Can I listen to sermons every day instead of studying God’s Word?
It’s vital to have primary contact with the Scriptures themselves. It can be helpful and healthy to be listening to faithful teachers of the Word of God, but that should be a supplement to your own reading of God’s Word, meditation on God’s Word, and memorization of God’s Word.
Laypeople, with whatever skills they may have, should be seeking for themselves to understand the Word of God. Every member of the church should have the spirit of the Bereans in the book of Acts, where they are searching the Scriptures for themselves to see those things that are true (Acts 17:11).
I believe that process is aided, helped, and encouraged by faithful men who teach the Word of God. I think it’s a wonderful thing that access to so much good material is available, like all of the resources available through Ligonier. However, that should be a supplement. It should not replace your own time in the Word of God.
This transcript is from a live Ask Ligonier event with H.B. Charles Jr. and has been lightly edited for readability. To ask Ligonier a biblical or theological question, email ask@ligonier.org or message us on Facebook or Twitter.
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H.B. Charles Jr.
Dr. H.B. Charles Jr. is pastor-teacher of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He is author of several books, including It Happens After Prayer: Biblical Motivation for Believing Prayer, On Preaching: Personal and Pastoral Insights for the Preparation and Practice of Preaching, and On Pastoring: A Short Guide to Living, Leading, and Ministering as a Pastor. He is host of The On Preaching Podcast.
