2 Timothy 3:16-17
By Drew Zuverink
"All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Adults, think back to when you were in your teens and a part of a church or a youth group. What were some of the main things that you were taught to do on a regular basis? My guess is that you were taught how important it was to regularly read your Bible. Your youth pastor probably quoted Romans 12:2 which reads, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." The idea is that by reading scripture we will be able to learn more about who God truly is, who we are, how he feels about us, and how he wants us to live. Romans 12 verse 2 promises that as we learn those things we will be transformed from the inside out.
All of that is great and true and we should all read the Bible as a regular part of our daily routines but I also know a secret that we don't always admit: sometimes I read the Bible and I don't get anything out of it.
Some of you just gasped out loud while others of you fell out of your chair. How could he say that?! Because it's true. There are times when the part of the Bible that I'm reading just doesn't make sense to me. I don't understand what's going on and I certainly don't understand how it applies to me. So I finish a couple of chapters for my devotions and that's it, I don't grow in my understanding of God, I'm not encouraged, I'm not challenged, I'm just confused. Can anyone relate? Of course you can.
This is why I believe that Christian podcasts, sermons and books are so incredibly important for the spiritual maturity of believers, and I would dare say that this is why I believe they should be a regular part of our weekly routines. I am NOT saying that we should substitute Christian podcasts in place of scripture reading, we should always read through the Bible as a regular practice of devotion to the Lord, but I AM saying that extra Biblical Christian sources will help us to understand the Bible far more than we would if we just tried to understand it on our own.
I believe, for young people especially, we do them a disservice if we tell them, "Go read your Bible," and then just hope that they will understand it all on their own. Instead we ought to guide them and help them understand what they are reading. One of the best ways to do this is to find a trustworthy podcast, preacher or author. It's a tragedy that fewer and fewer people enjoy reading in today's world but that is a topic to tackle another day, for now I will just mention the benefit of podcasts and sermons.
Romans 12 explains that by knowledge we will be transformed into Christ's image and better equipped to live a life that pleases God. So ask yourself, "How much information about God am I taking in throughout a normal week?" Most of us live decently busy lives. We don't have time to sit down and read scripture for 3 hours a day. This can be frustrating. We want to grow in our understanding of God but we don't seem to have as much time to do that as we'd like. That is where podcasts and sermons can help. Because of the amazing advancements in technology we can listen to things while we are doing other things.
Just think, how much more transformed could you be if instead of listening to music while you work out, you listened to a sermon? How much more could you understand about God if you put headphones in at work and tuned in to your favorite Christian podcast? And just think of how much more you could understand about the Bible if you listened to someone explain it as you drove places. Because of technology the potential for growth is astounding. Praise God for wise Christian leaders who can help us understand the God that we love better!
I have had the privilege of listening to many wise and mature adults talk about their faith, and for each and every one of them, they were greatly influenced by Christian authors and speakers. I firmly believe that in order to be a mature follower of Christ it is absolutely vital to have a list of Christian teachers that you benefit from on a weekly basis. And so I encourage all of you, and myself as well, let's grow our faith to new heights through the help of routinely listening to trusted Christian leaders.
Here is a list of my favorite apple podcasts and YouTube channels if you'd like some suggestions.
Apple Podcasts:
- Ask Pastor John
- The Porch
- I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist
YouTube Channels:
- Dr. Sean McDowell (especially his "lively conversations" playlist)
- Any of Francis Chan's sermons