It was 6:30 AM this morning. I had my coffee. He had his 700-servings-of-vegetables-and-fruits juice. (Crazy, healthy person!) We both had our Bibles. And we talked. We asked questions. We shared what encouraged or challenged us. We read specific verses that stood out. We flat-out enjoyed being together with the Word as the centerpiece.
Each year I am more and more convinced that having someone we meet with regularly who is reading the same part of the Bible we’re reading is essential to falling in love with God’s Word.
I have written several times about doing a Bible Read Thru with a small group of people. (Highly recommend it.) Now that my 2012 BRT is over, I am using that same time slot to meet with one friend. We are reading the New Testament – one book per week – in The Voice (a new translation from Thomas Nelson).
There are certainly heaps of benefits from reading and discussing the Bible with someone else (or a small group of people). Here are a few of the primary ones:
You will be more regular in your own reading. Let’s face it, if we know someone is going to ask us how we’re doing at something, we’re more likely to do it. When the conversation is only in our own heads, it is really easy to justify why we can skip this morning… or this week… month… year. We don’t want the fact that someone is “checking up” on us to be our primary motivation, but it certainly is an effective one!
You will grow more than you would on your own. This is a pretty simple one. There are things that Tye notices that I don’t. And there are things that I notice that Tye doesn’t. (Told you it wasn’t rocket science.) As he and I share what we notice – or questions we have – we learn from each other. We challenge each other. We encourage each other.
You will enjoy it more. I can’t believe how often we overlook this one. We talk about studying the Bible, learning the Bible, teaching the Bible, or memorizing the Bible. Rarely do we talk about enjoying it. Check me if I’m wrong, but aren’t we way more likely to study, learn, teach, and internalize (more on why I have stopped using the word “memorize” later) the Bible if we actually like it? Few habits have increased my enjoyment of God’s Word more than talking about it with people.
Grab a friend (or a few friends). Invite a few other families over to your house. Spend your lunch break with some buddies. Meet for an early morning coffee (or fruity-veggie-drink). And talk about the Word. You won’t regret it.
What are some of the benefits you have gained from talking through God’s Word with others?
