2018 Bible Reading Plan
Want to look back in a year and see growth? Productivity? Fruitfulness?
Join me in reading a chapter of God’s Word every day as we make knowing God and worshiping Him our number one goal. He is the only source of true change and aligns our priorities, feelings, and thoughts with what is truly good, beautiful, and true.
Each month includes two plans per page – print one and share with a friend! Or keep one in your Bible and one on your fridge!
January
Let’s dive into history! God brought a people out of slavery and into a promise land. Joshua and Judges is the beginning of an established God-fearing nation. (A nation unlike any around!)
“Joshua records part two of God’s grandest work of redemption in the OT period. In part one (the Pentateuch), the Lord redeemed his people out of slavery in Egypt and formalized his covenantal love for them at Sinai. Moses led the people during that time. Now in part two, under the leadership of Joshua, the Lord brings his people into the Land of Promise and gives them rest.” – ESV.org
Then we get to Judges where we sin the downward spiral of sin and the consequences of rebellious hearts, yet as God humbles, He saves, restores. (We will continue reading Judges next month.)
Question to ask: What does the text teach us about God?
Free Bible Study Tool: Best Verse Printable
Use this free tool to write down your favorite verse from your reading. Write it down to help you meditate on it and memorize it!
February
We are continuing in Judges and onto Ruth and 1 Samuel this month. In Judges we will see what apostacy looks like – the turning away from God to serve idols. God’s hand is then against His people because of their hardness of heart, yet His grace brings them back and redeems. Isn’t that our story!
Ruth is an incredible story of submitting to the Lord even under great pain and being redeemed. And 1 Samuel is one of my favorite books in the Old Testament as we continue to read about God using broken people to glorify His name.
Look at God’s constant hand of redemption.
Question to ask: What does the text teach us about God?
Free Bible Study Tool: Best Verse Printable
March
Israel and her first kings.
1 Samuel – we continue to see God’s sovereign power working all things out according to His plan. We learn that obedience to God’s Word is of primary importance as believers wait on God to act according to His will, justice, and mercy. God will do what He purposes and that truth should under-gird the joy and patience of His people.
2 Samuel – chronicles King David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) and we see God choose David to be the beginning of a never ending dynasty, from whose lineage Jesus, the Messiah, would come. There is no perfect person to carry on God’s perfect plan, rather, God uses imperfect people in His mercy and grace.
APRIL
Sometime it feels there is a shortage of wisdom, but God’s Word is full of good instruction. The best part about this instruction is it’s from God.
The second half of 2 Samuel instructs us in what true repentance looks like after sin that seems unredeemable. We also learn what humility looks like when God has a plan and ours wasn’t exactly the same (David’s plan to build the temple).
Next we will read through the book of 1 Corinthians, a letter to the church of Corinth that was in need of some firm biblical instruction.
This month, as you read, ask: What Is God’s Instruction for His people?
May
There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved – Acts 4:12
This month we are reading Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, as well as reading the back story of Corinth in Acts – a place he spent two years working as a tent maker while he preached the Gospel.
But we’ll discover more than just Paul’s mission work in Corinth! Acts is an incredible chronicle of faithful men and women who’s courage helped advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the first century. This is every believer’s heritage!
Plus I’ve made a free little print for you this month – two different styles to choose from!
This month, as you read, ask: What is the Gospel?
Free Bible Study Tool: Best Verse Printable
June
God’s Kingdom is advancing and we are blessed to have a historical account of the early church learning, growing, and bearing fruit!
This month we will finish up reading Acts, but then jump into some of Paul’s letters to these churches that were started through his faithful proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel was penetrating hearts AND nations! And still is today!
These lessons from the early church are 100% applicable to our lives today as we read and understand God’s good Word and instruction.
“Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth…” Colossians 1:5-6
This month, as you read, ask: What is the Gospel? and What is my identity in Christ?
July
Every summer our church spends a few weeks going through the Psalms. The Psalms teach us so much about God. By spending time in them each day we grow in knowledge, wisdom, and hopefulness as we read how others praised, worshiped and obeyed the God of the Universe.
This month we will go through the first 31 Psalms. I thought this would be a great opportunity to practice praying through a Psalm (like on Episode 86 of the podcast). Each day you read through God’s Word in a Psalm, pray it back to Him. Use it to pray for others, for your country, for your children, for your spouse, for yourself.
This month, as you read, pray. Find 3 simple methods here.
August
With school starting in many of our homes, I thought we would explore some New Testament epistles. The word epistle comes from the Greek word “epistole” which is translated as “letter” or “message.”
Epistles, or letters, were primary forms of written communication in the ancient world and because many of these books of the Bibles we will read this month were originally letters instructing the early churches, they are referred to as Epistles. These letters would have been written on scrolls. The letters were dictated or handwritten and reviewed by the author and then delivered by a trusted messenger.
These letters contain didactic teachings. Didactic means intended to teach and instruct. These letters instructed the early church on theology and obedient living, among other important teachings. What a gift to have these clear and intentional instructions to teach us today.
September
The Gospel is the story of God’s power to save us from something we were powerless to do. We could never overcome our wickedness, we could never be good enough, we would never run to God. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6 NIV
Romans is the story of God’s power to save us from unrighteousness and give us Christ’s righteousness.
Romans is known as the “Constitution of the Christian Faith” teaching the core tenants of Christianity.
That’s why this month we are taking the WHOLE month to dwell on the truth’s in Romans.
Here are some ideas:
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Read through Romans as many times as you can in September. Read a chapter or two in the morning and repeat them at bedtime. Let Romans dwell richly in your heart.
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Copy and Paste the book of Romans to a document, print it out, and read through each day highlighting repeated words, circling words and defining them, and underlining every time you read about the power of the Gospel.
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Read half a chapter of Romans each day and write down three observations and one question. See if you can answer your questions as you keep reading.
October
“In the beginning.” The theological implications of creation are far reaching. Creation teaches us about God, His glory, His creation, His design of man and woman, His plan for marriage and family. We also learn about sin and rebellion. We learn about the curse that sent the world into a place of chaos and clamoring. And we learn about God’s plan of salvation – from the very beginning and see the story of it unfold through the rest of Genesis.
God has a plan for His glory which involves our redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ.
And it all starts in Genesis 1:1.
November
As I’m reading through Genesis I see the impact of sinful man, yet the blessed patience and perseverance of a merciful and sovereign God. I just read about Rachel’s envy and watched an entire household practically implode, yet as we continue to read in Genesis, God will use the sinful choices of man sinlessly to bring about His plan. God takes what is evil and brings about His good.
Then we will finish the month reading in the Gospel of Mark. As we approach the last month of 2018, what better way than to read about the life of our Savior.
(And special sneak peek – December will have a special Christmas reading plan, with an option to still read through an entire book of the Bible).
December
“For unto us a child is born.” This month we celebrate the first advent – or arrival – of our Savior. His birth marks the turn of everything. The promised Messiah has come and as we celebrate his first coming, we also anticipate His second coming.
This month there are two different reading plans (but only 1 print out). If you love reading a chapter of the Bible a day, you can continue with Mark and read through Luke. Or, if you are looking for some advent readings, I have selected verses throughout Scripture full of prophecy and fulfillment. This would make a great Scripture plan for the breakfast table with the family.
