By Carl Stagner

It all started with an unexpected conversation. Joy Sherman, pastor of Community Church of God in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, found herself in a dialogue about preaching and teaching talent within the Church of God movement. She couldn’t have predicted the direction discussion would soon take, however—a request to see a sample of her writing. Joy hadn’t sought it out, but it came regardless. With the responsibilities of home and serving the church as a lead pastor, it was somewhat hard to fathom giving sufficient time and attention to drafting a whole book. Yet, through a process of stretching and growing, not to mention taking an initial step of faith that would epitomize the crux of the manuscript, Pastor Joy Sherman finds herself today in awe of a recently published six-week Bible study selling fast and selling out due to demand.

Since she wasn’t looking to write a Bible study, Joy didn’t have any specific concepts in mind. After all, though the request from Regina Jackson at Warner Press was sincere, it was also nothing short of surprising. Sometimes God takes us by surprise, and that’s certainly the case for the author of Small Steps of Faith, Big Moves of God. “I didn’t have an idea to pitch following my conversation in fall 2022,” she recounts. “Later that night, in my hotel room, the Spirit ‘downloaded’ this concept into my heart and mind as I was lying awake. One of the things I love about what the Lord gave to me is how it examines stories of men and women, Old Testament and New Testament, and helps connect a thread about faith in God and God’s response to faith that runs through the whole of Scripture.”

In other words, small steps of faith, big moves of God! Sure, there were times along the way the when the work was elongated and tedious but, with the encouragement and prayerful support of key mentors, family, and friends, Pastor Joy persisted. August 2024 approached, as did what publishers call “launch day”— the day a printed work is released to the public. Within the day, to the amazement of author and publisher alike, the book was sold out at Warner Press and other major online retailers. Thankfully, more copies are on their way, and copies can be reserved with little trouble, yet incredibly high demand does suggest something uniquely potent about a publication that achieves sellout status.

Perhaps it’s the attainable three-day-per-week study format in contrast with the common five-or-more-day format. Maybe it’s the unique combination of compelling character analysis—from Peter stepping out of the boat to the bleeding woman stepping out of the shadows. It might even be the appendix of opportunities to take each lesson a step farther. If nothing else, it must be the practical tools accessible to anyone interested in not just learning the what of God’s Word, but more notably the how of studying as a successful student of Scripture. Upon further examination, readers are already discovering the appeal rests in all of the above.

“I really wanted to present a different Bible study format than what is currently on the market,” Joy reflects. “I’ve known folks through the years who have been stymied and stuck with studies that provide five days of homework per week. My experience is that many who fall behind in a study’s homework will stop showing up to their group meeting or stop the study altogether. As a self-confessed ‘do-it-the-right-way-or-don’t-do-it’ person, I’ve felt those tensions before, too. I really hoped it was possible to help avoid that outcome, because what we know to be true is that studying God’s Word with others is good, whether you get all the ‘homework’ done or not. So, my pitch to Warner Press was for three days of study per chapter.”

Each chapter’s “fourth day” is available in the appendix, which can also serve as a standalone study. And with endorsements from leaders like Lori Maldonado, Eric Livingston, and Jeannette Flynn, the content and function of a Bible study like this is unquestionably assured.

Julie Campbell, editor at Warner Press for the project, noted the week of the book’s launch that it had “been trending on Amazon even before its release, and [was] listed as a #1 new release in the ‘Christian preaching’ category!” She further reflected, “Joy has a real gift for making the Bible come alive and bringing things out in the text that will amaze you!”

For a limited time, Warner Press is offering a 30-percent discount on Small Steps of Faith, Big Moves of God. Use code STEPS30 at https://www.warnerpress.org/smallsteps. There you’ll also find more information about the Bible study, including the chance to download a sample chapter.

“I’m humbled to receive the invitation to write,” Pastor Joy concludes. “I pray it will bring glory to God and draw others into greater faith to take whatever steps he invites them into. I’m thankful I took this step!”