By Kimberlie Scheller
An Unexpected Beginning
About a year ago, I met my friend Lisa at a gathering we were hosting for our kids, who all enjoy playing airsoft together. While the kids were outside playing, a few of us parents were talking inside the house, and the topic of youth groups came up. That conversation naturally led into a broader discussion about churches, faith, and holidays.
During that conversation, I mentioned that our family does not really celebrate Christmas. Lisa was surprised and shared that they didn’t either. That simple exchange opened the door to a much deeper discussion about why we had both come to those convictions.
A Shared Desire for Truth
As we continued talking, we realized that both of us were seeking truth and desiring to follow God’s Word more than simply fitting into the traditions of mainstream Christianity. That conversation became the beginning of a friendship and eventually led to the start of a small Bible study group with another couple.
Looking back, it is amazing to see how Yahweh brings the right people into our lives at precisely the right moments. What felt like an ordinary conversation turned into something far more meaningful. It reminds me that He is always at work behind the scenes, ordering our steps and weaving circumstances together for His purposes.
As Scripture tells us, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Even small, seemingly insignificant moments can become the starting point for something much bigger when we are willing to follow where He leads.
Watching Something Grow
Today, we met with about twelve others who have been attending that Bible study group over the past year. As we sat together, it was encouraging to reflect on how the Lord has used something as simple as a conversation between parents to grow into a small community of believers who desire to study Scripture and pursue truth together.
Different Backgrounds, Similar Questions
Although Lisa and I came from different backgrounds—hers being more Baptist and mine coming from a small home-church fellowship known as the “two by twos”—we shared similar concerns and questions.
In the church environment I grew up in, there was a strong belief that our way was the only true way, largely because the ministry went out two by two and lived very simply while sharing the gospel. There were also other distinctions that separated us from what were often called the churches of “the world.”
Gratitude, Reflection, and Humility
There were things about that upbringing that I genuinely appreciate. We spent time daily in prayer and Scripture, and I grew up with a deep respect for God’s Word. At the same time, after leaving that environment, I began to realize that some of what I had been taught needed to be carefully reexamined.
In several cases, I had been given one interpretation of a verse, but when I studied the broader biblical and cultural context, the meaning was quite different.
It has been humbling to realize how much bigger the Lord of the universe is than the small box I had placed Him in for so many years. I’ve also learned that whenever we begin to believe that what we know or practice is superior to the rest of the body of Christ, it is usually a sign that we need correction, humility, and renewed direction.
Whole Truth Living 
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