reading 12. Beyond Reading to Bible Study: Discovering Meanings
Reading 13. Interpreting | Living | Proclaiming

The Bible is meant to be read and understood by everyone. These readings provide some essential insights that can help you clear up some of the misconceptions and help you grasp a clearer meaning of how to live into its story in this present century.

The kingdom of God is the rule of God on earth. Jesus brought the future rule of God into the present. We now live in the presence of the future, between the first coming and the second coming of Jesus. These readings will help you grasp the concept of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God: Introduction to Using this Reading Guide
1. What’s All This Kingdom Stuff: An Introduction to Kingdom of God Theology
2. There’s a War Going On! The Kingdom in the New Testament
3. The Church Is Not the Kingdom!
4. Kingdom Warfare. Part One: Attack and Counterattack
5. Kingdom Warfare. Part Two: Suit Up!
6. Kingdom Prayer. Learning to Talk to God
7. Kingdom Proclamation. Learning to Speak for God
8. Kingdom Metaphors. The Kingdom of God is Like…
9. Kingdom Power & Authority. Learning How God Flows Through Us
10. Kingdom Power Over Demons. Learning About Demons
11. Kingdom Power over Disease. Is Sickness A Work of Satan?
12. Kingdom Power Over Nature & Death. Learning About Nature Miracles and Resuscitation
13. Kingdom Living. Living Between The Times. The Consummation of the Kingdom

Reading the text of Scripture is becoming or maybe more firmly “has become” a lost art. We read the Bible in fragments. The internet to some degree has expedited that notion. In the sacred text, we fight an uphill battle because it is has been fragmented for as long as we have been alive and many more years before. The addition of chapters and verses in the 1500s, which was originally meant to help find ideas in the text, has become the way in which we are taught to read the text. I’m sure that the ancient authors would be somewhat perturbed that their material has been treated in such a way, not to mention the frustration that God must feel when his kids seem to claim that he only speaks in fragmented thoughts.

In these guides, we will read and reflect on the Mark’s Story of Jesus as the first telling of his story in the sacred text.

Setting the Stage
Who’s That Guy Mark?
The Story Opens: 1.1-13
First Act: Presentation of Jesus 1.4-8.30
Scene 1: The Authority of Jesus: 1.14-45
Scene 2. Mounting Opposition: 2-1-3.6
Scene 3. Counter Opposition: 3.7-35
Scene 4. More Stories about God’s Rule: 4.1-34
Scene 5. More Stories about the Rule of God: 4.35-5.43
Scene 6. Show and Tell: 6.1-56
Scene 7. Darkness to Light: 7.1-8.30
Second Act: Passion Predictions: I Am Going
to Jerusalem to Die: 8.31-10.52
Scene 1. Passion Prediction 1 (8.31-9.1)
Scene 2. Passion Prediction 2 (9.30-50)
Scene 3. Passion Prediction 3 (10.32-52)
Third Act: Passion of Jesus 14.1-15.47
Scene 1. Questions, Questions, Questions! 11.1-12.44
Scene 2. When is the End?: 13.1-37
Scene 3. It is Finished!: 14.1-15.47
The Story Continues: 16.1-8

God has spoken; we can read what he has said in the Bible. The question is not if he has spoken, but when he did, what did he say? And more to the point, if he can be heard in the sacred text, is anyone listening? This study shares three (3) reasons for and three (3) approaches to hearing God’s voice from the pages of the Bible. The reader will surely be able to read with fresh eyes and hear with fresh ears after reading this short study.

When You Are Reading You Are Interpreting
Three Reasons Why Interpretation Is Necessary?
1. Worlds Apart”
2. God Is Polyvocal
3. Colored Lens
Three Approaches to Reading
1. A Historical Approach
2. An Individual Devotional Approach
2A. The Plain Meaning Approach
2B. Three Deadly Scripture Reading Diseases Approach
2C. An Anti-intellectualism Approach
2D. A Pneumatic Interpretation Approach
2E. Pneumatic Epistemology Approach
2F. Pneumatic and Cognitive Approach
2G. A Bizarre Interpretation Approach
2H. You Bet I’m Correct Approach
3. The Best of Both Interpretative Approaches
So What?
Bibliography: God Has Spoken

1. Good Folks See Things Differently!
2. Apocalyptic What?
3. Four Ways to Interpret Revelation
4. What Do Those BIG Words Mean?
5. Jesus: A Vivid Word Picture
6. Reading the Church’s Mail
7. Who’s In Charge?
8. Before and After
9. The Temple is How Big?
10. 666
11. Before and After
12. Your Kingdom Come
13. New Heaven and Earth: Such a Cool Place!