I’m Challenging You to Read the Bible

This morning in my devotions I read from Psalm 19.

It begins with beautiful words: “The heavens declare the glory of God!”

I immediately felt the truth of those words. Not only do I think of stunning sunsets, breathtaking mountain vistas, beautiful lakes, and vast oceans, but in the last few days I’ve watched so much gorgeous snow fall here in central NC.

Later in Psalm 19 it says in verse 7, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.”

As a pastor I talk to so many people who are struggling. And one of the painful realities about living in a broken world is that hard things are often good for us and easy things are so often bad for us.

It is hard to work out and eat well. It is easy to eat junk and veg out.

It is hard to be disciplined. It is easy to be lazy.

And it turns out, it is hard to read your Bible—even though it revives the soul.

Bible Reading Will Change Your Life

For more than a year, I’ve been actively beating the drum to encourage our church to read the Bible regularly. And I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to hear that people are not only taking up the challenge but that embracing Bible reading is changing their lives.

It’s incredible. But it’s not surprising.

Research consistently shows that reading your Bible at least four days a week is a tipping point—a threshold that leads to meaningful and lasting spiritual growth. What kind of good things?

Here’s some research I presented in a sermon last fall on loving God with our minds:

That’s pretty good stuff. Here’s a little more:

You can find that research here.

Why is Bible Reading so Transformative?

Simply put, time in Scripture brings us closer to Jesus.

Reading the Bible reshapes our hearts. It strengthens our relationships. It changes our habits. It affects how we think, how we feel, and how we live, work, give, and serve.

I can see those changes in the people around me, especially at Cornerstone. And for our church, I am fully convinced that this growing commitment to meeting with Jesus—through prayer and time in His Word—is one of the primary reasons we’re experiencing such dynamic spiritual growth right now.

If you haven’t yet taken up this habit, let me encourage you: now is a great time to start.

You don’t need an hour a day. You don’t need a perfect plan. Just take a few minutes. Open your Bible (or your Bible app) and meet with Jesus through prayer and His Word. Getting started is often the hardest part. But once you do, it creates a hunger that draws you back again the next day.

I want to help you do that.

The Starter Guide

A very talented young woman in our church helped me put together a starter guide for you.

This is a Basic Bible Reading Plan. (If you’re already deep in your own Bible reading plan maybe just save this to share with others.)

Bible reading changed my life. It is changing our church. And Jesus wants to use it to change you.

This month, more than anything else, I want to remind you to prioritize God’s Word.

So here’s my last bit of advice:

1. Commit. Don’t make excuses. Your phone’s screen time report is more than enough evidence that you do have time to read your Bible.
2. Start small. None of these readings take more than a few minutes. Even if you’re a mom who has to lock yourself in the bathroom for a few minutes of peace (before those little fingers appear in the cracks beneath the door), just go for it. You can start with less than 5 minutes a day.
3. Make it great. If you can, make your time with Jesus the best part of your day. Pick your most comfortable spot. Play your favorite music. Make your favorite drink. Whatever it takes to make it special and easy to repeat.
4. Dive in. Most people never start or quickly get discouraged and quit. Hard things are good for you. It takes effort. So dive in and keep swimming. You can do it.

I’m challenging you to read the Bible. You won’t regret it.