It’s always fun to know a little something about an author before diving into his or her book. Today, I get to interview my dear friend, Courtney Doctor, about her new release, From Garden to Glory: How Understanding God’s Story Changes Yours. This book is designed to help readers understand the Bible as one cohesive story and see God’s heart in his redemptive plan for humanity. It releases next week on May 7, so make sure to order your copy!
Can you give us a quick update on you and your family? What has this season of life been like for you?
This is a really sweet season! I love watching my adult children thrive in their callings, I have the three best children-in-law in the whole world, and being a grandmother to the five little rascals who call me CC is the most wonderful part of all. My husband and I are in the process of building a little barn (well, he’s in the process. I’m just watching!)—and I can hardly wait to get a few ponies so that CC can teach the grandbabies to ride!
I never set out to be a writer, but the past few years have brought several projects my way that have been a joy and privilege to work on. The same week that From Garden to Glory launches into the world, I will be (Lord willing!) turning in a manuscript for a Bible study on Titus. The best part of all is that I have been able to write it with Hunter Beless, a woman 20 years younger than me, who has the wisdom of a woman 20 years older than me. And I’ve learned so much from the book of Titus that I’m eager to share with you all!
What led you to write From Garden to Glory? What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
In 2010, my husband and I moved to St. Louis to attend Covenant Theological Seminary. The first class we took was Covenant Theology, a year-long class taught by five professors—C. J. (Jack) Collins, Brad Matthews, Greg Perry, Jay Sklar, and Michael Williams. They took turns showing us the beauty and coherency of the biblical story—and it rocked my world.
I’d been taught that the Bible was like a love note from God written just to me. But through the class, I learned that while the Bible was written for me, it wasn’t written directly to me. It is a beautiful cohesive story about God and his great rescue mission. It’s a story that began in Eden and doesn’t end until God dwells with his people again. Reading the Bible like this helps me love God and his Word so much more!
My hope in writing From Garden to Glory is that the Bible will become less mysterious and more loved as we learn to read it as the story it is. I hope that your hunger for the Word of God will grow as you discover how amazing and brilliant this story is, and that you will experience a spark that ignites a passion for studying God’s Word—leading to a greater understanding of your own value and significance as you more deeply appreciate how your life is wrapped up in this story.
Why is it so important to understand the Bible as one, unified story?
Reading the Bible as one, unified story helps us more faithfully interpret and apply the Scriptures. Like all good stories, the Bible progresses. Meaning, we know more about God and his ways at the end of the book than we did at the beginning. So, when we are reading a passage, we need to ask questions like, “What did they know about God at this point in the story? What covenant are they under? What was God doing at this point in redemptive history?” Does it matter that Paul knew more about God than Abraham? Does it matter that Paul lived under the new covenant and had the Holy Spirit dwelling in him? Does it matter that he lived as the church was being established as God’s people? Yes! All of these help us more faithfully understand the Bible.
Also, when we read the Bible as the progressive and cohesive story it is, we can more easily see the faithfulness of our good God in spite of the unfaithfulness of his people. We should marvel at his patience, forgiveness, long-suffering, and sacrificial love—all to redeem a people like us.
The storyline of Scripture also helps us make sense of both the beauty and the brokenness of our lives. This is the story that is meant to define our smaller stories. In it, we see our purpose and goal. But we also see what we were created for, what went wrong, and how to be part of what God is doing to make it right again. Our eternal hope is wrapped up in the hero of the story and tethering our lives to his.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start a regular habit of Bible study, but feels overwhelmed or doesn’t know where to start?
Find a good reading plan and just start! Not everything will make sense the first time you read through . . . or the second . . . or the tenth. But gradually you will start to see connections; you will start to understand more; and you will increasingly experience the joy of meeting with God in his living Word.
The process of hiding God’s Word in your heart is not an easy one, but it is a necessary one. It happens over time. Your job is to faithfully show up and read. God will be at work and you will be able to look back and see that, as a result of regularly studying God’s Word, you know and love him more.
In the book, you talk about how “God doesn’t just tell us about himself; he shows us who he is through what he does.” Can you tell us a little about what you mean by that?
God’s Word is full of stories that reveal his character. Stories are powerful. They don’t just inform us—they move us. God could have simply documented the facts: that he made everything good, we broke it, and now he is fixing it again. Instead, he both tells us he is faithful and shows us his faithfulness through stories about men and women he forgave, promises he fulfilled, and plans he brought to fruition. We are not to know him solely in an intellectual way, but in a relational way—and, as a result, we are to love him with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. The story helps us do that.
Can you share a few of your favorite quotes from the book?
“God has recorded this great story of all he has done not simply so that we will know about him, but so that we will know him, believe him, be saved by him, and worship him forever.”
“God did not rescue us because we are great, wonderful, strong, or even cute. He rescued us because of his great love.”
“We are called to a real, living, active, and vibrant relationship with the Lord of all creation. Not to earn, secure, or sustain his love, but as the appropriate response to his love.”
Here are some endorsements:
“If you’ve ever wished that you could understand the big picture of the Bible, this resource will help you know how to do it! Based on a solid grasp of the Bible and theology, and full of practical illustrations, From Garden to Glory will walk you through the overarching story that runs from one end of the Bible to the other. It will help you to know the Bible better and give you a greater understanding of God, his glorious purpose for his world, and how your life relates to that purpose. It is both helpful and hopeful, and those who go through it will reap rich rewards!”
–Jay Sklar, professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary
“From Garden to Glory is a wonderful invitation to trace–and be changed by!–the overarching story of the Bible from beginning to end. Whether you’re a new believer or a seasoned saint, this book will encourage your walk with Christ.”
–Ruth Chou Simons, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, artist, and founder of GraceLaced
“From Garden to Glory will help you better understand the Bible’s story so that you might know and love the Author behind every word. As she nestles us in God’s story of redemption, Courtney lovingly encourages us to treasure and live out its truths. This is an incredibly helpful resource that I will reference and recommend regularly.”
–Hunter Beless, founder of Journeywomen Ministries; author of Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It! and Amy Carmichael: The Brown-Eyed Girl Who Learned to Pray
What is something surprising that people might not know about you?
I can drive a tractor and a Bobcat. We used to live on 15 acres that I mowed with a brush hog attached to a 1964 Massey Ferguson tractor. My husband has also been a general contractor and we’ve done lots of projects over the years!
Courtney Doctor received an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary and currently serves as director of women’s initiatives for The Gospel Coalition. She is a Bible teacher and author of several books and Bible studies including From Garden to Glory, Behold and Believe, and In View of God’s Mercies. Courtney and her husband Craig have four children and five beautiful grandchildren. You can find her at courtneydoctor.org or on Instagram @courtneycdoctor.
