At the same time we were finishing our “5 Weeks in the Word” series last Sunday about reading the Bible, the “Wall Street Journal” was reporting that Bible sales in the U.S. jumped by 22% over the previous year. This is true both at physical bookstores & on Amazon (including audiobooks). By comparison, other book sales increased by only 1%.
While many still prefer the printed page, more people are also engaging with Bibles online (which are available free). The most popular is YouVersion which claims their app installs are at an all-time high (an average of over 11 million per month in 2024), as is daily engagement with the app (about 14 million). My own practice is to read digitally devotionally daily.
The reason for the boom in Bible sales? First-timers. In a time of worry over the economy, the election, artificial intelligence, & international conflict, people may be looking for divine guidance, answers, peace, meaning, stability, & hope. Bible publishers are also saying that young people are buying specialty Bibles designed for them. So is the increased interest due to clever marketing of new editions & innovative designs for different groups of people, or are people really more spiritually curious or seeking a deeper sense of spirituality?
The indicators aren’t really there for the latter. Church attendance overall has been decreasing for years, & the number of adults who consider themselves religiously unaffiliated is at an all-time high. Among those who identify as Christian, just 6% actually have a biblical worldview. That may be due to rejection of biblical teaching, but I suspect it has more to do with lack of awareness because they’re not reading or being taught. While there seem to be some spotty reports of awakening, overall adherence to biblical Christianity is fading, creating spiritual distress about the future.
The question is are people actually reading (not just buying or downloading) the Bible? If so, then hopefully we’ll start to see these lagging indicators catch up. However, understanding the Bible can be difficult, especially for first-timers. Some get discouraged & give up. That’s why it’s important to know how to read it. During our “5 Weeks in the Word” series I provided teaching & tools that you can still access (click here).
In my final message, I offered a unique Bible study method based on the “Parable of the Sower” in Mark 4. Jesus spoke of a farmer sowing seed in 4 different kinds of soils. The seed is the Word of God; the soils are different kinds of people. Some fell:
- Along the path and was eaten by birds. These are people who hear the message of Christ, but Satan swiftly snatches it away.
- On rocky ground with little soil, where it sprouted but was soon dried up by the sun because the roots weren’t deep. These people gladly receive the message, but it doesn’t sink deep into them, so they don’t last long when troubles come.
- Among thorn bushes, which grew up & choked out plants. Such people let the worries of life, love of the world & materialism choke out their faith so they never grow.
- In good soil which grew & bore lots of grain. These are the ones who bear lots of fruit and make a great impact for Christ.
If you want to be good soil, you have to be willing to receive the seed & let it grow in your life. To help you remember to be good soil, I’ve put it in the form of an acrostic: S.O.I.L. (which I modeled after a popular method called “SOAP”).
Scripture = What will I read?
Obviously, you have to begin by choosing a part of the Bible to read. Don’t just randomly pick & choose verses—go through entire books. Many Bible reading plans are available (you can check some at our other website: OnlyGodCanHelp.com/bible). You can read it “devotionally”—meditating on it, marinating in it, & mulling it over. Maybe read it out of 2 or 3 translations. But to study it, you’re going to ask some further questions.
Observation = What does it say?
Check the context—historical, cultural & literary. A good Study Bible will help with the 5 W’s: Who’s writing & to what audience? What’s going on when this book is being written? When & where is this taking place? Why is this book needed?
Interpretation = What does it mean?
Take a closer look to understand God’s intended meaning. Each passage has only one correct interpretation. “Hermeneutics” is the method of applying the basic rules of language to discern it. We don’t want to “read into” the text our own subjective meaning (“eisegesis”); we need to “read out of” the text the author’s objective meaning meant for his original audience (“exegesis”).
Live it = How do I apply it to my life?
While the text conveys one specific meaning, it can have a range of applications with varied significance to the reader. Our study’s not complete until we ask, “Now what?” What can I do with this truth or principle? Are there any changes I need to make? Is there sin I need to confess? Is there a promise I need to claim? Who can I share it with?
By the way, you can start the new year by joining an Online Bible Reading Marathon – Jan. 1-4. Different people in our congregation will read through the entire Bible around the clock in half-hour segments until we’re finished. (Sign up here.)