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The Bible is the most extraordinary book you’ll ever read; it’s how God speaks directly to us and how his Spirit works to change us. But it can seem intimidating, confusing and even a little bit boring.
In this book, Gary Millar shows you that the skills you need to read the Bible are not beyond your grasp. In a warm, approachable style, he gives you the tools to read and understand the Bible for yourself, helping you move from confusion to confidence as you enjoy refreshment in God’s word.
Whether you are a new believer and don’t know where to start or you have been a Christian for a ...while but have never got into a regular habit of Bible reading, this book will equip you to get going. As you read the Bible, you will hear God speak, and you will be changed to be more like Jesus. Don’t miss out!
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• Add Need To Know and pay just $20 for both.
I work with folks who are new to following Jesus or who are making a conscience effort to lay down firmer foundations in their faith. I initially bought "Read This First" a few years ago hoping it might be helpful, in part because it was nice to see a local Northern Irish voice that we might more easily engage with. I've since bought it for groups on a few occasions, including to read with our interns and to give to those taking part in The Bible Course in our Church.
Gary Millar's style is very easy to read and follow. It's warm, accessible and practical, while demonstrating his experience and skill for teaching. Our interns are just out of school and aren't big readers - it wasn't a problem for them. However, there is also enough depth for those who have been reading the Bible for longer to find help to grow in their appreciation and understanding for God's Word.
I'd highly recommend grabbing a copy, it's well worth the money and time to read.
(As a side note - his other book "Need to Know" is also a very helpful read.)
Gary Millar’s new book with The Good Book Co., Read This First, is an introductory guidebook for those engaging with Christianity for the first time or for new or confused Bible readers. Millar’s goal is to help people become confident readers of God’s Word by learning how to discern the differences between genres, the meaning of various texts, and the context within God’s storyline, as well as how to see Jesus throughout all of Scripture. If you yourself are new to reading the Bible, or know someone who is, Millar’s book is a quality, quick read to prepare for a ...lifetime of reading the Bible and hearing from God.
Millar writes, “Hopefully, reading this book has convinced you that reading the Bible isn't as hard as you thought. Yes, it's from a different ‘world.’ Yes, it's different from any other book. But in God's kindness, he has set things up so that when we read it, we hear his voice, speaking right into our world, right now, by the power of his Spirit. And incredibly, through this book, God speaks to every believer—including you—no matter how long you've been a Christian or how little or much you know. You can hear him just as clearly as someone who's been reading the Scripture for decades! The Bible is God’s precious gift to you.”
I was very intrigued by this book as I know many believers, new and experienced, struggle to study and understand the Bible. They often have no idea where to even begin. So a book like this would seem to be quite helpful to most.
The book is structured with seven chapters and a special appendix:
- Why bother with the Bible?
- Learning to Read
- What's the vibe?
- You know what I mean?
- King Context
- It's not about me (although it is!)
- Over to you
I love that he starts with the introduction and the first chapter discussing the importance and validity of the Bible. He mentions that the Bible is the number one selling book of all time and thus seems to be a legitimate reason for anyone, believer or not, to seek it. He also provides a list of seven reasons why not to read the Bible - all of which are realistically common within our society but ultimately excuses. Later on in chapter one, he addresses the results of the Bible claiming to be God-breathed.
Each chapter condoles with a "your turn" section. This section provides a scripture reference along with activities and exercises to complete. These are meant as gradual steps to learning how to read, study and understand the Bible.
Having been a believer and done many bible studies, I did not find this book necessarily helpful for myself. For those who are new believers or even non-believers seeking to learn more, I can see where this book would provide some helpful starting points in understanding the Bible and its purpose.
God makes it clear in Scripture that our knowledge and wisdom of the Bible, the Gospel and God is simply because the Father has chosen to reveal it to us. So we can read every book ever written about the Gospel, but ultimately God is the one who will reveal his Gospel to us as He sees fit.
I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.
