Read the Bible For Life

Read The Bible for Life

Did you know that when you gathered for worship Sunday, 68% of the people attending had not opened their Bible at all last week or the week before that? In fact, according to LifeWay Research, only 16% of church attenders read their Bible daily!

In his book The Shape of Faith to Come, Dr. Brad Waggoner states that the most common characteristic of growing Christians is that they read their Bible daily (p. 68). In spite of all we do to follow the Great Commission and make disciples, the most basic characteristic escapes 84% of our church members.

It is time for us to do something about that...!

There is a new resource available to help you lead your church to read the entire Bible in 2012. Read the Bible for Life by Dr. George Guthrie, Professor of Bible at Union University was released early this year. As a personal testimony, I have been using his One-Year Chronological Reading Plan for my devotional time, and it has been great.

The book gives readers an opportunity to learn how to read the Bible in a way that they can apply it and that means something to them. Contributors to Read the Bible for Life include David Platt, Darrell Bock, Michael Card, and others who have spent years researching and teaching their respective areas of study. The book, written in a narrative interview style, presents 16 conversations about reading the Bible more effectively. There are also chapters such as “Reading the Bible with the Family” and “Reading the Bible in Sorrow and Suffering.”

Guthrie states: “My purpose with this book and the entire initiative is to facilitate a conversation with people on how to read the Bible more effectively and meaningfully. I want to show individuals how practical and relevant the Bible is to their lives. …Bible literacy is not about Bible trivia. It’s about understanding how the parts of Scripture—the stories, psalms, etc.—work, how the Bible’s larger Story fits together, and how the Scriptures apply to life. The Bible has shaped history, culture, and literature. It has the power to shape and profoundly affect our lives.”

Some ideas for implementing Read the Bible for Life:

• Read the book, Read the Bible for Life, by George Guthrie.
• Provide Read the Bible for Life Discipleship Groups during the fall semester at your church (Video curriculum available from LifeWay – 9 week series).
• Beginning January 1, distribute chronological annual Bible reading plans to your church members (January 1 falls on a Sunday in 2012)
• Consider preaching through the Bible in 2012. Simply choose a text from that week's Bible readings.
• Encourage your people to email you with testimonies and stories of how reading the Bible daily is impacting their spiritual growth. Get permission to share some of these stories each week in your sermon.
• Go to www.bhpublishinggroup.com/readthebible for additional resources and ideas, including a free Churchwide Initiative Guide.

Endorsements:

• "In the church's dry desert of biblical illiteracy, this book is a drink of cold, refreshing water. With pastoral sensitivity and practical skill, George Guthrie is equipping us to know, understand, and apply the treasures of God's Word in a way that will transform our lives and our communities for the glory of our God. I wholeheartedly recommend Read the Bible For Life for every Christian and every leader in the church." 
  —David Platt, New York Times best-selling author of Radical 
• "The genuine give and take of conversation is key to the Christian community's deeper grasp of the Scriptures. Read the Bible for Life is a celebration of biblical conversation between friends who really love the Word. Hopefully, lots of people will join in." 
  —Michael Card, award-winning musician and author
• “In a culture where biblical illiteracy continues to spread like the proverbial plague, George Guthrie has introduced a healing medicine in the form of Read the Bible for Life. This overview of the Bible's nature and content will be welcomed in churches intent on developing biblically grounded followers of Christ. The book's conversational approach provides an easy entry for a generation that tends to read only headlines. With fresh insights for the long time student of God's Word and accessible material for new students, I recommend it for all believers.”
  —Ed Stetzer, Co-author of Transformational Church