There is a growing problem within American evangelical churches. Our churches are becoming increasingly biblically illiterate. Bible literacy refers to the capacity of individuals to personally read and properly understand the Word of God to obey its teachings and convey them to others. A 2026 article from Lifeway Research suggests that fewer than one in three churchgoers read the Bible daily:
According to the State of Discipleship study, around 3 in 5 Americans who attend religious services at least once a month (61%) regularly read the Bible, including 31% who read every day and 30% who do so a few times a week. Some engage once a week (14%) or a few times a month (11%). Few say they read Scripture only once a month (5%), while 1 in 10 (9%) do so rarely or never.1
If these statistics don’t raise alarms at first glance, consider that these numbers reflect churchgoers (those who make the effort to regularly attend their local church). The glaring lack of Bible reading naturally leads to a diminished understanding of biblical doctrines and an inability to convey the key tenets of the Christian faith to later generations. The above statistics are unlikely to come as a surprise to anyone currently leading or serving in student ministry contexts. Student ministries comprise members from various backgrounds, raised in homes with varying levels of Bible literacy. The key question each student leader must ask: How can I cultivate a culture of Bible literacy among my students?
As a student pastor, my level of influence over students is hindered by time constraints. Students’ time and attention are prioritized around schoolwork, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, family time, etc. Somewhere in that mix, I attempt to capture their hearts and minds through sharing the invitations and challenges presented in the Gospel. Since my influence is limited, I must make the best use of my moments of preaching/teaching. Expository preaching, as opposed to topical preaching, has been the most effective means of fostering a culture of Bible literacy.
Expository preaching can be defined as “that preaching which takes for the point of a sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture.”2 To simplify, expositional preaching focuses on a passage of Scripture and explains the point, while topical preaching explains a point and then attaches that point to a passage of Scripture. It is common in student ministry to preach/teach topically because it seemingly allows for more fun and freedom of discussion. Topical messages can be very effective in student ministry, depending on the intent of the message. But by only teaching topically, is it possible that we shape our students’ mindset to view holy Scripture as SECONDARY rather than PRIMARY in their daily decisions?
Listed below are just a few reasons to consider utilizing expository preaching/teaching in your student ministry setting:
1. Expository Preaching Promotes Bible Literacy
Since Bible literacy is the objective of this article, it makes sense to also be the primary reason for utilizing expository preaching. By explaining a biblical text (as the original author intended) and then providing practical application, you encourage students to view Scripture as not only relevant but necessary to their lives. You demonstrate that reading and understanding Scripture is worth the effort for those who seek to truly honor the will of God in their lives.
2. Expository Preaching Prepares Students to Own and Defend Their Faith
Modern culture opposes those who seek to live their faith as Scripture commands. It is imperative to equip students to stand strong in their faith as they exit adolescence and enter adulthood. Our greatest task as pastors and student leaders is to prepare students for their next stage of life. Cultivating Bible literacy among our students readies them to answer the questions they will face from their college friends or coworkers in the years to come. And if they are unable to respond adequately in the moment, their exposure to expository teaching has equipped them to know HOW and WHERE to seek the answers in Scripture.
3. Expository Preaching Prepares the Pastor’s Heart
Not only is expositional teaching beneficial for the hearer, but it is infinitely more beneficial for the leader/speaker. To teach the point of a passage, the speaker must have investigated the purpose of the passage. The speaker must invest time in knowing the context and setting. He must intentionally seek to share the biblical AUTHOR’S INTENT rather than the speaker’s own personal views. This allows the Word of God to FIRST convict and transform the heart of the speaker before doing the EXACT SAME WORK on the hearts of the hearers.
This is not an exhaustive list. There are many more advantages to utilizing expository preaching/teaching in your student ministry. Overall, the challenge for student leaders is to inspire students to DEPEND less on the leader and to trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit more. What better way to do so than to use the actual words that were penned under the guidance of the Spirit Himself? To preach/teach thusly requires more effort and time. It exposes the speaker to harsher scrutiny. It forces the speaker to wrestle with difficult issues and “gray areas” where life meets culture. But it also allows the preacher/teacher to speak with AUTHORITY, not because he claims it, but because God’s Son has been given “all authority…in heaven and on earth.”3
God bless you as you continue in the work of loving God, loving people and leading students to be and to make disciples.
Cleve Mallory serves as pastor of discipleship and student ministries for Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery.
- https://research.lifeway.com/2026/02/10/fewer-than-1-in-3-churchgoers-read-the-bible-daily/ ↩︎
- Dever, Mark. “Sermon: Expositional Preaching as a Mark of a Healthy Church.” http://equip.sbts.edu/article/sermon-expositional-preaching-as-a-mark-of-a-healthy-church/ ↩︎
- Matthew 28:18 ↩︎