Episode 3 Transcript:
What inspired me to write Ease into the Bible: How to Wade into the Water of God’s Word with Confidence?
I’ll explain in today’s episode.
I’m Jean Wilund, but It’s All About Him! Welcome to a Fun place to get serious about Bible Study.
So, the idea to write Ease into the Bible started on a treadmill.
My friend Karen and I were WALKING on treadmills at our local gym when she told me about two friends who wanted to read the Bible but had no idea how to even start.
Karen said, “Jean, you’re a writer. Do you know of a book I can give them that would help them know HOW to read the Bible?”
I could not think of one. So, I reached out to my writing community through Facebook and text messages, and every suggestion thought that I received led me either to a book that wasn’t exactly what Karen and I were thinking of, or it was as thick and intimidating as the Bible.
How were we going to instill confidence in these ladies—or in anyone—that they can indeed read and understand how to read and study the Bible if they need a book as thick as the Bible to even get started?
So, I told Karen, “I can’t find the book you’re looking for, but I can write it…if you’ll help me.”
We immediately began to brainstorm what just such a book would include.
First, we agreed it must be short. We wanted a fun, easy to read book, designed to remove from—not add to—the intimidation factor of the Bible.
So, after we brainstormed, I wrote blog posts about the topics we discussed and put them on my website so she could share them with the ladies. and if they were interested, get together and discuss them.
But our idea, of course, was ideally to hand someone a book, so as I’m writing these blog posts, I also knocking on the door of every publisher I could find. But the publishers were locking those doors, so clearly this was not the path that they Lord wanted me to take at this time.
Instead, because Revive Our Hearts ministry had graciously invited me to be a regular contributor, I got to write an Ease into the Bible series for their readers.
Now, more readers than I could ever reach on my own were discovering how to ease into reading and studying the Bible.
Then, through an unusual set of circumstances, God connected me with a publisher who was looking for a book just like this. It was Lifeway (B&H Publishing), in fact.
God exceeded my expectations and provided above and beyond anything that I could have imagined.
So, what started on a treadmill as a series of blog posts eventually became Ease into the Bible: How to Wade into the Water of God’s Word with Confidence, a short and fun book I pray will be a helpful resource passed down for generations.
If you have any questions that you’d like me to answer from any of the topics that I cover in Ease into the Bible, reach out to me through my contact page on my website, and I will answer your question in one of my future episodes.
Thanks for joining me today. If you like what you heard, share it with others. Hit the subscribe button and write a review on your favorite podcast app. I’m Jean Wilund. But It’s All About Him!
