2 | Our Take on Reading the Bible Well

In this episode of First Take, Pastors Brent and Jim discuss strategies and principles about reading the Bible well. 

For more information, please check us out online at www.frpc.org.

Transcript

Jim Curtis:   0:08
Well, hey there. And welcome to first take a podcast. Ministry of First Reformed Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I'm assistant Pastor Jim Curtis here with my senior pastor, Brent Haran's off our take this week on reading the Bible. Well, Brent, it's gonna be back with you on episode. What, is this too technically of perfect that? Yeah. I want to talk today about reading the Bible. Well, um, so I want you, Teoh kind of. Imagine yourself. And perhaps a familiar scenario. I'm sure you've been there. I've been there a few times where you're sitting down for a launch or coffee or breakfast or something with a new Christian or ah, young Christian who's on fire to read the Bible, but feels kind of lost right now. I know we could talk about, you know, the Bible study we could talk about. You know, somebody who is interested in going into ministry, perhaps, or or these things. Today I want to talk about reading that that Bible, taking that desire, that hunger for the word and reading it devotional e how they do it each and every day. So you're you're at this launch table. They say Pastor Brent, I need your help in reading the Bible. Well, what do you say to him?

Brent Horan:   1:16
Well, Jim, it is good to be back with you, and I got to say and I know you feel the same way. Whenever I'm at that lunch and I hear someone begin to talk that way about their desire to read God's word, I get excited. That's one of the more exciting lunches when people are talking about how their hungering for the word, they're realizing they have not spent much time in it. And they have. Maybe, like you said, they are new Christian who has been given that new life. Now they have the spirit of God at work in them, and they're they're ready to get going and understanding his words. And so usually what I do I can't have a pattern for this is probably nothing special about what I do. I'm sure a lot of people do the same thing. I usually have. People start reading in the Gospels, and, as you know, John is usually the one that we would point people to. For various reasons, there's parts of it that are perhaps somewhat difficult, but Maybe it's the easiest gospel to read. But what I found is people in that situation, um, there really not familiar, even with the story of Jesus fully. And so they need to have that foundation of their savior watching his life. I'm hearing his teaching going into his Passion week. And then usually I tell them, Look, you spend some time on that however long it takes you, um, a week, two weeks, whatever it is and then get back to me. And then I typically send them back into the Old Testament. Um, Toe, let them get the story. Now I can say, OK, you've read John, you've sort of got the conclusion. In a sense, let's go back and see how everything began. And so then they can go back to the Book of Genesis and they begin to make their way through the historical books. And they learned so much through that time. They've probably heard the stories of the exit is the story of Noah, Joseph and all these various things, but they haven't ever seen them put together. And so then they can go back and just spend their time reading through that and that usually takes them a while. Um, but then I when they come back, then we have a whole nother around. Okay, this is where you go from there?

Jim Curtis:   3:21
Yeah, that's generally what I encourage them to do. You know, you get that strong link between the gospel of John and Genesis in the beginning, right, John? Clearly trying to do something there. But, ah, you know, just love that that connection between those two chapters, But generally, you know, I get them to then go to the Book of Hebrews on deal with, um, you know that that Luke, 24 m. A s principal right? Seeing Jesus everywhere. And every time I go back through the book of Hebrews, I see a new character. I see new fast that I see a new something that was hidden in the Old Testament, Ready to dig out, um, and get

Brent Horan:   3:59
through. And I love that because you do similar to what I do when they're done with sort of the Old Testament reading. I'm like, Okay, it's time for Romans or time for Hebrews. Right? And let's just dive into some of the nitty gritty. Perhaps some of the deeper things that in the New Testament, and then they're usually there for a while, All right? And that is that that happens

Jim Curtis:   4:20
for you. Yeah. At some point, you've got to memorize Romans, Chapter nine. Anyway, so get that out of the way. But I m e I think that's right. I mean, those were some of my favorite conversations toe have, because you're clearly dear dealing with somebody who's just sincere who is interested, who I know for this period. I mean, if we're just honest, we're heading this direction before, just honest, that hunger is not gonna last forever. Right? That fire is gonna kind of begin to smolder. And, um ah, and really died down. And so that's when I just want them, you know, just kind of in the word, constantly. Just just drilling through these books, um, and getting good questions, you know? Tell him. Write down your questions. Highlight. You know, in your notebook be like, OK, Genesis Ah, 12. I have no idea. Like, what on earth is happening here? So you come back, we could talk about those sorts of things, but, um uh, yeah. I mean, in that sense, right? Reading the bottom. Well, for somebody new, somebody on fire, somebody probably has no idea what's going on. There needs to be some sort of connection to the community there to write in that, um, that strain of talking to somebody about what they're reading is right in the Okay, So So new Christians, like, on some level, right? We just want them in the Bible where I've seen gets familiar with. Yeah, really? Just kind of on a number of levels, right? Upping Bible literacy. Right? So they can understand sermons. Probably a little better. So they understand bible studies a little better. Um, but also upping, like their knowledge and love and adoration of what Jesus has done for them and who he is right on just their their natural state without him and then salvation, of course. But talk to me now about maybe not so young Christian, maybe even older Christian who maybe struggles with devotional Bible reading. Somebody who you know is familiar, right? They know Noah, right? They know the story of Jonah. They know these stories. They know David and Goliath. Right? Um and maybe that hunger is not there. Okay, so you know we could talk about desire, but I'm really interested to in dealing with how they can go to the text and approach it and get more than just familiar with it, right? That makes sense. Building an intimate relationship as I like to say, You know, there's one kind of getting to know each other in that New Christian way. Now they're trying to get into an intimate relationship with the text in the Bible. What do you suggest for somebody like

Brent Horan:   6:58
that? Well, some of those questions come in the context of somebody saying, You know, I've read my Bible a lot, and I just feel like I'm not really getting much out of it at this point. You know, um, I may have read through the Bible multiple times Ah, in a year or maybe have taken a few years to do it. And I feel like I sit down and read, and I simply I get nothing, you know, And maybe maybe at one point, that was very easy. And it's become more difficult on some level for them because maybe we are too familiar. All the things we might say that can happen to us. It's a part of me. One of the places I start with people's toe, you know, is to remind them to enjoy the story is, in a sense, I think, perhaps as we, uh, are older and our Christian faith, Um, maybe we know. Ah, fair amount. We sort of get bored. And I just remind them it's OK to go back and quote unquote Watch the movie again. Enjoy the story. There are things that, for sure you haven't come across that you haven't seen the gospel present in certain parts of the Bible. Ah, you know what? Dive into second chronicles and and see if you can find the gospel there. How do you understand the work of Christ? Um, in that book, how does that book help? You understand? Jesus. And so I love to kind of just push people back to recognizing how wonderful the Bible is, how wonderful the story is because it's the story of redemption. Um, secondly, also, you know, sometimes people are you know, they're kind of saying it's gotten boring or whatever. Second thing is to remind them that life as a Christian is often in the mundane. Um, our lives are not usually lived in the fantastic. Um, it's just sort of that marching. Ah, on and on. As Christians in this life, a lot of things we do in a sense, are boring. But we do not serve a boring God. Nor do we read a boring book whatsoever. And so in some ways, I want to tell him it's OK. It's okay to sort of feel like I'm you know, I'm reading, but not really getting a whole lot out of that. Some of my questions have to do with what are you wanting out of it? Um, places that begin, Um, And then once once, we kind of set the ground rules on a couple of those things. Ah. Then I might say, Well, when we try this once, you take maybe a chapter or maybe just take 10 versus. Maybe it's a story in the Old Testament which could be, ah, Chapter two and say, Why don't you ask questions of the text? Won't you read it and engage with it on a different level? Perhaps. And you have, like, sit with a notebook, right? Questions that you're like. I don't understand that I don't understand that Ah. Why did this take place? Who is this guy? Why does Paul say this or why does Jesus say that? And some of those questions that will come will help Then begin to ask the more important questions of what did I learn here about God? What did I learn here about myself? What did I learn here about Jesus? How do I understand him better through this tax, how to understand him in his person and in his work? Better than I can actually understand who I am in him. So sort of the kind of the beginning grounds of where I would go in a situation like that?

Jim Curtis:   10:27
Yeah. I mean, we're gonna do a little theology, right? We call the Bible special revelation. Right now, we're gonna focus on a word revelation. It's Thea revealing something, right. And we we know that the Bible reveals to us who got is and so I like to tell people. Okay, the primary thing that you need to be looking for in the text. Um I mean, all the time is who is God? What is he doing? Where is he? What is he revealing about himself? What is he calling you to think or feel about him? What might be what might he be calling you to do a za Christian, right? If I can steal from our professor Dr Keira on the think feel do right? Yeah. You know, the God is going to effect, and who got is, obviously is going to affect the mind and the heart and our hands, right? What we do. So, um, I like to do that. And one of those exercises that I have had people do in the past, I just matter. Fact talk to somebody about this school days ago because I get them to grab their notebook. And for every chapter of Scripture they read, I get him t write 10 things that that chapter says about God. Right now, tens of sound may sound like a lot Right on. Do you know if the chapters longer, obviously in the biblical number, though, Yeah, that's right. Um, I, uh you know, and then I tell him, okay? And if you can't think of 10 that's fine, right? If you if you're only getting 67 right, um, then fill the rest of the 10. So do 43 more with questions that you have about God. Like what? Okay, I see that God is good here. But why would God then do this right? Why would God it in, say to David? Um, you know, you're gonna be in civil War the rest of your life like that doesn't seem very merciful, right? And so then you can really get these questions about who got is from the text, and you can reflect on those and go back on. Then I have them re read the chapter. If they're willing and trying to sort some of those questions, that's great, but yet really interacting with a text on on that level,

Brent Horan:   12:32
you know? Good. Well is going to say, I think, um, some of those things like what you're pointing out there, um, some of the things that have encouraged people to do. I mean, obviously, um, praying sometimes will be reading the Bible and quote unquote, we'll feel like we're not getting at anything out of it. Um, maybe we've even done the 10 things you've done. My question is very things. Just stop. Just stop and pray. And we stopped mid sentence. It's OK. and just pray and say, Lord, I'm not getting anything out of this. I don't understand what this is talking about. It's okay to lament your frustration to the Lord and ask him to help you to understand it and ask him to to show you why it's even important. And that may happen the next day. It may happen a week from now, or whatever it is, You may come back that text later on. And you might be like, odd. I've never saw that before, You know, Another thing is, is as they're doing some of the questions. So as a writing, some of things down, it's OK. Also, let's say you're reading something in Romans, you in Romans, Chapter four and you see Abraham's name and Paul mentions that something about being justified by faith. But you're like I my heart is drawing me back to read something about Abraham. So I'm gonna I'm gonna go back to Genesis Chapter 12 or 15. 17 somewhere in there. I want to read something about him. It's OK to sort of jump off of what you were planning to do and go to something else, and maybe they're the little feed. You threw something you're reading there, so I don't I want people to feel the freedom. Ah, to sort of, um, you know what it says are the two things. If you're reading, you don't get anything, just stop and pray. That's one way to go about it. If there's something that sparks your mind to go somewhere else, do that don't feel like Oh, well, I've got to stay with this thes 10 verses. Legalistic.

Jim Curtis:   14:23
So what happens with me, right is is I'll be in the midst of attacks. We'll be reading something's firing off in my head and I get three or four verses after you know it began. And I have no idea what what the texture said, like I wasn't reading of my eyes went over it. But I like him. I didn't process it. Yeah, that's that's a good idea. Just keep a thumb, go to that. That next passage Ah, that you're thinking of or whatever. And I'll say, you know, I did this this morning with the sermon that I had heard. Um, I marked in my notes, you know, is there a connection between this word and this concept later on. And so even after the sermon, I went back and I kind of investigated that. And there wasn't right. I think that we're terrified, like, to quote unquote fail in that way, like, Oh, I thought that was a connection. It wasn't or I thought it just might relate to that story. I was reading about David, and it didn't. And that's where I But that's actually how you get better, right? That's, um so don't be afraid to chase those rabbits, particularly the safety of your own devotions, Right? As I like to say, um ah, go after them. And if they connect to them Fantastic. Um And if they don't Oh, no. You just read. You still learns were right. Exactly. Ah, and so don't be afraid to fail in that way. I mean, um, one day we might even do ah episode on sermon prep, and I suspect a large deal of your servant prep and my server prepping everybody. Sermon Prep is okay. At some point, we've got this text in two whole Bible. How am I gonna do that? And you just go through, like, 30 40 50 60 different things, but only one of them come out in the sermon because it's the only one that actually is there, right or whatever. So, um, you know, even sermon writing it is a process of failing Ah, at some of these connections and and chasing some of those rabbits, and that's OK.

Brent Horan:   16:12
It is, and, you know, connected to that as far as writing sermons and going other places. I know you have had this. Um, it could be Tuesday or Wednesday, and I'm I'm working through this tax thinking about it, and something in my and my mind sparked me to go back to a psalm of some kind or whatever It is right, and I have left my sermon prep, and I'm back in the psalm doing some type of devotional worship. I might even write a song that comes from it or something, right? In some ways, it has a little bit of connection of my sermon. But it was more of a way that the Lord fed me through that study that day, and I think one of the things I want to say here is for people who are going through a time and I've experienced. That's where they're going through a time where they're reading. I can remember this that I would open the Bible. I used to love it. You could read a large portions of it, but I would perhaps read three verses and I go. I have no idea what reading. I don't know why I'm reading this. It was almost like a spiritual depression and sort of sorts and one of the things that got me out of it. That's what I've encouraged people to do, is is go begin to study something you have never studied before. Allow sort of the newness, whatever that might be. Um, maybe there's a book of the Bible you've just never read because you've been intimidated by it or maybe have never understood it. Maybe there's a theological, um, concept or something that you know, whether it's baptism or escaped ology or whatever it is. You just don't know a whole lot dive into that. Because for me, what I remember what happened was I was in that spirit of depression, and when this took place, it just pulled me out because it was a freshness of the gospel of freshness, of the word and often we need that to sort of awaken us. So don't be afraid to do that either.

Jim Curtis:   18:03
Yeah, and I think you'll be surprised. I know. I was in the lectures in seminary through the Book of Leviticus, right where every Bible in a year reading plan goes to die, right? I mean, everybody they hit Leviticus, and then the monotony of the Christian life is just right in front of, um um and they're confused and intimidated, right? And it's it's the normal one. But I remember Ah, matter of fact, it wasn't even lectures about Leviticus. It was Doctor Kruger talking about Bible reading, and he mentioned that he was asked to do a syriza preaching serious through Leviticus. And he was like, Oh, man, right. And hey said at the end of the serious, he was like, Oh, my goodness, Christ is everywhere like and now he goes back. Any reads Leviticus and only can see is Jesus, um, and and And what Jesus had to do and what Jesus had the actual I can be like and and all these things in order to secure for us redemption with a holy god. Um and so you know is that is that moment when I went back, Teoh Leviticus upon his recommendation and realize, like if I was alive in the Old Testament, I have a birth defect with my I would never have been allowed to be in the temple. Right? Right. But I would have skipped over that in my Bible reading plan and that never would have landed for me as something interesting. Um, as something that gives me a desire than todo and read the Bible. Um, but talk to me about, like, Okay, um uh, you tell me if this is good advice, mentor me here for a minute. So I like to tell people like, Yeah, of course it's gonna be boring. You just need to keep going, like I don't mind small patches. Okay, small patches before I get kind of brought up on charges here for same small patches of legalism. Just just be legalistic about it. Um, because, ah, obedience sometimes precedes the desire to be wholly by Just doing it matters. Right. Um ah. And you know, prayer, I think is another example of this is just being persistent in prayer. Um, you know, years and years and years of praying for the same thing. There's so many stories of persistence in prayer being used by God. So what do you think about that? I mean, gay? Don't string me up is a Ferris E. Yeah, but small little patches of legalism. I'm honestly, I'm okay with that. I'm okay with telling them. Just do it. I mean, that someone will just read. We get that

Brent Horan:   20:30
right. So, um, just so that you're the only one that gets brought up on charges legalisms. Not the word I would use. No. Um, no. There's something to that, right? There is something to pressing through. There's something to, um, just sort of thing. Well, I'm going to do this. And I think sometimes what could be helpful in that is that perhaps we're biting off more than we can chew of the Bible on. And so where people are doing that one your bible, my recommendations leads to say, Do it in two or three years. Take your time, don't overwhelm yourself. But I don't think it's legalistic in this sense is because of what we believe the Bible is. And the way God uses his word is that we have to have in the back for mine. Okay? I'm about to read this part of Leviticus about something that is so foreign to me. I'm really kind of confused by it. And something in our hearts has to say, the Lord is going to use this to shape me and mold me, even though at this moment I'm I'm rather clueless about what's happening.

Jim Curtis:   21:38
And, you know, honestly, you could walk away and not know in that right? You could not know for that. 567 years. 567 hours, weeks. Whatever. Um but you you know what it says now And that in and of itself, is worthwhile. That in itself, is is trustworthy, right? I mean, every word is trustworthy, and it's useful, even if in the moment it doesn't feel like it. Um, you know, I feel like there's this sense of like, every time I go to the Bible, I have to withdraw something from me. And I'm like, I don't know that that's always true. There's always something for you. Absolutely. It's It's nourishing, right? Man doesn't live on bread alone. Um, but at the same time, maybe the thing Quote unquote for you is a better view of who got is, um, or wrestling with the dark providence of God. Um, you know, can you imagine, um, What I've been living recently, losing a child and then going and reading these stories about Sarah and Hannah and I'm seeing they're going. Okay, hang on. I'm reading the stories of the totally different eyes, right? Understanding things about the text that I haven't for a while. Does that mean that I've being misunderstanding the text? No, I don't think so. Um, I think the word is just using his word in a different way. It in different point in somebody's life. Um, yeah, maybe I'm not a legal list, but I just

Brent Horan:   22:57
feel that's right. Work telling him Just read it is. And I really appreciate what you're saying there about. There are some texts, passages that are so much more meaningful and more helpful, it at different times our lives. And I mean, I know this is true. For May I we'd be here for hours if you and I went back and forth on how we've grown in our understanding. But I even just heard another pastor say that just in an article talking about how 10 years of preaching how it has hasn't always changed his view, but it has so enriched his view of various things and understanding of the Bible. And so the experiences we have, we don't you know, we're not reading the Bible through the lens of experience, but the Bible shapes that experience and so much more meaning to us. And I think that's just the insurance. Why some sermons hit some people and they're like, Man, that was really helpful in other people. Like, I've heard that 17 times. You know, there's just people are people are different places.

Jim Curtis:   24:01
So yeah, and I think to like I mean, on some level, we almost like box in the Psalms on Lee. The Psalms is we're like, I'm allowed to have that feely experience. See, you know, like that's the only time a lot to get maybe a little wishy washy, right? But that's not true. Like, ah, sermon today that I heard was on first Thessalonians four. Um, you know, the that that infamous rapture passage, right? We'll meet him in the air and and the whole service about grief, and I had never before, like, realized like, Oh, my goodness, what Paul's actually doing here is he's talking about. We don't grieve. Is those without hope. And that's what that's what he's talking about. He's he's passed orally dealing with, ah, somebody our group of people really at the church. And Veselin Micah would there thinking, like, Okay, if people die right, they don't get to be in Jesus's Kingdom. And Paul's like, Okay. No, no, no. Hold on, hold on, hold on. So, like this tax, that's pretty famous, right? We'll meet him in the air and, like, mysterious and stuff. I spent a little time and it wasn't intimidated by it. Listen to a sermon by and all of a sudden, Wham! I'm just being hit in my own grief. And he's like, This is what things we need to be saying. And I'm like, Yeah, that's yeah. Okay, here we go. Give him the gospel Here, Give him Jesus is returning. Jesus is not dead. He is alive. And that addresses our grief on every level. And I'm just like bam, that's it. Not the Psalms brain on the Psalms at all. Um, who would have thought Paul would have been able to move my heart instead of just my mind,

Brent Horan:   25:38
especially in a passage that has been debated. It sounds like, uh, Lee hit that one. Well, and you just stole from my first Thessalonians blawg. I mean, I wanted to Chapter four for another year and 1/2 but, um, at the rate I'm going. But I'm totally with you on that. I love that.

Jim Curtis:   25:55
Yeah, I'm looking forward to part two next week, but, um, you know, I just I encourage people don't box things in. We talk a lot about genre. I hope in coming up so we can talk about maybe Bible study and stuff like that. So genre is important, but it's not necessarily this steel cage, Frank, right where the only It's only there. So that's good, my brother. But before we run out of time, I wanted just one more question. Just kind of maybe rapid fire. What are some AIDS in personal devotion that you have found helpful, right, Whether it be maybe devotionals. Maybe it's certain prayers. Certain packets of sermons, whatever it may be, just kind of walk me through a couple different AIDS or types of aids that you found helpful in your own devotional life.

Brent Horan:   26:40
Yeah, I think before I answer this one, you're everyone's going to figure out what works best for them, Probably at the time. Um, at the time, in their live, I've got one of my professors. Part of his devotion was to read a page and 1/2 of a systematic theology book. Um, that could work for some people. Um, you and I probably would enjoy that, depending on what we're reading, Get to straddle the why, Really, we would write a page and 1/2. I mean, some people would probably thrive in that. And that's wonderful. You know, we always point people to things like Spurgeon's morning and evening thinking something That's okay, You're reading the Bible. But you want something that sort of helps. Um, you know, direct, Do you? In various ways, Spurgeon is just It's very difficult to beat there, others that are good too. But his, you know, usually a page. Um, some people like those I tend to like Personally, I tend to like the ones that a little bit longer that or maybe like, four or five pages. So I like to point people to things like Mark Jones book Knowing Christ, which is it's it's deeply theological, its pastoral. It is devotional. It's not lightweight on some level and will make you think I would push people things like that. Um, there's a book I'm reading right now. God is always greater than we can imagine. Very well written, very easy. It's like five or six pages, and, um just pushes our hearts to think on the greatness of God. And then, of course, there's the person who says, Well, I really just want a commentary and there's probably a couple commentaries that you and I would send them to As there is a reading, a particular book like this will be a helpful commentary. Not all commentaries be helpful. So I think there's various AIDS that people can use, um, to kind of read through a few things. Um, I really I really push people to the little bit longer devotional books or, like 456 pages. I think we get more out of them, and it only takes 15 minutes to read, even if you just take your time working through it. So there's a kind of the directions that might push somebody. Thea, those air those air.

Jim Curtis:   28:47
Great. I mean, you you say Mark Jones. He also has Ah, God is a devotional guide to the attributes of God. I've brought this up. I don't know, man. It's got to be a dozen times now to our people, But I just got a plug it again. It's so good. Um, of course, you know my passion of studying the attributes of God. Also just classic work. Okay? Not necessarily. Couldn't quote devotional, but definitely I think aid and devotional time is a value vision that's helping helping focus our prayer Time to prayer in the Bible. Go hand in hand, right. It's like cookies and milk. It's like peanut butter and jelly like you got in order to have one. You have to have the other right Eso So really just to encourage of value vision loving the valley vision to I think this is applicable to Bible reading. It says in it, in the kind of forward of the introduction. Whatever says the soul, learns to pray by praying also also learns to read the Bible by reading right? And so again, the those disco hand in hand really well and not to be out done by my brother George Kenyan in his love for Daryl Davis we have to talk about Dale Ralph Davis just if he has a commentary on the Book of the Bible. Friends at F R. P. C. I think Pastor Haran here would agree with me by it by using that stuff is just fantastic, he writes. So accessibly. So, um, eso easy to read and follows. Got stories? It's just a ton of fun. Yeah, I know a lot of families who use that for, for, um, for devotions and stuff too

Brent Horan:   30:18
well and also the Valley vision just to other things that people can use on that, Um, in that vein, there's a new one. I think it's called Piercing Heaven. I think it just in round, like in the last few months. It's like a modern day value vision. In some ways, it's absolutely wonderful. You've used some of those in service, right? I've uses and so you know, when are confessions of sin? Typically, I'll use something from piercing heaven or some other places. Another one is prone to wonder, um, these little devotionals that that really kind of have us grappling with our hearts and pointing us to Jesus, right? Those two things happening throughout the, um these little devotional prayer times and another one's method of prayer, which is, I believe, is Matthew Henry. Ah, that's Ah, kind of like a condense. Ah, all these prayers. So there's there's a ton of these things out there that are not the wooden overload people. If they wanted to have something to read to use. If they feel like man, I just I'm not getting anything out of my own. So there are aides that can help us in our time of study and time of ocean.

Jim Curtis:   31:23
That's right. And, you know, as always, they could just ask their pastor. Right? That's for something specific. Something that they're looking for. You know, we love recommending books. We love recommending AIDS. We love talking about this stuff. So, um, I just want to throw that in my brother. We're out of time. Thank you so much for your take on Bible reading. Six. Helpful, I think, Um, and looking forward to maybe diving in next week on how to study the Bible just is a sneak peek for our listeners, but it's great to talk to you