Church gatherings are in critical need of more engagement with Scripture …

I remember decades ago, before I ever began my journey into vocational ministry, hearing a pastor I respect greatly bemoan, rather sensitively and respectfully, the lack of Scripture in sermons and the abundance of personal stories from preachers in their preaching.

Not much has changed since then, other than perhaps the church is in even greater need of more engagement with Scripture in the times we gather as the church.

That observation points to a deeper problem than sermon style. The amount of Scripture included when the church gathers directly affects how much opportunity Christians have to hear it, understand it, and learn to live according to it. People cannot develop a deep knowledge of the Bible from scattered verses, occasional references, and short readings that receive little teaching.

Second Timothy 3:16–17 is just one passage that clearly explains why substantial engagement with Scripture is indispensable: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

The church needs far more than the presence of a Bible somewhere in the service. Christians need enough meaningful engagement with Scripture for it to perform the work God intends. While that certainly extends beyond a church service, church leaders can foster greater engagement in church gatherings in many ways – the following four recommendations provide practical places to begin.

1. Some preachers should tell fewer stories about themselves and base sermons more from Scripture. Many preachers spend too much of the sermon talking about their own childhoods, families, travels, conversations, successes, failures, and everyday experiences. A brief illustration may help clarify a biblical truth, but extended personal storytelling consumes time that could have been used to read and teach Scripture. It also turns the congregation’s attention toward the preacher when the message is supposed to direct attention toward God and His Word.

Every personal story should have to justify the time it occupies. If it does not help listeners understand the passage more accurately, it should be shortened or removed. A sermon with fewer stories about the preacher’s personal life creates more room for the congregation to encounter the text itself, follow its reasoning, and grasp what it teaches.

2. Churches should offer fewer Scripture-lite topical sermons and more expository preaching. A topical sermon begins with a subject and draws upon passages related to that subject. Such sermons can be biblically faithful, but they become Scripture-lite when the preacher quotes isolated verses without explaining their context or uses them merely to support a message developed elsewhere. The congregation hears biblical words while receiving little opportunity to understand an actual biblical passage.

Expository preaching begins with a passage and allows its meaning to direct the sermon. The preacher explains what the passage says, how its parts fit together, and how its truth applies faithfully. Second Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” More expository preaching means more time spent inside Scripture and less dependence upon the preacher’s preferred ideas.

3. Churches should devote more time to public reading of Scripture. Scripture should be heard directly when Christians assemble, including passages that are not immediately followed by a sermon. Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13, “Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.” Public reading of scripture is a biblically identified part of the church’s gathered life.

Churches can strengthen this practice by reading complete, substantial passages and allowing them to be heard without rushing. Readers should prepare beforehand, understand the passage’s flow, and read clearly enough for people to follow. Regular public reading gives the congregation engagement with more of Scripture than sermon texts alone can provide.

4. Use small groups and Sunday school classes for deeper engagement with Scripture. Small groups and Sunday school classes can provide some of the richest fellowship within a church. Their smaller size gives people room to know one another, share burdens, offer encouragement, and develop relationships that are difficult to form during a large congregational service. Christians need that kind of fellowship, and churches should value the settings in which it can grow.

Those same settings also offer an opportunity to engage with Scripture more deeply than is usually possible in a large service. A smaller group can spend extended time in a passage, allow participants to ask questions, explore difficult sections, discuss what the text means, and learn from one another. Fellowship and engagement with Scripture can both flourish in the same gathering, although the priority should lean toward engagement with Scripture. Without that priority, churches lose one of their best opportunities to help people develop a deeper understanding of God’s Word.

Church gatherings do not have to surrender their warmth, fellowship, or variety in order to give Scripture a more substantial place. They simply need to order those good elements so that Scripture is not crowded to the edges. Christians should be able to leave the gatherings of the church having engaged Scripture meaningfully, understood it a little more clearly, and been given more truth to carry into life.

Scotty