This is Pastor Tim’s article which appeared in the Evening Leader on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2025
Last week’s article was about the spiritual discipline of prayer and how important prayer is in the life of a healthy person. This week, I would like to give you a second spiritual discipline that will improve your life: the Bible.
I have spent the better part of my life working with the sacred stories of the Bible. One of the things that my worship professor told me in Seminary that has always stuck with me is that as a person who preaches sermons on a very regular basis, the worst thing I could do is allow the Bible to be reduced to a place I go to for sermons. What he was warning us about was allowing the Bible to become a tool I work with rather than the inspired Word of God. I have many tools I work with and to allow the Bible to sink to the same level as the dry markerboard in my office, or my desk, or my chair, would be a disgrace. The Bible is so much more than that and as a pastor, I owe it not only to the good people of Wayne Street but also to this whole community, to prioritize the Bible in my personal life.
That means that you probably don’t need to spend as much time as I do studying the Bible. Between my own devotional reading and sermon writing and lesson planning and class teaching, I spend many hours every week in the Book. Truth be told, studying the Bible is my favorite part of my job. I enjoy writing sermons and learning what that Book has to teach all of us.
But just because studying the Bible may not be a part of your professional responsibilities, that does not mean it is ok if your personal Bible is covered in dust. Those words of life were written in there as much for you as they were for me. And just like my soul would starve if I did not spend time in the Word, so will yours.
Far and away the reason I hear most often as to why people don’t read the Bible is they claim it is hard to understand. What that means is you will need to get a modern translation. If you like the King James’ Bible, more power to you. I personally don’t care for that old translation. The translation I happen to like is the New Living Translation. There are a number of modern translations that are very readable, such as the NIV, the NRSV and even The Message is a translation that is very readable. You can sample many of these translations for free at websites like blueletterbible.com. Find one you like and then it is easy to order copies on Amazon or eBay. If you need help getting your hands on a good translation of the Bible, I would be more than happy to help you. Come see me at Wayne Street Church this Sunday morning.
The only evidence I can offer you of the positive impact regular doses of Scripture can have on you is my own life. I make no claim to be perfect, I am far from it. That is one of the many lessons the Bible taught me by reading page after page of imperfect people trying to relate to a perfect God. But as flawed as I am, I am a better person today because of the scripture I have in my life. It refines me, it convicts me, it literally scares the hell out of me, and it lifts me up. It does all of these things not because I am a pastor but because I am as faithful as I can be to the God of us all.
That is what I want for you. Start small and see how your appetite for the Bible grows over time. Here is my challenge for you. The book of Proverbs in the Bible has 31 chapters. One chapter a day for the next month starting today. If you take this seriously and listen to what the Good Lord put in that book for you and see if you are ready to be done with the Bible after that. Since I know you won’t be, when you finish Proverbs, take the next 24 days and read the Gospel of Luke. One chapter a day will change your life if you put in the effort and read what the Book says and let the words become a part of you.
One chapter of Proverbs every day for the next month. I dare you to take my challenge and see if I am right.