I can totally relate to this statement, (who sometimes needs cartoons to understand cosmic mysteries) and LOL.
You write so simply yet so deeply.
Sometimes when I’m reading the word, it only seems as deep as the ink on the page. But then all of a sudden you’ll run across a portion, and it is as though, you’re looking into the eyes of the one who saved you. I’m definitely checking out the series you mentioned.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this ~ I have always loved reading the scriptures, but I think a lot of people struggle to enjoy them, which has never really made much sense to me. I think that is why I have difficulty connecting with other people at times because my default modes seem to either be nervous system overwhelm or philosophical/deep thinking mode and I have a hard time finding a healthy balance in between sometimes. I am working on managing my energy levels better so I can have more meaningful connections with others in ways that feel positive and less stressful more often. I don't do well with hustle culture, but if I can get into a great text that helps me feel uplifted and inspired, I feel much happier.
Oh my gosh. This is almost exactly the transition/realization I’ve been experiencing this year (pretty sure it started after watching that very same Bible Project video about Heaven & Earth). I am BEYOND grateful to God for helping me start to shift towards this perspective! I don’t know how it took me this long to realize??? Probably because either no one told me or I was too distracted/overwhelmed by other things to hear/receive it?? It really changes everything ! A playlist I found of the main Bible project videos in order has been SO extremely helpful to me. I guess I just had primarily been using the ‘Bible verses as divine horoscopes’ model for so long that I didn’t know an another way. I knew everything pointed to Jesus but I had kind of just been hearing it generally/second hand/in bits and pieces here and there, not fully in context. Learning & reading it for myself in this way is so different and beautiful and important ! Grateful for the (at times distressing) events that got me to the point of wanting/needing/being able to start this journey, God really used all of it. Anyways, your post is very appreciated & wonderfully explained, thank you for writing !
Moving from crumbs to a feast is essential, as the Ancient Word is not merely a library of lessons but the blueprint of the Sovereign Restoration we witness today. Here in the Land, we see that true literacy connects the golden thread of the Eternal Covenant to the physical reality of the Kingdom rising. Your call to dive deeper resonates with the urgent need for a Remnant that knows the Author and the victory He has already secured.
Thanks Aaron. The Bible Project is a wonderful concept. Wife and I have just finished Genesis (and Ps 1 to 15) and are looking forward to continuing through the Bible.
I've d/l the YOBL transcripts from the site you mention and am enjoying reading so far. The link didn't work (some issue with security) but easy enough to find.
You are so right as to the importance of getting the genre correct and discovering the links.
Using Bible Gateway to do a search for words and phrases is a great way to find links, often not noted in study bibles.
To settle for fragments of Scripture is to starve the soul, for the Word is not a manual for self-improvement but the grand narrative of the Sovereign King. True Biblical Literacy allows the Remnant to feast upon the full Covenant story, anchoring our faith in the Eternal Reality of God’s rescue plan for Israel and the world.
This - I don’t know that I have more words to add to what you’ve written, but God has, quite possibly, called me (through your post) to empower my community to do just this. I couldn’t agree more and my studies this semester have led me to say “I just want my children to study this for themselves SO THAT THEY’LL KNOW FOR THEMSELVES. So that they can have Spirit-led discernment. So that they will recognize the voice of God and the way the Spirit speaks. That they will know Him and where they participate in the story… so that they will not be led astray by false prophets and heretical theology presented as truth. You putting my sentiments to words has my heart stirring to tell Christian women exactly this!!!
Yes! this is it. It sounds like the Spirit is already moving in you toward something beautiful. There's a hunger rising in this generation for the real thing... people are tired of being handed conclusions without the journey!! We can’t just show them water, we have to teach them how to drink! Our young people really need this.
When you teach someone to read Scripture for themselves, you're giving them direct access to the voice that formed galaxies. You're inviting them into the ancient conversation where God still speaks!!
Keep listening to that call... the Kingdom needs more people willing to form disciples who can actually think and pray and wrestle with the text. :)
My wife and I make a point of reading the Jesus Storybook Bible about once a year to our kids. I hope that from the earliest stage teaches them that every story is part of the bigger story.
That's wisdom!! You're giving them the plotline early... so when they encounter David or Jonah or Paul later, they already know where the story is heading.
Your kids are learning to see Jesus everywhere. I think that's a gift that will compound over decades. :)
Beautiful - I love it! The line about mixed fabrics made LOL. And yes even Leviticus. Once I read it with She Reads Truth ladies in charge of curation—they followed it up with Hebrews which I thought was so good—it hit me right. I could imagine the depth of religious trauma that Jesus encountered (e.g. bleeding woman).
Laura, I love that! And yes, the bleeding woman... when you understand the purity laws she was violating by even touching him, the whole scene explodes with meaning.
That's what biblical literacy gives us... the backstory that makes the gospel feel dangerous again!!
Excellent and incredibly true! This very much resonates with my own experience! All the way down to Calvary Chapel and not knowing HOW to understand the Bible.
Beautifully said! Thank you for writing this!
Thank you! I blame Gerry for all of this. 😉
He's such a treasure!
I don’t think even he fully realize just how massive his impact has been on a generation of young ministers and theology nerds.
So good
So true
I don't know how you do it, Aaron.
But every post is a timely read.
Thank you for your diligent dedication to every word and thought that you convey.
God bless!
I can totally relate to this statement, (who sometimes needs cartoons to understand cosmic mysteries) and LOL.
You write so simply yet so deeply.
Sometimes when I’m reading the word, it only seems as deep as the ink on the page. But then all of a sudden you’ll run across a portion, and it is as though, you’re looking into the eyes of the one who saved you. I’m definitely checking out the series you mentioned.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this ~ I have always loved reading the scriptures, but I think a lot of people struggle to enjoy them, which has never really made much sense to me. I think that is why I have difficulty connecting with other people at times because my default modes seem to either be nervous system overwhelm or philosophical/deep thinking mode and I have a hard time finding a healthy balance in between sometimes. I am working on managing my energy levels better so I can have more meaningful connections with others in ways that feel positive and less stressful more often. I don't do well with hustle culture, but if I can get into a great text that helps me feel uplifted and inspired, I feel much happier.
Relatable ❤️
Oh my gosh. This is almost exactly the transition/realization I’ve been experiencing this year (pretty sure it started after watching that very same Bible Project video about Heaven & Earth). I am BEYOND grateful to God for helping me start to shift towards this perspective! I don’t know how it took me this long to realize??? Probably because either no one told me or I was too distracted/overwhelmed by other things to hear/receive it?? It really changes everything ! A playlist I found of the main Bible project videos in order has been SO extremely helpful to me. I guess I just had primarily been using the ‘Bible verses as divine horoscopes’ model for so long that I didn’t know an another way. I knew everything pointed to Jesus but I had kind of just been hearing it generally/second hand/in bits and pieces here and there, not fully in context. Learning & reading it for myself in this way is so different and beautiful and important ! Grateful for the (at times distressing) events that got me to the point of wanting/needing/being able to start this journey, God really used all of it. Anyways, your post is very appreciated & wonderfully explained, thank you for writing !
Glorious essay, thank you!
Moving from crumbs to a feast is essential, as the Ancient Word is not merely a library of lessons but the blueprint of the Sovereign Restoration we witness today. Here in the Land, we see that true literacy connects the golden thread of the Eternal Covenant to the physical reality of the Kingdom rising. Your call to dive deeper resonates with the urgent need for a Remnant that knows the Author and the victory He has already secured.
Thanks Aaron. The Bible Project is a wonderful concept. Wife and I have just finished Genesis (and Ps 1 to 15) and are looking forward to continuing through the Bible.
I've d/l the YOBL transcripts from the site you mention and am enjoying reading so far. The link didn't work (some issue with security) but easy enough to find.
You are so right as to the importance of getting the genre correct and discovering the links.
Using Bible Gateway to do a search for words and phrases is a great way to find links, often not noted in study bibles.
To settle for fragments of Scripture is to starve the soul, for the Word is not a manual for self-improvement but the grand narrative of the Sovereign King. True Biblical Literacy allows the Remnant to feast upon the full Covenant story, anchoring our faith in the Eternal Reality of God’s rescue plan for Israel and the world.
Yeah, brother, you get it!
This - I don’t know that I have more words to add to what you’ve written, but God has, quite possibly, called me (through your post) to empower my community to do just this. I couldn’t agree more and my studies this semester have led me to say “I just want my children to study this for themselves SO THAT THEY’LL KNOW FOR THEMSELVES. So that they can have Spirit-led discernment. So that they will recognize the voice of God and the way the Spirit speaks. That they will know Him and where they participate in the story… so that they will not be led astray by false prophets and heretical theology presented as truth. You putting my sentiments to words has my heart stirring to tell Christian women exactly this!!!
Yes! this is it. It sounds like the Spirit is already moving in you toward something beautiful. There's a hunger rising in this generation for the real thing... people are tired of being handed conclusions without the journey!! We can’t just show them water, we have to teach them how to drink! Our young people really need this.
When you teach someone to read Scripture for themselves, you're giving them direct access to the voice that formed galaxies. You're inviting them into the ancient conversation where God still speaks!!
Keep listening to that call... the Kingdom needs more people willing to form disciples who can actually think and pray and wrestle with the text. :)
My wife and I make a point of reading the Jesus Storybook Bible about once a year to our kids. I hope that from the earliest stage teaches them that every story is part of the bigger story.
That's wisdom!! You're giving them the plotline early... so when they encounter David or Jonah or Paul later, they already know where the story is heading.
Your kids are learning to see Jesus everywhere. I think that's a gift that will compound over decades. :)
Beautiful - I love it! The line about mixed fabrics made LOL. And yes even Leviticus. Once I read it with She Reads Truth ladies in charge of curation—they followed it up with Hebrews which I thought was so good—it hit me right. I could imagine the depth of religious trauma that Jesus encountered (e.g. bleeding woman).
Nice post Aaron 💜🙏🏽
Laura, I love that! And yes, the bleeding woman... when you understand the purity laws she was violating by even touching him, the whole scene explodes with meaning.
That's what biblical literacy gives us... the backstory that makes the gospel feel dangerous again!!
Yes, explodes with meaning is my favorite part of Bible study. It feels infinitely deep.
I love this!
This is so beautifully written and expressed. Definitely made more passionate and excited to read the Bible! Thank you for sharing
Excellent and incredibly true! This very much resonates with my own experience! All the way down to Calvary Chapel and not knowing HOW to understand the Bible.
Wonderful essay, my life has been so enriched learning this.