5 Reasons We Should Be Reading the Bible Together as a Local Church
Of the 168 hours God gives us each week, the times we spend with our church family are few and far between. How can a local church maintain unity and grow in the grace of knowledge of Jesus with the time constraints of our weekly assembling (2 Peter 3:18)? On top of that, how can our church family hear the voice of God when there are so many other voices speaking into our lives all the time? Reading the Bible together as a church provides a powerful solution to this dilemma. Here are several reasons why a local church should read the Bible together.
1. Reading the Bible as a church fosters unity.
My church family is reading through the entire Bible this year using the CSB Jesus Daily Bible. It has been encouraging to see the unity that reading the Bible together fosters. A few months ago, a woman excitedly told me she had just finished reading Leviticus for the first time. She said, “I thought I wouldn’t understand any of it, but my small group read it together and talked it through—we’re all on the same page!”
Christ calls His church to unity, which is challenging when each congregation has many voices, opinions, and personalities (John 17:20-23). For a local church to foster unity, the congregation must humble itself under the Word of God and seek the mind of Christ (Romans 15:5-6). We achieve harmony and the mind of God when we read the Bible together. The goal of Bible reading is transformation into the likeness of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). A local church will enjoy unity when it engages the Bible together.
2. Reading the Bible as a church maintains the mission.
The Bible is a book about the mission of God. After reading through Genesis as a congregation, one member said, “I can see God’s plan for the nations like I haven’t seen it before.” A united church will more effectively advance the gospel. To keep the church on its mission, keep the congregation in the Word together. The Bible tells the story of God’s plan to redeem His people through the person and saving work of His Son Jesus Christ. Every book of the Bible displays the gospel in some form or fashion. Whether you read of Abraham believing and receiving God’s justification (Genesis 15:6) or Habakkuk declaring the just will live by faith (2:4) or Jesus declaring his Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) or Paul proclaiming all who call upon the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13), a church that reads the whole Bible together will stay on mission. Our church sent copies of the CSB Jesus Daily Bible to our international missionaries so they could read along with us and join in our shared mission as one church family.
3. Reading the Bible as a church promotes growth.
Pastors' desire for their churches to grow, not just numerically, but spiritually. Peter reminds believers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Peter 3:18). Recently, a church member shared how her small group is going through the church’s Bible reading plan and is experiencing spiritual growth. She said, “The Bible has opened up to us in new ways since we began reading together.”
Again, Peter encourages us to come to the Bible like infants desiring the pure milk of the Word so we will grow up into our salvation, having tasted the Lord’s goodness (1 Peter 2:2-3). Paul tasked pastors to teach God’s Word to God’s people to equip them for ministry so the church might grow up and become mature according to the measure of Christ’s fullness (Ephesians 4:13). Spiritual growth happens as the Spirit of God implants the Word of God into the hearts of a believer. The Bible is rich food for the soul. When a local church reads the Bible together, it is guaranteed to grow in Christ.
4. Reading the Bible as a church assists families.
Solomon advises children to be taught the scriptures: “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching” (Proverbs 1:8). There is great promise for the household built upon God’s Word. My wife and I enjoy reading the Bible with our church family. We read our Bibles in our living room several times each week with a cup of coffee nearby. After our daily reading, we discuss what stood out and what we learned. I love hearing my wife share the insights she gleaned as the Holy Spirit enlightened the eyes of her heart through the reading of God’s Word (Ephesians 1:18). Others have shared how they are using the church’s Bible reading plan as a part of their family devotion time. What better way to raise your children in the “training and instruction of the Lord” than to read the whole of the Bible to them (Ephesians 6:4). Joy awaits the family that chooses to be centered upon Christ and His Word.
5. Reading the Bible as a church provides help in difficult times.
The Bible is our great asset when experiencing trials. The psalmist declares, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” In uncertain times, God’s Word provides the direction and clarity we need. (Psalm 119:105). I recently spoke to a brother in Christ who reads the Bible with his church family. He shared some personal struggles and how reading the Scriptures has brought help and healing. He said, “It seems that each week, God’s Word tells me what I need to hear the most.”
That is the beauty of the Scriptures, our living God who knows our every need speaks to us through His Word to provide hope and healing in our hearts. The Bible is not a band-aid that covers a wound; it is a surgical instrument that cuts away whatever is keeping us from conforming to the image of Christ. It is “effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Just as Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor, the Spirit uses the Scriptures He inspired to help us in our time of need (John 14:16).
Verse by verse and chapter by chapter, reading the Bible as a local church is a tremendous experience. The Word of God promises to unite our hearts, sharpen our mission, and strengthen our faith. In every season—whether rejoicing, growing, struggling, or waiting—God uses His Word to form us into the likeness of Christ. So, let’s open our Bibles together as a church family—reading, listening, and obeying—for the glory of Christ and the good of His church.
Free resources to unite you and your church around Bible reading—including reading plans, teaching outlines, and graphics—are available at readandremain.com.
Photo Credit: ©Sparrowstock
Originally published August 11, 2025.
