The Life Verse experience helps readers see the broad themes of Scripture and overlay them on the themes of their own lives. From there, author David Edwards invites readers deeper into Scripture to find their personal life verse and to understand the richness of its context and the fullness of its application. Finally, readers learn how to use their life verse in sharing Christ with others. This compelling experience helps readers learn to see the Bible thematically, read it personally, and share Christ in a natural and biblical manner, while finding their true identity in God’s Word. This book will help you Discern where you’re at, Discover that life verse, Develop the life verse, go Deeper with the verse. I wish I had read a book like this decades ago. Life Verse is a remarkable blending of biblical truth and practical counsel. Young believers and veteran Christians will both benefit from reading this book. Warren W. Wiersbe, former pastor of Moody Church Discover the Power of One Verse What if you find one verse that can cut through the fog of routine and low-level living to empower, reenergize, and reorient you to a new way of seeing and living? Word by word, line by line, one holy sentence can change your story, as you find your true identity in God’s Word. Let author and speaker David Edwards help you find your verse, and understand the richness of its context and the fullness of its application for your life. Along the way, you will learn to see the Bible thematically, read it personally and expectantly, and share your story in a new and personal way. Life verse Discovering The Power of Scripture in Your Story By David Edwards Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2014 David Edwards All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-61291-638-5 Contents Acknowledgments, vii, Introduction: The Power of One Verse, ix, Part I: Re-Verse: Trading Our Old Stories, CHAPTER 1 Listen to Your Life, 7, CHAPTER 2 Inventory Your Story, 25, CHAPTER 3 When Stories Collide, 33, CHAPTER 4 Outgrow Your Story, 49, Part II: Well-Versed: The World of the Life Verse, CHAPTER 5 What Your Life Verse Is Not, 65, CHAPTER 6 The Power of Your Life Verse, 77, CHAPTER 7 The Birth of a Life Verse, 91, CHAPTER 8 The Ultimate Life Verse, 103, Part III: Chapter and Verse: Reading for Your Life Verse, CHAPTER 9 How Do You Read?, 123, CHAPTER 10 The Way of the Ear, 135, CHAPTER 11 The Pop of the Page, 157, Part IV: Uni-Verse: Discovering Your Life Verse, CHAPTER 12 Anatomy of a Life Verse, 179, CHAPTER 13 Roaming the Neighborhood, 187, CHAPTER 14 Taking the Life Verse Journey, 201, CHAPTER 15 Living with Your Life Verse, 213, CHAPTER 1 Listen to Your Life Your life is saying something to you. Jim Gillespie's story is the perfect illustration of the way each of us can trade in an old story for a new one. A choice is set before each one of us: We can choose to live a story that, in the end, will kill us and everything else that is good about our lives. Or we can choose life. Like Jim, you can discover within the pages of Scripture a perspective-changing, direction-focusing verse for your life. That's what happened for Rick Barry, my friend and youth pastor at Keystone Fellowship in Souderton, Pennsylvania: When I was a senior in high school, my senior pastor challenged me to not just read my Bible, but to get to know God's heart behind each book of the Bible. He challenged me to read and study a book of the Bible each day for an entire month. I started off with the book of 2 Timothy, and then began to work my way through all of the Epistles. During my freshman year of college at Michigan State University, I had been praying that God would give me boldness like never before. I wanted to be a light to that campus, and I wanted to make the most of every opportunity that I had to share the gospel. However, I continually found myself intimidated by my peers and (in my mind) their lack of desire to hear about the things of God. One day, I had a clear chance to bring up Christ in a conversation with my friend but completely chickened out. I let fear get the best of me, and I left feeling like a complete failure. When I got back to my dorm room, I spent time praying. I asked Christ to forgive me and give me the strength not to miss out on any more opportunities like that again. I then opened up my Bible to read the book of Philippians for the day; I'd been reading this one book over and over for three months. Before I began reading I simply prayed, "God, show me something today to help me have boldness so that You will be glorified." As I read through chapter 1, I came across Philippians 1:21, which I had underlined. But this time as I was reading, God opened my eyes to Philippians 1:20, which is a prayer that Paul prayed for himself. For the first time, it popped out at me. The verse says: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that n