My name is Thomas Griffin, and I'm the founder of T214.
I've got a surprising statistic to share with you. Are you ready?
Did you know that nearly half of professing, church-going Christians only read the Bible once per week or less? And an additional 25% only a couple of times per week?
Ouch. That stings!
The truth of the matter is that the majority of Jesus-proclaiming, church-going Christians are Biblically illiterate and relationally bankrupt with God. They either don’t read the Bible at all, or only read it on Sunday when the preacher tells them to, or sporadically when they believe it what they are“supposed to do”, or when all other options have let them down.
Can I let you in on a secret? I was that statistic.
I will be the first to admit that I’ve been that man. I had led worship at church full time, I led community groups, I served in kids on Sundays. I was actively talking with people about the power of God without serving in it. I was honoring God with my lips, but my heart was far from him. I only picked up the Bible occasionally, either on Sunday morning or during community group. Otherwise, the Bible was a book about who God was, but it didn’t have any impact on my day to day life.
Have you been there before?
And yet that’s not even the worst part. Far less did I even talk with God. I would read about Him, but then I wouldn’t talk with Him. And then I would deceive myself into thinking I had a relationship with Him when I didn’t. And when the time came where I talked with Him, I treated Him like a celebrity. I thought I knew Him, but when the time came to talk with Him, it was clear I only knew about Him. I didn’t actually know Him.
Not only was I Biblically illiterate. I was relationally bankrupt with God.
And based on the research that has been done, most of you reading this story have been or are the same.
The price God paid for our rebellion through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is too high for us to stay Biblically illiterate and relationally bankrupt with Him. He offered the most dear thing to His heart - His Only Son - that you might be saved from your rebellion and once again have a way to talk with Him. And for those who believe, He has deposited the Holy Spirit into your innermost being that you might speak with Him rightly - at any time!
What a precious gift that is habitually cast aside! God has given you His words in the Bible. The same words of power that He used to speak world into existence. The same words that uphold and sustain it. The same words that I pray He says of each of you one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
And not only this, He has given you His Son Jesus and His Spirit that you might talk with him freely.
And yet we do not do it. This is clearly a problem, and apart from being saved by His grace through His Son Jesus, I believe it’s the most important problem anyone can ever address while on this earth.
That you would know His Word and know Him personally -- and that would radically change your life and give Him the highest glory.
Your greatest need is not another program or another retreat or another event or another song or another sermon. Your greatest need is of God himself, that you would both know Him and communicate with Him every single day. That is what will radically transform you, your family, your church, your community and your world.
I've written more about this in Daily: The Simple Disciplines of the Healthy Disciple. It's free (and short), and you can download your free copy today when you enter your real name and best email address below.
