1. Not Taking Your Bible to Church

Slide 1 of 9

As the pastor prepared to start his sermon, he told anyone who needed a Bible to raise their hand, and they’d be given one to keep. No hands went up! The parishioners knew that every Scripture the pastor used in his sermons was on a handout in the church bulletin, as well as projected on screens at the front of the church. Why would they need a Bible?

Sadly, this has become the norm in many churches today. Congregants become passive instead of participants, as they’re spoon-fed Scriptures and feel there’s no reason to bring their Bible to church. Can churches still be considered “Bible churches” when no one opens a Bible, sometimes not even the pastor? 

Regardless if your church projects Scriptures on a screen, take your Bible to church and look up Scriptures the pastor uses in his sermon. Make notes in the margin or underline passages in your Bible that God uses to speak to you. If you’re not sure where a book in the Bible is located, check the Table of Contents. The more you interact with your Bible, the quicker you’ll learn your way around it. Some people put index tabs in their Bibles to locate the various books. You may prefer having a Bible on your phone instead of a hard copy, but still open and read from it.

I’m fortunate to attend a church where people bring their Bibles. The pastor puts the Scripture references in the handout notes, but not the Scripture text. He encourages everyone to look them up in the Bible, even if they’re also on the screens. What a blessing to hear Bible pages turning and the joy this must bring to our Lord. 

As we grow in our maturity and relationship with Jesus, taking our Bibles to church, looking up Scriptures, writing notes in our Bible, reading along in our Bibles also sets a godly role model for our children and grandchildren.

Flashing Scriptures on a screen, or printing them in a handout often tossed after church, will never replace knowing and reading the written Word of God from your personal Bible.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Photo Credit: Sincerely Media/Unsplash