Show Notes:

Matt: J.D.,  we’re going to do something we’ve never done, and we’re going to take that question and camp out here on Ask the Pastor for the next several episodes, because you feel like this one is worth unpacking. Like we mentioned at the end of last week’s episode, we’re going to spend the next 8 weeks unpacking something I think a lot of Christians have heard about, but they may not know a ton about: the “spiritual disciplines.” What are some important spiritual disciplines to focus on as we attempt to grow in our faith in 2024?  

J.D.: Yeah Matt, the “spiritual disciplines” – or the practices that every disciple of Jesus should follow and work into their lives – are definitely worth talking about, and rather than giving a short answer with a “checklist” of spiritual disciplines, I wanted to go in depth on a few different spiritual disciplines for the next few weeks here on Ask the Pastor, and we’re going to incorporate some of the many great questions we’ve received from our listeners on this topic. 

So, starting today, we’re going to dive into an eight-episode series on the spiritual disciplines. Along the way, we’ll be sprinkling in a few different listener questions we’ve collected from you, our listeners.

So to start, I want to talk about one of the most foundational spiritual disciplines: Reading and studying your Bible.

This may seem elementary to some of you, but I’m a pastor… and I have a real sense that the practice of opening up your Bible, reading and studying it, and truly understanding what it says – and even why we read it at all – is unfortunately RARE.

Matt: Let me stop you right there to ask a question sent in by a listener named Dalton who asks, “What time of day is best for Bible reading? Is there a time of day that bible reading ‘sticks better?’”

J.D.: That’s a good question, and I personally have found that the morning is the best time to read your Bible.

Matt: Here’s another from Josh: “Does not sticking to a consistent daily quiet time mean I am being disobedient?

Look, this question leads me to something pretty important, which is that I want to make sure that we all understand the WHY behind reading you Bible every day.

Matt: That’s good. Let me ask a question that’s a little bit more about the “nuts and bolts,” from Paul: “How do you pick which book of the Bible or section of the Bible to study in your time with God?”

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