Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Year = New Bible Reading Plan

As we approach the New Year, this is a great time for laying down some new resolutions and establishing new habits. One emphasis that I always stress during this time of year is obtaining a good reading plan for going through the Bible. While I am still behind a few months on my plan from last year, I am already enjoying a new plan that I would like to share with you today.

Most of the plans I have used require a straight read through the whole Bible.  This can become very difficult as you journey through the more tedious portions of scripture. To spend a month in Leviticus or Chronicles is a challenge for most Christians. I have found this following reading plan both address this challenge and provide for fruitful and enjoyable daily reading:

Grant Horner’s Bible-Reading System –

Grant Horner’s system requires reading 10 chapters a day. The 10 chapters are from 10 different sections throughout the Bible. Reading one chapter from each section each day exposes you to an amazing overview of scripture. Here are the 10 sections:

Section 1 (89 days) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Section 2 (187 days) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Section 3 (78 days) Romans, I&II Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, Hebrews
Section 4 (65 days) I&II Thess, I&II Tim, Titus, Philemon, James, I&II Peter, I,II&III John, Jude, Revelation
Section 5 (62 days) Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Section 6 (150 days) Psalms
Section 7 (31 days) Proverbs
Section 8 (249 days) Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I&II Samuel, I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Section 9 (250 days) Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Section 10 (28 days) Acts

As you complete a section, you go back to the beginning of that section and begin reading it again. Grant Horner says, “Since the lists vary in length, the readings begin interweaving in constantly changing ways. You will NEVER read the same set of ten chapters together again! Every year you'll read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul's letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and Prophetic books about 1 ½ times. Since the interweaving is constantly changing, you will experience the Bible commenting on itself in constantly changing ways.”

I have been using this system for two months and I cannot express how much I have personally enjoyed using it. I try to read 5 chapters in the morning and 5 chapters at night. Though it takes more work than other systems, I have found it to be more fruitful.

As we embark on a New Year, may God bless us as we endeavor to read through his Word!
-       Bro. Dave


Here are the two Bible Reading Plans for Bruner's Chapel Baptist Church for the New year. Feel free to download them, print them off, and place them in your Bible.

In PDF Format. Will require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

In Microsoft Word Format.

Book at a Time Plan (From Discipleship Journal)
In PDF Format. Will require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

Other Plans that may be of interest

In PDF Format. Will require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

In PDF Format. Will require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

(New!) Topical Bible Plan (Read a different topic each day through the Bible)
In PDF Format. Will require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

For more plans check out the following links from:
www.esv.org

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