Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and bestselling author Dr. Paul David Tripp

connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

The characters in Scripture are given to us so that we would be able to know ourselves better.

In today's episode, we continue through this series on the Bible, and Paul

reveals what we can learn from these historical figures. Here's Paul with real people.

Well, here's what's been up with me when it comes to the Bible. I guess I've always treated my

Bible like a life encyclopedia. I thought of it as a list

of topics that God has spoken to, so I'd use my concordance and I would look for verses on the

particular topics of interest, and then I would check out what each of those verses had to say about

the topic. I had no idea the Bible was a story. I didn't grasp topical verses were connected to the story of Scripture, and I couldn't

possibly understand them when I'd rip them out of the context of the story that they

were in.

I had no clue.

They were great themes running through every part of the biblical story, themes that could

define God and me and the life I was created to live. And it always sort of bugged me that the Bible

was arranged the way it was. The other way I used the Bible was in my personal reading each

morning. As I looked back over the years, I didn't think I was really reading to learn so much

as I was reading each morning to get blessed, you know. I mean, I was hoping that God would

meet me in some obvious way each morning as I read. I was reading to get blessed, you know. I mean, I was hoping that God would meet me in some obvious way each morning as I read.

I was reading to get a spiritual buzz as I started my day, so I didn't read as a student.

I didn't examine the content of each passage for how it related to the whole of God's

word and for the wisdom that could be found there.

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