Project: Culture Changers - Be In The Word
The Struggle Is Real
When I started Bible college, I had never read a single Gospel. I had opened my Bible maybe a handful of times. My understanding of Jesus was shallow: He died for me, He rose again… and that was about it. I knew some Christian ethics, but spiritually, I was malnourished. The crazy part? I thought I was fine. I thought thinking about Jesus occasionally was enough. It wasn’t.
Before college, I went to an FCA summer camp where a guy named Taylor Wilkins asked me a simple question: “What’s your personal relationship with Jesus like?” I shared my inconsistent, camp-to-camp faith. Then he asked: “Do you think that’s sustainable?” No. He helped me realize something that changed everything: Everything I experienced at camp (Scripture, worship, community) I already had access to at home. The issue wasn’t access. It was consistency.
So I committed to being in the Word daily. For a year, I didn’t miss. I was obsessed. I found life on every page. But eventually, I burned out. Not because I didn’t love the Bible, but because it started to feel like an obligation. And any relationship built on obligation eventually breaks down. So I stopped reading altogether. Back to square one.
If you struggle to read your Bible, you’re not alone. The struggle is real. Whether you don’t know where to start, feel inconsistent, or feel like it’s just another box to check. . . I get it. But here’s what I’ve learned: You don’t need the Bible as a task. You need it as a pathway to Jesus. The Bible didn’t save you. Jesus did. But the Bible reveals Him. Scripture isn’t the end goal, it’s the means to knowing the One who is.
Why Your Bible Matters - Theology
What we believe about something determines how we interact with it. Your beliefs about sports affect how you engage with sports. Your beliefs about Jesus affect how you respond to Him. The same is true for Scripture.If you believe the Bible is just a collection of helpful teachings, you’ll treat it casually. If you misunderstand it, you might either ignore it or elevate it incorrectly. But if you understand it rightly, you will root your life in it—not as the end goal, but as the means of knowing God.
Scripture Is God-Breathed
2 Timothy 3 teaches that all Scripture is “God-breathed.” This means it is not simply human ideas about God, but it is God speaking through human authors. The Greek word Paul uses, theopneustos, literally means “breathed out by God.” Scripture originates from God Himself.
Scripture Draws Us To God
Because Scripture comes from God, it is one of the primary ways we connect with Him. It is not something we worship, but it leads us to worship. John Stott when reflecting on 2 Peter 1:21 puts it this way, “Scripture . . . originated in God’s mind and was communicated from God’s mouth by God’s breath or Spirit. It is therefore rightly termed “the Word of God,” for God spoke it.” It draws us into relationship with the One who gave it.
Scripture Brings Life
Psalm 1 and Psalm 119 describe Scripture as something that brings delight, refreshment, and life. But we only experience that when we engage the full counsel of Scripture—not just the parts we like. Just like a healthy diet requires variety, spiritual health requires the full breadth of God’s Word.
Sola Scriptura
Historically, Protestants have held to the belief of Sola Scriptura—that Scripture is the Church’s only infallible authority. As the scholar Gavin Ortlund says, “Sola Scriptura does not deny that creeds, catechisms, confessions, and councils function authoritatively. It just maintains that they are not infallible and therefore are placed under Scripture within a hierarchy of authorities.”
Again, that doesn’t mean we reject other authorities like church history, creeds, or teachers. It simply means those authorities are not perfect and must be submitted to Scripture. Because Scripture comes from God, and God is perfect, we can trust His Word completely.
How We Engage With Our Bibles - Praxis
Here’s a bold statement: How you engage the Bible matters more than how much you understand it.
You can have correct theology and still never open your Bible. Real transformation comes through engagement. Psalm 119:1–8 gives us a framework for how to approach Scripture:
Delight In The Word - VV. 1-3
The biggest barrier for many people is not discipline—it’s delight. We’ve often been taught that Bible reading is something we have to do. But Scripture emphasizes delighting in God’s Word. So instead of asking, “What’s the right way to read the Bible?” Ask, “How can I actually enjoy engaging with it?” Start with prayer. Ask God to give you a desire for His Word.
Delight In Obedience - VV. 4-6
Scripture isn’t meant to be skimmed, but it’s meant to shape our lives. Obedience flows from delight. When we truly value God’s Word, we begin to live it out. Not out of pressure, but out of love.
Delight In Abiding - VV. 7-8
The ultimate goal is not better habits, but it's a deeper relationship. Jesus calls us to abide in Him (John 15). And we can only abide because He first abides in us through His Spirit. Scripture is one of the primary ways we remain connected to Him.
Practical Rhythms
There are many ways to delight in obedience, but the key is simple: find ways to engage Scripture that don’t feel like obligation. Start with prayer, asking God to help you enjoy His Word.A helpful next step is taking the Sacred Pathways assessment (link below). This isn’t a label or lifelong box—it’s just a tool. Your results may change over time, and that’s okay.
Start here: http://storage.cloversites.com/soulcitychurch/documents/Sacred%20Pathways%20Assessment.pdf
Take the assessment
Add up your scores
Identify your top 3 pathways
Then, using those three areas, go to this link: https://www.a2cc.org/participate/spiritual-styles-the-nine-sacred-pathways
Choose 3 practices per pathway (9 total)
Plan 5 practices one week and 4 the next
Be intentional with your schedule (match practices to your day and energy)
The goal isn’t to do everything at once—it’s to build a sustainable rhythm.Think of it like training:
Start with 5 minutes per practice
After completing all 9, increase to 10 minutes
Continue building gradually over time
Over weeks and months, these small, intentional rhythms will shape a genuine, life-giving relationship with God’s Word.
What This Means For Culture Change
If we want to see culture changed by the gospel, we must first be changed by it. And transformation happens through knowing God—and we know Him through His Word. If we want others to know Jesus, we need to know Him deeply. If we want to lead others to Scripture, we need to live in it ourselves.We don’t become culture changers by trying harder. We become culture changers by being transformed. And that transformation begins when we become people of the Word.