Bible Reading Plan #3
This B ible reading plan is strictly chronological order in the events things happened. This is helpful especially in the prophets to see which prophets are speaking during the same time period. Its also helpful in 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, and 1&2 Chronicles. The Psalms are divided up in there too.
The church that put this together has offered it as a free printable. You can print it here.
Tip #3 Read Without Any Chapter Or Verse References
I am not a fan of chapter and verse references in the Bible. Bible verses didnt even exist until about 1550, and chapters go back only to the 1200s. They can obscure the text and create artificial and sometimes inaccurate divisions.
Yes, chapter and verse references help us locate specific sentences and phrases quickly. But sometimes they do more harm than good. They lead many people to think of the Bible as a reference book that collects bullet-pointed verse-nuggets not as the literature that it really is.
So how do you read the Bible without any chapter or verse references? There are at least three options:
Take up and read a lot.
Reveals Gods Meaning For Our Lives
Throughout my life I have heard many people say they are searching for the comedy troupe Monty Python devoted a whole movie to the lengths humans go through to find this meaning.
The ancient Greek culture was obsessed with this. In fact, they observed so many things on Earth that required an intelligent designer that they had a word for this, logos. Logos simply means word, but it was more than a word to describe other words.
Logos was a word for the idea that a creative force existed that could explain all of life, the universe, and everything. John starts his Gospel explaining what, or rather who Logos was.
In Logos was with God, and the
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Bible Reading Plan #5
Another no stress, no pressure Bible reading plan is this one from Read the Hard Parts. Just mark off each chapter when you have finished and you can go in any order as fast or as slow as youd like. This is good for the person who likes a plan but also likes to have some say in the plan.
reading tips newsletter. Get encouragement all year long to stay in the word and tackle those hard parts!
Make Bible Reading A Habit
It might be tough at first. You might doze off, but you have to strengthen your muscles because your devotional muscles are weak now. However, the more you devote yourself to Christ and His Word the easier it gets. Reading Scripture and prayer will become more enjoyable.
Satan knows how to distract you and he is going to try to distract you. It might be with TV, a phone call, a hobby, friends, Instagram, etc.
You are going to have to put your foot down and say, No! I want something better than this. I want Christ. You have to make a habit of turning down other things for Him. Once again, it might be rocky at first. However, dont get discouraged. Keep on going! Sometimes you have to separate from your groups so you can spend uninterrupted alone time with Christ.;
Joshua 1:8-9 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Have accountability partners
Im starting to be more accountable with my Christian friends. I have a group of men who keep me accountable in my personal Bible study. Every day I check in with a text and allow them to know what God has been telling me through His Word the night before. This keeps me accountable and it allows us to motivate each other.
Start now
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Books Of The Bible To Read First
People often ask me, where should I start reading the Bible?
This is a good question because the Bible is not one book, it has 66 books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.
But the question remains, where should you begin? At the first book of the Bible, Genesis? Or should you begin in one of the Gospels in the New Testament?
I want to give you my top 5 Bible books to read if you are starting to read the Bible for the first time. I will list them in my order, give you a little overview and then tell you why I think its a good place to start.
Feel free to jump down the list. But I believe that once you finish reading these 5 books, you will have a new grasp on this wonderful book God has given to us.
1. The Gospel of John in the New Testament
Why this Gospel? John is doing something pretty significant. He is telling us why Jesus came and how His coming to earth has an eternal effect on all of us.
If you want to understand the Mission of Jesus, John lays that out for you in a very nice manner. John tells us the purpose of his Gospel in John 20:30-31.
John is a great book for someone new in the faith or exploring Christianity. He gives us some of the basic teachings of Jesus and places the emphasis on His mission to earth.
John, the author of the Gospel, wrote so that his readers would place their trust in Jesus as Savior and find eternal life.
2. The Book of Genesis is the First Book of the Bible
3. The Book of Psalms
Start Your 150 Days In The Psalms
On days when I dont know what to read, Ive been pulling out a reading guide with the psalms on it and checking them off as I go. I dont read here every day, and sometimes when I do hop back to Psalms, I read the same one multiple times because I find it especially impactful. I created this reading guide to help you do the same.
Whether you spend the next 150 days reading one psalm a day, or you use this as your I-dont-know-what-to-read-today guide, this will help you move through the entire books of Psalms. Read in order or skip around. Thats the beauty of this book. Pop in and out at your leisure.
You can download the 150 Days of Psalms reading plan, as well as other plans and studies from my resource library. Dont have access yet? !
Community question: Do you have a favorite psalm you often return to or have memorized?
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Choosing An Order Of Reading
Jesus The Ultimate Word Of God
Jesus is not only called the Word of God but also demonstrated in His life that He spoke with authority and power as the God of the Old Testament.
He spoke with authority over creation , people , spiritual realm and concerning the future .
The first four books of the New Testament recorded Jesus words for us to read and understand for ourselves, much like those first disciples who originally heard the words from Jesus own mouth.
Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, wrote to a young man named Timothy to encourage him to look to the Bible to grow and become wise in Christ.
His instructions show us the early churchs understanding of the nature of Scripture. Paul writes,
you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:15-17
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Use A Bible Study Method To Illuminate Gods Word
You dont have to be overwhelmed when reading the Bible! ;While you may not understand everything you read, the study methods below will make it simple and convenient to process your time in Gods Word. Plus, the more you read and draw near to the heart of God, the more He will reveal Himself to you.
As a total beginner, the Read & Respond Bible study method worked well for me. ;It allowed me to process what I read and think through how I could apply it to my life.
Plus, its practical enough to squeeze into a busy schedule. If you have 10 minutes in your day, this Bible study method can work for you!
Watch how simple the Read & Respond method can be in the tutorial video:
As I matured in faith, I was looking for a study method that went a little deeper into the passage and helped me dissect the meaning. The Write the Word study method was a perfect solution, and I enjoyed taking this next step to grow in faith.
Watch the Write the Word tutorial here:;
Get A Bible You Enjoy Reading
Bible reading isnt very fun when you dont understand what youre reading. Its incredibly helpful to have a Bible that can help you understand whats happening .
If youre looking for a helpful resource, the NIV Student Bible will provide a lot of insight. Built specifically for students of the Bible, it gives you just the right amount of help without overwhelming your time in the Word. And it has its own three-track reading program!
Another great resource is The Books of the Bible. Broken into four-volumes and by many of the genres mentioned earlier, this Bible is free from chapter and verse numbers that provides a seamless reading experience. When done with a partner or group, this approach to reading the Bible can be very enlightening and meaningful.
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When You Feel Overwhelmed With How To Read The Bible Start Small
The Bible is the foundation on which our faith is built. But it does not mean we read only the Bible. Other books by godly writers can serve to open up our minds and hearts to Scripture.
Some of the best materials on how to read the Bible are those written for children. After graduating from college and gaining a theology degree, after working in Christian publishing for several years and reading mountains of biblical teaching books, I still find these the freshest, best entry points into the message of the Bible. They make it fun by bringing out the story, and they make their points with clarity and gentleness.
Additional resources and books are helpful too. Some will prefer commentaries; others will gravitate to Bible study curriculum. Each serves a great purpose in helping us dig in and understand more. Dont shy away from them. Find the ones that fit your learning style and take full advantage of them.
Engaging Views And Analysis From Outside Contributors On The Issues Affecting Society And Faith Today
CP VOICES do not necessarily reflect the views of The Christian Post. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, a student at my alma mater, Cedarville University, faced a challenge. Gabe Woodruff, who was enrolled in Cedarvilles nursing program, was called up by his US Army Reserves medical unit and was sent to Detroit to serve COVID patients in that city.
Despite the danger and disruption of the deployment, he and his wife, Kayla, found direction in the power of Scripture. Gabe said, One of the things my wife and I would tell each other is if we trust God with our eternal security, why wouldnt we trust him with our present circumstance?
That sentence perfectly sums up what many of us learned during the worst days of the pandemic.
If youre a follower of Christ, you dont have to live at the mercy of present problems and future fears. Instead, you can evaluate global events in terms of scriptural prophecy, world history, and the biblical agenda leading to the return of Christ.
So what exactly does the Bible say about pandemics?
Throughout the Bible, we see repeated examples of God using diseases to accomplish His divine and sovereign purposes. In the Old Testament, God warned His people that disobedience would bring wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart .
Four lessons have been foremost in my mind.;
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How To Read The Bible For Beginners
There are so many things that God wants to tell us through His Word. Unfortunately, our Bibles are closed.;Although this article is titled how to read the Bible for beginners, this article is for all believers.
Most believers struggle with reading the Bible. Here are some things that I do which have helped to strengthen my personal devotional life.
Quotes
- The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Dwight L. Moody
- Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face. Ronald Reagan
- A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. Theodore Roosevelt
- The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim Gods plan to save His children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save His children.
- The more you read the Bible the more youll love the author.
Scripture Humbles And Reminds Us Of Our Mortality
Once we understand that we are incapable of morality apart from God, then we also are humiliated, and can assume the correct posture with God. This puts in perspective thethe consequence of sin, which is death.
Recognizing our mortality brings knowledge that we cannot live eternally without a payment for this sin. We must die to sin to live with Christ. Life apart from God is Hell. Just think what a life without joy, truth, love, and light would be. God is all of these things, so to live in Hell would to be living without these things
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Choose A Study Bible In A User
The very first step to learning how to read the Bible for beginners is simply making sure you have a Bible translation you can read!
Did you know: Originally, the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek? In other words not in English.;
The English Bibles we have today are all just translations of the original language, and some are easier to read than others.;And while it is true that some translations are more accurate than others, if youre just starting out reading , any of the common translation should be fine.
So which Bible translation should you choose?
The New Living Translation is a great Bible translation for learning how to start reading the Bible for beginners, since its pretty easy to read. The Message is another option. Its a paraphraseso its not as accurate to the original textbut it is very user-friendly and easy to read.
Personally, my favorite Bible translation is the;New International Version . I personally own a REALLY old version of this NIV Study Bible that I use for my everyday Bible. The NIV is one the most popular Bible translations out there, and its what I grew up with and am most comfortable and familiar with.
I would avoid King James Version or New King James version ; if you didnt grow up with them, however. Many people still love these Bible translations for sentimental reasons, but they arent the easiest translations to read when youre still learning how to read the bible for beginners for the first time!