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Are Your People Always Prepared to Give an Answer?

Are Your People Always Prepared to Give an Answer?

By Bill Murphy

A recent study by Barna revealed three surprising things:

  1. Weekly Bible reading among the U.S. adults has climbed to 42 percent, up 12 points from a 15-year low in 2024,
  2. Bible reading among Gen Z (born between 1999 and 2015) and Millennials (born between 1984 and 1998) has surged since 2024, with nearly half now engaging Scripture weekly, and
  3. While more Americans are reading the Bible (the highest rate since 2012), a smaller percentage strongly affirms its authority – revealing a gap between curiosity and conviction.[i]

While Barna’s first two findings are cause for praise, the third one is a call to arms, especially given another recent study[ii] that revealed people are reading the Bible more, often digitally (online, for example), but understanding it less.

That revelation is echoed by an American Bible Society study that reveals “Scripture Engagement” (a key metric to determine a person’s commitment reading the Bible and applying its teachings) is still low among “Casual Christians.”

More than two of three (68%) Practicing Christians are also Scripture Engaged, with about a quarter (26%) in the Movable Middle and very few (6%) Disengaged. Nominal Christians show the reverse, with the great majority Bible Disengaged. What’s most fascinating is how the Movable Middle (53%) owns the Casual Christian category, and that makes sense. These people are in church, but their faith is not very important to them. In the same way, they may read the Bible occasionally, but they seem to hold its teachings at arm’s length, not fully committing.[iii]

It is in this area – referred to as “a gap between curiosity and conviction” by Barna, “understanding it less” by Christian Network Europe, and “Bible Engagement” by American Bible Society – that ChurchSource may be of help to you and your church.

Here’s what we mean. How many people in your church (or family) have come to you recently to ask tough questions like these:


“I’m taking a class in comparative religions. My teacher tells us Christianity is just another religion among many ‘great ones’ in the world today and that all religions are a pathway to God. How can I prove Christianity is different?”

“My neighbor is an atheist and she says science has rendered the Bible obsolete, especially regarding the origin of the universe. How do I respond to her?”

“My friends tell me Jesus never existed and, even if he did, he couldn’t have come back to life after being crucified. What proof can I offer to contradict them?”

“I’m losing friends on social media sites because when I try to share my faith I’m unfriended or laughed at. Should I just keep quiet so that I don’t look like a fool?”

“My kids tell me ‘The Bible was written by men, re-written down through the centuries, and is riddled with errors. How can we trust it?’ What do I tell them?”

“The media always seems to tell us Christianity is the problem and if we could just get Christians to be more flexible in their beliefs, the world would be a kinder place. I’m having a harder time these days disagreeing with that. What do I do?”

“How do I share my faith with fellow students without looking like some kind of Christian nationalist who only wants to turn America into a theocracy?”

And these questions are just the tip of the iceberg. The current generation, this time in our history, seems rife with deep, abiding, nagging doubts and questions about our faith.

There is a growing field of study within our faith called Apologetics that has arisen to (a) answer questions that may hinder engagement, (b) address growing issues in culture that may erode conviction, and (c) address lacks of understanding.

This fast-growing takes its name from a word found in 1 Peter 3:15:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

The word “answer” in Greek is apologia[iv], from which we get the word Apologetics. Thus, we learn answers so that we are prepared to give them when asked.

Did you know ChurchSource offers some of the finest books on Apologetics available, including the famous multi-week Alpha curriculum that teaches the fundamentals of the faith? We do. Plus, dozens of other books on Apologetics that you may find both fascinating and helpful, such as:

 

These are just a few of the Apologetics titles we offer at ChurchSource, all of which exist to help you answer tough questions – and to potentially help change the results of recent surveys that reveal a gap between wanting to read the Bible, and actually being able to understand and apply the Bible.

So, armed with these powerful resources, you could host Apologetics nights (or a month of them), encourage Apologetics book clubs, perhaps even invite Apologists to speak at your church, which will go a long way toward helping you be an even more effective pastor and church leader.

Explore the titles listed above, or visit ChurchSource.com and type the word “Apologetics” into the search bar. You might be amazed at what you find there.


As always, ChurchSource stands ready to assist you. Give us a call!

 


[i] “How Millennials and Gen Z Are Driving a Bible Reading Comeback,” Barna Research Group, November 6, 2025. https://www.barna.com/trends/bible-reading-trends/, accessed January 19, 2026.

 

[ii] Joel Halldorf, “Digital Bible readers read more – but understand less.” Christian Network Europe (October 27, 2023), https://cne.news/article/3804-digital-bible-readers-read-more-but-understand-less, accessed January 19, 2026.

 

[iii] John Farquahar Plake, “The Bible in America Today,” American Bible Society (April 2025, 11-12): 11-12, https://www.americanbible.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SOTB-2024-12-Final-1.pdf, accessed January 19, 2026.

[iv] “1 Peter 3:15 KJV + Strong’s,” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/kjvs/1_peter/3.htm, accessed January 19, 2026.

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