Discipleship and Bible engagement …
A disconnect.
What we say and do doesn’t always seem to line up. While 66% of churchgoers say they want to “honour Jesus in all I do,” only 11% read the Bible daily – this according to the October 2011 LifeWay Research, Transformational Discipleship Study, of more than 4,000 American and Canadian churchgoers (Evangelical and mainline English, French and Spanish Protestants).
Bible engagement should be intrinsic to being a disciple. “There would be no sense in saying you trusted Jesus if you would not take his advice” C.S. Lewis. To learn from Christ and do what He commands, one has to read the Bible. “Faith is good only when it engages truth.” A. W. Tozer. Yet 34% of churchgoers rarely or never read the Bible outside of church, and just 27% say they read it a few times a week or once a month.
An alarming reality.
How do we make disciples if people aren’t reading and reflecting on the Scriptures? Alarmingly, most churchgoers don’t feel bad about not connecting with the Bible. A whopping 62% say they don’t feel “unfulfilled” if they “go several days without reading the Bible.”
First-century disciples.
New Testament disciples were people who increasingly, and with growing intentionality, reflected the character and ministry of Christ. The first-century disciples aligned their hearts and lives with Christ, looked more and more like Him over time, and, most importantly, reproduced disciples who, in turn, learnt to be like Christ and do what He did.
Shallow standards.
In the Western Church, we seem to be content with calling a person a disciple if they pitch up to a church service, occasionally volunteer, put something in the offering bag, and do some good things … a far cry from the lives and ministries of the first-century disciples.
LifeWay’s research reveals that only 3% of churchgoers do Bible study daily, and 53% rarely or never study the Bible. This is hugely disconcerting. If Christians aren’t learning about the life of Christ, how can they become like Christ?
Equipping churchgoers.
Something’s lost that needs to be found. Do we want to see disciples forged in the character of Christ, exercising the power/authority of Christ, and exuding the grace of Christ? If we do, then our priority must be to equip and encourage churchgoers to read and reflect on the Scriptures regularly.
Read the related articles to learn more about discipleship and Bible engagement.
Related Articles
Why 95% of Christians Struggle With Bible Engagement
Recommended
- Scripture Union: theStory™ – https://christianbookscanada.ca/products/thestory
- Bible Gateway Reading Plans: https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/
Summary
Discipleship and Bible engagement: A significant gap exists between the desire to honour Jesus and actual Bible engagement, with only 11% of churchgoers reading the Bible daily. Despite the central role Bible engagement plays in discipleship, many churchgoers rarely or never engage with Scripture outside of church services, and many don’t feel unfulfilled by this disconnect. Early disciples were characterized by intentional reflection on Christ’s teachings, whereas modern churchgoers often see minimal engagement as sufficient. To truly nurture disciples, it’s essential to prioritize regular Bible reading and reflection, helping believers align their lives with Christ’s example.
© Scripture Union Canada
