Weekend Resource: Bible reading plans written with grace in mind
Resource:
The following 3 Bible reading plans, from the Navigators, are great tools to help the reader stay on track progressing through the Bible. The highlight of these plans, from my experience, is that the reader is NOT required to read every single day of the month. Writing a Bible reading plan with grace in mind makes these plans all the more effective. For those that never skip a day, the pauses allow for time to meditate and return to selected passages of your choice.
1. Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan
“The book-at-a-time Bible reading plan provides two readings for each day. The first reading alternates between Old and New Testament books, giving you three or four chapters a day. The Gospels are spread throughout the year. The second reading takes you through a chapter or so of the wisdom literature and Isaiah. Combined, these readings will take you through the entire Bible in one year. To prevent frustration of falling behind and so provide some reflection time, each month consists of only 20 readings. You’ll have several days each month to meditate more deeply on something that was significant to you in the past week, to catch up on missed readings, or to revisit favorite passages.”
2. 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan
“Through the New Testament in 5 days a week, 5 minutes a day.
- 5 MINUTES A DAY. If you’re not currently reading the Bible, start with 5 minutes a day. This reading plan will take you through all 260 chapters of the New Testament, one chapter per day. The gospels are read throughout the year to keep the story of Jesus fresh.
- 5 DAYS A WEEK. Determine a time and location to spend 5 minutes a day for 5 days a week. It is best to have a consistent time and a quiet place where you can regularly meet with the Lord.
- 5 WAYS TO DIG DEEPER. We must pause in our reading to dig into the Bible. Below are 5 different ways to dig deeper each day. We recommend trying a single idea for a week to find that work best for you. Remember to keep a pen and paper ready to capture God’s insights.
1. Underline or highlight key words or phrases in the Bible passage. Use a pen or highlighter to mark new discoveries from the text. Periodically review your markings to see what God is teaching you.
2. Put it into your own words. Read the passage or verse slowly, then rewrite each phrase or sentence using your own words.
3. Ask and answer some questions. Questions unlock new discoveries and meanings. Ask questions about the passage using these words: who, what, why, when, where, or how. Jot down some thoughts on how you would answer these questions.
4. Capture the big idea. God’s Word communicates big ideas. Periodically ask, “What’s the big idea in this sentence, paragraph or chapter?”
5. Personalize the meaning. When God speaks to us through the Scriptures, we must respond. A helpful habit is personalizing the BIble through application. Ask: “How can my life be different today as I respond to what I’m reading?”
3. Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan
This reading plan takes you though 4 passages a day, 2 from the New Testament and 2 from the Old Testament. Just as the first reading plan, you are only given readings for 25 days, allowing for catch-up, meditation, etc on the last few days of each month.
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Weekend Resource: 18 tricks to memorize more scripture
Resource: 18 Tricks to Memorize More Scripture, by Demian Farnworth. Farnworth gives not only the reasoning behind the importance of Bible memory, but also goes further and gives 18 highly practical tricks for making Bible memory easier and more effective. Recently, I have spent time writing about the importance of the Word in our fight against sin as we seek to taste and see that the Lord is good. Farnworth gives us 18 ways to go further in this area. He also mentions the fact that busyness is often the culprit of memory trouble in all of life, which is interesting to ponder.
Excerpt: “But one of the most compelling reasons for memorizing Scripture I found in John Piper’s sermon If My Words Abide in You: memorizing Scripture shapes the way I view the world by conforming to God’s viewpoint.”
Here is another interesting idea to aid Bible memory.
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Weekend Resource: 7 Minutes with God
Resource: 7 Minutes with God: How to plan a daily quiet time, by Robert D. Foster (Navigators).
Great Resource for Discipling a New Believer
Take a moment and think of someone you know who has only been told why to have a quiet time, not how. This pamphlet is concise and effective in explaining the why’s and how’s of a quiet time. That makes it a great resource of discipling a new believer. Years ago, God used it to completely change how I approached my quiet times and to instill in me the importance of daily time with the Lord.
The Golden Thread that Ties Every Great Man of God Together…
As a section of the pamphlet explains,
“They sought an answer and came up with a scheme they called the morning watch — a plan to spend the first minutes of a new day alone with God, praying and reading the Bible. The morning watch sealed the crack. It enshrined a truth so often obscured by the pressure of ceaseless activity that it needs daily rediscovery: To know God, it is necessary to spend consistent time with Him…
“The intimacy of communion with Christ must be recaptured in the morning quiet time. Call it what you want — the quiet time, personal devotions, the morning watch, or individual worship — these holy minutes at the start of each day explain the inner secret of Christianity. It’s the golden thread that ties every great man of God together — from Moses to David Livingstone, the prophet Amos to Billy Graham — rich and poor, businessmen and military personnel. Every man who ever became somebody for God has this at the core of his priorities: time alone with God.”
Here is a PDF version of 7 Minutes with God.
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Coming: Disicpleship Resources
God’s Word is at the heart of every discipling relationship, so all resources should rely on and be tested by the Word. Over the past few years, I’ve been in a continuing search for great discipleship materials that fit that bill. In the coming weeks, I will post brief summaries and excepts from some of the best resources I have found for small group and one on one discipleship. Each resource, ranging from books to audio, is completely free and legally obtained online.
I pray you benefit from some of the discipleship resources, and that the Lord sovereignly brings people into your life to use them with. The Great Commission has commanded us to make disciples, and I hope I can play a part in equipping us.
Many resources are already posted under “Discipleship Resources” (link at the top of this page). Please feel free to forward emails (if you are an email subscriber), or share links to the resources/blog. And as always, commenting is encouraged! It is the best way for me to connect with you.
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