Can we talk for a minute? Listen: You can praise God, serve faithfully, and still carry the quiet fear that you're missing something. I know that feeling because I've lived it.

After years of serving in ministry, one conversation with my mom exposed how much of my biblical understanding had been borrowed. I walked into that conversation thinking I was prepared to defend Jesus Himself. I walked away realizing I could hardly explain what I claimed to believe.

I thought I was defending my faith. Looking back, I believe God was exposing what was missing. I began researching Scripture, but not because I wanted to know God better. I started studying because my feelings were hurt. I couldn't meet the moment, and I was afraid of losing my religion because I didn't know what I would find.

People I loved embraced ideas that challenged everything we grew up believing. I went looking for scripture to defend my position. Instead, I discovered something unexpected: every verse was part of a bigger story.

The more I read entire chapters instead of focusing on sermon snippets, the more I realized I'd been trying to solve a puzzle without ever seeing the whole picture. That's why I am here today. Life forced the issue.

I created this guide not because I have all the answers, but because I know what it's like to mistake someone else's understanding of the Bible for your own. At some point, you've got to open God's Word for yourself, wrestle with it, and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance.

My prayer is that this guide helps you do exactly that.

— The Keeper