The conference was good, but to tell you the truth, I wasn’t paying close attention.

And then, suddenly, I was.

The speaker was John Maxwell, and his expertise is leadership. He had a plan, he said, that could turn anyone, anywhere, into a leading expert in any field. All it would take would be a commitment to focus on one subject, and to start reading.

Maxwell said something like this: If a person would read one book a month on a subject, one article a week in a magazine on the same subject, and listened to one broadcast or some other recording a month on the same subject, it wouldn’t take long before that person became extremely knowledgeable about that subject.

Want to become an expert on the life of Abraham Lincoln? Start reading. The library has dozens of books on our tallest President. Find those journal articles. Visit Ford Theater in Washington and the Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

Not surprisingly, you’d be an expert on Abraham Lincoln in a very short period of time. Dedicate two years to that focus and it would be hard to find someone who knew more about Abraham Lincoln than you!

I knew in that moment that Israel would be my subject. I was already drawn to the land of the Bible. I’d already been there and been intrigued by the lessons it had for us. The Bible was more relevant than it had ever been because I was getting the dirt of the land on my shoes.

Through the years, I’ve read dozens of books and countless articles on the land. I’ve interviewed famous archeologists beneath the streets of the Old City and picked the brains of half a dozen guides.

An expert? Go ahead … ask me any question about the ice cream of Israel. I’ve tried every flavor!

We’re developing a “reading list” for anyone who wants to go deeper in discovering how the land of the Bible can bring the lessons of the Bible into sharp focus. I’ve already put two dozen of my favorite resources on this web site, complete with links to Amazon so you can see other reviews and information about the resource.

Don’t forget – this information is still coming out of the dirt, even as you read these words! Most of the archeological work in Israel has been done in the last 15 years. No other generation of Bible readers has been able to access what you and I can access. We’ll keep adding items to our Reading List for years to come.

So take a look. Find one of the books or other resources that catches your eye and take a break from watching TV. Your journey begins … on Page 1.