Whatever happened to Bible reading? Even among churchgoers, interaction with Scripture is declining.

According to American Bible Society’s 2024 State of the Bible report, 38% of U.S. adults are Bible users, down from 53% a decade ago.

The report defines a Bible user as someone who reads, listens to, or prays with the Bible on their own, outside of a church service or event, at least four times annually. Among in-person church attenders, only 66% hit that low bar.

Those who preach have an obligation to address this issue. We are not just motivators or storytellers, but stewards of God’s Word.

The pastor’s calling is to teach and equip believers to live out their faith every day. That includes promoting Bible engagement.

Preach the Word

The sermon is among the most powerful tools ministers have to ignite passion for Scripture.

Every week, we have the opportunity to shape how people understand the Bible and apply it to their lives. Are we making the most of it?

A sermon can hold people’s attention or elicit an emotional response without inspiring deeper devotion to God and His truth.

However, the purpose of a sermon is not to entertain but to proclaim God’s Word. Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Preaching the Word means going beyond topical messages that cherry-pick a few verses. Take congregants on a journey, immersing them in Scripture, highlighting the context and historical setting, and exploring what the text meant to the original audience.

Preachers should model how to read, interpret, and apply Scripture. The goal is to create a hunger for God’s Word, so congregants will want to engage with it daily.

Preach Entire Books

Expository preaching can help spark an interest in Bible reading.

Instead of a topical or calendar-driven series, consider preaching through an entire book of the Bible.

People can’t live the Bible if they don’t know it. Every sermon is a precious opportunity for helping bridge that gap.

Preaching through entire books makes it easier for people to see the big picture. They will begin to understand how individual verses fit into the book’s narrative — and the metanarrative of God’s redemptive plan.

Cover each chapter in its entirety, including the difficult passages you might otherwise avoid. Skipping over challenging sections robs congregations of the opportunity to wrestle with God’s Word and grow in their understanding.

Explain how the chapter and book connect to the rest of Scripture. Many Christians approach the Bible as a collection of disconnected verses, moral lessons, or even fortune cookie slogans. By walking through a book verse by verse, you can show how each passage contributes to the overarching themes of redemption, grace, and God’s sovereignty.

This kind of preaching encourages people to read the Bible for themselves. Modeling how to study Scripture in context equips congregants with the tools they need to engage with God’s Word outside of weekend services.

Imagine the impact of
a church filled with believers who know God’s Word, live it out, and share it boldly with those around them.

This is discipleship in action — teaching people not just what to believe but how to discover truth for themselves.

At the church I lead, my team and I have seen Bible engagement increase through this approach to preaching. We have preached long series through many of Paul’s epistles, as well as the books of John, Acts, Hebrews and James. Other series have covered significant portions of Psalms and Proverbs.

Each week, we unpack a passage, connecting it to the larger redemptive narrative of Scripture, while inviting people to dive deeper through personal study and small group involvement.

The response has been powerful as people grow in their relationship with Christ and love of Scripture.

Preach Bible Engagement

Moving the needle on Bible engagement is a challenge that can feel overwhelming at times, but there is hope.

As a ministry leader and preacher, you have the privilege of shepherding people back to the Word of God. Start with six simple steps.

1. Pray. Ask God to give you renewed passion for His Word and wisdom for leading your congregation toward greater Bible engagement.

While preparing your sermons, pray that your people will develop a hunger for Scripture and the discipline to study it regularly.

2. Put an expository sermon series on the calendar. If you’ve never preached through an entire book of the Bible, start with a shorter one, such as Ruth, Philippians or Titus.

Plan a series that walks through the book verse by verse, helping your congregation understand its context and application.

3. Provide Bible study tools. Equip congregants with resources for studying the Bible on their own and in group settings. For example, distribute Bible reading plans and small group discussion guides.

Challenge the congregation to read a portion of the Bible together for a short season. You might complete a three-month New Testament reading plan, for instance.

Offer workshops on how to read Scripture, and encourage congregants to bring their Bibles and a notebook to church each week.

4. Promote small group participation. Create study groups that focus on discussing and applying Scripture.

In Sticky Church, Larry Osborne advocates for small groups that expound on the weekly sermons. Osborne explains that such groups not only reinforce the message but also foster community and accountability in Bible engagement.

5. Model love for God’s Word. As a leader, your passion for Scripture is contagious.

In your sermons, on social media, and during conversations, share how God is speaking to you through your personal Bible study.

Invite others to share their stories as well.

6. Celebrate progress. As you see people growing in their understanding and love for God’s Word, celebrate it.

Share testimonies of how Scripture is transforming lives. This not only encourages people to study the Bible, but it also reinforces that their spiritual growth matters to leaders, the congregation and God.

Our world needs the hope of the gospel. To live and share God’s truth, Christians must interact with it — not just during services, but throughout the week.

Although there is no quick fix for increasing a congregation’s Bible engagement, it is a worthy and vital pursuit.

Imagine the impact of a church filled with believers who know God’s Word, live it out, and share it boldly with those around them.

It’s not an impossible vision, but a biblical one. The apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, emphasis added).

God’s Word will not return empty, but will accomplish His purposes (Isaiah 55:11). The Lord has promised to bless our efforts to teach and proclaim His truth.

Trust God to work through your preaching and ministry efforts as you point people back to the foundation of His Word.

This article appears in the Winter 2025 issue of Influence magazine.