Hike Through the Bible: An In-Depth Exploration

by Colin S. Smith

Gear up for some trails that will change your life.

If you’ve ever been on a hike, then you’ve experienced views that stir your soul. But hikes can also be fatiguing, slippery, and precarious. Hike Through the Bible is a 50-session journey that helps you navigate through difficult passages of Scripture and takes you down exciting new trails where you’ll encounter the Lord in an up close and personal way.

Serving as a trusted, pastoral guide, Colin Smith leads you on a rigorous path where you’ll explore the depths of God’s Word. Each section of the hike includes five questions for personal reflection or group discussion. You will scale mountainsides, sit by waterfalls, and see rocks and foliage that you’ve never noticed. Like any great hike, studying Scripture can feel intimidating or like hard work. But the discoveries—and this is a promise—are worth every minute of it!

352 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Colin Smith was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He came to personal faith in Christ at the age of six, and sensed God's call to pastoral ministry early in life. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Master of Philosophy from London Bible College. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as the Senior Pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London for 16 years. While in London, he was active in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches in England; and served the Fellowship as president.Colin currently serves as Senior Pastor of the The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He is committed to preaching the Bible in a way that nourishes the soul by directing attention to Jesus Christ. He has published several books and is the teacher of the popular evangelistic video series, 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible Story.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading through the Bible and understanding its major ideas is a daunting task. Smith helps readers discover the major concepts contained and what they mean to us today. This is not a chapter by chapter adventure but rather a concept by concept one. The design of fifty chapters would make it great for a year long read through. Smith has included a prayer at the end of each chapter as well as thought provoking questions and a verse to memorize. This book would be a good for personal use as well as for a Sunday School class or a small group.

I appreciate Smith's insights and information included in the book. He has written previous books on the Bible that provide more of an overview of it. This one is more of an in depth study of the major concepts contained within it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

[Kevin Halloran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve gone through this material several times while helping prepare the Spanish translation, and each pass has reminded me how helpful it is. The content is clear, rich, and very practical—an excellent tool for discipleship and for helping people grasp the big story of the Bible.

One especially neat feature from Open the Bible (the organization I work for) is the companion podcast. Each episode includes an audio reading of a chapter followed by a conversation with Pastor Colin and a couple of friends reflecting on it. And if you listen closely, you might even spot a familiar face joining the discussion on a few episodes.

You can check it out here: https://openthebible.org/hike.