Using the Bible

It's growing!  More and more places are talking about the joy of getting into the Word using their own Bible in Bible classes, during sermons, at meetings, and yes, even conferences.  People are underlining, writing in the margins, keeping Bible journal books, and encouraging others to "take it with you" to church, Bible class, and so on.  I recently spoke at a leadership training event and was asked by a layman, "Just how do we get our church workers to realize that they are examples and teachers when it comes to using their Bibles and even carrying it with them?  When will they learn to be encouragers by their way of having people look up the texts?...allowing for people to have time to find the passage before starting to read it?  When will we realize that the Bible, my Bible, is indeed for usage even when we are at the church?"  The gentleman closed with, "It's time we walk the talk, live the Word, practice what we preach."

Strong questions...strong words!  You bet!  But it's time we stop looking for some mystic or complicated answer to people being in the Word.  Here are just a few "simple" things to do...to encourage:
-     Regularly model having our Bibles with us at any church function, meeting, etc., and use it.
-     Start every meeting with Bible study...people using their own Bibles, marking, making notes, etc.
-     Don't make it so easy for people NOT to bring or use their Bible, i.e., maybe by NOT printing out the texts for Bible classes or even in the Bulletin.
-     When teaching Bible classes, allow ample time for people to find the location, maybe even write the location on a chalkboard.
-     Help people learn how to use the Bible...such things as the Table of Contents, cross references, etc.
-     Maybe it's even time to remove the "pew Bible."  (I was at a church recently where the reader of the lessons on Sunday morning suggested that people "turn to page of the church Bible."  Could those words "church Bible" be planting a seed..."it's the church's Bible?")
-     Maybe it would even be ok if people didn't all have the same version of the Bible (a sometimes heard reason for printing out the text...so everybody is on the same page, no strange words or ideas).
-     Have Bible classes that really USE the Word; people looking us passages, reacting, asking questions, etc.