Latest / How to Faith a Life Podcast with Faith Womack / Changing the Bible: But NOT what you think...

Transcript

Changing the Bible: But NOT what you think... · How to Faith a Life Podcast with Faith Womack

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: If you're listening to the How to Faith a Life podcast, where we wrestle with questions on how to live a life of faith, from everything from books to Bible studies, even Bible study tips, this is your place to wrestle with the hard questions and dive deep into what scripture really says for the Christian walk.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_02: Make sure you've subscribed to this podcast and your favorite podcast streaming services.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: Review this podcast so other people can find it and share with other believers who want to ask the hard questions.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: Now, with all that said, let's begin.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Hi friends, welcome back to the How to Faith a Life podcast, a ministry of Bible Nerd Ministries.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: Today I am so excited for this episode of the podcast.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: Today we have Laura Bartlett.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: She's an associate publisher for Zondervin Bibles, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and she leads the Bible editorial team.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: She acquires and develops new products and helps manage the business operations of one of the largest Bible publishers in the world.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_02: She works with NIV, NASB, Amplified.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: I know those are some of the translations that we love and use in this Bible nerd circle.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: She's really cool because she's worked with Bible publishing or really in the publishing industry for 22 years.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: She's been in previously like academic publishing.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: She holds a master's of art in theology from Wheaton College.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: And her latest project is the NIV Clear Focus Bible.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: So this is for anyone who struggles with focus, with reading the Bible.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_02: This new Clear Focus Bible uses award-winning bionic reading topography to help readers stay engaged and absorb the information without losing focus.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_02: It's developed from cognitive science and Swiss design to use like bold letters, which kind of portion off the words to help the brain recognize it without reading every single letter.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: So when I opened up this Bible, I was like, wow, I can read so much faster and so much clearer.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: And there's a ton of space for notes, which y'all know we love.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: The eye is guided from like word to word over the text, enabling readers to read with greater comprehension.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's available in four different translations.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I am so excited to pick Laura's brain today all about Bible publishing, the clear focus Bible, and so much more.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: So, Laura, welcome to the podcast.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, Faith.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_02: Appreciate you having me on.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: I want to start off because you're just such a cool person in Bible publishing.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_02: Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into Bible publishing and what drew you into this work?
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: My husband and daughter and I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, I'm coming up on 23 years of work in Christian publishing now.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: I've had a few different jobs during that time, but they've all centered around helping people discover the riches of scripture in fresh ways.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I arrived at my current role by getting a master's degree in theology and then leading the academic and ministry imprints at another Grand Rapids publishing house.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: So through that and my current one, now that I'm at Zondervin, I've had the privilege of being able to shape projects and work with teams that make scripture more accessible for people.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that's through study notes or new formats or innovative designs, I I really just love doing all of that.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: At home, I love to do art projects with my daughter.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And every fall around this time I read a mystery book or two.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: So it's time for that.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So it's books both at home and at work.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm so privileged that my vocation is also my passion.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: I sincerely believe that God's word is alive and active and it can change lives.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think sometimes we doubt that though, right?
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: Like we're like, oh, it's just the Bible.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like, why do we need all these resources?
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: I'm fine.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: I'll read the Bible eventually.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: But coming out with tools to help people, I mean, there's literally no better, greater calling than to get people into the word like y'all are doing.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: So that's amazing.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: Hey friends, quick update.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_02: I've been interrupting this podcast all season to talk about my book, No More Boring Bible Study, but now I finally get to tell you something exciting.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: The book officially launches November 18th, 2025.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: And as a thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered or plans to order, I want to give you free access to my brand new Bible journaling masterclass.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: This is the exact system I use when I study scripture, how I take notes, what tools I use, how I add pages and paper into my Bible without ruining it, and how I organize my thoughts so I actually retain what I study.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: It's practical, it's detailed, and it's honestly like stepping inside of my study process.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: So here's how to claim it.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: Order a no more boring Bible study, whether you've already done it or plan to do it, whether it's audiobook or the actual physical book, it doesn't matter.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_02: Then go to Bible Journaling Masterclass.com.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_02: That's Bible Journaling Masterclass All One Word.com and enter your receipt number in an active email.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: That's how we'll send it to you.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: You'll then get instant access into the Bible Journaling Masterclass.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: This is my thank you for believing in its message.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: This book is basically an intro to hermeneutics and how to read the Bible faithfully in context without twisting it.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: And so let's just be honest, like that is the most beautiful thing that you guys have back to the book and y'all want to pre-order it and read it and you're excited for it.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so this little Bible journaling masterclass is just a gift of a thank you for ordering it.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_02: You know, if scripture is true, we should treat it like it is and actually dig deep into it and have it transform our lives.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: So if you haven't pre-ordered it yet or if you're waiting to order it when it comes out, when you do that, head on over to Bible Journaling Masterclass.com to get your free access to the Bible Journaling Masterclass.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_02: I can't wait to put these tools in your hands.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_02: Now let's get back to the podcast episode.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_02: What does your role look like as associate publisher at Zondervan Bibles, like on the day-to-day?
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so there's two main parts of my job.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: The first is that I lead the Bible editorial team, which is an incredibly talented group of editors at Zondervan.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: And we've unofficially named our group Nerds for the Lord.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd say that we're we're very much adjacent to Bible nerd ministries at the very least.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I also get to acquire new Bible projects like the notes that go on study Bibles, the articles and devotional projects, or new formats like Clear Focus.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: That's so cool.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: We often dream of a Bible nerd Bible with like flaps and notes and highlights and stuff.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: And it's so cool to hear about the people who are actually working in that world and know the science behind like, yeah, how to get people reading and actually enjoying and consuming the Bible and then are passionate for it and skilled.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_02: Now, when you say editing the Bible, I think a lot of people are gonna be like, wait, what?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_02: Are you the ones who change the words in the Bible?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_02: Can you clarify a little bit like what that looks like on like the day-to-day or with the text that you're working with?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's a great question because usually editing means changing in in some way.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: And we do edit the notes and the articles that go around the scripture text.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: But when we're working with the scripture itself, what editing entails is ensuring it doesn't change.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Every single space and period and letter is exactly the same from one Bible to the next in the same translation.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love it.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Preserving God's word because it is true.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: Now let's dive into the Clear Focus Bible.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: And what is it?
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: How is it different from other Bibles?
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like when we open it up, it looks different.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: Let me hold it up so people watching the video form can see what's going on here and what's the science behind this?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: So Clear Focus is the first Bible we've published that actually changes how you experience the scripture text itself, like you just held up.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: The goal of the Clear Focus Bible is to help readers be able to focus on the scripture text better and block out distraction more.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: It does that with the nice minimalist layout that you showed, the very spacious design, as well as a new reading method that's called bionic reading.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: So, what have you seen with like early feedback about how this format actually transforms scripture reading?
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: Because I know y'all aren't just trying to sell another Bible.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what's the science?
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: What's the feedback?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: Because I definitely feel a difference when I'm reading it.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't honestly expect that.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: What it's doing, as you mentioned, it bolds, puts in bold letters, the first one to five letters of each word.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: And that's determined by an algorithm.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: What are the letters in that word that your brain needs to recognize that word?
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have ever seen one of those sentences that goes along around the internet sometimes where the the letters within a word are scrambled up, but your your eyes can still read the sentence through.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's a really similar concept because you realize that your brain can really put it together and doesn't actually need all of all of the letters to understand what's what's being said.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so bionic reading takes advantage of that concept by showing your your brain the letters that it needs.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so when you can really move your eye much more smoothly along the page, actually, and it reduces friction, most people find when when they're reading the text.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: And this was built from by Swiss scientists.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: They were using the the research of literacy science, eye movement science to to put this together in a very precise way.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so what this means in practice is that that readers, whether they're kids or adults, often find that they can stay focused for longer or move through the text with less effort and even read more of the Bible in the same amount of time.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: So we have been out for about six weeks, and we've started to hear back from a few readers who have had an opportunity to experience so far.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: One reader said that he was able to read faster with less friction and greater comprehension.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: We also heard from a pastor who likes to read large portions of scripture at a time, and he found he is able to do so more easily with clear focus.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: And also wonderfully, people with reading challenges like ADHD or dyslexia are finding that that it's helping them to read God's word like never before.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: I definitely feel that.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_02: I definitely think I was a little dyslexic growing up, and my dad was highly dyslexic, so were my sisters, and I definitely feel like I'm probably ADHD.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_02: And reading it, like immediately I opened it up and I was like, wow, not only is it just less overwhelming for my eyes, and like people probably are rolling their eyes because I take so many notes in my Bible, they say it looks overwhelming, but the Bible text by itself can get really overwhelming, like just as a reader.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: And you look at the page and your eyes kind of glaze over and you're like, there's so many words at me, and I need to like perform and read more and do more.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like this was so accessible, just cracking it open and being like, wow, I can like almost with like just a glaze read the first three words easier somehow.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_02: This there's like some kind of science or something.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: How God wired my brain.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I just love that y'all are reaching people that traditionally have a really hard time opening up the Bible and actually consuming it.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_02: You're reaching them in a new way.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_02: And praise the Lord.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_02: That's such a mission.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: Hey friends, I'm gonna interrupt this podcast real quick because what if I told you your Bible study could actually change someone's life half a world away?
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_02: Not just your life, but their life too.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: In Kawangwari, Kenya, families wake up every day with zero access to clean water.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: But for$50, we can step in not only with a water filter that lasts 20 years, but with three discipleship visits, gospel conversations by local missionaries, and a connection to a solid local church.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_02: This isn't charity that replaces the church, it strengthens it.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: And the best part, it's not Americans flying in to save the day.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's local Kenyans, neighbors discipling neighbors in their own community.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: I went myself to check it all out.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: I paid my own way, it's not like they asked me to come out, but I can tell you, this ministry is the real deal.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_02: And they're doing kingdom work, and that's why I want us Bible nerds to be a part of it.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: Joe and I already gave$5,000, which is 100 water filters with the discipleship and the missionaries coming to the homes and all of that.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm asking the Bible nerd community to join me to do something bigger.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_02: Let's fund 2,000 filters together.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: That's 2,000 families with clean water in the living water.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: Please don't assume someone else will cover it.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: If you're hearing this, the need is still real.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: There's something so valuable in the worshipful response of saying, yes, Lord, use me, even with my couple of bucks.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: So before you keep listening to this awesome podcast, pull up the show notes.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: You'll see there a link to give as a Bible nerd, and even the map of where you can track the impact of our Bible nerd community in Kawangwari, you can see their faces, their names, some of the families I even got to meet who now have water because of you guys.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: Let's stop just reading the word and start living it out in our lives, even where it hurts, even in our wallets.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: Will you join me?
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_02: Open the show notes now as we get back to this podcast.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_02: So can you share a little bit more about how that works with our brains and dyslexia in particular?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: So when we're putting this project together, honestly, when I first got in touch with the creators of Bionic Reading, I didn't realize that it was a method that could be helpful for readers with ADHD or dyslexia.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: But when I learned that, I knew that we needed to lean into making the format as accessible as possible to those communities.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: So for readers with ADHD, they'll likely find that those same features that make clear focus easier for anybody to concentrate will especially be a benefit for them.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: And for readers with dyslexia, it works a little bit differently.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: There's a couple of functions that are specifically happening there.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: First is that decoding feels easier.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: And what that means is that instead of laboring over every single letter, those bold beginnings of the word give them a head start or actually some internal organization within the word for the eye to grab onto.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: And second, those readers find that what's called pacing becomes smoother.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: So that rhythm of bold to light text creates kind of a natural cadence.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: And instead of reading in a choppy stop and start sort of way, the eye moves more steadily, almost like the text is pulling along.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I felt that again as a reader when I opened it up.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: It just I was like, where has this been all my life?
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's so much easier.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_02: And if I was to stand in front of a bunch of people and have to read a large text, this would be the Bible I'd grab because it's the spacing too.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: Like there's so much more space in between the lines, it's so much less overwhelming.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: I can read faster.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: I just I feel that that makes sense to me.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: What do you think the church at large still misunderstands about accessibility when it comes to the Bible engagement?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: Because I feel like this is pretty revolutionary, and I've never really heard of Bible publishers doing something like this project.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's such a good question.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think that there's a lot of misunderstandings, almost like roadblocks in the way that people in a church can think about access to scripture.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that can really hinder Christians from engaging with the Bible in a life-changing way.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: One of the biggest misunderstandings, I think, is that making a word accessible means making it overly simple or watered down or removing all of the challenging parts.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: But accessibility really should mean helping people see how they can engage meaningfully even in the difficult parts.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: The Bible is is full, as you know, of ancient languages, of cultural differences, of historical context, of poetic forms, prophecy, etc.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: And those can be hard.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they they really can.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: But rather than shielding people from those, accessibility here is about helping people to navigate that.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: So the more helpful posture is let's meet people where they are, give them tools so that they can engage in every part.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's all available to them.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Saying that, I don't want to minimize that sometimes simplification can be a helpful tool, but for many people, that's not where we need to land for for accessibility.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Some things that can help is reading in community, making room for discussion, recommending great reference tools that provide guidance and resources like the Clear Focus Bible that can remove some of the friction in reading.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's like hearing you talk about it, I'm like, all books should be printed this way, or there'd be a version like this.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: And no, no better book to start than the Bible.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: It's like the pruning press all over again, only for bionic reading.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: How do you balance innovation like the bionic reading method with honoring the sacredness of scripture?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the priority of the unchanging word of God is right in front of us.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's alive and powerful, and we hold it in such high regard.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: If I could join Team Bible Nerd for a second, I'd love to take this back through a little Bible history.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: So when scripture was first written down, it moved from oral tradition to scrolls, right?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then a few centuries after the New Testament was codified, the book was invented.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: And this was easier to to read and to carry around, much more portable.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: And then a thousand years after that, Gutenberg invented the printing press.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: And it was mass-produced, all of them could look the same, so it was was easier for people to have access to and also just to read on on the page.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: And then recently, with smartphones, all of us can have access instantly to almost any Bible translation on our phones.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's wonderful.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, those devices that are giving us that access to scripture are also decreasing our attention spans with our instant availability to entertainment and social media.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: And this is making it harder for us to sit down and read a full book of the Bible, for for example, and really be able to focus on the content of God's word rather than the effort of trying to read it.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: So technology, I believe, is is morally neutral.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: It gives and it takes, but there's aspects of it that can let us connect with God's unchanging word, technologies like bionic reading, and we want to invest and make sure that we can make that happen.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think so many times we act like things are sacrilegious when in all reality it's like because y'all believe it's truth, you want it to be accessible to all people.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_02: Because it really is truth, you want them to be reading it.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: And it's not because you don't believe it's truth that you're making it, you know, the first couple words, like it's not in a disrespectful way.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's a because it is truth.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I think if more of us truly believed it's true and treated it like it was truth, our lives would really be changed.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_02: And yes, we would do things that look weird or seem weird at first, but truly equip the church in ways that it's crazy it has to happen sooner, right?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's 2025, you know?
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_02: How can parents and pastors and teachers use the clear focus Bible as a tool to disciple kids who struggle with traditional reading formats?
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the clear focus Bible gives adults a way to say dad's word is for you to to kids who might be struggling with finding reading overwhelming for some reason.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's really easy for a child to feel as if they're maybe lit labeled as a kid with reading challenges or doesn't do academics well.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: And because Christianity is so Bible-centric, that can feel like a spiritualized label when they can't read the Bible as well.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so it is it is so powerful when a parent or a teacher or pastor can come alongside a child and provide them with a tool like like clear focus that can help them them feel like this is this is for me.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: Come alongside them with discussion, maybe reading aloud together, and give that child an an experience with with God's word that can build their their confidence, and that becomes a discipleship moment too.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I agree.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I think also there's room for us to say, you know, I really do get I struggle in the text, you know.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: The words really do start floating around and get mishmashy, and you know, it really helps me.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_02: And then on top of it, there's extra room for notes in between the lines and so much space and it's so much more aesthetic and not overwhelming.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like I think it also gave me room as an adult to be like, hey, maybe I've been trying really, really hard, and this could be a tool that I actually really need to be met with.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: So Bible nerds, if you are listening to this and you think you might even slightly struggle with ADHD, I highly, highly encourage you to check out the Clear Focus Bible, especially if you have kids that are ADHD or dyslexic.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_02: It will help get the word in their hearts so much sooner, so much easier.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_02: Again, there's extra space for notes.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_02: So your girl is really excited about that.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_02: What would you say to the person who feels guilty for not reading their Bible consistently because of attention or learning challenges?
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, first I'd say please, please don't feel guilt about that.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: God never intended scripture reading to be a test of worthiness.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: He's not tallying chapters, he's inviting you to relationship, right?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: So if your attention or your learning style makes reading difficult, that doesn't make you less faithful.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: It just means that you might need different pathways to engage with God's word.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that is okay.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: Accessibility, I see it as a grace issue, really not a performance issue.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: So for some people, connection with scripture might come through listening to an audio Bible, reading just a few verses aloud, or using a format like the clear focus Bible that helps your eyes and your mind stay engaged.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: For others, it might be journaling, writing in the margins, or discussing what they've they've heard instead of silent reading session sessions.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: The goal, I would say, is not to check off a plan, it's to keep company with Jesus in a way that works for how he made you.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you can approach scripture with a curiosity and an openness, even if it's in short, focused moments, then that's faithfulness.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: God is gonna meet you right there and in your real capacity with no bealt needed.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that was so good.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: Someone put that on replay in my mind every single morning when I'm like, oh, I feel guilty that I want to jump to my emails first.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, no, I do want to choose the word, but it doesn't have to be a guy.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love that.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: What what excites you most about how God could use this Bible in the next generation?
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I've got to think about that one for a second.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great question.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: What excites me most, I would say, is that a new generation might grow up believing that the Bible is is for them.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just their parents or their grandparents' Bible, but it's theirs.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: The the children who are not as good at reading, they feel the weight of that and feel that maybe God can't speak to them through his word.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: The Clear Focus Bible can help address that, I would say, that deception.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: When a young person opens it and realizes I can do this, this is for me.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: I can understand.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: I just get so excited thinking about a generation that learns to approach scripture with confidence and with joy.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: And kids growing into adults who aren't intimidated by the Bible, but are drawn to that and can just carry that love of scripture into every part of their life.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's super exciting to think about.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_02: Kids won't think it's boring, you know, or too hard to read.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love that.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: So for listeners who are intrigued, where can they find the Clear Focus Bible and learn more about your work in Zondorfin Bibles?
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: The Clear Focus Bible is available in bookstores now, and you can also visit ClearfocusBible.com to see the different editions and also try out a sample of both the NIV edition and the New International Readers Edition, which is at a third grade reading level.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: And more than anything, I would just encourage readers to explore the Bible again with openness.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you use the Clear Focus Bible or it's another edition, God's Word is living, it's personal, and He really does meet us right where we are.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, so good.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_02: Now I ask everybody this in this season of the podcast.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: What are your favorite tools or resources to study the Bible deeply in your own personal Bible studies?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: A couple of things that I've been appreciating in in this part of my life are audio Bibles.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: My daughter has quite a commute to school, and we've learned that if we listen to the Bible one day a week on our drive to school, then we can listen to the entire New Testament in a year.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: So that it's a it's a 20-minute drive and seems like a small investment per per week, but she's in fifth grade, and we're up to X right now, and that has been such a sweet experience.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: And the other one is in my small group right now.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: We're doing a group lectio experience.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: So we were going through first, second, and third John and rotating between the the three of those, reading out loud the entire book and sitting with it together, discussing, hearing each other's wisdom, inviting the spirit to speak to us.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that's been that's been really life-giving as well.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Laura, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: I know this was so encouraging for so many of us, including myself.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you so much.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for having me, Faith.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_02: You're listening to the How to Faith a Life Podcast, where we wrestle with questions on how to live a life of faith, from everything from books to Bible studies, even Bible study tips.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: This is your place to wrestle with the hard questions and dive deep into what scripture really says for the Christian walk.
• 25:22
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