S2E16: 'Have We Lost Our Reverence for the Bible'?: A Conversation with Ben Windle

The average Bible-engaged Christian spends 3.5 minutes a day in scripture and six hours a day on social media and YouTube. In this episode, Pastor Ben Windle joins the Hillsong Australia podcast to unpack why the modern church has become "biblically illiterate," how we got here, and what it practically looks like to rebuild a real, personal engagement with the Bible whether you're brand new to faith, a long-time church attender, a parent raising kids in 2026, or someone wrestling with doubt. It's a conversation about reverence, honesty, and rediscovering scripture as more than a "supplement" to church life. **✨ Key Themes** - **A biblical literacy crisis.** Bible-engaged Christians average 3.5 minutes a day in scripture vs. six hours a day on social media and YouTube. A gap Benjamin says has real spiritual consequences. - **Supplements vs. substitutes.** Sermons, podcasts, and Bible studies are valuable supplements, but they were never meant to replace direct, personal engagement with scripture itself. - **From decision to discipleship.** The church has overestimated the moment of decision (an altar call) and underestimated the ongoing process, formation, and journey that follows it. - **Skepticism isn't the enemy of faith.** Doubt and unanswered questions are part of being human. The goal isn't to eliminate every question before trusting God, but to hold logic and faith together, knowing faith ultimately has the final word. - **Academic and meditative study can coexist.** Historical, contextual study of scripture and devotional, meditative reading aren't in competition as both are needed for real formation. - **Familiar vs. personal.** It's possible for scripture to feel familiar (because it's accessible) without ever becoming personal. The more consistently you actually read it, the more it moves from familiar to formative. - **Ultimate hope vs. human hope.** Christian hope isn't just "things will get better", it's an eternal hope anchored in Jesus that holds steady even in a dark season. - **Parenting with scripture at the center.** Practical, low-pressure ways to build a Bible-reading culture at home, even amid the chaos and inconsistency of real family life. - **AI and the value of the process.** Using AI to shortcut Bible study (or any learning) trades away the very process that builds spiritual and intellectual "muscle." - **There's no single "right" rhythm.** Consistency matters more than following someone else's formula for daily devotion find what brings you joy and life, and stick with it. **📖 Scripture References** - **Matthew 7:24–27** *(parable referenced, not quoted directly)* — the wise and foolish builders: building your life on the rock (the Word of God) versus the sand. - **Isaiah** *(referenced)* — Jesus preaching from the scroll of Isaiah, cited as a model for the centrality of preaching God's Word. - **Psalm 119** — mentioned as what Ben currently preaching through. - **John 1** — mentioned as a message Ben preached that day, with reflections connecting it to Genesis. - **Matthew 5–7** — the Sermon on the Mount, described by Ben as "a masterpiece." - **Psalm 23** — Ben's favorite, recurring scripture, and the psalm he prays in full to close the episode: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen." **📚 Resources** - **"When God Spoke Greek"** — recommended book for understanding the historical and linguistic background of the New Testament. **💬 Quotes** "We've become very biblically illiterate. And at the same time, we've become addicted to our phones." — Pastor Benjamin Windle "A sermon is a supplement. A Bible study is a supplement. A podcast is a supplement. But if we ever allow a supplement to become a substitute, we've got to correct that." — Pastor Ben Windle "We've overestimated the point of decision and underestimated the value of process and journey." — Pastor Ben Windle "Faith is a beautiful thing. Faith is freedom. Faith is being able to say, 'I don't know, but I trust something greater than all of this, even in spite of my doubts.'" — Pastor Ben Windle "You can shortcut the outcome, but you cannot shortcut the growth of the process. The process is what grows us." — Pastor Ben Windle "Find what works for you, but don't try to conform to someone else's box." — Pastor Ben Windle **🚶 Next Steps** - **Get honest about your own Bible engagement.** Compare your time in scripture to your time on your phone — awareness is the first step. - **Treat scripture as the source document, not a supplement.** Make space during the week (not just Sunday) to read the Bible directly for yourself. - **Start small with family devotions.** Simply reading a passage like Psalm 23 out loud together — without needing to teach or comment on it — has a real, researched impact on kids' faith. - **Give yourself permission to have questions.** Approach skepticism with curiosity instead of guilt; you don't need every question answered before you can trust God. - **Pick a rhythm that actually brings you life** — beach, car audio, morning coffee, late at night — and aim for consistency over perfection. **🔗 Links / CTA** - Find a Hillsong Australia location near you and join a service: **hillsong.com/australia** - **Subscribe**, leave a comment, or share this episode with someone who'd find it helpful.