It's no secret that others influence people for good or bad. We may like to think we are captains of our ships and make our own decisions, but the actions of others nudge us either toward or away from ideas, teachings, practices, values, organizations, causes, and more. In light of that, I'd love to hear about how others have influenced your response to Christian teachings, the church, the Bible, and related matters of faith. Do you have an excellent example of someone who lived a life of faith that helped you embark on or remain on such a path? Have you encountered others whose attitudes, words, or actions were the opposite of what would attract you to share their professed faith? Please share your experience.

I would love to hear about the journey of faith you have been on. Share whatever you're comfortable sharing - coming to faith, rejecting it, highs and lows along the journey, where you are now, etc. Ask me questions about my faith and journey, and I'll gladly answer. I have a blog post already about what I believe, so take a look at that if you're interested

Each of the 366 devotions in my book Next Step Devotions ends with a "Next Step" prompt or challenge for growth. For those who have read at least some of the book, what next steps have you found most challenging, helpful, or difficult, and why?

Here are some questions I'd love to see your responses to: How regular are you in having a daily quiet time with God? How is the time spent? Where do you go for your quiet time, and what are the surroundings like? How much time do you spend daily in Bible study and prayer? What, if anything, do you feel is missing from your Bible study and prayer times? Describe some of the most meaningful private moments you've ever had with God. If you're like me, you've had seasons when you've been faithful in having time alone with God and he has done wonderful things, and you've perhaps struggled at other times. We can help each other by sharing our experiences, good, bad, and mediocre.

When preparing to teach my weekly adult Bible study class at my church, I read several translations: English Standard Version (ESV), Christian Standard Bible (CSB), New International Version (NIV), New American Standard (NASB), and New King James Version (NKJV). The one I usually carry with me to church is the ESV, so it's fair to say that translation is the one I drift toward the most, although there is value in being familiar with several when studying God's word. The ESV is what my current and previous church read in worship, so it's nice to read along from my Bible without any difference in what I hear and what I read in front of me. Of course, the original texts of Scripture were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, so it isn't wise to claim only one particular English translation as acceptable when the Bible wasn't written in English. I study Greek a few minutes a day, six days a week, and have done so for the past eight years (long after what I learned in college and seminary language courses escaped my memory). I read the passages we're studying in class from the Greek beforehand, but I'm no expert. I rely on language resources to translate the passages and provide word definitions. I'll never be like my dear friend and former Bible study teacher at a previous church, Richard Aylor, who always brought his Greek New Testament to class and could whip it out and read and translate it when needed. He taught classical languages for over 50 years as a teacher, so he knew the language well. I'll never know it like that. What about you? Which Bible translation do you prefer and why?

I'd love to hear from readers about devotional books they have read and what they liked or disliked about them? Which ones have helped you grow in your faith the most? Do you ever reread a devotional book? I'll answer by saying I have enjoyed reading throughout 2022 Spurgeon's Morning and Evening devotionals. I'm a huge Spurgeon fan. The habit of reading both in the morning and evening is helpful for me to stay grounded in God's Word. Some of his 1800s English is challenging, but that's to be expected. If I reread them, I'll buy a modern language edition. I also started reading Ralph Tilley's Voices of the Early Church Fathers upon that book's 2022 release. It's a collection of 365 daily readings from the early centuries of the Christian faith. Ralph is a friend and fellow author and was my primary reviewer for Next Step Devotions. I felt like I had a gap in knowledge of the writings of early church fathers, so these daily readings are a joy for me to read each morning. They remind me that the faith and issues surrounding it are far older than my modern experience. Of course, having just released Next Step Devotions, I plan to use it throughout 2023 as a reader. That should be interesting and help me as I consider future editions.

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