About The Author
DAVID ROSEBERRY is the founding Rector of Christ Church in Plano, Texas, a large Anglican congregation where he served for over 30 years. He still lives in North Dallas with his wife, Fran. David leads a non-profit ministry called LeaderWorks and consults and teaches church leaders nationwide. David has written many books that are available on Amazon. He has four children and five grandchildren.
Reverend David Roseberry is an ordained Anglican minister with over 40 years of experience. He founded and served as rector of one of the largest Anglican churches in America for over three decades. Reverend Roseberry is also a well known Bible teacher who leads faith-based trips to Israel and other important places of worship. In his latest book, The Last Will and Testament of the Apostle Paul, Roseberry provides an intimate look at Paul's personal faith, revealing the apostle's raw and real relationship with God. As an experienced author with numerous books available on Amazon, Reverend Roseberry brings his deep biblical wisdom to uncover the heart and soul of Paul's life-changing legacy of faith. Now retired, he lives in North Dallas with his wife and family and continues to teach and consult with church leaders nationwide.
With over four decades as an ordained Anglican minister, Reverend David Roseberry has devoted his life to spiritual leadership and biblical scholarship. As the founding pastor and rector of one of America's largest Anglican churches for over 30 years, he shepherded countless souls with grace and wisdom. Reverend Roseberry is also a renowned Bible teacher who leads inspirational trips to Israel, bringing scripture to life in the Holy Land. In his insightful new book, The Last Will and Testament of the Apostle Paul, he draws on his lifetime of faith to provide an intimate understanding of Paul's personal relationship with God. Reverend Roseberry brings his extensive biblical knowledge and ministry experience to uncover the raw humanity and real faith behind this foundational figure of Christianity. Though retired, he continues to author books and counsel church leaders across the country from his home in Dallas where he lives with his beloved wife.
How to Read, Mark, Learn, and Inwardly Digest.
Are you curious about how I study the Scriptures? Let me give you a quick overview of my process, which follows the old Anglican prayer to "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the truth of God's Word."
Do you remember English literature class in high school and those dreaded weekend homework assignments to read and decipher a poem by Tennyson, Yeats, or e.e. cummings? I always struggled with poetry; the lyrics seemed opaque, and I often wondered why the poet didn't just come out and say what he was thinking in plain English.
When I got to college, I had similar assignments but improved each semester. It was there that I first heard the term "close reading" applied to the study of complex poetry and essays. A “close reading” involves a slow, strategic, and careful read-through of an assigned text. Later, in seminary, I received the same assignments from my biblical studies and preaching professors, but they called it "exegesis." Exegesis is the study of how a biblical text relates to the writer's culture and the rest of the Bible, and it is a standard and weekly practice for all preachers and teachers of Scripture.
Today, some might use more descriptive words to describe this process, such as a "deep dive." I like that. As I see it, diving deep is what I do. Over my years of ministry, taking a deep dive into the biblical text has become my favorite part of preparing a sermon.
When we read books of the Bible like ancient novellas, short historical narratives, poetry, history, or ancient wisdom, we discover many wonderful truths.
But if we slow down our reading, perhaps even reading aloud, and look closely and deliberately at the text, diving into the details, we find even greater treasures. When we dive deep into the text, context, clues, words, phrases, connections, metaphors, and structure, we uncover even more beauty and truth. The deeper we go, the brighter it gets!
Ultimately, as countless readers of the Bible have experienced, we find ourselves in a world of hope and wonder, joy and love. Every study session ends with thanksgiving and praise for our holy and infinitely good God.