On his website, Eric Geiger, a Vice President at LifeWay Christian Resources, recently addressed the relationship between the study of the Bible and other spiritual disciplines. He wrote:
“There is one spiritual discipline that increases engagement in every other spiritual discipline. In the research behind Transformational Discipleship, we discovered that when someone is engaged in studying the Bible, participation in every other spiritual discipline is positively impacted.
“While the other spiritual disciplines are important, engagement in one of these (from a research vantage point) does not necessarily increase engagement in the others. But reading the Bible is different. People who read, hear, and study the Scripture simultaneously increase their participation in every other discipline. Their generosity increases. Their serving increases. Their boldness in sharing the gospel increases. Their confession and repentance increases.
“The thing that impacts every other aspect in the life of a believer is quite simply regular and ongoing engagement with the Word of God. He sanctifies His people through His truth, and His Word is truth (John 17:17). Thus, a church that is serious about making disciples is serious about the Word of Christ dwelling in the people (Colossians 3:16). The Word must be central in these three places…”
What are those three places? He lists:
- In worship gatherings
- In community (groups, classes, etc.)
- In personal lives
Read the rest of his post (here) for his description of each.