Are You Tired of Pressing Play?

Are you tired of pressing play at church or in your small group? I am. It seems that every Sunday School class, youth gathering, and small group meeting involves watching a video curriculum and then discussing what was presented. Don't get me wrong, the curriculum is always Bible-based and is typically very well done, but nonetheless, it's just starting to really get to me. We are meant to be students of God's Word, not consumers; and my concern is that pressing play all the time just makes it all too easy for most of us. Often the curriculum is great because it was created by someone who did the work of studying God's word and applying it in a way so that others can connect with it in a meaningful way. There's nothing wrong with that, but who do you suppose did the most growing - the one who studied God's Word or the one who consumed someone's interpretation of God's Word? Who do you suppose connected in a more meaningful way with God - the one with his nose in the Bible or the one with the remote in his hand? I don't have a problem with using a boxed curriculum once in awhile, but for far too many it's become a habit that has led to laziness (do we even know how to do a Bible study anymore?). I'm going to put down the remote for a while and do a little studying of my own.