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Avoid Sloppy Bible Reading

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John Starke has a good article about sloppy Bible reading.

What I mean by “sloppy reading” is that often I come to a text of Scripture thinking I’m reading in order to be informed about how I might believe and live, but actually I’m coming to Scripture for affirmation of what I already believe and how I already live. And so, I’m a sloppy reader who’s likely blind to my sloppiness. And it’s likely you are too.

He illustrates by showing what we should take away from Jesus’ statement that he came not for the healthy but for the sick. Starke exposes the ease with which we fail to see Christ—even in the Gospels—and he models grace-filled application for us.

Check it out!

Bible Reading Contest

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I believe it’s worth it to read the entire Bible quickly, and I’m willing to stand behind that belief. So I invite you to join me in my annual Bible blitz. The first 3 people to finish before me will win both a copy of Knowable Word and the study Bible of their choice from my buying guide. Note: If I decide international shipping costs are prohibitive, I reserve the right to email you a gift certificate or ebook instead of a physical book.

Rules:

  1. You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but I’m trusting you to be honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable.
  2. You may not begin until January 1, 2016.
  3. As soon as you finish, you must email me at peter.krol@knowableword.com (or contact me through the web form) with the date you finished and what you thought of the speed-reading process.
  4. The first 3 people to finish before I do may select a study Bible for their prize package. If you request physical books instead of ebooks, I reserve the right to send you a gift card if I determine shipping costs are excessive.
  5. When I finish my speed-read, or when 3 others have contacted me (whichever comes first), I will update this post and close the contest.

To give you a sense of scope, here are the dates I finished my speed-reads over the last 5 years.

2011 – March 20

2012 – March 12

2013 – March 11

2014 – March 8

2015 – February 6

[2016 – February 5 — UPDATE: the contest is now over.]

The speed jumped in 2015 because I began supplementing my reading time with an audio Bible.

I’ll look forward to hearing from you. I hope you have as much fun with it as I do, and may the Lord draw us all nearer to him through it!

A Bible Reading Plan for Readers

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This is a great time to consider a new reading plan. While it requires discipline, it can also be great fun. I just reposted an article about the speed-reading Bible plan I’ve followed for the last 5 years. This article first appeared at The Gospel Coalition. In a few days, I’ll post a new contest to encourage you to try this delightful plan in the coming year.

Check it out!

The Basic Message of the Bible is Plain to All

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Here is something from Aaron Armstrong to be thankful for:

We shouldn’t act as though the Bible has hidden knowledge that only an elite few can access. That is the way of the mystical guru, who offers esoteric nonsense—absurdities in place of true wisdom. But the message of the Bible—at least in its basic message—is plain to all. Most anyone could come to the text of the Bible and understand the means by which God offers salvation (whether they agree with it or not is another question entirely). They can know the commands of God (whether they obey, again, is another question entirely). They can know there will be judgement, there will be a day when suffering and sadness end, when death is no more and all will be made new. Some elements are confusing, and some, frankly, make little sense to those living in the West today. Even so, there is no need for discouragement: what we can know, we can know.

Check out his full article.

The Bible Teaches Us to Use the Bible

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When we want to figure out how to use the Bible, we don’t need to complicate the process. The Bible itself tells us how to use the Bible.

Jesse Johnson quotes W.H. Pike, who writes of the many instructions the Bible itself gives about how to use the Bible:

  1. Read it (Neh 8:8)
  2. Believe it (Rom 10:8)
  3. Receive it (James 1:10)
  4. Taste it (Heb 6:5)
  5. Eat it (Jer 15:16)
  6. Hold it fast (Titus 1:9)
  7. Hold it forth (Phil 2:16)
  8. Preach it (2 Tim 4:2)
  9. Search it (John 5:29)
  10. Study it (2 Tim 2:15)
  11. Meditate on it (Ps 1:2)
  12. Compare it (2 Cor 2:13)
  13. Rightly divide it (2 Tim 2:15)
  14. Delight in it (Ps 119:92)

Pike’s article explains each point in a few sentences. Check it out!

Re-Ignite Boring Bible Reading

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David Murray writes about a common struggle:

We’ve all been there. Reading the Bible can become boring. Our eyes are on the page but our minds are everywhere else; because everywhere else is just so much more interesting. That black book without pictures just isn’t quite so exciting as the black device that can show us anything in the world in just a click.  We may pick up our Bibles, open the pages, and scan the lines, but our hearts just aren’t in it. We force ourselves to read our chapter(s) or fill up our allotted time, but we really can’t wait to finish and get on to much more fascinating and enjoyable things.

And he has some great ideas for coming out of the slump:

  1. Develop a routine
  2. Get enough sleep
  3. Ban the cell phone
  4. Read a different translation
  5. Read more slowly (or more quickly)
  6. Read a devotional first
  7. Use a study Bible (but be careful with it)
  8. Find accountability
  9. See your need
  10. Remember who is speaking
  11. Pray
  12. Serve your church

All Murray’s ideas are great and worth trying. I especially appreciate #12, as we often fail to realize our “boredom” comes from focusing on ourselves, and the solution doesn’t lie within ourselves. As Murray rightly suggests, getting out there and doing something for others will exercise our souls, make us hungry, and make visible our need for strengthening and guidance – thus leading us to “devour God’s Word more greedily.”

Check out Murray’s article for a fuller explanation of each suggestion.

Best Advice: Never Read a Bible Verse

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Writing at the Stand to Reason blog, Greg Koukl explains what he believes to be the most important skill for Bible-believing Christians:

If there was one bit of wisdom, one rule of thumb, one single skill I could impart, one useful tip I could leave that would serve you well the rest of your life, what would it be? What is the single most important practical skill I’ve ever learned as a Christian?

Here it is: Never read a Bible verse. That’s right, never read a Bible verse. Instead, always read a paragraph at least.

Koukl goes on to explain a simple method for clarifying the meaning of any verse: paraphrase it in your own words, then read the surrounding paragraph with the inserted paraphrase. Demonstrating this method, Koukl debunks popular but false readings of quotable verses:

  • John 1:3 – “Apart from him” cannot mean “With the exception of Jesus.”
  • Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” cannot mean “Let feelings of peacefulness in your heart be the judge about God’s individual will for your life.”
  • John 12:32 – “If I be lifted up from the earth” cannot mean “If I be exalted before the people.”
  • John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice” cannot mean “Mature Christians have the ability to sense My personal direction for their lives and obey it.”

Koukl’s great article will challenge you never to read a Bible verse apart from the paragraph surrounding it. And I highly recommend this practice.

Check it out!

HT: Justin Taylor

Teach Your Preschoolers to Have Devotions

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On a recent drive home, I had the following conversation with my 6-year-old daughter:

What did you learn at baseball practice tonight?

Lots of things!

Like what?

The same thing I learn at every practice.

And what is it that you learn at every practice?

I don’t remember…

No wonder she has to relearn it at every practice.

This is how shepherding children usually feels: seeking clarity, repeating things, practicing skills, and repeating things. Training our children to walk with God is no different. We can start early, promote good habits, and practice those habits year after year. The rare “Aha!” moments are glorious, but most of our parenting will consist of innumerable “try it again” moments.

Preschoolers are Ready for More

Let’s not wait for the children to be ready to walk with the Lord before encouraging them to start practicing. If God placed them in your family, they are ready. Of course you should address matters of belief, character, and wisdom as you have opportunity. And from the children’s earliest days you can train them to hear God’s voice and respond to it.

Let’s say you’d like to hand your children a Bible and teach them to use it. You’d love to give them a handsome devotional page and begin coaching a new season. And though you are ready for this step, your children are not. They would stare blankly at the indecipherable runes and hieroglyphs and ask you where the pictures are. Your child cannot yet read.

What do you do?

Illiteracy is No Obstacle

We’ve found four things helpful in our household. I’d love to hear your ideas as well.

1. Read to them

You can read the Bible as a family. You can read one-on-one. You can read in groups. Whatever it takes, however it works best for you, read the Bible to them.

The key, as always, is to read the Bible. Supplement their Bible intake with children’s Bibles, but don’t limit the children to the supplements. Like a good Amish cook, keep the grease right in that pan and don’t ever wash it out. Let your instruction simmer in the caloric, fatty goodness of God’s own words. Your children will get used to them and be able to understand them. These children are much smarter than we think they are.

For example, I had a child who consistently resisted instruction from us. He would get distracted and make excuses, refusing to hear counsel. We disciplined him when appropriate, but we clearly needed something more. So I had a private devotional time with this child in James 4:6-7. This child could not read, but he could understand that God would oppose him if he was proud. He knew he wouldn’t win if God fought against him, and the Scripture softened his heart toward us.

2. Read near them

Children will imitate what they see. It’s nice if they know you go into a room alone to have time with Jesus, but it’s even better if they can see you spend time with Jesus day after day. Soon enough, their play time will include “time with Jesus,” and they’ll find “Bibles” to carry around with them.

3. Have others read to them

My wife knew our kids would learn to use technology before they learned to read, so she taught them how to use a simple mp3 player. We loaded it with nothing but an audio Bible, and asked them to listen to it every morning. She would give them a track number (Bible chapter) for the day, and they would draw pictures while listening. But their drawings would take longer than a single track/chapter, so they’d hear multiple chapters in a row. The next day, she’d give them the next assigned chapter, which would involve some repetition from the day before. (In other words, on the day for Exodus 15, they’d hear Exodus 15-18. The next day would be “Exodus 16,” but they would hear Exodus 16-19.)

In these pictures, we’ve seen Noah carrying animals onto his boat, Abraham watching the stars, and Israel fleeing from “Ejip.”

Whales and drowning soldiers in the Red Sea, while long lines of Israelites pass through on dry ground (Exodus 14):

Red Sea

People gathering manna, baking it in the oven, and fighting Amalekites (Exodus 16):

Manna

4. Work it into their routines

Whatever you do should become routine (not mindless but regular). The more repetitive it gets, the more normal and expected it will be. And how many of us wish our time in Scripture and in prayer would feel normal and natural?

To be clear, our family life is not one of complete Bible bliss. We still eat dinner, watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and play baseball. We build legos, and we fight. But we try to organize life around the Scripture in basic and repetitive ways.

Here’s your chance to help the next generation. May they rise up and call you blessed.

Teach Your Child to Have Devotions

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As a Christian parent, one of my chief desires is for my children to come to faith in Jesus Christ. I pray frequently and fervently for God to give them new life, for without his Spirit their hearts will not change. (John 6:44, Rom 8:9)

Salvation Through the Word

Romans 10:17 teaches that there is no salvation apart from the Word of God. So as soon as your child can respond to sound, he should hear the Bible. Scripture songs, Bible stories, family worship, testimonies—let the rich story and good news of God’s salvation be the soundtrack of your home.

A child may begin the journey to faith by imitating his parents, but he must eventually confess Jesus as Lord with his own lips. Now God is sovereign over everything, including salvation, so there is no sure-fire formula. But on a human level, we can take this step of obedience: when your child is old enough to read, give him a Bible and train him to use it.

Devotions for Children

Erik Schepers (2015), Creative Commons License

Erik Schepers (2015), Creative Commons License

My oldest daughter (eight) reads ravenously. This is a gift from God, yet my wife and I joke that we are in a small company who must discipline for too much reading. (Otherwise, her teeth might never get clean, you see.) I long to channel her love of reading toward God’s Word and to help her build a habit of private devotions, including time for both prayer and Bible study.

At Knowable Word, we maintain that personal Bible study is most profitable using the Observation-Interpretation-Application (OIA) method. But children this age may not be ready for all the OIA terms and worksheets. For my daughter, I simply want her to read and think about the Bible. So, I designed this devotions sheet for her, and I am excited to share it with you.

Explanation

The document is intentionally simple. My daughter should be able to meet with God in a meaningful way without feeling overwhelmed. Though it depends on the child, it could be used by most children between ages 6 and 10.

During “Bible Time,” my daughter reads one passage and writes down one observation and one question. She should pray about something that springs from her reading.

The “Prayer Time” portion of the sheet is also uncomplicated. The prompts follow the easy-to-remember ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) model of prayer.

The writing space is important. Writing stimulates our thinking and focus, and when my daughter records her thoughts it helps me care for her. I know she’s completed her devotions, and I can follow up in response to her answers, if needed.

Let me leave you with some advice about helping your child begin a devotional life.

  • Don’t be too ambitious — Whether or not you adopt this document, use something your child can complete without difficulty. Don’t pile on a heavy burden, and don’t try to impress anyone.
  • Use something helpful — This sheet may work for some children and not for others. Think about age-appropriate devotions, but don’t fuss too much about the tools. As your child grows in age and spiritual maturity, his devotional tools will likely change too.
  • Interact with your child — Don’t tuck a devotional plan between your child’s arms and expect him to scamper into the end zone. Your child needs love and guidance. Talk about the Bible with your child; teach him how to pray. Look over his responses on the sheet and pray for opportunities for heart-level conversations.
  • There is no magic formula — This bears repeating: salvation is of the Lord. As you press forward in faith, pray for your merciful God to be merciful to your children.

Link to Devotions Sheet

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Why We Don’t Read the Bible

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Erik Raymond proposes 5 reasons why many of us don’t read our Bibles:

  1. It makes us uncomfortable
  2. It’s too hard
  3. We are undisciplined
  4. We think it is stale and lifeless
  5. We have a dysfunctional relationship with God

Did you notice what’s missing from the list? “We’re too busy.” Raymond doesn’t buy that for a moment, and I think he’s right. We always have time for what we value the most.

Raymond’s conclusion:

Let’s be honest: if you don’t read your Bible it is because you don’t want to read your Bible. And to bottom line this further, this is indicative or your relationship with God. We cannot separate a love for the Word of God and the God of the Word.

Do you want to read your Bible? If not, why not?

Raymond’s article explains each of the reasons with helpful action steps of repentance. Check it out!