August 26, 2025 • 31 mins
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In this tribute episode, we honor Reverend Allison Johnson, a beloved friend and supporter of the podcast who recently passed away, by resharing a powerful interview about developing consistent Bible reading habits.
• Augustine said the Bible is "so shallow a baby can wade in it and so deep an elephant will drown in it"
• The importance of reading Scripture for yourself rather than relying solely on what others teach
• How to distinguish between Bible reading (for breadth) and Bible study (for depth)
• Practical advice: use a one-year Bible with daily readings from both testaments
• Find a reading partner for accountability and discussion
• When you fall behind, skip those days and keep going rather than giving up
• Reading plans like the New Living Translation make Scripture more accessible
• You should "have more Bibles than shoes" - prioritize God's Word in your life
• Don't try to fit Bible reading in—take something else off your schedule
• Reading the entire Bible provides crucial context for understanding individual verses
If this episode has been beneficial to you, please share it with others. Subscribe or follow, and all Apple podcast listeners, drop us a review.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
The One Year Bible NLT:
The Entire Bible in 365 Readings in the New Living Translation
New - Amazon
Used - Thriftbooks.com
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Whether you’re just starting your faith journey or exploring what the Bible teaches, we’d love to walk with you. God’s invitation is real, personal, and full of grace.
💬 Reach out to Jacqui at info@bible-basics.org
📖 Talk to a trusted Christian in your life
🏠 Or visit a Bible-believing church near you
You are not alone. God’s Word is alive, and He is still drawing people to Himself today. Don’t hesitate to take the next step.
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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jacqui (00:00):
Greetings listeners.
Before we begin today's episode, I'd like to take a moment to
honor my dear friend, reverendAllison Johnson.
She recently went home to bewith the Lord.
She's been a part of thispodcast from the very beginning
she's one of those whoencouraged me to start it and
(00:23):
from episode one all the waythrough the episode on the book
of Haggai, which means 114episodes.
For each one of those, herwisdom, her encouragement and
sometimes her red pen feedbackshaped what you hear.
She was a seminary graduate, anordained reverend, and full of
(00:49):
creativity.
She was always suggesting waysto make the episodes more
engaging.
She led me through my firsttime reading the entire Bible,
and we did it in just 90 days.
And we did it in just 90 days.
She also modeled what it meansto be a godly wife, a faithful
(01:09):
friend and a servant of Christ.
Today we are replaying aninterview we recorded together
some time ago.
I can't think of a better wayto remember her than to share
(01:30):
her voice and her heart with you.
Once again, reverend Allison,this one's for you.
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to another special FirstTuesdays episode of the Bible
(01:51):
Basics Podcast.
The First Tuesdays episode iswhen we hear from special guests
with their insights on readingGod's Word.
So stay tuned for a word fromour special guest, mrs Allison
Johnson.
Well, welcome everyone.
(02:16):
I'm your host, jackie Adewale,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the Bible into
understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Listeners, I am very pleased tointroduce you to a woman of God
who has poured into me, and I'mhonored to have the opportunity
(02:39):
for her to pour into you.
She's an active servant leaderwho is passionate about engaging
the saved to dig deeper intoGod's Word and make it their aim
to finish well, to the glory ofGod.
She's married to the ReverendTerrence L Johnson and has
co-labored with him in ministryfor the past 40 years.
(03:01):
For the past 40 years.
Additionally, she sows intoothers as a Christian coach and
she holds a Master's of Arts inReligion from Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School inDearborn, illinois.
This week, it's my privilege towelcome Sister Allison Johnson.
(03:25):
Sister Allison, welcome to theBible Basics podcast.
I'm thrilled to have you.
Rev Allison (03:32):
Thank you, Jacqui.
I'm glad to be here.
I'm just grateful for youinviting me.
Jacqui (03:39):
Oh, it's my pleasure Listeners.
Sister Allison is just anextraordinary Bible teacher.
She is a woman entrenched isthat the right word entrenched
deep in God's Word, and Ithought she would be the perfect
person to bring on to thepodcast to talk to us about
(04:03):
getting started reading theBible and or maintaining a
consistent Bible reading habit.
Sister Allison, tell us alittle bit about how you first
began connecting or engagingwith God's word on such a deep
(04:24):
level.
Rev Allison (04:28):
I would say that it's never deep enough.
Augustine said the Bible is so.
It can be so shallow that ababy can wait in it and it could
be so deep that an elephantwill drown in it.
And it could be so deep that anelephant will drown in it.
So when we think about that andI probably those are my
(04:52):
summation of what I remember thequote, so, with that said,
that's sort of we don't everhave to be concerned about where
we start.
You know, if we're babes, we'regoing to be waiting, and, as I
think of those people who aredeep theologians and people that
(05:14):
have helped me study throughthe years, I'm a babe, so it
doesn't seem like it's deep, butI started as a Christian and I
just had this love for the wordand God.
(05:35):
I would say that's God givenand that it was very important
for me to know his word and tobe able to teach it, because my
calling is actually teaching.
So, yeah, I don't know if Ianswered it, but that's a great
(05:55):
answer.
Jacqui (05:56):
I know from experience being a student in your classes
that you don't let your studentsget away with surface readings
of the Bible or making up ourown interpretations.
Probably others who may belistening, who also have been in
your class, would join me insaying one of the most common
thing we might hear from youduring one of your classes is
(06:20):
where is that in the Bible, oris that what it really says?
Where is that in the Bible, oris that what it really says.
Rev Allison (06:31):
So why is it important?
Jacqui (06:32):
for us to read it for ourselves.
Rev Allison (06:33):
Yeah, so that we know what's there, right.
So we know what's there, so weunderstand, you know, have God
said.
And so when we think about thefirst sin, God said, and so when
we think about the first sin,it was a manipulation on what
God had told Adam.
And so when we hear others wehave can get scripture that we
(07:10):
are without excuse.
And so it's not like our Biblesare chained to the pulpit and
the common person can't read it,you know, and we're living in
an age where we are mosteducated, and why would we dumb
ourselves down in the word ofGod and think that I can only
(07:34):
take kindergarten stuff or, as Ialways say, gospel town stuff,
like that's most elementary andnot grow in the word?
Because the more I grow in theword, the more I fall in love
with my Savior and the God ofthis Bible.
Jacqui (07:54):
So what do you say to somebody who says, okay, I want
that, I want to do that, but theBible doesn't make any sense.
I don't understand it.
Rev Allison (08:02):
Yeah, yeah, first of all, I I don't understand it.
Yeah, yeah, I want to.
First of all, I want to checktheir salvation.
Okay, I want to see if they,you know.
I want to question and ask themhow do you know Jesus?
If you were to die tonight andyou went to heaven and you were
asked why should I let you in?
(08:25):
Okay, jesus is standing at thegate, and why should I let you
in?
And you said because my motherwas a deaconess and my father
was a pastor and I've been inchurch all my life and I go to
this particular church.
(08:48):
And those are all the wronganswers.
We have to know that it'sbecause of the finished work of
Christ, the blood of Jesus, thatsaves us from our sins.
When we understand that that isthe cost of who we are in
Christ, then we are along thelines of a true conversion.
(09:14):
And the question becomes do youhunger and thirst after God's
word?
And if you're not hungering andthirsting and it's just another
book, first thing, and it'sjust another book, like somebody
said well, you know, I havethis thing right.
You should have more Biblesthan you have shoes.
I'm just saying, okay, okay,and that's.
(09:45):
You know.
Like, who's, like, what do youmean?
Because the word of God is yourtextbook and we live in a time
when we have so much access todifferent types of Bibles.
Like, I just lent out a Biblethis afternoon.
It's an archaeological Bibleand the person is interested in
archaeology and culture and so Isaid, well, take a look at it
and, just, you know, scan it andsee.
(10:08):
So we're living in this age whenwe have so much access, and how
dare us, if we say that we arein Jesus and we love him, that
we will not avail ourselves tothe word and we just come once a
(10:28):
week for an hour to two hoursand expect for the minister to
make us happy, glad andentertain us.
And we now know the word gladand entertain us.
And we now know the word wedon't go to, you know, do we go
to Sunday school?
(10:49):
Do we do a?
Do we avail ourselves to Biblestudies and things of that
nature, where we really grow?
So my point is we want we havethat, just if I'm saved, the
Holy Spirit has put in me that Iwant to know him, I want to
know him, and thus he left us atextbook, he left us his word,
(11:16):
and so I need to pick up thatword and begin to know this God
that went to the cross and diedfor me and was risen so that I
might have eternal life and wasrisen so that I might have
eternal life.
Jacqui (11:32):
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Sister
Allison's home and I can attestto the fact that I'm sure she
has more Bibles than I have.
Shoes for sure, but I don'tknow about me, so I'll have to
take a look at that.
But I love that.
But I've heard that.
Is the Bible really relevant?
(11:54):
Is it really all that relevantfor us today?
Rev Allison (11:57):
Are you saved?
And if you are, you're not evenarguing relevancy, that's not
an issue for you.
You come with childlike faith.
Okay, it's just, you know, Ican wade in the Bible and it's
always going to speak to me.
It's always going to speak tome and it's going to direct me
(12:22):
and it's going to help meunderstand this God who I have
pledged my allegiance to and,make no mistake, I pledged my
allegiance to him.
I have because of what he'sdone.
I reciprocate because of hisgrace.
I then come to him and I wantto experience him through his
(12:48):
word, not through me getting athrill and kind of jerking a
little bit in church.
Oh, I felt something.
No, after you get finishedfeeling something, I'm going to
need you to know something.
Right, because the scripturesays that we love the Lord, our
God, with all our heart, oursoul and our mind.
(13:11):
We do pretty good with saying,oh yeah, I love the Lord and,
yes, I feel him on Sundays.
What about our mind?
And somehow we have thrown ourintellect out and all we want to
do is have experiences.
Warning that will lead you inthe wrong direction.
(13:35):
We need to know what has Godsaid from Genesis to Revelation.
How has he said it?
What does he expect of us?
How can we then plant and sowin other people's lives?
We have people trying to doevangelism and they don't know
what's in the Word and, honestly, it was years before I read
(13:59):
through the scriptures fromcover to cover, and it wasn't
until I went to a Women of Faithconference and Becky Terabasi
challenged us to read the Biblein a year and so what you do?
And me and my friend, we weretogether, and so we said, okay,
we're going to do it.
(14:20):
And she was like it was 15, 20minutes a day and we started.
She had the New LivingTranslation.
I always recommend that as agood reading Bible, because
you're not going to see, oh,that was seven cubits by 40
cubits.
(14:40):
You're going to see, oh, thatwas seven feet by 20 feet.
Okay, seven feet.
I'm thinking about football andhow far thinking about football
and how far.
You know, and I can make senseof that.
You know, I see courts and Isee cups versus other types of
measurements that are strange tome, and so it reads really well
(15:04):
and it helps me understand andevery person who I've ever
started, when they get the ideathat I can read through the
Bible from cover to cover in 365days, just like Becky did with
myself and my friend.
We both were like wow, we reallyread the Bible and found out
(15:27):
some stuff in there.
We had no idea what was in here.
Get to the Song of Songs, youknow, get into some of the
things that Paul writes about,and it's just amazing.
So it's a book that just feedsour soul.
(15:48):
Now I know some of yourlisteners.
They are not going to miss ameal.
How do we, as Christians, missa meal in the Word of God?
Yeah, how do we do that?
Jacqui (16:03):
So how does the person get started?
Is that what they do?
You just pick up the Bible andstart reading it for a year.
How would you recommend someonestart this process?
Rev Allison (16:15):
Yeah, using a one-year Bible.
The one-year Bibles normallyhit the market October, november
timeframe the last quarter ofthe year.
You probably can start findingthem in September.
Do not wait until January totry to get one, because then you
know, you might have to wait acouple of days and that's really
(16:36):
not a problem because there areall sorts of reading plans.
But I like paper and it's goodto have a piece of paper where
you have a book in your hand,not on your phone, okay, okay,
why?
Because you want to mark it upand I know people say, well, I
(16:58):
can highlight let's get realOkay, and the reason you want to
, you want to be able to, youwant to be able to highlight it,
you want to be able to make anote of how it spoke to you, if
it did, or something thatconnected for you, so you can
(17:20):
write in the margins of it.
Because this is a textbook forus and it's not this.
You know people say the HolyBible and so therefore they want
it in a box and they want tobring it to church.
Jacqui (17:30):
Never write in it.
Rev Allison (17:32):
Yeah, never write in it.
I don't know how you do that,because you got to write in it,
because you know why.
You can't remember everything,but you'll remember.
It was on the right-hand side,I'm halfway down and you see
that yellow marking and I'lltell you if I am.
On my last few days of my lifeand I did this with my best
(17:55):
friend of 34 years I was able totake her Bible and her markings
and read them to her as she wastransitioning, and so there's a
sacredness there of the notesthat you leave and you can plant
into your children's life andnieces and nephews, whatever
(18:19):
your situation is.
So one year Bible, get a oneyear Bible because it's going to
give you the New Testament,it's going to give you the Old
Testament, new Testament Psalmand a proverb, new Testament
Psalm and a Proverb, and it'lltake you through in 365 days.
(18:41):
The Bible I always recommend youget a partner.
You know that good girlfriendthat y'all both been saying, hey
, we should read it, but y'alldo everything else together, so
you might as well do the Bibletogether, and so just read that
day.
Just read that day, and thenyou can either send each other
texts a couple of times duringthe week or however close your
(19:04):
relationship is.
I remember, my friend, we werelike did you see that I had no
idea when we started reading theBible and we read it from cover
to cover that first year and Iwas actually teaching the Bible
and it had been 10 years and Iwould always study the lesson
and everything, but I had neverreally read it from cover to
(19:27):
cover.
And I'm such a proponent of you, you want to read it cover to
cover.
And sometimes, Jacqui, I'llhave people that'll say, okay, I
did that and I'm like yourpoint is read it again, read it
again.
I remember when I was inseminary I had one of my
(19:49):
professors say that hisprofessor read the Bible three
times in a year.
Plus he read it in the originallanguages, in the Hebrew and
then in the Greek.
Can you imagine?
I'm like, yeah, so one year iselementary and you get you the
(20:15):
New Living Translation.
Ok, that's what you want to do.
And take a friend with you.
Right now I have five, fiveladies and we're reading through
the one year Bible and we'rereading a different version this
year, and when I say version,we are reading the New American
Standard Bible, because I havenever read that one from cover
(20:37):
to cover, and so after you'veread it a few times in the NLT,
then you can sort of vary howyou want to read and keeping it
fresh for you.
Although it never goes old, itnever gets old, but I like to
just do different things, yeah.
Jacqui (20:58):
I love that.
I particularly like the idea ofdoing it with someone.
I recall when you challengedmyself and a number of other
people to read the Bible in 90days.
That seems insurmountable.
Rev Allison (21:15):
That's the.
Jacqui (21:15):
Bible, on steroids, y'all, but we did it with a
group.
So during the week we'reinteracting online, maybe making
a phone call to friends, butthen on Saturday mornings we all
got together and we talkedabout what we had read.
We looked at some otherresources.
I recall we had a video that welooked at to just kind of go
(21:37):
over, because 90 days is fast.
Yes, so it helps to reinforcesome of the things you learn.
But that companionship, thatpartnership, I believe made all
the difference in the world.
Rev Allison (21:48):
Yeah, and people say why in the world would you
want to read the Bible in 90days?
Because everything is so zoomedin for you.
You are in Exodus in four daysand so now, when you're
interacting with Exodus, wow,genesis is so fresh for you.
(22:09):
That is.
It's just a whole differentexperience than reading the
Bible in 90 days and and butthat's a whole different process
.
And for those of you who'venever read it once, just go
daily 90 days.
(22:30):
You have to.
You see, the whole thing is youdon't fit it in, you take
something off of your scheduleperiod.
You can't fit it in, you haveto take something off of your
schedule.
So for me it was an hour and ahalf, 90 minutes of what I would
normally watch at night.
I would normally watch at night, I normally take that.
(22:51):
Whatever that news show is orprogram I watch, I take that off
and that's and I'm concentrated, which is like when do you read
?
Morning, afternoon, evening.
It's what works for you andmake sure that you are awake
when you're doing it.
(23:11):
Yeah, yeah, so 90 days is alittle bit more advanced, I
would say.
But, like you said, that wasthe first time you had went
through the entire Bible.
Jacqui (23:26):
Yes, it was.
That was the very first time.
Rev Allison (23:29):
Yeah, yeah.
Jacqui (23:30):
Since then, I've done the one-year Bible.
Right now, I'm reading the NewTestament in 90 days.
Okay, and I have to tell you itis an amazing experience.
I was just telling someoneabout this.
I feel as if I was walkingalong with Jesus standing right
there, hearing every word.
Now I'm listening to Paul.
(23:51):
I'm experiencing Paul havinghis discussions, his
confinements in jail, hisexperiences trying to explain
about God's grace and about thelaw, and it just and I'm right
there because it's a slowerprocess.
So that one year idea ofreading the Bible in one year
(24:13):
and for me now focusing on thewhole New Testament in 90 days,
that being able to go at aslower pace and really take it
in and put yourself in a placeand understand the context makes
all the difference in the world.
Now I wanted to talk about that.
I wanted you to talk about that, the idea of context.
(24:35):
Often people quote scripturesJeremiah 29, 11.
I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans to give you hope in thefuture, plans to prosper you and
not harm you, and so life'sgoing to be great.
I know I'm going to win, I knowI'm going to succeed.
I know I'm going to get the jobbecause God has plans for me
(24:57):
Without any idea about.
Well, why was Jeremiah sayingthat?
Who was he even speaking to?
What plans was he talking about?
Can you say a few words aboutthat, about what reading the
Bible gives you in terms ofcontext?
Rev Allison (25:12):
Yeah, when you ask that question, what I don't want
your audience to hear is studyversus reading.
Bible reading is reading.
Jacqui (25:27):
Okay.
Rev Allison (25:28):
Bible studying is studying.
Jacqui (25:30):
Okay.
Rev Allison (25:31):
Now, when you're reading, you do get the context,
because you are reading throughthe entire chapter and not just
picking a verse out.
So that's happening, right.
And then you know that you'rein the book, okay, and what's
happening, you're followingalong with the book and what is
happening in that particularbook.
(25:52):
So the key to Bible reading isdo not study.
Most people fall off the railsbecause they try to study.
Oh, that looks really good, Iwant to find out more.
That's not Bible reading.
That's why we can't get through.
In one year we can't getthrough the entire Bible,
because we then get off trackand we study and then we never
(26:18):
pick it back up.
And by the time you get toLeviticus and all of those, you
know you've got the peace andthe air and, and, and and all of
that, and the slaughtering ofthe lambs and the goats, and,
and you're like your head isswimming and you're like, oh, my
goodness, what in the world?
You know, just read.
(26:38):
What you are capturing the firsttime you read all the way
through, is what you shouldcapture.
You know, don't beat yourselfup.
I don't understand that.
Just keep going.
If you are one of those peoplethat are saying, but I can't,
okay, then get you a journal andput it next to you and put a
note.
I want to go back to this andkeep reading.
(27:00):
You know, don't stop.
So studying is different fromreading and I think I would
caution, don't get it mixed up.
Don't get it mixed up.
Read and then study, and I'm areal good advocate for just
reading through.
(27:20):
And once you've read it throughand you keep reading it through
, it becomes so familiar to youand then you have to slow
yourself down because it becomestoo familiar to you and you
start reading over things.
Right, yeah, but I think thatthere's different ways of
studying, but reading is justreading.
Jacqui (27:42):
That's a great distinction.
I've definitely been caught upin that, coming across a verse
or a word or a person that Ihave to know more about right
now, and that certainly doestake you off track.
Rev Allison (27:57):
Yes, yes, yes.
And when you fall behind, thenyou start giving up.
I always tell people, if youget your strategy like if you do
every day, you're going to befine get behind more than two
days, skip those two days andkeep reading.
Because what happens is whenyou start trying to catch up,
(28:32):
you get defeated and at the end,if you follow that process, you
will probably have read 80 to90 percent of your Bible and you
are better off with 90 percentor 80 percent than you are with
10 percent.
Because you gave up, becauseyou got too hard and you
(28:53):
couldn't keep up.
Life happens, Life happens, youknow.
And so just pick up on thatnext day that you're on and keep
going.
Jacqui (29:05):
Wow, that's great advice .
Rev Allison (29:07):
You get to do it again next year.
Jacqui (29:08):
And that is the thing about it Whatever you miss this
time, you'll pick it up nexttime, because this needs to be
something we continue to do.
Rev Allison (29:18):
And the question becomes why?
Again, because this is ourtextbook for life.
It's the word of God.
It is totally relevant to thebeliever.
The non-believer questions it,but the believer knows that this
is life.
(29:38):
It is truthful and I know thatwhat I'm reading has a faithful
accuracy of what God has said.
Jacqui (29:52):
Wow, listeners, I told you.
I told you that this was goingto be amazing, that we were
going to get exactly what weneeded.
Not only is Sister Allison ateacher, she is an encourager.
I feel motivated.
I feel more motivated now andI'm in the midst of my reading,
(30:13):
but I'm ready to start again.
So I can't wait, and I've neverread the New Living Translation
, so I'm looking forward to mynext reading.
Taking that approach, we'regoing to try to put some links
to where we let you know thatyou have an open invitation to
come back anytime on this topicor any other.
Rev Allison (30:50):
Thank you.
Jacqui (30:53):
Thank you for tuning in.
If this has been beneficial toyou, please share it with others
.
Subscribe or follow, and all ofyou Apple podcast listeners,
drop us a review.
Greetings listeners.
Before we begin today's episode, I'd like to take a moment to
honor my dear friend, reverendAllison Johnson.
She recently went home to bewith the Lord.
She's been a part of thispodcast from the very beginning
she's one of those whoencouraged me to start it and
(00:23):
from episode one all the waythrough the episode on the book
of Haggai, which means 114episodes.
For each one of those, herwisdom, her encouragement and
sometimes her red pen feedbackshaped what you hear.
She was a seminary graduate, anordained reverend, and full of
(00:49):
creativity.
She was always suggesting waysto make the episodes more
engaging.
She led me through my firsttime reading the entire Bible,
and we did it in just 90 days.
And we did it in just 90 days.
She also modeled what it meansto be a godly wife, a faithful
(01:09):
friend and a servant of Christ.
Today we are replaying aninterview we recorded together
some time ago.
I can't think of a better wayto remember her than to share
(01:30):
her voice and her heart with you.
Once again, reverend Allison,this one's for you.
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to another special FirstTuesdays episode of the Bible
(01:51):
Basics Podcast.
The First Tuesdays episode iswhen we hear from special guests
with their insights on readingGod's Word.
So stay tuned for a word fromour special guest, mrs Allison
Johnson.
Well, welcome everyone.
(02:16):
I'm your host, jackie Adewale,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the Bible into
understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Listeners, I am very pleased tointroduce you to a woman of God
who has poured into me, and I'mhonored to have the opportunity
(02:39):
for her to pour into you.
She's an active servant leaderwho is passionate about engaging
the saved to dig deeper intoGod's Word and make it their aim
to finish well, to the glory ofGod.
She's married to the ReverendTerrence L Johnson and has
co-labored with him in ministryfor the past 40 years.
(03:01):
For the past 40 years.
Additionally, she sows intoothers as a Christian coach and
she holds a Master's of Arts inReligion from Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School inDearborn, illinois.
This week, it's my privilege towelcome Sister Allison Johnson.
(03:25):
Sister Allison, welcome to theBible Basics podcast.
I'm thrilled to have you.
Rev Allison (03:32):
Thank you, Jacqui.
I'm glad to be here.
I'm just grateful for youinviting me.
Jacqui (03:39):
Oh, it's my pleasure Listeners.
Sister Allison is just anextraordinary Bible teacher.
She is a woman entrenched isthat the right word entrenched
deep in God's Word, and Ithought she would be the perfect
person to bring on to thepodcast to talk to us about
(04:03):
getting started reading theBible and or maintaining a
consistent Bible reading habit.
Sister Allison, tell us alittle bit about how you first
began connecting or engagingwith God's word on such a deep
(04:24):
level.
Rev Allison (04:28):
I would say that it's never deep enough.
Augustine said the Bible is so.
It can be so shallow that ababy can wait in it and it could
be so deep that an elephantwill drown in it.
And it could be so deep that anelephant will drown in it.
So when we think about that andI probably those are my
(04:52):
summation of what I remember thequote, so, with that said,
that's sort of we don't everhave to be concerned about where
we start.
You know, if we're babes, we'regoing to be waiting, and, as I
think of those people who aredeep theologians and people that
(05:14):
have helped me study throughthe years, I'm a babe, so it
doesn't seem like it's deep, butI started as a Christian and I
just had this love for the wordand God.
(05:35):
I would say that's God givenand that it was very important
for me to know his word and tobe able to teach it, because my
calling is actually teaching.
So, yeah, I don't know if Ianswered it, but that's a great
(05:55):
answer.
Jacqui (05:56):
I know from experience being a student in your classes
that you don't let your studentsget away with surface readings
of the Bible or making up ourown interpretations.
Probably others who may belistening, who also have been in
your class, would join me insaying one of the most common
thing we might hear from youduring one of your classes is
(06:20):
where is that in the Bible, oris that what it really says?
Where is that in the Bible, oris that what it really says.
Rev Allison (06:31):
So why is it important?
Jacqui (06:32):
for us to read it for ourselves.
Rev Allison (06:33):
Yeah, so that we know what's there, right.
So we know what's there, so weunderstand, you know, have God
said.
And so when we think about thefirst sin, God said, and so when
we think about the first sin,it was a manipulation on what
God had told Adam.
And so when we hear others wehave can get scripture that we
(07:10):
are without excuse.
And so it's not like our Biblesare chained to the pulpit and
the common person can't read it,you know, and we're living in
an age where we are mosteducated, and why would we dumb
ourselves down in the word ofGod and think that I can only
(07:34):
take kindergarten stuff or, as Ialways say, gospel town stuff,
like that's most elementary andnot grow in the word?
Because the more I grow in theword, the more I fall in love
with my Savior and the God ofthis Bible.
Jacqui (07:54):
So what do you say to somebody who says, okay, I want
that, I want to do that, but theBible doesn't make any sense.
I don't understand it.
Rev Allison (08:02):
Yeah, yeah, first of all, I I don't understand it.
Yeah, yeah, I want to.
First of all, I want to checktheir salvation.
Okay, I want to see if they,you know.
I want to question and ask themhow do you know Jesus?
If you were to die tonight andyou went to heaven and you were
asked why should I let you in?
(08:25):
Okay, jesus is standing at thegate, and why should I let you
in?
And you said because my motherwas a deaconess and my father
was a pastor and I've been inchurch all my life and I go to
this particular church.
(08:48):
And those are all the wronganswers.
We have to know that it'sbecause of the finished work of
Christ, the blood of Jesus, thatsaves us from our sins.
When we understand that that isthe cost of who we are in
Christ, then we are along thelines of a true conversion.
(09:14):
And the question becomes do youhunger and thirst after God's
word?
And if you're not hungering andthirsting and it's just another
book, first thing, and it'sjust another book, like somebody
said well, you know, I havethis thing right.
You should have more Biblesthan you have shoes.
I'm just saying, okay, okay,and that's.
(09:45):
You know.
Like, who's, like, what do youmean?
Because the word of God is yourtextbook and we live in a time
when we have so much access todifferent types of Bibles.
Like, I just lent out a Biblethis afternoon.
It's an archaeological Bibleand the person is interested in
archaeology and culture and so Isaid, well, take a look at it
and, just, you know, scan it andsee.
(10:08):
So we're living in this age whenwe have so much access, and how
dare us, if we say that we arein Jesus and we love him, that
we will not avail ourselves tothe word and we just come once a
(10:28):
week for an hour to two hoursand expect for the minister to
make us happy, glad andentertain us.
And we now know the word gladand entertain us.
And we now know the word wedon't go to, you know, do we go
to Sunday school?
(10:49):
Do we do a?
Do we avail ourselves to Biblestudies and things of that
nature, where we really grow?
So my point is we want we havethat, just if I'm saved, the
Holy Spirit has put in me that Iwant to know him, I want to
know him, and thus he left us atextbook, he left us his word,
(11:16):
and so I need to pick up thatword and begin to know this God
that went to the cross and diedfor me and was risen so that I
might have eternal life and wasrisen so that I might have
eternal life.
Jacqui (11:32):
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Sister
Allison's home and I can attestto the fact that I'm sure she
has more Bibles than I have.
Shoes for sure, but I don'tknow about me, so I'll have to
take a look at that.
But I love that.
But I've heard that.
Is the Bible really relevant?
(11:54):
Is it really all that relevantfor us today?
Rev Allison (11:57):
Are you saved?
And if you are, you're not evenarguing relevancy, that's not
an issue for you.
You come with childlike faith.
Okay, it's just, you know, Ican wade in the Bible and it's
always going to speak to me.
It's always going to speak tome and it's going to direct me
(12:22):
and it's going to help meunderstand this God who I have
pledged my allegiance to and,make no mistake, I pledged my
allegiance to him.
I have because of what he'sdone.
I reciprocate because of hisgrace.
I then come to him and I wantto experience him through his
(12:48):
word, not through me getting athrill and kind of jerking a
little bit in church.
Oh, I felt something.
No, after you get finishedfeeling something, I'm going to
need you to know something.
Right, because the scripturesays that we love the Lord, our
God, with all our heart, oursoul and our mind.
(13:11):
We do pretty good with saying,oh yeah, I love the Lord and,
yes, I feel him on Sundays.
What about our mind?
And somehow we have thrown ourintellect out and all we want to
do is have experiences.
Warning that will lead you inthe wrong direction.
(13:35):
We need to know what has Godsaid from Genesis to Revelation.
How has he said it?
What does he expect of us?
How can we then plant and sowin other people's lives?
We have people trying to doevangelism and they don't know
what's in the Word and, honestly, it was years before I read
(13:59):
through the scriptures fromcover to cover, and it wasn't
until I went to a Women of Faithconference and Becky Terabasi
challenged us to read the Biblein a year and so what you do?
And me and my friend, we weretogether, and so we said, okay,
we're going to do it.
(14:20):
And she was like it was 15, 20minutes a day and we started.
She had the New LivingTranslation.
I always recommend that as agood reading Bible, because
you're not going to see, oh,that was seven cubits by 40
cubits.
(14:40):
You're going to see, oh, thatwas seven feet by 20 feet.
Okay, seven feet.
I'm thinking about football andhow far thinking about football
and how far.
You know, and I can make senseof that.
You know, I see courts and Isee cups versus other types of
measurements that are strange tome, and so it reads really well
(15:04):
and it helps me understand andevery person who I've ever
started, when they get the ideathat I can read through the
Bible from cover to cover in 365days, just like Becky did with
myself and my friend.
We both were like wow, we reallyread the Bible and found out
(15:27):
some stuff in there.
We had no idea what was in here.
Get to the Song of Songs, youknow, get into some of the
things that Paul writes about,and it's just amazing.
So it's a book that just feedsour soul.
(15:48):
Now I know some of yourlisteners.
They are not going to miss ameal.
How do we, as Christians, missa meal in the Word of God?
Yeah, how do we do that?
Jacqui (16:03):
So how does the person get started?
Is that what they do?
You just pick up the Bible andstart reading it for a year.
How would you recommend someonestart this process?
Rev Allison (16:15):
Yeah, using a one-year Bible.
The one-year Bibles normallyhit the market October, november
timeframe the last quarter ofthe year.
You probably can start findingthem in September.
Do not wait until January totry to get one, because then you
know, you might have to wait acouple of days and that's really
(16:36):
not a problem because there areall sorts of reading plans.
But I like paper and it's goodto have a piece of paper where
you have a book in your hand,not on your phone, okay, okay,
why?
Because you want to mark it upand I know people say, well, I
(16:58):
can highlight let's get realOkay, and the reason you want to
, you want to be able to, youwant to be able to highlight it,
you want to be able to make anote of how it spoke to you, if
it did, or something thatconnected for you, so you can
(17:20):
write in the margins of it.
Because this is a textbook forus and it's not this.
You know people say the HolyBible and so therefore they want
it in a box and they want tobring it to church.
Jacqui (17:30):
Never write in it.
Rev Allison (17:32):
Yeah, never write in it.
I don't know how you do that,because you got to write in it,
because you know why.
You can't remember everything,but you'll remember.
It was on the right-hand side,I'm halfway down and you see
that yellow marking and I'lltell you if I am.
On my last few days of my lifeand I did this with my best
(17:55):
friend of 34 years I was able totake her Bible and her markings
and read them to her as she wastransitioning, and so there's a
sacredness there of the notesthat you leave and you can plant
into your children's life andnieces and nephews, whatever
(18:19):
your situation is.
So one year Bible, get a oneyear Bible because it's going to
give you the New Testament,it's going to give you the Old
Testament, new Testament Psalmand a proverb, new Testament
Psalm and a Proverb, and it'lltake you through in 365 days.
(18:41):
The Bible I always recommend youget a partner.
You know that good girlfriendthat y'all both been saying, hey
, we should read it, but y'alldo everything else together, so
you might as well do the Bibletogether, and so just read that
day.
Just read that day, and thenyou can either send each other
texts a couple of times duringthe week or however close your
(19:04):
relationship is.
I remember, my friend, we werelike did you see that I had no
idea when we started reading theBible and we read it from cover
to cover that first year and Iwas actually teaching the Bible
and it had been 10 years and Iwould always study the lesson
and everything, but I had neverreally read it from cover to
(19:27):
cover.
And I'm such a proponent of you, you want to read it cover to
cover.
And sometimes, Jacqui, I'llhave people that'll say, okay, I
did that and I'm like yourpoint is read it again, read it
again.
I remember when I was inseminary I had one of my
(19:49):
professors say that hisprofessor read the Bible three
times in a year.
Plus he read it in the originallanguages, in the Hebrew and
then in the Greek.
Can you imagine?
I'm like, yeah, so one year iselementary and you get you the
(20:15):
New Living Translation.
Ok, that's what you want to do.
And take a friend with you.
Right now I have five, fiveladies and we're reading through
the one year Bible and we'rereading a different version this
year, and when I say version,we are reading the New American
Standard Bible, because I havenever read that one from cover
(20:37):
to cover, and so after you'veread it a few times in the NLT,
then you can sort of vary howyou want to read and keeping it
fresh for you.
Although it never goes old, itnever gets old, but I like to
just do different things, yeah.
Jacqui (20:58):
I love that.
I particularly like the idea ofdoing it with someone.
I recall when you challengedmyself and a number of other
people to read the Bible in 90days.
That seems insurmountable.
Rev Allison (21:15):
That's the.
Jacqui (21:15):
Bible, on steroids, y'all, but we did it with a
group.
So during the week we'reinteracting online, maybe making
a phone call to friends, butthen on Saturday mornings we all
got together and we talkedabout what we had read.
We looked at some otherresources.
I recall we had a video that welooked at to just kind of go
(21:37):
over, because 90 days is fast.
Yes, so it helps to reinforcesome of the things you learn.
But that companionship, thatpartnership, I believe made all
the difference in the world.
Rev Allison (21:48):
Yeah, and people say why in the world would you
want to read the Bible in 90days?
Because everything is so zoomedin for you.
You are in Exodus in four daysand so now, when you're
interacting with Exodus, wow,genesis is so fresh for you.
(22:09):
That is.
It's just a whole differentexperience than reading the
Bible in 90 days and and butthat's a whole different process
.
And for those of you who'venever read it once, just go
daily 90 days.
(22:30):
You have to.
You see, the whole thing is youdon't fit it in, you take
something off of your scheduleperiod.
You can't fit it in, you haveto take something off of your
schedule.
So for me it was an hour and ahalf, 90 minutes of what I would
normally watch at night.
I would normally watch at night, I normally take that.
(22:51):
Whatever that news show is orprogram I watch, I take that off
and that's and I'm concentrated, which is like when do you read
?
Morning, afternoon, evening.
It's what works for you andmake sure that you are awake
when you're doing it.
(23:11):
Yeah, yeah, so 90 days is alittle bit more advanced, I
would say.
But, like you said, that wasthe first time you had went
through the entire Bible.
Jacqui (23:26):
Yes, it was.
That was the very first time.
Rev Allison (23:29):
Yeah, yeah.
Jacqui (23:30):
Since then, I've done the one-year Bible.
Right now, I'm reading the NewTestament in 90 days.
Okay, and I have to tell you itis an amazing experience.
I was just telling someoneabout this.
I feel as if I was walkingalong with Jesus standing right
there, hearing every word.
Now I'm listening to Paul.
(23:51):
I'm experiencing Paul havinghis discussions, his
confinements in jail, hisexperiences trying to explain
about God's grace and about thelaw, and it just and I'm right
there because it's a slowerprocess.
So that one year idea ofreading the Bible in one year
(24:13):
and for me now focusing on thewhole New Testament in 90 days,
that being able to go at aslower pace and really take it
in and put yourself in a placeand understand the context makes
all the difference in the world.
Now I wanted to talk about that.
I wanted you to talk about that, the idea of context.
(24:35):
Often people quote scripturesJeremiah 29, 11.
I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans to give you hope in thefuture, plans to prosper you and
not harm you, and so life'sgoing to be great.
I know I'm going to win, I knowI'm going to succeed.
I know I'm going to get the jobbecause God has plans for me
(24:57):
Without any idea about.
Well, why was Jeremiah sayingthat?
Who was he even speaking to?
What plans was he talking about?
Can you say a few words aboutthat, about what reading the
Bible gives you in terms ofcontext?
Rev Allison (25:12):
Yeah, when you ask that question, what I don't want
your audience to hear is studyversus reading.
Bible reading is reading.
Jacqui (25:27):
Okay.
Rev Allison (25:28):
Bible studying is studying.
Jacqui (25:30):
Okay.
Rev Allison (25:31):
Now, when you're reading, you do get the context,
because you are reading throughthe entire chapter and not just
picking a verse out.
So that's happening, right.
And then you know that you'rein the book, okay, and what's
happening, you're followingalong with the book and what is
happening in that particularbook.
(25:52):
So the key to Bible reading isdo not study.
Most people fall off the railsbecause they try to study.
Oh, that looks really good, Iwant to find out more.
That's not Bible reading.
That's why we can't get through.
In one year we can't getthrough the entire Bible,
because we then get off trackand we study and then we never
(26:18):
pick it back up.
And by the time you get toLeviticus and all of those, you
know you've got the peace andthe air and, and, and and all of
that, and the slaughtering ofthe lambs and the goats, and,
and you're like your head isswimming and you're like, oh, my
goodness, what in the world?
You know, just read.
(26:38):
What you are capturing the firsttime you read all the way
through, is what you shouldcapture.
You know, don't beat yourselfup.
I don't understand that.
Just keep going.
If you are one of those peoplethat are saying, but I can't,
okay, then get you a journal andput it next to you and put a
note.
I want to go back to this andkeep reading.
(27:00):
You know, don't stop.
So studying is different fromreading and I think I would
caution, don't get it mixed up.
Don't get it mixed up.
Read and then study, and I'm areal good advocate for just
reading through.
(27:20):
And once you've read it throughand you keep reading it through
, it becomes so familiar to youand then you have to slow
yourself down because it becomestoo familiar to you and you
start reading over things.
Right, yeah, but I think thatthere's different ways of
studying, but reading is justreading.
Jacqui (27:42):
That's a great distinction.
I've definitely been caught upin that, coming across a verse
or a word or a person that Ihave to know more about right
now, and that certainly doestake you off track.
Rev Allison (27:57):
Yes, yes, yes.
And when you fall behind, thenyou start giving up.
I always tell people, if youget your strategy like if you do
every day, you're going to befine get behind more than two
days, skip those two days andkeep reading.
Because what happens is whenyou start trying to catch up,
(28:32):
you get defeated and at the end,if you follow that process, you
will probably have read 80 to90 percent of your Bible and you
are better off with 90 percentor 80 percent than you are with
10 percent.
Because you gave up, becauseyou got too hard and you
(28:53):
couldn't keep up.
Life happens, Life happens, youknow.
And so just pick up on thatnext day that you're on and keep
going.
Jacqui (29:05):
Wow, that's great advice .
Rev Allison (29:07):
You get to do it again next year.
Jacqui (29:08):
And that is the thing about it Whatever you miss this
time, you'll pick it up nexttime, because this needs to be
something we continue to do.
Rev Allison (29:18):
And the question becomes why?
Again, because this is ourtextbook for life.
It's the word of God.
It is totally relevant to thebeliever.
The non-believer questions it,but the believer knows that this
is life.
(29:38):
It is truthful and I know thatwhat I'm reading has a faithful
accuracy of what God has said.
Jacqui (29:52):
Wow, listeners, I told you.
I told you that this was goingto be amazing, that we were
going to get exactly what weneeded.
Not only is Sister Allison ateacher, she is an encourager.
I feel motivated.
I feel more motivated now andI'm in the midst of my reading,
(30:13):
but I'm ready to start again.
So I can't wait, and I've neverread the New Living Translation
, so I'm looking forward to mynext reading.
Taking that approach, we'regoing to try to put some links
to where we let you know thatyou have an open invitation to
come back anytime on this topicor any other.
Rev Allison (30:50):
Thank you.
Jacqui (30:53):
Thank you for tuning in.
If this has been beneficial toyou, please share it with others
.
Subscribe or follow, and all ofyou Apple podcast listeners,
drop us a review.
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