A new member showed up at our community group not long ago. He was eager, engaged, and clearly hungry to grow. But when we opened our Bibles, he paused.
“I didn’t bring one,” he said.
I assumed he had simply forgotten. It happens to all of us. But then he added, almost casually, “I don’t really use a Bible anymore. At church, everything is on the screen.”
In that moment, I was reminded how easily something essential can slowly disappear. No one announces the change. No one plans it. But over time, a generation can lose the simple, powerful discipline of bringing God’s Word with them. The good news is that I always carry a new Bible to my community group as a gift for this very reason.
Bringing a Bible Cultivates Personal Ownership of Scripture
When church members bring their own Bible, something subtle but deeply important takes place. They move from being passive observers to active participants in the worship experience. The screen presents a passage for the moment. A personal Bible invites an ongoing relationship.
There is a difference between seeing Scripture and owning it. When members carry their Bible, they begin to think in terms of “my Bible,” not just “the verses on the screen.” That sense of ownership leads to greater familiarity, deeper trust, and a stronger connection to God’s Word. Over time, this habit forms disciples who know where to find passages, return to them during the week, and build growing confidence in Scripture. Ownership is not automatic but cultivated over time. This simple practice plays a significant role.
Physical Interaction Strengthens Engagement and Retention
There is something formative about physically engaging with a Bible. Turning pages. Underlining phrases. Writing notes in the margins. Even the act of locating a passage helps create a mental map of Scripture.
Screens offer convenience, but they often encourage quick consumption. A Bible encourages slower engagement. It invites reflection. It allows worshipers to linger over a verse or revisit a passage without distraction.
Research aside, most of us know this intuitively. We remember more when we interact more. The physical act of handling Scripture reinforces the message in ways a screen rarely can. If we want church members to carry the Word with them beyond Sunday, we must help them engage it meaningfully on Sunday. A Bible in hand is more than a reference tool; it is also part of discipleship formation.
Carrying a Bible Reinforces the Authority of Scripture Over Presentation
Every worship service includes multiple elements—music, announcements, visuals, and the sermon itself. When Scripture appears only on a screen, it can unintentionally feel like just another component in the presentation’s flow. But a Bible changes that dynamic.
When members open their Bibles, they are reminded that this is not just supporting content. This is the foundation. This is the authority over everything else that is said and done.
A church that consistently encourages the use of the Bible is making a quiet but powerful statement: God’s Word stands above our words. It is not dependent on a screen, a slide, or a moment. The Bible is enduring truth. That visible distinction matters more than we may realize. It shapes how people view Scripture—and how seriously they take it.
It Models Discipleship for the Next Generation
Children and students are always watching the adults around them. They are learning what matters, not just from what we say, but from what we do. If the only Scripture they see is projected on a screen, they may never develop the habit of opening a Bible for themselves. Faith can become something experienced in a room rather than practiced in a life.
But when they see parents, grandparents, and leaders bringing their Bibles, turning pages, and engaging the text, they receive a different message. They see that God’s Word is personal. It is worth carrying. It is worth studying. Discipleship is often caught before it is taught. A visible culture of Bible engagement provides a living example for the next generation to follow.
It Extends the Worship Service Into Daily Life
A screen disappears when the service ends. A Bible goes home with the worshiper. That distinction is more important than it may first appear. When members bring their Bibles, they are more likely to revisit the passages later. Notes written during the sermon can be reviewed. Marked verses can become part of personal devotion.
In this way, the worship service does not end at the closing prayer. It continues throughout the week. The Bible becomes a bridge between Sunday and everyday life. Of course, pastors do not need to mandate this practice, but they should strongly encourage it. A simple invitation—“Bring your Bible next week”—can begin a meaningful cultural shift.
Because sometimes, the smallest habits shape the deepest convictions. And bringing the Bible back may be one of the most important steps we can take.
Posted on July 6, 2026
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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16 Comments
I appreciate you deeply Dr. Rainer more than you know – I have learned so much from you. —- Here is my scenario – I have used power point on the screen for years to show my outline & verses. I quote sometimes 10-15 verses and use different translations which may word a particle verse better. Since I mainly preach topically, there is no way people could flip back and forth in their bibles and keep up with all the verses I use (and obviously they wouldn’t have all my translations with them) If I didn’t use power point my sermons would be 1 hour long at least and most of that time would be taken up with a ton of pauses as people had to flip in their bibles. A Thought – Until the invention of the printing press most all of the lay people didn’t have a bible when they heard a message so it has only been in the last 500 years that people could bring a bible to church (or read at home for that matter). Questions/thought = I don’t think the bible lose any of its power if the verses are posted on the screen or bulletin? Many times I have emailed or handed out my notes with the verses so people could go home and reflect on them. I encourage my people all the time about reading the bible daily. During Sunday School they go verse by verse and many bring their bibles to that. Even though I use an iPad with my notes and verses (and put on main outline and verses on the screen) – Even thought I do that, I always bring a physical bible to the pulpit and point to it often to remind people that I am preaching God’s Word and not my own option. So What are your thoughts on my reasonings? These are sincere questions – just curious. God bless you and your ministry to pastors like me. I would appreciate your response.
I want people to get used to reading scripture on their phone. In reality, we’re never going to get people to bring a Bible with them everywhere they go. Except, now we can. There is a very real opportunity for every person to have scripture with them everywhere they go, at all times. I want people to build the habit of when they are sitting in their car waiting on an oil change, they can pull out their phone and read a chapter or two. I want them to think that when someone asks them a question and they remember, “I think there’s a verse that says something about that”, they can pull out their phones, and look it up. I want that senior who would have to lug a five pound Bible around because they can’t read the print in their pocket New Testament anymore to be able to pull out their phone and scroll through screens of oversized text that they can easily read. I see a lot about what’s lost by not using a physical copy of the Bible, but there’s also a lot that is gained by using a digital copy.
And I wonder if the message that you think is being communicated by using a physical book isn’t very generationally specific. For many people under 40, books seem like something that in their very nature are impersonal, static, and stale. As someone who loves books (I’m over 40), I lament this, but how I feel about it doesn’t make it any less true. Things that they read, see, and hear digitally though, that is alive for many younger people. And, frankly, its the only way they are going to engage with content. If we were commanded to use a physical copy of printed scripture, I’d be willing to die on the hill to do follow that command. But I can’t find that command anywhere.
Before Gutenberg, the vast majority of Christians never held a Bible in their hands. They depended on their teachers and priests to faithfully impart scripture to them through spoken words. When people started reading scripture for themselves, there were many who thought using the new technology (printing, especially printing in the vernacular) was dangerous. They were very convinced they were right, but I’m pretty sure they were wrong.
If everyone is going to carry a phone today (with limited exceptions, that is true), why wouldn’t you want every phone to have a Bible app on it and for people to be comfortable using that app? That seems like a solid win to me. I’m not saying that everyone should switch to primarily using a digital copy of the Bible, but I love the idea of everyone carrying a copy of the Bible with them all the time and in world that I live in, that’s just not going to happen with a physical book.
May I recommend that my fellow ministers preach/teach from the same translation? Many pastors and teachers will use different versions at different services but this leaves the attendees not knowing what version to bring to church.
I agree, Robert.
I agree with your statements. I think similar sentiments can be stated for the use of hymnbooks, with words and music–and names of the author(s) of the lyrics and music–rather than words on a screen. Not that the hymns are scripture–but if used in a church it should be scripturally based praises and worship to our Lord–and teaching Biblical truth.
This article is basic, but so very important! You have hit on something that we think about, but, in
my case have never articulated. This is such a good topic. Our pastor says “if you have your Bible, and I hope you do.” There is much I do not know. One thing I do know, Church Answers is a help for the local church.
Thank you, my friend.
Thom,
I do think you have hit on a subject that gets over looked. I see a lot of folks looking scripture up on their phones which is good, but that same source can also be used to look up things we shouldn’t. There is power in the word and carrying it, holding that which has no flaw gives me that much more strength!
Blessings!
Terry
Agreed. Thanks, Terry.
Can’t agree. Everyone seems to believe that Jesus is a bookseller. He is a teacher and his word is primarily to be taught; spoken aloud, listened to deeply and modeled in daily life. I love paper Bibles but they are a modern invention that often confuses as much as enlightens. Think how very different your paper bible is from the original text. Paper isn’t the answer. Preaching, teaching, learning and making disciples of Christ; that’s the job.
Gale –
The Apostle Paul and other apostles often read from papyrus scroll
Careful, Thom. You’re almost sacramental in what you are saying.
I jest. Sort of.
Having to handle something physical establishes ownership as you so ably describe. In our digital virtual world, what you are suggesting is an important corrective, I believe. When I first began preaching regularly as a senior pastor, I put my text on the screen. But I began to notice that people stopped bringing their Bibles to corporate worship. They weren’t using the pew Bibles, either. I quickly pivoted to simply putting the citation on the screen along with the page number for the pew Bible. I held that conviction throughout my season as a senior pastor. I used the screen, however, when I was focused on a particular section of the text or when I was cross-referencing. That was somewhat at cross-purposes with what you wrote, but it also helped with sermon flow and was perhaps more hospitable to guests or those new in the faith. Small group Bible studies are another matter and I fully concur that everyone should bring a Bible.
You did not mention the use of a Bible app on a smart phone. I think they are very helpful for multiple reasons. But they are not the same as a tactile Bible. Smart phone use in our culture – dare I say, in our world – is ubiquitous. And like any digital phenomenon, once you close the app, it is gone. That isn’t the case with a physical Bible. And it is much easier to write and underline in on an actual page than it is to highlight and make notes in a Bible app. A tactile Bible is unique and set apart from our digitally-swamped world. For that reason, they should be preferred. I rarely see a Bible in the worship service we attend. I had even stopped bringing mine because the phone is so much more convenient. With your prompting and reminder, I’ll be bringing my Bible to worship from now on.
Thanks for this. I will be sharing it on my social media account.
Good word, Bob.
Thom, I don’t lug a Bible to church for several reasons. I have a small library of different translations on my bookshelves. My church has pew Bibles, Bibles in the church library, and a stack of large print New Living Translation in the parlor Yes, the church has a parlor. It was the room where a Sunday school class met but eventually disbanded due to the advanced age of its members. The pastor now uses it for new members orientation and the like. I regularly use BibleGateway.Com and BlueLetterBible.Org to prepare two online sermons a week. I have a pocket New International Version but I can no longer read the print. And I mislaid my Good News Translation which I took with me practically everywhere. I hope whoever found it is putting it to good use and did not chuck it into the dustbin. But the main reason I don’t tote one with me to church is that some folks will do that on Sunday mornings and even during the week for show, to impress their fellow church members. Look at their lives and it is a different story. They may be able to quote passages and verses of Scripture and may use them in judgmental statements about others but they themselves are not living by the teaching and example of Jesus. Phariseeism is alive and well in the twenty-first century. I consider it a good practice to keep a few loaner Bibles handy in Sunday school class or a small group Bible study for folks who show up without a Bible. Now I do bring a notebook to church with me and jot down notes during the sermon. I also look at my notes later on.
Thank you for commenting, Robin. For certain, church members can have the wrong motives, but I don’t think that negates the positive example of bringing a Bible. I could wear my wedding ring to be showy, or I can wear it to state my commitment to my wife and our marriage. I choose the latter. And I choose to bring my Bible as a public commitment to the Word of God.
You have a point, Thom. My biggest concern is that folks not only read their Bibles, but also properly understand what they are reading, and where it applicable to them, put what they read into practice. What I have observed in the Bible studies I have led, the participants did not carefully read what the text actually said and then give thought to what it meant for them. They reacted to what they imagined it to say. They were reading into the text what could not be read out of it, even allegorizing the text, and in some cases regurgitating what someone had told them. They were not sitting under the authority of God’s written Word but their own imaginations. Their understanding of a text had little to with what it said or meant or how it applied to them. Bringing your own Bible to may signify to others that you accept the authority of God’s written Word. However, in some churches, it is simply a part of the church culture. What I would like to see is folks bringing a Bible with them to church because they genuinely understand, accept and live God’s teaching and not just to fit in or to impress other church members. Or worse, they view the Bible in the same way that pagans view a magic amulet. Rather the outward sign and the inward reality are congruent with each other.