Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Phil Carnes, DMin

Second Advisor

David McDonald, DMin

Third Advisor

David Merwin, BA

Abstract

Many faithful Bible readers fall short of experiencing a vibrant, growing relationship with God. Their daily reading has little impact on their Christian formation. This dissertation associates this failure with the pace of modern life and proposes a solution that capitalizes on a modern invention: smartphone technology supporting instant access to bite-sized Bible readings with engaging commentary. Daily engagement with God can be achieved with the help of an app that reminds users to pause, pray, and review a “sticky moment” from their Bible reading. Section one of this dissertation notes that individuals have allowed themselves to be caught up in the rapid pace of today’s culture and have not developed the necessary skills to feed their souls. The church, meanwhile, has lost sight of its true purpose and, as a result, fails to teach with creativity and purpose. Section two focuses on four of the most popular remedies the American evangelical church uses in its attempt to slow people down while striving to regain its primary purpose. All of their efforts utilize the Bible, but their strategies vary in scope: focus on the individual, work with a group, or mobilize an entire church. Section three lays a foundation for daily engagement with God by introducing the J.E.S.U.S. life, a strategy Jesus followers of all ages and interest levels can adopt and practice on their own while they live it out in community. The Bottom Line Bible app is also presented as the primary tool believers can carry with them, offering ten ways to connect with their Bible reading with the goal of reviewing and acting on their reading throughout the day. ix Finally, sections four through six provide a thorough description of the Bottom Line Bible app, along with the author’s experience and engagement in using the app and equipping others to do the same.

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