Studying the word of God verse by verse, is not only how Pastor Mike Lingenfelter teaches his Sunday service, but also how he was inspired to write his first book “Stepping Forward: A 39 Day Walk Through Ephesians.”

Stepping Forward, by Pastor Mike Lingenfelter, is a devotional and study with insight and challenge. Trisha Maldonado/Douglas Dispatch

Pastor Lingenfelter has been the pastor at First Baptist Church in Douglas for three years. His family moved here from Indiana.

He started writing Ephesians in the early part of 2011. It took him nine months to complete it.

“What I normally do as a pastor, I’m a bible teacher,” Pastor Lingenfelter said. “I teach verse by verse of the bible, that’s kind of our motto, studying God's word verse by verse a lot of devotional books that people are reading are very inspirational but they do not do a good job of teaching the bible.”

New Testament letter is so familiar that people often all but ignore it. That’s what author Mike Lingenfelter wants to change.

To make readers pay attention he has divided Ephesians into 39 sections, each of which uncovers a life giving, result getting truth that corrects, directs and empowers the reader.

“I took the book of Ephesians and I broke it into 39 sections each section has the verse, an area of insight that is from the pastor’s view, area of challenge and an area where people can write their thoughts,” Pastor Lingenfelter said. “It is broken up this way so a person can spend a little bit of time daily reading and really dive into this book of Ephesians.”

He feels that if the readers pause, take in and then practice what this letter prescribes it will change and impact the believer’s life.

“I wanted to give people some meat of what the bible says instead of a fluffy feel good book,” he said.

He hopes that the reader will come away with a better understanding of the New Testament.

“This is a more in-depth way of understanding that is not so seminary, a way that a person can comprehend what this letter is saying,” he added. “I want people to understand the bible.”

He said people need to understand that scriptures are applicable for our lives today, that everything that God says is designed so we can apply it here and now.

“My job is not to make money from this; I’m interested in getting it out there,” he stated. “I want people to read it, get that understanding, and to apply what Gods says to their lives daily.”

A devotional and study with insight and challenge, Stepping Forward: A 39 Day walk Through Ephesians, is available online, at Amazon and through bookstores.