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By April J. Buchanan | Religion Columnist

Why should I take my Bible to church with me?

It reminds us to stay focused on the text, in its context.

If we use our phone then we may become easily distracted by messages and alerts, or mindlessly end up in an app.

We keep our mind engaged with the text as well as what is being spoken about the text.

It’s harder to be misled by what is being claimed about the text if we are reading along with it ourselves.

Sometimes the “old paths” are still the “best paths”. Remember Sundays when entire families brought their Bible to church? Is our way better or more convenient?

A study of church history and how we came to have the Bible – in our own language, available for every layperson to read – has a way of humbling us and making us more grateful.

Bringing our Bible keeps us focused on the message and of Whom it is about, rather than getting swept up in what sounds good or hearing a message that draws our attention away from the text to what was received outside of Scripture or teach a message about us that is foreign to the text. An open Bible draws our attention back to itself, rather than on something outside of it.

An open Bible is a good witness to lost souls and new Christians, as well as all of us. When someone has an open Bible and we see them following along, engaging with the text, we are encouraged as well.

Scripture warns us of false teachers. There are many. If we are listening to the sermon with an open Bible and following along, then we can see for ourselves what the text says. However, we must also throughout the week open our Bibles, learn how to study Gods Word, so that when we sit under preaching/teaching, we can see if the one teaching is allowing the text to use the man to preach Gods Word or if the man is using Gods Word to preach his message.

A Bible in the hands of a born again Christian sends the message that Gods Word is authoritative for all of life and that we do not have a placement for it in our home to give an appearance of its use and usefulness in our lives, but that we daily engage with the text and when we attend church each week, it would make no sense to leave it behind, for it is the message we intend to hear. We come to hear Gods Word and ourselves engage with the text as we listen to what Thus Saith The Lord.

These are a list of some my own reasons I bring my Bible to church with me and I encourage us all to. This Sunday, if you haven’t been in some time, return to church and if you have a Bible, bring it and if you don’t, I can assure you that if you are in a Bible based church, someone would love nothing more than to help you receive your own Bible.

Find you a church that preaches Gods Word and where the Bible is not a prop. If the pastor brings Gods Word, opens it, and is used by God to preach what the text says, then shouldn’t we follow his example, opening our Bibles and hearing what Gods Word says? What encouragement it must be to a pastor who spends hours weekly in study and preparation to preach Gods Word and see open Bibles and engaged hearers of Gods Word.

His Word is sufficient.

To you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Soli Deo Gloria