Stones intro sampler - Flipbook - Page 27
PA RT 1
CO NTE X T
Before you begin your study, we will start with the context of the story we are
about to read together: the setting, both cultural and historical; the people
involved; and where our passage fits in the larger setting of Scripture. All
these things help us make sense of what we’re reading. Understanding the
context of a Bible story is fundamental to reading Scripture well. Getting
your bearings before you read will enable you to answer the question What
am I about to read?
“I’VE MADE A MESS OF MY LIFE, and I’m trying to get my cr**
together—but I need to fly under the radar today.”
She was a thirtysomething professional wearing a pencil skirt and working the
room for new contacts. Between bursts of confidence and introductory smiles,
she leaned over and began to whisper her story. She didn’t want to take a picture
with me at the networking luncheon, she said—not because of the messy divorce
she’d just been through, but because she was skittish at the thought of her dad
and stepmom, both devout Christians, finding out she’d attended a Christian
luncheon.
This young woman was a delight to talk to. She was interesting, ambitious,
and open about her faith journey. She had believed in Jesus at one time in her
youth, and she really hoped she still had faith, but she was just starting to figure
that out on her own. Her dad and stepmom hovered over her at every social event
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