Synopsis
People who don't read the best-selling book of all time, the Bible, have their reasons. If that's you, it could be you've never owned a Bible. Or perhaps you just don't connect with it. Maybe you've read the Bible for years and have gotten bored with it. But God's book is anything but boring . . . when you meet its Author in its pages.
The Bible Encounters helps you meet God through the Scriptures by sharing with you the stories of people who have had such firsthand encounters. Their lives were changed when the Bible spoke directly into their circumstances. Some are men and women who have written to the International Bible Society. Others are ministry leaders who tell, in their Encounter Stories, how they were gripped by the reality of the Bible's message. All are slices of what it's like to experience the life-changing power of God's Word.
These twenty-one engaging, one-a-day readings, including Scripture verses and reflection questions, will help you see how the Bible can build you up, encourage you, guide you, and help you trust God in your circumstances, whatever they may be. The goal is truth you can live by, not fairy-tale endings. You'll hear how God has sustained a mother of two who lost her husband in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. How God gently breached the barriers of a medical doctor and helped him reclaim the ability to trust. How reading the Bible changed the thinking--and the heart--of an atheistic university student. How one man, using the motorcycle he loves, is introducing hundreds of motorcyclists across America to the God of the Bible.
Best of all, you'll whet your appetite for fresh appointments with God as you develop--or regain--a habit ofreading the Bible. There's even an expanded three-month reading plan you can use as your interest builds, as well as a quick reference to what the Bible says about life realities all of us face: loneliness, temptation, grief, critical decisions, other people's needs, and more.
How to Put the Bible In Your Spiritual Diet . . . and Keep It Fresh
In twenty-one enriching days, you can discover a new love for the Scriptures or rekindle a waning interest. Once you discover how God has used the Bible to speak to other people in life-changing ways, you'll read it with completely different eyes.
God wants to reveal himself to you in powerful ways, just as he has the people whose stories you're about to read. They are men and women who have encountered God not only in the midst of tremendous struggle, but also in the routine ups and downs of life. In The Bible Encounters, they share how the Bible has encouraged them, guided them, and given them hope and strength when they could not go on.
Enjoy these three weeks of simple, uplifting readings. They include Scripture verses and provocative questions that will help you think about how the Bible applies to your own circumstances. Whether you're reading the Bible for the first time or starting anew, God's Word is filled with endless possibilities for the life you live today.
The Bible Encounters includes:
• 21-day Bible reading plan
• True-life stories of ordinary and well-known Christians
• Daily "To Ponder" questions
• Follow-through 90-day tour of the Bible
• Quick listing of key Scriptures for important life issues
Author Biography: Sandra P. Aldrich is president and CEO of Bold Wor Springs, the award-winning author or coauthor of fifteen books, and a contributing author to an additional dozen. She is a frequent speaker and a guest on a radio and TV, including, "Focus on the Family" broadcasts. She holds an MFA from Eastern Michigan University.
Thomas L. Youngblood joined the International Bible Society (IBS) in 1986. His current role oversees the outreach efforts of IBS in the United States. He has completed the residency requirement on a doctorate in adult education and he holds degrees from Philadelphia Biblical University and Wheaton College Graduate School.