How to Make Bible Reading Actually Stick (Instead of Just Checking a Box)

You open your Bible, skim a few verses, close it, and walk away feeling like you checked a box. Sound familiar?

Many of us treat Scripture like a quick visitor. We fit it in when convenient, when guilt pushes us, or when the new year starts with fresh resolve. But visitors don’t stay long enough to rearrange the furniture. They don’t make a lasting change in the household.

Paul had something different in mind. In Colossians 3:16, he writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you.” The word dwell means to live in, to take up residence, to be at home.

That’s the shift: from visitor to resident.

Resident vs. Visitor

Think of the difference:

• A visitor stops by for a short while. Their presence might be nice, but it’s temporary.
• A resident is part of the household. They shape conversations, schedules, even how the whole place feels.

“The word of God that you hold in your hand, whether it’s a leather-bound cover or a phone app, is supposed to dwell within you like it’s a resident—like it belongs.”

When the Bible is only a visitor in your life, it won’t change you. But when it takes up residence, it influences everything: how you think, what you say, the decisions you make.

A Simple Three-Part Process

This isn’t about piling on another spiritual checklist. It’s about a rhythm anyone can keep:

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1. Read Consistently

You can read through the entire Bible in about 8 minutes a day. Twelve minutes if you’re a slower reader. That’s less than most of us spend scrolling, watching ads, or zoning out on shows we don’t even like.

The goal isn’t speed—it’s consistency. Scripture won’t dwell within you if you’re not reading it regularly.

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2. Meditate Deeply

Don’t just read it and move on. Let what you read sit with you. Ask questions: What does this tell me about God? What does this mean for me today?

“When I read it, I take it in. When I meditate on it, it becomes part of me.”

Meditation isn’t mystical—it’s rehearsal. Turning a verse over in your mind until it sticks.

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3. Live It Out

Let it shape what you actually do. If you read “Forgive as the Lord forgave you,” then forgiveness should show up in your next difficult conversation.

“After meditating on it, I live it out. And then I start the process all over again.”

That’s the loop: Read → Meditate → Live → Repeat. Again and again and again. This isn’t something that happens by accident.

When Scripture Has Moved In

How do you know when it’s working?

• It flows out naturally. The Holy Spirit will bring verses to mind during the day. You’ll find yourself sharing insights with friends not because you’re trying to be spiritual, but because “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
• Your words shift. Encouragement and truth slip into conversations without forcing it.
• You find courage. Sometimes you’ll even need to lovingly challenge others when they’re heading in a wrong direction.

Both the positive sharing and the difficult conversations flow from the same source: God’s word being at home in your heart.

The Worship Connection

Here’s something surprising: when Scripture is overflowing from your heart, you naturally become a worshiper. Not just during the Sunday service, but in quiet moments throughout your week.

Some of the most powerful times of worship happen without any music at all—just you, alone, thanking God for who he is. Spending 15–20 minutes not asking God for anything, but simply telling him he’s good, merciful, and gracious.

“Some of my greatest times in worshiping God have been without music at all, alone and by myself.”

This kind of worship flows naturally from a life saturated with God’s word. We were created to worship something—and when Scripture fills our hearts, we worship the right Person. The Sunday morning songs become the overflow of what’s happening in your heart all week long.

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Beyond the Checklist

This isn’t about creating another spiritual to-do list or measuring your worth by how much Bible you’ve read. It’s about letting God’s truth become so much a part of you that it changes how you see everything.

When the word of Christ dwells richly in you, it affects your conversations, your decisions, your worries, and your hopes. It’s not compartmentalized into “Bible time”—it’s woven throughout your entire life.

What would change in your week if Scripture was living with you—not just stopping by for a quick visit?

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This post was adapted from Pastor Anthony Fusco’s message on Colossians 3:15–17. Watch the full sermon.