Friendly Forum #9
Hello Everyone!
Here is another Friendly Forum for you all. Thank you everyone for participating in this. I have greatly enjoyed reading all of your responses to the last Forum and hope you were blessed too.
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Reading through the entire Bible is vital for our sustained maturity in the Word. What are some ways you read through the Bible and what methods/books/tracts do you use?
I am currently doing just this. I am in Ezekiel. I started in Genesis and I tried to keep a steady pace and read it. Alot of Bibles and resources have a chart that shows you what to read in the Bible each day to read it in a year. If you need more of a guide that could be useful. I want to read the Bible in less than a year. I just try to be consistant. I dont want to read too fast that I loose information (because the Bible is meaty!) but I read to get the accounts down and the big picture. My goal now is to not focus so much on deep study, but to get the big picture. While I read I have my assortment of highlighters to mark passages that really stick out to me, and I also use a notebook from time to time. After you read a chapter, write down a short summary for reference so you know the sequence of events. That helps me. I also write key verses.
Well, that was a roughly thought out response to the Forum. Hope it helps.
God bless,
Kristy
I’ve found reading through the Bible in one year quite helpful. There are many charts and schedules that tell you when to read, what to read, and how many verses/chapters a day, etc… Sometimes I like to go through it slowly though, like I’m doing now. I started reading Genesis and Matthew at the same time so I could read two different parts at the same time, a chapter each, everyday. (sometimes more on the Old Testament) It’s nice every once in a while to go through the Bible slowly and really meditate on what I’m reading!
So what are you doing Kaysie?
God bless!
Well, I am kinda at a crossroads. I have read through the Bible 3 times, each using a different method. I’ve read from Genesis to Revelations (in order), I’ve gone through the Old Testament/New Testament/Psalms one year, and then jumped all over the place last year. I was wondering if any of you had another idea for me.
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I will just have to see how the Lord leads me this year. (Even though it is August already. Better late than never!
Once I read through the whole Bible, my next goal is to read it through chronologically. So that means that you have to do some research to find what books were written before other books and read it that way. For example, in the OT you would read the prophets before you read Nehemiah, Ezra, etc. And in the NT you would read Corinthians before the Gospels (I think…gotta double check that one…but I think 1 Cornithians was the first NT book written).
I just found this website with a few various reading plans.
Kristy, it also has the plan for chronological reading.
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/reading_plans/
This website gives three downloadable versions of reading through the Bible in a year. You can print them out to stick in your Bible to keep you on track.
http://www.navpress.com/Magazines/DiscipleshipJournal/BibleReadingPlans/
I’ve only used the “beginning to end method” but I ran across this thing called Balancing the Sword that I’m hoping to use in the future. It’s supposed to be an in-depth study of every verse in the bible and there’s 2 volumes so you go through the whole Bible twice!
Jade
Right now, I am kind of where you are, Kaysie. I’ve read the Bible through for the past two years, but this year, I wanted to slow down and really think about what I was reading(which is harder when you read big chunks of the Bible to get through in a year). It’s been nice, but I don’t really have a set plan.
Currently, I’m reading a “chapter” in Elisabeth Elliot’s “Keep a Quiet Heart,” and then I’ll read a chapter or a few verses in the Bible that corresponds with what the book was talking about.
Kaysie, thanks for giving out that Daily Bible Plan website. I checked it out and it looks amazing! I’ll probably pick one of them to do. I just jump in or I might wait until January.
I usually read through the Psalms all the time, a chapter each time. Then I choose another book to study, usually alternating between Old and New Testaments. I do sections at a time, by their subtitles. Sometimes I read Matthew Henry’s commentary online, or a John Piper sermon on that passage.
I’m also reading Lydia Brownback’s devotional Trust right now. It’s really good.
I’ve only read through the Bible once, and that was with the straight-through method. Right now I’m reading books that sparked an interest (Job, 1John, a little of James, and I want to read Proverbs). Thanks for sharing these links. They have some cool ideas.
I once read Susie Shellenburger’s (from Brio magazine) idea of reading the whole Bible through on her knees.
My favorite way to go through the entire Bible is from Genesis to Revelation. I’ve done a couple of Old and New Testament survey classes which have given me this opportunity. Two great resources that have helped have been Mark Dever’s “The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made” and “The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept,” both great Old/New Testament survey books.
When I’m doing a survey, I tend to read my “assignment” during my quiet time; when I am not doing a survey, I usually just “hop around.” For instance, so far this year, my mother and I have read together from Romans to Revelation, as well as Isaiah and Esther; we choose different books to read together, and sometimes we read alone; I just finished Ruth not to long ago while Mommy was reading Phillipians, for instance, and then we both read Esther.
I love reading commentaries on whatever I’m studying when I can.
Great topic, Kaysie!
My family and I have been using the book, Balancing the Sword. This book goes through every chapter of the bible and ask questions specifically for that chapter and then has corresponding verses that go along with the question. We’re still just in Genesis, but it has been a really useful study. You can see it here: http://www.balancingthesword.com/Books.asp
There has come winter
It became cold and cloudy!
Depression Begins
Mood very bad
I very much love summer
Someone very much loves winter
I Wish to know whom more
For what you love winter?
For what you love summer? Let’s argue
I checked out the heartlight site that Kaysie provided. While looking through the various plans, I chose the topics one because it seemed the most interesting way to read. However, I did notice that 2 Peter is not included in the plan. Should I just squeeze it in the day I read 1 Peter?