My True Story: By the Founder of Basic Bible Guide, Daniel Paul Kennedy
I grew-up on the northeast border of Washington D.C. With parents divorced at age 8, I ran the streets, participated in various criminal activities, and alcohol and drugs were the past time. We didn't attend church but I would often think; “What happens to you when you die?” I knew something in life was missing. I dropped out of high school and started working in a warehouse. I worked (and tried) hard. So at the age of 18, I was the assistant manager and then became general manager at age 21.
One summer at age 18, I was on vacation and standing on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Md. getting ready to party for the night. A young guy around my age popped out of the crowd, and came within a few inches of my face and said to me, “Have you ever accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" I responded, “Walk away from me, and the reason I want you to walk away is because I am going to do this for real, not for you.” He walked away without looking back. I then said to myself, “Jesus, I accept you” -being honest but not really understanding what that meant.
When I got home from my vacation, I wasn’t sure what to do next and I didn't know who to talk to about the decision I had made. I had heard of the Bible, so I went and bought one. I read it front to back, all the way through. I read it and prayed every day. My many sins started chipping away like when someone works on a stone sculpture (as it continues to this day).
Five years later, I started going to church when my first wife left me after a very brief marriage. Within a short time of hanging around church people, I began to recognize that they didn’t read/know their Bible very much. After a few years of exclaiming my bewilderment of this in my prayers to God, I heard a quiet but clear voice in my heart and mind say to me, “You need to write a Bible study.” With my lack of education and church-type experience, I immediately answered “WHAT???” Although I really knew I heard this, I just shrugged it off.
I remarried at the age of 28 to a woman, who already had two children that instantly accepted me as their father and I accepted them as my own kids. When they were adults I adopted them. Around this time I increased my education by earning my G.E.D.
We promptly moved to Colorado and had two more children within the first three years of our marriage. With a variety of management and sales jobs behind me, at age 32 I started a consulting and marketing firm that I have owned and operated since.
As the months went on, my amazement continued for the lack of Bible knowledge that people had, and every once in a while I would hear that “voice” repeating, “You need to write that Bible study” (although I didn't know anything about how this "Bible Study" worked). This went on until I was about 35 years old. About this time, while I was sitting in church and thinking, “should I write this Bible study or not?” As I was pondering this, the pastor said, “Everyone turn in your Bibles to Ephesians….” I heard the guy right behind me say in a loud voice, “EPHESIANS, WHERE’S THAT?” So I immediately responded in my heart and mind, “Alright, alright, I will do it!”
During the following few years as I was going about my day-to-day life, I would hear the voice telling me how to structure and write the Bible study. So now I knew how to write it. I just needed to do it! So after dragging my feet for so long, at the age of 39, I finally decided to do it. I went alone up into the Colorado Mountains to a fasting and prayer retreat called "Praise Mountain". I stayed in a one room cabin for seven days, from morning to night, while only drinking mountain spring water, I wrote the first half the program. A few months later I went back to Praise Mountain and did the same thing again for another seven days, writing the second half. Several months later, I went back again for another seven days and went over the whole program, refining it to make sure it was correct. For the next ten years that "voice" of God kept reminding me to, “Do it!”
After 16 years of marriage I was divorced again. Shortly thereafter, I met a sweet lady named Deborah (who also had many difficult years behind her). So now I am married again (& happily too). So, today I continually strive to be a better man and husband (and hope and pray to stay on that track all my days)!
After a total of about 10 years of still dragging my feet and now in my late 40’s, I had some good friends help me put the Bible study into a professional book/study guide. Now, at 51 years old, it and I am ready to pursue this (hopefully full time).
The program is designed with no biased teachings or opinions. It is simply a guide and designed to be used individually or within a group setting, in 12 sessions of 60 minutes each. It goes through all 66 books of the bible (cover to cover). It can also easily be done individually on any schedule (on any time table). It is very straight-forward and easy to use. Even to lead a group, one only needs a Bible and the ability to read, even if you have never seen a Bible before. There are very short and simple instructions for the group and the group leader.
Everything I have ever gone through or learned in my life has brought me up to this point: The “calling” to help people understand God's love and plan for them, as revealed in His word/the Bible. My vision is to have this guide distributed all over the world, and provided in every language. I have titled it simply, "Basic Bible Guide", because that’s exactly what it is.
I am so thankful God did not give up on me through all these years of sin and disobedience. But I didn't give up on pursuing God either, seeking to comprehend His love for me, loving Him back, loving others, and just doing the best I can.
I pray God’s richest blessings on you, as you use this guide, my life’s work and purpose, to search and see for yourself what the Bible really says.
I hope you will take the short time to go through it and let me know your opinion of this program.
Very sincerely, Daniel Paul Kennedy [email protected]
One summer at age 18, I was on vacation and standing on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Md. getting ready to party for the night. A young guy around my age popped out of the crowd, and came within a few inches of my face and said to me, “Have you ever accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" I responded, “Walk away from me, and the reason I want you to walk away is because I am going to do this for real, not for you.” He walked away without looking back. I then said to myself, “Jesus, I accept you” -being honest but not really understanding what that meant.
When I got home from my vacation, I wasn’t sure what to do next and I didn't know who to talk to about the decision I had made. I had heard of the Bible, so I went and bought one. I read it front to back, all the way through. I read it and prayed every day. My many sins started chipping away like when someone works on a stone sculpture (as it continues to this day).
Five years later, I started going to church when my first wife left me after a very brief marriage. Within a short time of hanging around church people, I began to recognize that they didn’t read/know their Bible very much. After a few years of exclaiming my bewilderment of this in my prayers to God, I heard a quiet but clear voice in my heart and mind say to me, “You need to write a Bible study.” With my lack of education and church-type experience, I immediately answered “WHAT???” Although I really knew I heard this, I just shrugged it off.
I remarried at the age of 28 to a woman, who already had two children that instantly accepted me as their father and I accepted them as my own kids. When they were adults I adopted them. Around this time I increased my education by earning my G.E.D.
We promptly moved to Colorado and had two more children within the first three years of our marriage. With a variety of management and sales jobs behind me, at age 32 I started a consulting and marketing firm that I have owned and operated since.
As the months went on, my amazement continued for the lack of Bible knowledge that people had, and every once in a while I would hear that “voice” repeating, “You need to write that Bible study” (although I didn't know anything about how this "Bible Study" worked). This went on until I was about 35 years old. About this time, while I was sitting in church and thinking, “should I write this Bible study or not?” As I was pondering this, the pastor said, “Everyone turn in your Bibles to Ephesians….” I heard the guy right behind me say in a loud voice, “EPHESIANS, WHERE’S THAT?” So I immediately responded in my heart and mind, “Alright, alright, I will do it!”
During the following few years as I was going about my day-to-day life, I would hear the voice telling me how to structure and write the Bible study. So now I knew how to write it. I just needed to do it! So after dragging my feet for so long, at the age of 39, I finally decided to do it. I went alone up into the Colorado Mountains to a fasting and prayer retreat called "Praise Mountain". I stayed in a one room cabin for seven days, from morning to night, while only drinking mountain spring water, I wrote the first half the program. A few months later I went back to Praise Mountain and did the same thing again for another seven days, writing the second half. Several months later, I went back again for another seven days and went over the whole program, refining it to make sure it was correct. For the next ten years that "voice" of God kept reminding me to, “Do it!”
After 16 years of marriage I was divorced again. Shortly thereafter, I met a sweet lady named Deborah (who also had many difficult years behind her). So now I am married again (& happily too). So, today I continually strive to be a better man and husband (and hope and pray to stay on that track all my days)!
After a total of about 10 years of still dragging my feet and now in my late 40’s, I had some good friends help me put the Bible study into a professional book/study guide. Now, at 51 years old, it and I am ready to pursue this (hopefully full time).
The program is designed with no biased teachings or opinions. It is simply a guide and designed to be used individually or within a group setting, in 12 sessions of 60 minutes each. It goes through all 66 books of the bible (cover to cover). It can also easily be done individually on any schedule (on any time table). It is very straight-forward and easy to use. Even to lead a group, one only needs a Bible and the ability to read, even if you have never seen a Bible before. There are very short and simple instructions for the group and the group leader.
Everything I have ever gone through or learned in my life has brought me up to this point: The “calling” to help people understand God's love and plan for them, as revealed in His word/the Bible. My vision is to have this guide distributed all over the world, and provided in every language. I have titled it simply, "Basic Bible Guide", because that’s exactly what it is.
I am so thankful God did not give up on me through all these years of sin and disobedience. But I didn't give up on pursuing God either, seeking to comprehend His love for me, loving Him back, loving others, and just doing the best I can.
I pray God’s richest blessings on you, as you use this guide, my life’s work and purpose, to search and see for yourself what the Bible really says.
I hope you will take the short time to go through it and let me know your opinion of this program.
Very sincerely, Daniel Paul Kennedy [email protected]
Copyright Protected 2024 All Rights Reserved - Basic Bible Guide 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
5527 N. Union Blvd. Suite 203 Colorado Springs, CO, 80918 | (719)522-1588 Privacy |