Bible Reading Tips

• If you miss reading for a day or two, don’t quit! God still loves you. Just get started again.
• Find the right time and place that works for you every day. Remember it takes about 28 days to start any new habit.
• Use a version or translation of the Bible that you can understand. There are many that are easy to understand such as the New Living Translation (NLT) or the English Standard Version (ESV).
• Consider asking some friends to begin doing one of the Bible reading plans so you can help one another stay on track. Gracious accountability really helps.
• Don’t skip the writing part of the plan. Writing out what we are hearing God say to us makes it real. It becomes a written record of God speaking to you! Some people use paper. Others use electronic tools.
• Don’t worry if you are not a good writer. Write your daily entries anyway. This time is between you and God and nobody else will be reading it.
• Consider sharing what God is saying to you with others trusted friends. It is amazing how what God says to you is often what someone else needs to hear.

Bible Reading Basics

If you feel awkward because you don’t understand the Bible, you are not alone. Everyone has to learn to read the Bible. This is why we have a three daily graduating Bible reading plans.

• The Bible is 66 books written by 40 authors over 1500 years in two primary languages. It’s not an easy book to read, but it does have themes that run throughout them like creation, the fall, Israel, Jesus, the Church and the new creation. Joshua McNall’s book, Long Story Short is an excellent book to help you see “the big picture” of the Bible.
• There are two main sections to the Bible. The Old Testament is about the first 2/3rds of the Bible. It is the story of God creating and working in the world and specifically through the Jews. The Old Testament is made up of four major parts: the Torah (the first five books), the history books, the wisdom and poetic books and the prophets. The New Testament is the last 1/3rd of the Bible. It is the story of Jesus and the first followers of Jesus who established the Church and the movement of Jesus. The New Testament is made up of three major parts: the Gospels and Acts, the Epistles and the Revelation of John.
• The Bible has its own unique way of helping you navigate the 66 books. Within each of the books, you will find chapters and verses. For example, John 3:16 is found in the third chapter of the Gospel of John in verse 16. This is how we find our way around the Bible.
• The goal of daily Bible engagement is not simply getting Bible knowledge. It’s to have a transforming encounter with God. We believe “The written Word of God, the Bible, reveals the Living Word of God, Jesus so that we might become the words of God, His people, in the world” (Jorge Acevedo).

Thanks to our friends at Grace Church for the plans!