Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing
by Zach Lambert
We'll be reading Better Ways to Read the Bible for the six weeks of Lent (February 22nd - March 22nd, 2026). Read along with us by yourself, in one of our study groups or with a group of your own. Scroll through this page for all the book study resources you need like: where to buy a copy, details on study groups, the reading schedule, study questions and more info on our author talk with Zach at the end of the study.
You can order your copy of the book on most platforms, but you can buy it right from the publisher here:
https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436680_better-ways-to-read-the-bible
If you cannot purchase your own copy of the book, please email Pastor Julia at julia@galvestoncentralchurch.com so we can assist you.
You can order your copy of the book on most platforms, but you can buy it right from the publisher here:
https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781587436680_better-ways-to-read-the-bible
If you cannot purchase your own copy of the book, please email Pastor Julia at julia@galvestoncentralchurch.com so we can assist you.
book summary
How can we read the Bible in ways that lead to healing and wholeness?
"A wide-ranging and cogent guide to seeing scripture in a new light. Disenchanted Christians will be energized."--Publishers Weekly
As a pastor for more than ten years, Zach Lambert has seen the Bible used countless times as something far from the "Good Book"--both in his own life and in the experiences of others. He has seen the Bible weaponized to subjugate women, justify racism, bash LGBTQ+ people, cover up abuse, and exclude people who speak out against these injustices.
If you've been hurt by harmful interpretations or feel disconnected from Scripture, this book offers a path forward to reclaim the Bible's life-giving message. This accessible resource will help you
● break free from harmful interpretations that distort Scripture's true message,
● develop Christ-centered reading practices,
● renew your relationship with Scripture,
● apply new frameworks to challenging Bible passages that have historically been misused to cause harm, and
● connect with Christians who embrace Scripture's call to abundant life for everyone.
In this compassionate guide, Lambert dismantles four common lenses for reading the Bible that lead to harm, then offers four new lenses that promote healing and wholeness. This book welcomes all Christians--regardless of background, doubts, or wounds--to reengage Scripture in life-giving ways.
"A wide-ranging and cogent guide to seeing scripture in a new light. Disenchanted Christians will be energized."--Publishers Weekly
As a pastor for more than ten years, Zach Lambert has seen the Bible used countless times as something far from the "Good Book"--both in his own life and in the experiences of others. He has seen the Bible weaponized to subjugate women, justify racism, bash LGBTQ+ people, cover up abuse, and exclude people who speak out against these injustices.
If you've been hurt by harmful interpretations or feel disconnected from Scripture, this book offers a path forward to reclaim the Bible's life-giving message. This accessible resource will help you
● break free from harmful interpretations that distort Scripture's true message,
● develop Christ-centered reading practices,
● renew your relationship with Scripture,
● apply new frameworks to challenging Bible passages that have historically been misused to cause harm, and
● connect with Christians who embrace Scripture's call to abundant life for everyone.
In this compassionate guide, Lambert dismantles four common lenses for reading the Bible that lead to harm, then offers four new lenses that promote healing and wholeness. This book welcomes all Christians--regardless of background, doubts, or wounds--to reengage Scripture in life-giving ways.
about the author
Zach W. Lambert is the lead pastor and founder of Restore, a church in Austin, Texas. Under his leadership, Restore has grown from a launch team of five people in 2015 to more than one thousand members today. He holds a master of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is pursuing his doctorate at Duke Divinity School.
Zach is the cofounder of the Post-Evangelical Collective and serves on the boards of the Austin Church Planting Network and the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. Zach and his wife, Amy, met each other in the sixth grade, fell in love at seventeen, and got married at twenty-one. They love watching live music, discovering local Mexican food places, and playing with their two boys.
Pastor Lambert will be joining us for an author talk at the end of our Lent book study. The date and time are TBD, so stay in the loop by subscribing to our weekly newsletter!
Zach is the cofounder of the Post-Evangelical Collective and serves on the boards of the Austin Church Planting Network and the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. Zach and his wife, Amy, met each other in the sixth grade, fell in love at seventeen, and got married at twenty-one. They love watching live music, discovering local Mexican food places, and playing with their two boys.
Pastor Lambert will be joining us for an author talk at the end of our Lent book study. The date and time are TBD, so stay in the loop by subscribing to our weekly newsletter!
