Sermon text: Psalm 72
Main idea: For the earth to flourish, we need an earthly king from heaven.
This past summer, I had the privilege to write an article for Youth Pastor Theologian. Although I no longer serve in youth ministry, I still have a few thoughts to pass along to those who do. Here’s the link to the article: https://www.youthpastortheologian.com/blog/evaluating-traditions-in-youth-ministry
Sermon text: Acts 2:42-47
Main idea: The early church was devoted to seven practices that can transform our church and through us our community.
You want to read the Bible, but you don’t know where to start. These five tips for reading the Bible will help you read the entire Bible more consistently for longer. I won’t recommend a reading plan. I’ll simply give some advice to get started.
It may sound counterintuitive. But many well laid plans for regular Bible reading are ruined by ambitious goals. Slow and steady wins the race. Make Bible reading a habit, not an event. For most people, one chapter per day is the best starting place.
I would avoid reading just one or two verses at a time. There are benefits to studying and meditating on one verse, but the Bible wasn’t originally written in verses. We need to read longer texts to understand the meaning of the verses. As others have said, “A text without a context is a con.”
I would encourage reading a book in the New Testament and following this with one in the Old. I mainly recommend doing this because most people find the New Testament easier to read. Reading through books of the New Testament helps maintain momentum.
Choose a book of the Bible that you can read in one week or less (seven chapters or less). If you start with a short New Testament book, as I recommend, you may want to follow that with another New Testament book like one of the gospels before jumping into the Old Testament. Even when you do jump into the Old Testament, you may want to start with one of the smaller books like Ruth or Esther. Reading some shorter books first will build momentum to a long-term habit.
You should try reading at the same time each day. I would even recommend the same location. Why do you brush your teeth every day? It has become a habit that you don’t even have to think about or make a choice to do. You can connect your Bible reading to other daily habits like drinking your morning coffee.
To get started, use a good study Bible. I recommend the ESV Study Bible. I would also recommend the Old Testament and New Testament overview videos from BibleProject (you can find the Old Testament videos here and the New Testament ones here). I also have found David Guzik’s free online Bible commentary helpful (https://enduringword.com/). These resources can answer questions as you read that could confuse you so much that you get discouraged.
Disclaimer: Although I recommend these resources, I don’t endorse everything in them.
If you follow these tips, you can develop a habit of Bible reading. Once you have an enduring habit, you can then read more chapters each day, add more time to pray for Scripture, or add additional in-depth study of specific books.
And don’t forget: The best plan for reading Scripture is the one you use.
This talk was given on February 28, 2025 at River Oaks: Clover Hill Church. It was the opening session for Theology and Doxology Conference 2025. The conference’s theme was “Dust to Dust, Glory to Glory (the Doctrine of Man).
Main idea: Human beings are created with purpose, a unique nature, and a glorious future.
Chandler Warren 