Just Read! - Jared McCormick
Teachers
Lesson Summary
The class began with a lively introduction to the topic of Bible reading, using current research to illustrate a decline in how often Americans engage with Scripture. The teacher presented statistics from a 2000 study and a Barna report, showing that only a minority of believers read the Bible weekly or use it to find direction. The lesson then shifted to specific knowledge gaps, noting that many teens could not identify who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and that a sizeable portion of young and older adults could not name Jesus' birth town. These findings underscored the correlation between reading frequency and biblical understanding. After highlighting the knowledge gaps, the teacher shared a personal anecdote about being asked to officiate a wedding without using the Bible, using the encounter to illustrate how cultural attitudes deem the Bible irrelevant. The class closed with a close reading of Hebrews 4:12, emphasizing that God’s Word remains "living and active" and capable of shaping hearts. The teacher urged participants to recommit to regular Bible reading, reminding them that consistent exposure to Scripture equips believers to know and apply God’s truth in daily life.
Key Scriptures
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.