What Happens When Men Open the Bible Together?
The power of Scripture, brotherhood, and the four-day habit that fuels real change
Last month, I was facilitating the Heroic Men’s Leadership Launch Program (LLP). The LLP prepares men who feel called to start or grow men’s groups that foster brotherhood and form disciples of Jesus Christ.
As an icebreaker, I asked one of the men to read several verses from the Gospel of Luke three times.
I then invited the group of seven to share whether any word or phrase stood out to them and what it meant personally. What followed was an incredible discussion.
Fifteen minutes later, I had to shut it down and move on—and I am confident that if I had let it continue, we could have spent the entire hour reflecting on that single passage of Scripture.
There is just something that happens when we crack open the Bible.
God has much to share when we give Him the time.
Whether in a group or alone, finding even a few minutes each day to read and reflect on Scripture does us real good. Recently, I came across a study that powerfully supports this truth.
Research from the Center for Bible Engagement (CBE)—often referred to as the “Power of 4” study—shows that reading the Bible four or more times per week is the critical tipping point that leads to measurable life change.
Engaging Scripture this way helps us do our part in deepening our relationship with God, and it fuels our lives in positive, transformative ways.
The study also found that engaging with Scripture only one to three times per week had negligible effects on behavior and emotional health.
By contrast, consistent engagement four or more times weekly produced significant outcomes. It’s worth noting that this research was conducted over eight years and included more than 100,000 men and women.
So what changed?
Engaging Scripture four or more times per week resulted in the following outcomes:
62% lower odds of drinking to excess
60% less likely to view pornography
40% reduction in bitterness
32% decrease in destructive thoughts
32% reduction in anger
30% drop in loneliness
14% drop in anxiety
The study controlled for church attendance and for prayer and concluded that Bible engagement—reading, reflecting, and applying Scripture—was the single biggest predictor of spiritual growth.
As Catholics, we are further blessed with the sacraments and rich traditions that shape us and help us live out our call as leaders in our lives, families, churches, and communities—just as God intended.
Since my “reversion” to the Catholic faith some 30 years ago, I joined a small men’s group that met weekly.
We were all in great need of Scripture, Catholic teaching, and practical guidance on how to live out our roles as husbands, fathers, and even employees. Each week, we engaged in Catholic programs that included Bible studies. For me, this was the first time in my life that I was truly studying Scripture.
I couldn’t have done it alone. The structure of the studies mattered, but the group mattered even more. Studying Scripture in brotherhood helped me grow further and faster. It reminded me that we are made for community—and that God desires to draw near to us when we seek Him together.
So men, as if we didn’t already know it, good things happen when we seek God in His Word and apply it to our lives. I encourage each of us to find a Bible study—at your parish or online—and to journal what you hear and learn.
Commit to memorizing a Psalm or a few verses from a Gospel or one of Paul’s letters that speaks to you personally.
And don’t forget: we often become the average of our five closest friends.
So start—or join—a group of men who are willing to commit to one another, striving together to live by Scripture and imitate Jesus Christ. The CBE study offers clear evidence of Jesus’ promise:
“I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
(John 10:10)
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We're on a mission to help men find real brotherhood. Loneliness is rampant, and we know that when guys find a place to connect, they stay strong in faith and life.