Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Filled With Truth: Interview with Taliah K.


Ever since my first encounter with Taliah over social media, I knew I wanted to interview her! She's a bright, joy-filled, passionate woman of the Lord and she shows what it's like to live for the Lord at a young age and proclaim His Truth in this day and age. Taliah is truly someone who hungers for the Word of God – and she hungers for others to come into the knowledge of the Truth of His Word, not just settle for Christian clichés. Taliah, thank you for sharing your heart with us! Friends, I pray that you not only read through this interview, but you put into practice the things discussed here. The Bible is TOO good for us not to take it in fully. Enjoy ♥︎

Tell me something about yourself that people wouldn’t typically know about you just by looking at you or by following you on social media?
I hate these questions, haha! But I can’t speak Spanish, even though I’m Puerto Rican.


If you could use just one word to describe the Bible, what would it be and why?
This is such a hard question. This might sound cliché, but I would say life-giving. I say that because of Hebrews 4:12, which says: The Bible is both living and active. It is where we get our life from. It is where we learn about who God is.


What does your typical Bible reading look like?
In the morning I do the SOAP Method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) for the verse of the day on YouVersion. At first, I was totally against the SOAP Method because I thought it was shallow, but then I realized how in the observation part, you can include questions for context, such as: who wrote this, to whom was it written, when was it written, how does this teach me about God, and so on. So that’s what I do in the morning! I never realized how much you could get out of one verse until I started doing it. Throughout the day I will do reading plans from the First 5 app. That’s what my organized time looks like, but aside from that, I read whatever the Lord puts on my heart.


Hearing people say “The Lord put ____ on my heart” can sometimes be confusing for people who haven't experienced that. What does it mean and look like for God to put a certain scripture on your heart?
I believe God can speak to people in different ways. If I wake up with a song in my head, I’ll listen to it. If there is a certain scripture running through my mind, I will meditate on it and ask the Lord what He wants to speak to me through it.


How do you keep reading the Bible a priority? Do you have any practical tips for someone who struggles to make time to read the Word each day?
I try to make it the first thing I do in the morning, and I like to have someone hold me accountable. At night, my husband and I will talk, and he will ask what I’ve read throughout the day and if I didn’t read, I’ll end up shook! Haha.
For people who struggle with keeping it a priority, I would say try this – Use the reminder app on your phone: Put a reminder on your phone for a certain time every day, a time that you know is convenient for you, to read the Bible. That reminder will help hold you accountable in a way.
Start a plan on YouVersion: In comparison to other apps, depending on the length of the devotion, the plans on YouVersion are great to do throughout the day. They might take five minutes of your day, but it’s so worth it! You can also do plans with your friends on the YouVersion app. That is another way to help hold you accountable.
Be realistic with your time: If you know you cannot have a two-hour Bible study session in the morning, don’t do it. We need to be responsible with our time and we also need to use wisdom.



Was there a specific moment in your life that you can remember where you realized just how important the Bible is? Can you share a little bit of how you came to that realization and what the experience was like?
About two summers ago, Ayanna (@ayannazariya on Instagram), posted something about having to relearn everything she was taught. At one point, she brought up how she used to read the Bible in comparison to how she did now. I realized that I was doing some of the same things that she was. I was going in to read the Bible with a me first mentality and that’s dangerous. I knew that I needed to read the Bible for all its worth. I needed to read it to learn more about God’s character, instead of reading it to try and convict others and to feel good about myself.


Before that, were you reading the Bible consistently?
Yes, I read the Bible consistently, but it was shallow. My Bible reading time was all about me, not God. And when I would hear teaching, I would not test what the preacher was saying with the Word. Once I started doing that, I realized that a lot of things going on around me were unbiblical.


You also make Bible study sheets! Can you talk a little bit about how you got started doing that, why you thought it was necessary, and how creating resources for others to study the Word has been beneficial for you as well?
I got started creating Bible study sheets once I realized the importance of reading and studying the Bible. I knew I had to help other women do that as well. Often times, when you’re scrolling on social media, you can see a lot of people sharing quotes with verses on them that are completely dragged out of context, which is the purpose behind the sheets. I want people to gain biblical literacy. When we approach the Word, we should go in with the intent of learning more about who God is. We should go in with the desire to understand the text in its context. I want people to rightly divide the Word of truth. Creating these resources have been extremely helpful for me because it helps me grow in my faith.


How has reading and studying the Bible changed your life, and as a result of that, how has it helped you to be a light in the darkness?
Reading the Bible is really humbling because it’s not all about me and that’s what I have come to realize. The Word has transformed me from the inside out. I think of James 1, how he describes the Word as a mirror. When we go to God’s Word, we will see the good and the bad. The Word of God will begin to pierce our hearts when it comes to areas in our life that we are struggling with, but it will also encourage us.
As far as being a light in the dark, one thing that has stuck with me is John 13:34-35, which says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Every morning, I will ask myself the following question: How can I show the tangible love of Jesus today? I can do it in various ways! Here are a few: paying for someone’s coffee behind me, smiling at people, sharing encouraging words with someone, and more.


For someone who may be new to Christianity or someone that is new to actually studying the Bible, which book of the Bible would you suggest they start reading first?
That’s a hard question. A lot of people say the Gospels since that is when Jesus was living, which is what I used to say. But, honestly, I don’t know. Someone mentioned how people should start from the beginning because they can learn more about God as our Creator and just who He is. However, I don’t have a specific answer.

Yes! People say start in John, but why John? I started in Ephesians. 
Starting in Ephesians is so good because you learn about God’s grace. But in order to understand the Good News, you must understand the bad news as well, which is why we can’t shy away from the Old Testament. Sometimes we think the Old Testament is boring and if you think that, then pray! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you during your reading time.


Do you have any tips for people who may read the Bible but have a hard time understanding what they are reading?
I would say:
• Pray before you get started.
• Humble yourself and define words you don’t know: I didn’t start doing this until last year and I was like why didn’t I do this before? You can’t read something you don’t understand.
• Get good resources: I think the She Reads Truth Bible is great for women who are about to start reading the Bible for the very first time. Although it is not a study Bible, it is filled with so many helpful things, such as: timelines, devotions, historical context, and more. I honestly wish I had it when I became a believer. Another great resource is Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. Throughout the book, she talks about how to study Scripture and how we can love God with our heart, soul, and mind.
• Cross reference: Having scripture interpret scripture is the best. For example, if you read in Matthew when it mentions the need for two or three witnesses, you might think that’s pointless. But, in Deuteronomy, when they have cases going on, they would need two or three witnesses. It sounds simple, but it’s fun!
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions or look into other resources: If I don’t know what a scripture means, I’ll just sit on it for a few days. If I’m still not understanding it, I’ll crack open my study Bible. There are also a few online resources, such as: desiringgod.com and bible.org that are great!
• Don’t be afraid to trust Holy Spirit: We have the same Holy Spirit as well-known, trusted, theologians do; therefore, we can trust that Holy Spirit will speak to us regarding Scripture as well! He doesn’t favor one person over the other. If you seek Him and ask for wisdom, He will reveal it to you.


What are some things you think people should keep in mind as they spend time reading and studying the Bible?
Here are a few important things!
First: It’s about God. Often times, we can dive in the Bible head first. What I mean by that is we go in thinking about me, me, me. But it’s not about us. It’s about God! When we get to know who God is, we will learn who we are.
Next: Don’t be afraid to trust Holy Spirit while you are reading and studying.
Last: Understand the context in which the text was written.



Any last words of advice and/or encouragement you would like to give to others about reading the Bible?
Give yourself grace: Not every season is going to be the same. In some seasons, you’re not going to be able to sit down to study the Bible for an hour or two every day. But, in those seasons, embrace those moments.

Be intentional about your time in God’s Word: Make time to read the Word every day and try to schedule one or two days out of your week to do an inductive study.

Don’t be afraid to wrestle with Scripture: There are going to be times where you won’t understand what the heck you’re reading, but Holy Spirit will help you. He is the greatest teacher! Also, utilize the people and resources in your life. We have believers around us that we can ask for wisdom, we have the internet, and we have commentaries. Don’t be afraid to humble yourself and ask for help!



Taliah, thank you so much for pouring into us and pointing us to the Truth of the Scriptures! Be blessed!


Meet Taliah!

Taliah Kendrick is a follower of Christ and wife to her husband, Clarence. She enjoys hanging out at local coffee shops and roaming the aisles of LifeWay and Target. She has a blog and YouTube channel where she talks about all things related to faith and lifestyle. Her mission is to: make disciples, encourage believers to love God with all of their strength, heart, soul, and mind, and to encourage women to fall in love with the Word of God.

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