The primary focus of this podcast episode is a comprehensive exploration of the question, "Where should I start reading the Bible?"

This podcast is a digital review of the book "Start Here," written by me, Yvon Prehn, someone who has dedicated my life to teaching the Bible.

This book, "Start Here," is designed specifically for individuals who are either new to the Christian faith or seeking guidance in their biblical journey.

To begin, I share stories that illustrate the common struggles many face when attempting to engage with Scripture, underscoring the necessity of having a coherent and accessible approach to reading the Bible.

By examining a carefully curated selection of biblical texts, I aim to provide listeners with a clear pathway that not only introduces the core tenets of the Christian faith but also emphasizes how the power of Scripture can change our lives.

The book is designed to be useful for both small groups and individual use and is priced at just $9.99--that includes all the instructions and journal pages in the book. Check it out on www.amazon.com.

Welcome to the Ministry Miscellaney Podcast A collection of tools, strategy and challenges for Bible teachers from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's been teaching the Bible ever since As a third grader, I started to teach the kindergarteners at my church about Jesus. I've never quit doing that, and along the way I've picked up some practices, strategies and resources that might be useful to you.

Our topic for today is Where should I start reading the Bible? This is a digital review of Start Here, a plan for curious People to Begin Reading the Bible.

Here are three stories that motivated me to write this book that I'm about to share. I'm Yvon Prehn, a Bible teacher and content creator for the Bible 805 ministry and I also teach live Bible classes.

Here's what happened to motivate me to create this plan.

Story number one

When my grand nephew, who's age 14, started reading his Bible without being told to, taking it on trips, reading it at home, I was curious as to what prompted him to read it and asked him what he was reading.

"Psalms," he answered.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"No, just Psalms. I don't know where else to read."

Story number two

A member of my Bible class who is new to the Christian faith asked me, "Where do I start reading the Bible? I tried Genesis and after that I got confused."

Story number three

In a Bible discussion group I attend, one member was having an understandably difficult time getting over a major life loss.

"Do you get any comfort from the Bible?" Another member asked.

"I don't read it," she replied. "I know I should, but I just don't know where to start."

I couldn't get these stories out of my mind and I knew that the people in them were not alone.

Lots of people ask about where to start reading the Bible, but the typical advice given to people who don't know where to start with reading the Bible is to, well, first of all begin with a book like the Gospel of John. Great book. But then what's next?

One book isn't the whole Bible.

Or they begin in Genesis and determine to read through the whole thing. But like the lady in my study, that only works out for a short time.

After reading the exciting stories about Creation, Joseph and the Exodus, when you start reading about laws and diseases and the judgment of God, many people just bail out.

And that's a tragedy because we absolutely must have the Bible as our guide for life, our North Star, our source of faith and hope if we are ever going to make sense of our world and The Christian faith. We need God's instructions on how to live as Jesus representatives and as happy and fulfilled people.

We need to know answers to the ultimate questions of life. When sickness, tragedy and death intrude, as they will for all of us, we need to start reading the Bible.

The big question to me as a Bible teacher who cares tremendously for all three of the people whose stories I just shared, those in my classes and everywhere else, is what to do? I didn't know of a source to recommend and so after much agonizing, it seemed like the Lord was leading.

So I wrote a book.

I tested it with various people in groups and the feedback was very positive that it was a good place to start reading the Bible. Useful for both people outside the Christian faith and for people who know Jesus but who may not have read the Bible very much so far.

After extensive rearranging, proofing, et cetera, all that kind of stuff, really working on it, testing it with people again and again, it is now available on Amazon.

It's 8.5 by 11 in., 70 pages long and in addition to the teaching content and the reading schedule, it contains journaling and what I call scribble pages that you can draw, and interact with the book, whatever you want to do.

And it costs $9.99. When I made comparable copies at FedEx when I was testing it with people, they cost me $18 a piece to make and I realized I could have it printed on Amazon and offer it to you for far less. That's one of the major reasons that I did it this way. And it is available for you basically at $10 a person.

You can just jump right to Amazon and get the book if you'd like. Or if you would like to know more of what's in it, let me share it with you. I have done both a podcast of this coontent and a video.

The video has some pictures of things that you might want to see and it is on the Bible805 YouTube channel and if not, just listen and I'll tell you all about it. There is a table of contents where I have four different sections. I will be showing you and discussing each of these in more detail.

But basically section 1 is an introduction and overview to the plan for the whole book. Section 2 I overview the reading, order of the books included and overviews of the individual books that I am going to suggest.

Section 3 I have some additional notes on Bible translations, commentaries and helps.

Section 4 is on journaling and application.

And section 5 has some final thoughts for readers of the Bible.

Then the book also includes of course, the reading schedule, journal pages, and some additional information.

Here is my explanation of the reading plan--

After much prayer and study, the Lord got me to thinking about what what was it like for early Christians in the days when the church was just getting started. It was a secular world filled with all sorts of spirituality, much like ours is today.

Out of this, there were two groups of people who made up the early church. One group consisted of Jewish converts who grew up with the laws and promises of the Messiah.

The second group consisted of Gentile converts who knew little to nothing about the God of the Bible. Both though needed instruction. But what did they need to know?

I looked at the content of the books of the New Testament and timeline closely. The pattern of teaching them about who Jesus was and that he was the Messiah long promised was important for both Gentiles and Jews.

This truth, this setting of the life of Jesus in the context of the Old Testament prophecy enabled both groups to see that Jesus, the incredible teacher and healer they followed, was not the victim of a cruel regime, but that his death and resurrection was long prophesied. Once people understood the Old Testament foundation, both groups then needed to know how to live as Jesus followers.

The Jewish believers understood God had behavioral expectations, but they needed clarification on what laws were to be set aside and which ones they were to keep based on how they lived according to the Old Testament. It wasn't always easy to figure this out, and there are significant discussions of this issue throughout the New Testament.

For the Gentile believers, the idea that their new religion required a way of life was revolutionary. In the pagan world, you could serve whatever gods or goddesses or whatever you wanted to, but your religion had nothing to do with how you lived.

They needed specific instructions on what the Christian faith required. In Start Here I take selected books from the New Testament to meet the needs of both groups.

The suggested reading plan begins with Matthew as a perfect bridge between the Old and New Testament and points out how in his presentation of the life in Jesus, he constantly reminds his readers that this happened in order to fulfill specific prophecies in the Old Testament.

The plan continues with the reading of the Book of James, as it was the earliest letter written to the early church outlining how to live as a follower of Jesus.

We then go back to a second biography of Jesus, Luke, who goes on after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the Book of Acts to talk about the birth of the Christian church. Acts introduces the readers to Paul, who will define many of the core teachings of the Christian faith.

At the end of the Book of Acts, Paul is under house arrest in Rome, but prior to going to Rome, Paul writes to the church there, the Book of Romans, which we read next. In it, he clarifies the core theology of the Christian faith, starting with creation.

He moves into a discussion of the sinfulness of humanity and how by grace, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for sin.

He explains the place of the Jewish foundation and ends the book with chapters that provide behavioral guidelines for everything from one's calling in life to how one ought to act towards fellow believers you don't agree with.

We then read Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, three books Paul wrote while under house arrest in Rome that all begin by sharing foundational truths about the Christian faith and then in the second half of each book, tell us how to live based on that.

For each of the books in the reading plan, there is a section that goes over each book and that gives you, first of all, a brief summary of the content in that book. A suggested application from one of the main themes of the book that you're reading.

We aren't reading for information only, but for a life change to become like Jesus.

Nest is a passage to remember from the book and readers are encouraged to memorize the verses given for even greater benefit and to internalize their truth in your life.

A Useful Tools Section comes next.

Some readers may want to immediately jump into the reading plan, but some might need practical help and to provide that the next section is a first of all recommendation, if needed, on what Bible to get and what translation might be the most helpful.

Next are recommendations on using additional Bible helps.

I include a section of cautions on pulling verses out of context and how to avoid the misunderstandings that can come from this.

Taking notes amd Creating a Bible Journal is greatly encouraged, and that's what comes next.

The journal and scribble pages are then introduced and with them are suggestions for what to write. Three things.

First of all, content summary what does it say?

Next, your response Lesson? Insights Application how did you respond to this passage?

And finally, talk to the Lord about it. Record your prayers, ask him questions, whatever you want to say.

The text part of the book ends with a reminder of the importance of God's Word for our churches and lives.

This includes a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his introduction to the Cost of Discipleship, where he says, "Revival of church life always brings in its train a richer understanding of the Scriptures. What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? How can he help us to be good Christians in the modern world.

In the last resort, what we want to know is not what would this, that man or this or that church have of us, but what Jesus Christ Himself wants of us. When we go to church and listen to the sermon, what we want to hear is His Word."

This little book will help you start to hear it.

A final note.

I'm looking forward to giving this book to many friends who are wondering where to start reading the Bible, and I pray that is useful to many of you as you share the words of eternal life.

Again, the book is Start Here, A Plan for Curious People to Begin Reading the Bible by Yvon Prehn.

I trust you found the content in this episode of Ministry Miscellany useful.

For links to any resources mentioned and lots of free material to help you know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com

Let me close now with a reminder from the book of Daniel 12:3 where it says "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."

That's you, someone who leads many to righteousness.

And in doing that, may you be ever growing in your reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit, in the deepening of your friendship with Jesus, and in your trust in the goodness of God the Father, never forgetting in all the hard work you do that you have a glorious heritage where you will shine like the stars forever and ever. Amen.