The beauty and challenge of reading the Bible.
After spending part of my day engaging believers on the subject of Bible reading, I ended up with something far more interesting than statistics. What began as a simple question slowly turned into a living conversation full of honesty, laughter, confession, theology, frustration, discipline, failed New Year resolutions, Bible apps, church traditions, and even a brief appearance of the television series Lucifer.
The question was simple: “Have you ever read the Bible cover to cover? If yes, what made you continue? If no, what made you stop?”
The answers came in waves. Some sounded like seasoned saints, others sounded like survivors of Leviticus while some confessed with confidence. There are those that sounded like students explaining missing homework to a teacher who already knows the truth. I see you friends.
But beneath all the different answers, one thing became very clear: Most Christians are not avoiding the Bible because they hate it, many are simply trying to figure out how to approach it and honestly, that realization alone made the entire discussion worthwhile.
Person A — “Covered it like four times.”
Every discussion has that one person who unintentionally raises the standards for everyone else. Very calmly, almost suspiciously calmly, Person A mentioned that they had read the Bible cover to cover four times.
Four!
Not four chapters.
Not four months.
Four full times!
But even with that consistency, they observed something important: most believers interact with Scripture devotionally rather than systematically. People know favorite verses, emergency Psalms, motivational Proverbs, and the verse for “weapons formed against me,” but not necessarily the broader storyline connecting Genesis to Revelation. In simple terms: many believers know scenes from the movie without knowing the plot.
Person B — “Please help the wamamas.”
One responder immediately turned the conversation toward ministry and practicality. Her concern was not whether Bible reading was important. Her concern was how to help people remain consistent, especially mothers in online fellowship groups and honestly, she had a point.
Reading through Leviticus while children are fighting in the sitting room and supper is burning somewhere behind you may qualify as spiritual warfare.
She asked whether there might be simpler or more communal approaches to help believers stay engaged instead of struggling alone with yearly reading plans that quietly die around February.
Person C — “I read it like literature.”
This response brought fresh air into the discussion. Person C explained that they approached the Bible with literary curiosity:
- Who are the characters?
- Which literary devices are being used?
- Which personalities are relatable?
- How is tension built in the story?
Suddenly Scripture became less of a religious obligation and more of a fascinating world to explore and perhaps that is something many believers have never been taught: the Bible is not merely a holy object. It is also brilliant literature.
It contains poetry, satire, political tension, family drama, betrayal, romance, war reports, songs, courtroom scenes, funeral songs, and enough plot twists to humble modern screenwriters.
Person D — “February happened.”
This responder represented a large and mostly silent population.
The yearly cycle usually goes like this:
January: “This year I shall finish the entire Bible. Fire!”
February: Rent, school fees, work deadlines, three weddings, a funeral, unexpected responsibilities and emotional exhaustion check in.
Then suddenly: “We try again next year.”
The honesty in this response made many laugh because it was painfully relatable. Apparently many Bible reading plans do not fail in Revelation. They fail somewhere around ordinary life.
Person E — “I don’t want ritual.”
Several participants expressed discomfort with reading Scripture mechanically. One responder noted that they preferred reading smaller portions slowly, applying the principles practically, and allowing room for reflection rather than rushing through chapters merely to complete a checklist.
To them, Bible reading was not about collecting verses like football jerseys. It was about transformation and honestly, that concern carried weight because there truly is a difference between: Going through the Bible, and the Bible to going through you.
Person F — “Superbook and Lucifer helped.”
This was perhaps the most unexpected contribution in the discussion.
One participant admitted that biblical animations like Superbook, together with series such as The Chosen and even Lucifer, had helped keep biblical themes alive in their imagination.
Now admittedly, one does not usually expect Lucifer to appear in a Bible study discussion. Yet there it was, sitting confidently among fellowship answers like an uninvited cousin at a family gathering. But beneath the mention was something important: stories help people connect.
Visual storytelling awakens curiosity in ways many traditional approaches sometimes fail to do.
Person G — “Apps saved me.”
Another responder shared how Bible apps helped maintain consistency where previous attempts had failed. This was significant because many believers quietly struggle with structure more than desire.
Technology, interestingly enough, became accountability. Sometimes that small notification saying: “You are 4 days behind” feels more pastoral than certain sermons and surprisingly, it works for many though not all. Some just delete the app, ignore the reminder or unsubscribe from the challenge.
Person H — “I realized I was reading routinely.”
One believer attempted a yearly Bible plan through an app but stopped around 1 Samuel.
Why?
Because they realized the reading had become mechanical.
The Bible had quietly shifted from encounter to routine. So they changed approach:
- Slowing down,
- Journaling,
- Reflecting,
- Writing personal observations and instructions.
This introduced one of the strongest themes repeated throughout the afternoon: Transformation matters more than completion statistics.
Nobody reaches heaven and receives a certificate for surviving Chronicles without spiritual growth.
Person I — “I inherited church, but not structure.”
One responder shared a deeply personal reflection about growing up between multiple church traditions:
- Seventh Day influences,
- PCEA,
- Catholic exposure,
- Full Gospel environments.
Denominations were present, God was present, and religion was present. But structured engagement with Scripture was inconsistent. Interestingly, this person only later developed a personal hunger for Scripture after beginning their own spiritual journey and realizing: “I cannot survive forever on sermons alone.”
That sentence alone quietly summarized the struggle of many believers.
Person J — “Accountability helped.”
This responder admitted struggling with consistency personally but succeeding whenever reading within a group structure. Community created momentum.
Apparently it is harder to disappear spiritually when other people are waiting for your thoughts on Numbers chapter 14. This reminded everyone of something simple: Christianity was never designed to be lived entirely alone.
Person K — “The hard books defeated me.”
One believer confessed: “I’m ten years in the faith and I’ve only done it twice.”
Not because they disliked Scripture, but because some books felt difficult, confusing, or discouraging. Honestly, many believers quietly vanish somewhere between Leviticus, Ezekiel’s visions, and genealogies that sound like somebody dropped Scrabble letters on the table with the rule of you can only play Swahili words that get more than 50 points.
Person L — “Depression pushed me into Scripture.”
Perhaps one of the most moving responses came from someone who explained that during a hospital stay, a therapist encouraged them to search the Bible for answers concerning depression.
- That search slowly developed into routine.
- Routine developed into discipline.
- Discipline developed into intentional Bible reading.
Later, participation in a church study on prayer strengthened the habit further. Sometimes people begin reading Scripture searching for survival… and unexpectedly find God waiting there.
Person M — “Discipleship pushed me.”
One responder explained that their first cover-to-cover reading happened during a discipleship season. The motivation was not curiosity or yearly resolutions, but the discipline of maintaining daily quiet time and spiritual growth.
This highlighted something important: many believers read consistently when reading is tied to relationship and formation rather than pressure.
Person N — “Why not make it a group challenge?”
Another participant admitted they had never read the Bible cover to cover but immediately suggested something practical: a group reading challenge. This suggestion kept resurfacing throughout the conversation in different forms. People struggle less when reading becomes communal.
Apparently even spiritual journeys become easier when suffering through Ezekiel together. š
Person O — “I’ve read it all… just not in order.”
This response felt wonderfully human. The responder clarified that they had indeed read every book of the Bible, though not sequentially. Many believers probably qualify under this category.
- They know Jonah.
- They know Psalms.
- They know John.
- They know Revelation enough to fear it slightly.
But ask for the link between all the stories, and suddenly everybody becomes humble.
Person P — “It became culture.”
One participant explained that in their church tradition, yearly Bible reading programs had existed since their high school days. Eventually reading through Scripture became normal culture. They went ahead and pointed out something extremely practical: consistent reading helps believers follow sermons without floating helplessly when preachers casually say: “You already know the story…” Because sometimes people nod spiritually while internally wondering: “Actually… I do not know the story.”
She shared this image with us.
Person Q — “Exodus defeated us.”
One parent shared how they had begun the year strongly with their son using a study guide. Everything was going well then Exodus happened and somehow the journey quietly ended there. I'm sure you want to hear the full story.
Interestingly though, both parent and child remained active in Bible study groups elsewhere, proving that stopping one reading plan does not necessarily mean abandoning Scripture entirely. Sometimes people simply need another approach.
Person R — “The cross-references changed everything.”
One responder explained that they had experienced both approaches to Scripture: reading cover to cover and reading by jumping between selected chapters and books. To them, both methods had value and served different purposes.
However, they admitted that when they first read the Bible cover to cover, it began as a challenge more than anything else. They had committed to finishing, and so quitting midway was not an option. But somewhere along the journey, something unexpected happened. The Bible slowly began connecting itself.
- Stories linked together.
- Names reappeared.
- Prophecies echoed across generations.
- Verses referenced earlier events almost casually, assuming the reader had already encountered them.
Suddenly passages that once felt isolated began forming one continuous narrative. The responder noted several discoveries from reading systematically:
1. Certain stories and verses became much clearer because the Bible constantly cross-references itself.
2. Even the “boring” sections like genealogies eventually became meaningful when familiar names resurfaced later in the story.
3. They encountered chapters and passages they had never once heard preached or discussed publicly.
4. Most importantly, reading broadly helped them recognize when verses were being quoted out of context or used merely to support personal opinions and circumstances.
In many ways, their reflection highlighted one of the hidden strengths of reading Scripture as a whole: it trains believers not just to know verses, but to recognize the actual flow and message of the Bible itself.
My thoughts and call to action.
By the end of the afternoon, the input no longer felt like a conversation about reading habits, but more about people.
- About how believers approach God.
- About guilt.
- About routine.
- About curiosity.
- About discipline.
- About exhaustion.
- About community.
- About transformation.
- Some believers read devotionally.
- Some academically.
- Some slowly.
- Some yearly.
- Some randomly.
- Some through apps.
- Some through fellowship groups.
- Some through animations.
- Some begin enthusiastically every January and disappear heroically by February.
Yet beneath all the different methods and struggles was one shared desire: People genuinely want to encounter God. Perhaps then the challenge for the modern church is not merely telling believers “read your Bible,” but helping them discover: how to read, why it's important, how to get the most out of it, and how to move beyond isolated verses into understanding the grand story Scripture is telling.
Because the Bible is not merely a collection of comforting quotations. It is a living library of history, poetry, prophecy, grief, rebellion, wisdom, judgment, redemption, hope, and ultimately God’s interaction with humanity across generations. It's one story about God and his creation of which humans are part of it. Perhaps that story deserves more than rushed reading plans, guilt-driven devotion, and abandoned February resolutions.
- Which of the persons did you closely related to as you read through?
- What can you do in order to get the most of the Bible?
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