The Primary Importance of Bible Study in Leadership

Today’s guest post is from Matt Brown—evangelist, author, and founder of Think Eternity. He and his wife, Michelle, are impacting thousands of people with the Gospel each year both online and through live events. They also minister to over 150,000 people on social media on a near-daily basis. You can follow him at @evangelistmatt.

I have often thought that union with Christ is the first great essential of the Christian life. If I don’t spend time with the Lord, I have nothing to give.

As I write a book every year or two, preach 75 times a year, blog two to three times per week, cast vision to our team at Think Eternity, and now post several times each and every day on social media, I need to continually be hearing from the Lord. It is vital that leaders walk in a rich, satisfying relationship with Christ, and hear clearly what is on His heart.

As my father-in-law, Dwight Denyes—former lead pastor of a significant megachurch near Minneapolis—has often shared: “Nothing gives us a satisfying and rich relationship with Christ as much as reading and meditating on Scripture.”

A recent powerful book from the late R. A. Torrey added to my understanding of this primary principle of importance for spiritual leaders everywhere:

“The power that belongs to God is stored in the great reservoir of His own Word, the Bible. If we wish to make it ours, we must go to the Bible. Yet people who pray for power but neglect the Bible abound in the church. Many long to have power for fruit-bearing in their own lives, yet they forget that Jesus has said, “The seed is the Word of God.” (Luke 8:11). If we are to obtain fullness of power in life and service, we must feed on the Word of God. There can be no fullness of power in life and service if the Bible is neglected. We cannot obtain or maintain power in our own lives or in our work for others unless there is deep and frequent meditation on the Word of God.”

I challenge each leader to remember this “one thing” and this “first love” of sitting at the feet of Jesus through meditation on the revelation that only comes from His Word.