I’ve made many mistakes over the years.
Too many to count.
When it comes to reading the Bible, it’s definitely a case of “I wish I knew then what I know now.”
After hearing the gospel in high school, I made a profession of faith in Christ as Savior, was baptized, and before long found myself wanting to serve God in full-time Christian service. I spent several years studying the Bible in college and seminary to prepare for the ministry.
I then worked in a church as an Assistant Pastor, and over a two-year period, it all fell apart. I started asking the questions for which I was supposed to have the answers. I came to the realization that I didn’t really believe what I was teaching others to believe. I was a hypocrite of Pharisaic proportions.
What Jesus said of the Jews of His day was true of me: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8).
What happened here? How could I have spent so much time reading the Bible and then walk away from Jesus, spending the next 20+ years in a spiritual no-man’s land of rebellious apostasy and practical atheism?
There are several ways to answer this question. One major factor was the way I read the Bible. I loved reading the Bible. That’s a good thing, right?
But I did it for the wrong reasons. I liked to accumulate Bible knowledge so I could impress people and dazzle them with my theological prowess. I did it for the praise of Me rather than the praise of God.
I got really good at engaging in a godly behavior (Bible reading) in a most ungodly manner (motivated by pride, self-absorption and self-aggrandizement).
What does the Bible call doing the right thing for the wrong reason? Sin. And it’s a sin of the most deadly kind. Yes, reading the Bible with impure motives can have spiritually devastating consequences, destroying the sanctifying benefits that God wants to give you through His Word.
My latest book is all about reading the Bible in ways that cause spiritual harm to the reader. I call them the 7 Deadly Sins of Bible Reading: Common Bible Reading Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. These Bible reading sins are deadly because they will drain the life of God right out of you, leaving you empty and dry, like a barren stream in seven year Egyptian famine.
But there is hope! God has provided the antidote to each of these mistakes. That’s why this book not only diagnoses the problem, it also presents the solution. You will find out what God has said in His Word that will empower you to avoid each of these Bible reading sins.
Here’s what readers are saying:
“Insightful and practical. This book is easy to read as the author has a down to earth style of writing. The insights in the book are valuable and very applicable every single time I read my Bible.”
— Fay Robertson
“This book brings out important things that we all need. I enjoyed how the author quotes and refers to much Scripture. I found this book to be thus refreshing, encouraging and instructive to what is really so valuable to us as believers.”
— Chris Boyko
“I think the book was well written and meets a critical need in today’s churches. I will use the book as a resource to help me read, understand, and practice the truths of the Bible. Although the book was relatively short, I felt the writer accomplished his purpose and focus with each of the seven deadly sins. The book was practical as the author gave specific instructions on how to avoid the particular sin.”
— Ken Dover
“I learned more about prayer and meditation in relation to reading the Bible. Sometimes, I think of praying and meditating as being separate from the Bible reading. After reading this book, I realize that it goes hand-in-hand. I learned more about the importance of memorizing scripture. My eyes are now opened to many of the suggestions that are in this book and I will now incorporate all of these things and not just read my Bible.”
— Mimi Gallman
Get your copy today in either Kindle or paperback format. The Kindle version is on sale for an introductory price of 99 cents.
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