Whenever people tell me they can’t read through the Bible because of tedious passages in Leviticus, I say, “That’s ridiculous! The final chapters of Exodus are worse. At least Leviticus offers a ‘gross out’ factor with the infections and molds.”
There, I said it. Parts of the Bible are boring, but this dirty little secret among youth ministries needn’t be the end of the discussion. In fact, admitting that some passages are boring may give kids the freedom to articulate their problems with the Bible.
Unless you’re an ancient history buff, the point of reading the Bible is to produce fruit. If the part of the Bible you’re reading isn’t producing fruit, you have two options. One is to go deeper, perhaps to try to understand the background behind it that might make it come alive for you. Option two is to move on to something that is more interesting, knowing you can come back to the part you’ve skipped another time.
So how can we help our students produce fruit in their Bible reading? Following up on last issue’s column on “Quiet Times” and spiritual growth, I want to give you seven suggestions for helping your students go deeper in God’s Word.
1) Be expectant while managing expectations. We need to help students approach their times with God with feelings of expectancy, anticipating that something significant and life-changing is happening.
At the same time, we need to help them understand that Bible reading is more like going fishing than eating a meal. When you eat a meal, you start hungry and leave satisfied every time. When you go fishing, you sometimes bring in a huge catch; other days you don’t. Either way, to a true fisherman, there is always the joy found in the act of fishing.
It’s the same when we read the Bible. Some days we are moved significantly by what we read there. Other days don’t yield the same results. Still, there’s something valuable in the act of fishing in Scripture, obeying what we find there and being still and knowing God is God.
2) Bible reading plans can help. A plan can help, especially with older students and those who have a study Bible to help them navigate difficult passages. Some who have a plan can be encouraged to pick up the pace when they get behind on their reading rather than feeling the weight of guilt and having to catch up. There must be freedom in Bible reading, not drudgery!
3) Ditto devotional aids. Encourage students to use a devotional aid such as IVP’s Quiet Time Companion or Navpress’ Solo. These books take you through significant passages of the Bible, with thought-provoking questions that take you deeper. Solo is especially helpful because the text of the Bible (in the Message version) is in the book itself.
4) Ask them to lead a study or give a short lesson. Students will study the Bible like they’ve never done before if they are expected to teach it to others.
5) Don’t go it alone. Encourage them to study Scripture in groups or to hold one another accountable with their reading. They’re more likely to read the Word if someone else is involved.
6) Do something. Students need to know that doing something is better than doing nothing. The Bible can be so intimidating that students simply will ignore it instead of struggling to read it. Reading one verse of Scripture a day is better than reading zero.
7) It won’t always be easy. Help students face the fact they always will face tempting alternatives and distractions when trying to read the Bible. The world clamors for their attention. God will not force His way in; He waits to be invited. Hopefully, they will be eager to rise to the challenge.
