The Value of Reading for the Church
by Landry Franks
If you were to meet “high-school Landry” and contrast him with the man I am today, you might see a lot of similarities. Same height, a little thinner, similar interests, a Christian, loved interacting with people, but I was not a good learner. I dreaded school. I never had great grades, and I loathed reading. Ironically one my best grades my senior year was English Comprehension, but that doesn’t mean I liked it! It stayed that way until my Sunday school teacher began to invest in my life and to demonstrate what it looked like to be a faithful God-honoring Christian. He valued learning and showed me that learning, and in particular, the discipline of reading would be valuable to the Kingdom of God and a helpful tool for me to grow in my relationship with the Lord. So Church, my hope is to make the same simple plea to you that my Sunday school teacher made to me. Grab a book and read.
1.) What Should I Read?
As a teenager, my natural objection was not having the knowledge of what to read! The first place we began was a daily reading in the Bible. Christians will have a hard time making sense of what they believe if they aren’t reading the written word of God, given by him to us! This is an obvious answer, but maybe you are shy and a little afraid to begin to read. I would encourage you to start simple. Start with the Bible and ask a friend to join you!
Maybe you already read the Bible, and you can see it doesn’t command us to read C.S. Lewis (no offense, Pastor Rick). You are right. There is no biblical command to read books. There is also no biblical command to have a quiet time, yet we can see that there is wisdom in doing both regularly. So, what should you read? Maybe that is the wrong question. Maybe the question should be, “Who should you ask for book recommendations?”
If you are new to reading or want to read more, find a Godly friend and ask for his or her thoughts. Stop by our bookstore in the church foyer on Sunday morning. All of those books have been recommended by the staff. Whenever I need a new book, I often ask my friends what they have been reading. I hardly ever ask on Facebook.
If you are just beginning and want to know God more, I would recommend the following:
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Desiring God by John Piper
Prodigal God by Tim Keller
I would also recommend most classic works of literature because of the tremendous impact they have had on our history and our present. Church members Dave Gillogly and Brian Banks always recommend biographies of famous Christians so you can be encouraged by their lives and God’s faithfulness to them. In a way, reading a biography of a Christian is like being discipled by these faithful men and women page by page.
2.) How Do I Make Reading Become a Habit?
There are many ways to make reading become a habit, but I want to share a few things I have done (some just recently) to dive into God’s word and other books to learn for the glory of God. First, find a consistent daily time. Since having children, I have noticed that if I want to read without falling asleep, I must begin early in the morning. I choose a chair that is not comfortable, so I don’t fall asleep again. As this has become a discipline, it has also become my most cherished time of day.
Second, find books that are readable. If you are just trying to get in the habit, read something that is a page-turner.
Third, read with a group and set a time for the book to be finished. Sit down when you are finished and have a cup of coffee or a meal and discuss the book so you are mutually encouraged.
Fourth, schedule days with the TV off so you can manage the time in your evenings well. To be honest, I struggle with this the most. I often need my wife to help me turn the TV off and the encouragement to go grab my book or Bible and read.
Fifth, keep trying. You may find it difficult when you first begin reading as a discipline. But just like learning how to run long distance, the more you read, the easier it becomes.
Finally, I would encourage you to listen to audio books if you are wanting to give reading a try! An audible subscription is $15 a month, and you get one free book each month! If you have a library card, you can use the “Libby” app and rent audible books for free!
3.) For the Church
When the Church is reading, the Church is growing. The more we take time to focus our hearts and minds on the things of God, the more we can pour this Godly knowledge into others. Imagine if we as a church read Spiritual Disciplines by Donald Whitney this month, and we all started emulating the Godly characteristics in this book! We would be blessed when interacting with each other, and God would be glorified with our increased knowledge of him as we practiced these attributes in the world around us.
So…what are you reading today?
Author Bio
Landry Franks is the Young Adult Pastor at Council Road. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Master in Divinity from Southern Seminary. His children are Asher and Dru, and his beautiful wife is Kayla. He enjoys being outside, reading and hanging with his family.