Bible Reading Plan

Bible Reading Plan - Its Importance
A Bible reading plan is critical to your development as a Christian. It may not always seem like it in this time-pressured world we live in, but spending time with God and reading His Word is the most important part of your day. If you want to know God's will for your life, the Bible is one of the primary ways God speaks to us. That's why the Bible is often called "God's Word" or "The Word of God." Because God created the world and everything in it, reading the Bible is the best way to learn about ourselves and the world around us. The Bible is our complete source of truth. There are numerous books written about the Bible, but none can take the place of the Bible itself.

New believers, as well as those who have been Christians for many years, cannot spend too much time reading the Bible. But for targeted growth, it's important to find a plan that works well for you. Once you've identified that plan, you need to be faithful to follow it.

Bible Reading Plan - God's Design for Communication
Having a Bible reading plan is important because God's Word is seed for your growth, as well as for your personal evaluation and discernment. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

God has always communicated through His people. Before the Bible was written, God instructed the children of Israel through the priests and prophets, who passed His Word on through each generation. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." This passage describes God's desire for His people throughout all time to make His Word a priority.

Bible Reading Plan - Getting Started
Each Bible reading plan is different. They are as varied as each individual, so you have many to choose from. Consider the following options, but remember to choose one. For the effective Christian disciple, regular reading in God's Word is not optional. It's a necessity!

• The Chronological Plan: Read the events of the Bible in the order they occurred. There are several Chronological Bibles available online and in Christian bookstores. For a 61-day chronological plan, visit this online resource.
• The Historical Plan: Read the books of the Bible in the order in which they were written in the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek
• The Old and New Testament Combined: Read portions from both Testaments each day to see the continuing thread of Truth from Genesis to Revelation.
• Variety Plan: Read a portion each week from the Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, Gospels, and Epistles. Learn more here.
• From Beginning to End: Reading through the Bible from Genesis 1:1 straight through to the last page of Revelation. Stop and start as if you were reading a novel.
• The Yearly Plan: Many Bibles are available that are divided into 365 sections, allowing you to finish the Bible in one year. The 1,189 chapters in the Bible can be read in a year at a rate of 3 1/4 chapters per day. Here is an online plan.
• You will find a variety of Bible translations and languages available online, as well as study helps. Some of these sources are:
  
  Read the Bible online and search the site for other helpful information
  
  Listen to the Bible online!
  
  Bible Reading Plan - Implementation
  Do you have a Bible reading plan? If you already do, stay with it! If this concept is new to you, then pick a Bible reading plan that looks interesting and jump in! You may want to experiment with several different plans. What matters most is that you're pursuing God through His Word every day! God will bless you and your daily time with Him will help you grow. God is an awesome God, and His Word is your life!
  
  Joshua 1:8 says, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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."
  
  Learn More!
  
  
  
  WHAT DO YOU THINK? - We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.
  
  What is your response?
  
  Yes, today I am deciding to follow Jesus
  
  Yes, I am already a follower of Jesus
  
  I still have questions