Posted on 12/03/2011 7:27:13 PM PST by ReformationFan
As research shows the correlation between spiritual maturity and reading the Bible, one organization is addressing the significant lack of biblical literacy within the Christian community, as few Christians take time to make Bible study a daily practice.
Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, says his group's findings indicate that church members may be aware of general themes about Christianity, but they lack the biblical literacy necessary to better understand the full story of what God is doing in the world.
"We did a study at LifeWay Research and found the number-one correlated factor to spiritual growth and maturity was consistency in the Bible," he reports. "We know how essential this is to spiritual maturity, so literacy is not just something that kind of floats out there by itself; it is a tool. Biblical literacy is a tool that God uses to grow people spiritually as well."
Ed Stetzer (LifeWay Research)Stetzer also contends that part of the problem is that many believers consider it the job of their pastor to digest and regurgitate the spiritual gleanings found in scripture.
"And in doing so, their spiritual diet suffers -- and it's obvious by the anemic state of many Christians," he notes. "So I think ultimately, God's given us his Word not so pastors alone can walk through it, but at the end of the day, it's so that they might engage the scriptures themselves and grow from them."
In a column for Baptist Press, Stetzer says he makes it a habit to read through the Bible once a year because if he only reads the parts he thinks he needs, he knows he will "miss a big part of God's design" for his growth.
(Excerpt) Read more at onenewsnow.com ...
I’m rewriting my sunday school lesson plan for tomorrow because of this story. Thanks!
Lifeway has a lot to do with the lack of maturity of many Christians. Their Sunday school literature is mediocre at best (the adult books are written at 8th grade level) and too PC and “feel good” at worst. I stopped using Lifeway materials years ago in my Sunday school class. I’d much rather put in a few hours every week researching next Sunday’s lesson! As a result, I am not only teaching, I am learning myself a lot.
"But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." 1 Cor 4:19-20.
Love is the evidence of maturity, and some with knowledge never get there.
I agree with you about studying each week. I teach our Wednesday night bible studies and I spend at least two days looking over the material for the study that night.
The best way to learn something is to teach it. The best thing to teach is the Bible, that way you will learn it and you must live it. That way, we won’t do what Paul says, “you who teach others not to steal, do you steal, or do not commit adultry, do you commit adultry?”
Teaching the word of God means that we must draw near to Him and walk in his steps. We must not forsake fellowship or prayer. We will be held accountable to God for what we do and say. Paul even states this.
"Correlation" is meaningless if the measured audience is stacked -- and such appears obvious in this case.
The way I see it is that high correlation ... closeness to the number +1 or -1 ... points to the presence of physical law, and anything less than said high correlation demonstrated, time and again in unstacked random tests, points to nothing of substance ... as in this case.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
This study confirms the obvious. If you want to grow spiritually then read your bible. Every day. Cover to cover.
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