Guest post by Kristy Cambron, bestselling author of the NIV Verse Mapping Bible.

2020 has changed us. There’s no doubt about that.

It’s shifted the fundamental constants of how we live, work, worship, and connect.

In a blink our families are no longer fragmented between environments and schedules. It became clear the moment I was knee-deep in the throngs of a quarantine, navigating e-learning for three kids in three different schools, in a kitchen that had become home office, restaurant, classroom, Zoom studio, and family worship center all in one. The spaces for each area of life had merged together, showing us that in order to navigate this season there may be as many things we had to unlearn as the things we actually needed to learn.

The last time I’d been in a similar season—of grief, loss, and the need to cling to the promises of God—was after losing my Dad to cancer and circumstances that sent our family in a series of life plot twists to follow. I turned to the Bible. Broken. Hopeful. Expectant. And hungry. But I needed to unlearn habits that had left me feeling alone, unsure where or how to study, and stunted in spiritual growth. What’s more, I wasn’t confident I could truly understand Scripture enough to apply its truths to this—and every season—of my life.

It’s when Verse Mapping sparked a new fire in my heart.

Out of years in a corporate training career, I wanted to apply what I’d learned there to unlock the learning that was possible in Scripture. And it’s why introducing families to the concept of Verse Mapping—5 simple steps that call us to deep, meaningful study verse by verse—could make this the right time for families to unlearn a few things, to learn a few more, and to step out on a new story road of faith… together.

Verse Mapping: Study Space

With a shift to home-learning, we’ve likely turned kitchens into laboratories and storage closets into academic arsenals. And that’s what I loved about Verse Mapping to begin with—it works in a coffee shop, church classroom, online study group or outdoor gathering the same way it does at the kitchen table. In a season where families are tackling all manner of subjects together, what better place to learn and experience the living story of God’s Word than right in our own homes?

Verse Mapping: Study Tools

Verse Mapping takes what we already have—a Bible and God as our guide—and ushers us on a journey of personal discovery. It’s as simple as gathering pens, turning on a smart device, and turning pages of an NIV Verse Mapping Bible to embark on the next step in our story. Between Bible apps, online concordance sites for Hebrew and Greek word studies, and YouTube videos of nearly any subject we could hope to research, the possibilities for deep discovery are endless. We can take what we already have on hand and begin to build the lifelong habit of studying the Bible, one verse at a time.

Verse Mapping: Study. . . Together

Establishing study habits for family units is at the heart of this Bible series. It’s why we included the same 350 maps for both adults and for girls ages 8-12 knowing that we may already have a study space and tools at the ready, but it’s that fear of tackling Bible study alone that we may need to unlearn. Building a support system with others—whether in a faith community or inside the walls of our own home—means we’ll stick with it, and we’ll learn from each other along the way.

Whatever we’re learning—our unlearning—in this season, may the strongest takeaway we receive be to turn back to the Bible. And perhaps for the first time, to find that what we truly need to build a lifetime of faith has been here all along.

About Kristy Cambron

Kristy Cambron is a vintage-inspired storyteller, writing both award-winning historical fiction and Bible Studies. She’s served as a Women’s Ministry Leader and speaks at events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to the Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, has received multiple INSPY Award nominations, and is a 2020 Christy Award Finalist.

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