This is Kari.
Kari grew up learning that the amount of faith she has relates directly to God’s ability to work in her life. And when her grandmother died and she was told God could’ve healed her if only she had more faith, Kari took a step away from the church she was attending, from the Text, and from God.
But God did not stop pursuing her. In her mid-twenties, she encountered God in a new community and found healing through counseling. God kindled a passion to learn and study the Text in an environment of solid theology, leading her to study the Greek and Hebrew of the Bible. She was experiencing the living-life-together sort of community that led to discipleship.
After ten years at this small church, Kari again experienced a loss of community when the leadership of the church that brought her so much healing faltered.
Kari was devastated and betrayed as her relationships fell apart. Her love for studying the Text was tainted, and for years she was frustrated, not even wanting to open a Bible, and unable to connect with the Lord.
Through a friend of a friend, God brought BEMA to her. Her friends began listening and sharing BEMA as a group, and God used this time studying through the lens of BEMA to pull her from a pit. Kari’s heart was stirred toward the Lord again.
Using tools God is providing through BEMA, Kari is putting into practice mercy and compassion for those around her. She’s excited to see what the Lord has for her next.
