Paying Attention to the People, Places, and Things in the Bible (Kat Armstrong)

Christians know that we should read the Bible. But often, the "should" eclipses the "why"—the fact that Scripture presents a unified, powerful, mysterious story written by God for the benefit of his people.

In this episode, Dru interviews Kat Armstrong, a Bible teacher, speaker, and author who aims to cultivate joyful, imaginative reading of Scripture. The Bible contains rich networks of imagery, but we must read carefully to notice them. Kat's new Bible study series, Storyline Bible Series, takes a deep dive into some of the recurring motifs in Scripture, from mountains and valleys to sticks and stones. Additionally, Kat discusses how her son helps her pay closer attention to the Bible, why the Bible isn't an instruction manual, and how Scripture eschews dividing its characters into "good guys" and "bad guys."

Kat Armstrong is a Bible teacher from Dallas who is passionate about helping people develop holy curiosity and delve more deeply into the story of the Bible. Her work includes speaking at events and conferences and writing books and Bible studies. You can find out more about her at her website.

Show notes:

• 0:00 A message from Dru Johnson
• 2:05 Scripture as one unified story
• 3:34 How to read the details of Scripture
• 7:14 Getting "fresh eyes"
• 8:31 Enthusiasm for the Bible
• 12:05 Kat's experience at Dallas Seminary
• 15:18 Appreciating the artistic brilliance of Scripture
• 21:00 Tracking the connections in Scripture
• 24:12 Is biblical imagery just coincidental?
• 28:28 Mountains in the biblical narrative
• 31:48 Kat Armstrong's upcoming Storyline Bible Studies

Show notes by Micah Long