Josh GriffinMore PostsPOLL: Have you read the Bible all of the way through?Loved the honesty of the Skit Guys talking this weekend (at SYMC) about not having read the Bible from cover to cover before. Got me thinking about this poll question for youth workers – have you read the Bible all of the way through? Not meant to induce a ton of guilt, just curious.
JG
Josh Griffin has been in youth ministry for 16+ years in a small church and a big church. He currently serves as the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. [read more]
Geoff Stewart serves the Jr / Sr High School Pastor at Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey B.C.
Chris Wesley serves as the Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland.
Colton Harker serves with Josh at Saddleback Church. He is currently in his second year in youth ministry.
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This should be number one in my book. I think it should be a requirement for all youth leaders/pastors. Seriously. If you (we as youth leaders) believe the Bible is the word of God then why don’t we push our teens to read it or read it ourself. Right now I have all our teenagers reading the entire new testament in 25 days. Push them to do hard things and that starts with the bible. Breaks my heart to see that the numbers below “I have read it all the way through: are higher than 0.
Thanks for the comment, Jordan from Idealistic World. Does everyone tithe on your planet too?
Seriously, I love the optimism. But how many of your kids are actually following the reading plan you listed above? and how long did it take you to get them there? If it’s really working….blessings to you and yours and send some wisdom our way instead of just talking about what “should” happen.
I loved the honesty and the sound of jaws dropping–thanks to the Skit Guys for the message of grace and renewal.
Jesus words to the Pharisees have hung with for some time:
John 5:38-40 (New International Version)
“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
Let’s not become like the Pharisee and read scripture or boast about our reading but instead read scripture to know and connect with our Savior and Lord.
May we seek God through every avenue that he provides and never miss the real focus.
It’s worth exploring different methods plans till you find one that works for you.
I’ll admit that I haven’t read it all the way through, but I’m in the process of changing that. I have a program running right now with my youth group and many of the adults in the church in which we are reading the entire Bible in 90 days. Today is only day 4. Yes, I realize that I probably won’t have a lot of students actually do it this time, but I know for sure that at least 2 or 3 are committed to doing this, so at least it is something for them.
Read through or not, the jaw dropping and the attitudes are exactly the reason so many people are not honest. It was refreshing to see honesty, but that should be the norm. I’ve been in ministry for 15 years and much of it has been with a mask, because of attitudes of those around. I don’t agree that we challende our students to do hard things, but lets continue to love them when they don’t meet our expectations. I know people who have read through their entire Bible and know it frontwards and backwards and walk the same as the world, but I wouldn’t trade them for some of the people I know who are making their way through little books and it is changing their lives every day. Expect great things, accept small things.
This whole Bible thing is kinda crazy…it says about it’s self that it will change me…my experience is that it truly does. That said, it’s still a battle nearly every time I sit down to read it…almost like there is a force at work that tries to keep me away from it…weird, huh? If it’s a fight for me in my forties, how hard must it be for my kids? But I’m reminded of what Jesus told some religious guys once, “you error cause you do not know the scriptures.” I need to error less. Got any kids with small faith…”faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” For me, it’s been a headtrippy road the past couple of years. Our Pastor felt like God told him to really get the word in him by reading an hour a day…not studying, just reading and re-reading from cover to cover…then he challenged us to do it. The “How’s your hour?” question began to drive me crazy…cause like all good things, some people turn it into a contest…but also, like all good things, they require some discipline…hmmm…like disciples… Anyway, God’s word is powerful, and reading thru big sections at a time over and over has really got the details of the story really all coming together in a neat way in my head, and even better, coming out of my mouth as I teach and God reminds me of little obscure things I’ve read. And like I confessed earlier, I got plenty bitter, before I got better…and it is still an effort to get it in, but I am ALWAYS glad when I do it. A cool thing I’ve found that works to help me get into it is to listen to a dramatized version…wow, that makes the old testament stories really interesting…also really makes Paul’s letters feel like a message from a real guy. If the thought of this starts to make you mad and overwhelmed, relax, you don’t have to, you’re saved…but if ya wanna know all the details of why you’re saved, try it…cover to cover, over and over…who buys a cd and just listens to it once?
My dad used to read it to us as a family around the dinner table each evening. We went thru it cover to cover many times during my child hood. That got the word into my brain. The Holy Spirit used it from there. Then I read it twice more as an adult. Way more understanding. Now I study it with a view of the whole. Thanks dad.