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Ten Chapters Per Day (Follow-Up)
- 09/19/10
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A few weeks ago I introduced you to Professor Horner’s Bible-Reading System in a post I titled Ten Chapters Per Day. As you remember Professor Horner’s system is simple but unique—“every day you read ten chapters of the Bible. That seems like a lot, so stick with me as I explain it. Each of the ten chapters will be from different books, which is to say that at any given time you'll be reading ten books of the Bible concurrently, one chapter per day. So on day one of the system you will reading the first chapter of Matthew, Genesis, Romans, 1 Thessalonians, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Joshua, Isaiah and Acts. You will read each of these books, one chapter per day, and then go on to other books before repeating it all again. This means that every year you'll read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul's letters 4-5 times each, the Old Testament 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 Old Testament History and Prophetic books about 1 12 times.”
As I mentioned in the original post, I dislike the idea of reading the Bible through a system, and yet I cannot deny that it has been very good for me; it has worked very well. Several months after beginning, I’m still sticking with it, reading ten chapters on weekdays and 5 chapters on Saturday and Sunday.
There were a lot of comments on the blog post and many more across Twitter and Facebook. I know that many people decided to give the system a try after finding out about it. I ran into a couple of them just the other day at a local pastors’ fellowship. And now I find myself curious—how many of you have stuck with it? And how have you been enjoying it? Have you found that it allows you to read the Bible in a new way? Or have you found the systemic nature of it too restricting? Are you enjoying reading at ten chapters per day, or do you find this too much?
Let me know how you’ve been faring.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (72)
Far too much for us ordenary folks to take on. One or two chapter read well is better than ten I won`t remember.
I started the system on 8/19 after reading about it here. Thanks for sharing it with us. I find that reading the 10 chapters is a breeze (on days when I sit down to do it). Other reading programs get me bogged down. But, knowing that I read one chapter here, and then can flip to another makes me want to keep going.
Initially, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to recall what was happening in each chapter. But, that has not been a problem.
Seeing bits in different sections of the Bible that relate to one another on a given day/days has added a lot to my understanding.
I printed an online Bible reading checklist. On this, I highlight the square for each chapter as I read it. That way I can see visually which chapter I’m on. I use the bookmarks to mark the place as well.
I’m definitely thankful for the system as I found out about it when Tim introduced the system. I was initially taken aback by the extraordinarily positive reviews on facebook. You wouldn’t know all these people were talking about a Bible-reading plan. But after about a month - I’m on Day 20 so I haven’t been extremely consistent, I can say this is a system I’m going to commit to. Sometimes it’s difficult to carve out 30-40 minutes a day to read the Bible on top of everything else going on in the day and doing my church’s daily devotions but I’m blessed every time I can make that time.
One thing that has helped is creating playlists for each day for my commute (which is about an hour).
Tim,Since your post about Prof. Horner’s system I have been using it and find it a true blessing. I have tried other systems in the past but I have found this one works the best for me. Like some of the other people who have commented, I use a separate Bible with the 10 bookmarks in place to do the reading. However, the Bible I use is the exactly the same version etc. as the one I use for other puposes. I do this so that the pages, as time goes on, will become pictures in my mind and this will be greatly beneficial for several reasons. .Thanks for alerting us to this system.
Jean
I’ve been reading the Bible in this style for about a year and a half now, and I wouldn’t read the Bible any other way now. I’ve done a few modifications along the way, and now read 8 lists, some of which have 2 chapters, for a total of 12-14 chapters per day.
Hey Tim,
Thanks for posting this. I had implemented this a few days after your last post. I LOVE IT! I’m drawing connections all the time that I never would have before. I truly see myself getting more and more saturated in the word.
I lead a small bible study and I have started getting the guys to do it to. I can see that much exposure to the word really changing lives and families.
Like the others, I too do not always get a full 10 chapters done, but what I love most about this system is that there is no specific “day” associated with a set of passages. So if I get “behind” there isn’t really anything to catch up to. It keeps me always excited to read, no matter how much time I have.
Thanks again to you and prof Horner.
Thanks Brother Tim,
I have been using this system since May 2009 and have been greatly blessed by it. A little tip to remember which chapter you are on is that you can turn the bookmark either to the right or left (have the print facing either way) depending on where the next chapter you are going to read is situated on the page. You can combine that with having the bookmark upside down or not if there are lots of chapters. However, I usually remember what I read or quickly skim back if I forget. Thanks again Tim for suggesting Prof. Horners system and thanks to Prof. Horner as well for making it more known. God is so good!
Gregory, I think that you have something here. While I have profited from the use of a plan, I have long thought that shorter passages meditated on carefully, or perhaps read and thought about each day for a week, could be really beneficial. After all, we are not only seeking to get through the Word of God, we are seeking to get the Word of God through us. You have made a good point!Andy
Try sticky notes. They work great!
Just under 3 months in after a friend linked to it on Facebook, and I’m finding it very helpful in reinforcing the “unity of the bible” and continually exciting.I remember reading about an older man who had read through the bible more than 60 times and was excited to open it every morning; this reading plan seems to be re-creating that sense of expectancy.
Tried it, stuck with it, love it. Thank you!
@Jason Chamberlain: Brother!! I have been using that same memorization plan, too. I am still in Ephesians. I do most of my memory review while getting ready for work in the morning, then new verses during my commute.
Professor Horner’s Reading Plan has been the most effective plan that I have used and stuck with. I read many comments similar to the ones made hear about how eager they are to read. I have experienced the same thing. I don’t have a simple answer for ‘why’ that is, but one thought I have is the freedom from the calendar. I never feel behind, or ahead- only right on pace.
I have made numerous sets of bookmarks and had them laminated. I pass them out to anyone in my area who is interested. I think I have given out a dozen or so.
Mr. Jerry - How do you create such a book.? E.g. where do you get the text to manipulate into a collection you want and where do you get the app to put them into such a collection? If you would be so kind as to give me those tips, I’d sure appeciate it. Seems powerful!
Also, I’d like to do it in NASB if you had any advice.
Yours in “Christ (I have learned that the God I’d believed in since youth didn’t exist since I figured He thought I was a good guy. Way of the Master ministries helped me see myself in the “mirror” of the Law. I realized God was Holy and the Bible was true. Praise God for that and his merciful lovingkindness!)
Prof Horner is my son’s literature teacher right now. My wife and I have been doing the 10 chps for about 1.5 years now. I enjoy getting through so much scripture. Although it doesn’t always happen I really enjoy when scriptures, esp OT, line up and reinforce each other. OT scriptures about David is one example. The multiple loops on Psalms, Proverbs, Acts is also very beneficial.
Today is my 1 year anniversary doing the program and it’s one of the best investments in my spiritual life. It’s been great to see how the word of God is related book by book, chapter by chapter. I’m very thankful for this program.
Digging it. I do the 10 chapters during the week and leave the weekends open to focus on the bible study curriculum we are doing in our small group. I’m gonna stick with it a few months longer and then reassess, but I don’t foresee a change.
As a pastor who preaches consecutive exposition, I enjoy the Horner system because it keeps me in the other genres. Two of the benefits for me are that I get to see how things fit together throughout Scripture, and I often come across material that excites me apart from what I am currently preaching. I keep mental note of those passages and then when the time is right for a “stand-alone” message, I often study those texts and then present them to my people or other groups. Like you Tim, I normally don’t get too excited about Bible-reading systems. Not because I think they are bad, but because I don’t do them well. However, the Horner system I love. I’ve been with it for about 10 months and I have no plans to do anything else. Thanks for the post.
If anyone is interested, I recently interviewed Professor Horner and posted the 3-part interview on my blog (www.pastorbrett.com).
I love the system and am so grateful you introduced it to me!
I just started this and am finding a great joy in disciplined Bible reading. I have tried other models, and found no joy in the format. Recently I have been more and more burdened to know MORE Scripture, and this system seems to fit hand in glove with where I am at.
I do like the suggestion of switching Acts and Romans and may do so in the future.
With as many Bible studies, book studies, Sunday School classes, and exegetical sermons that I am exposed to, I know that I have plenty of meditative time with small portions of Scripture which makes this broad exposure exactly what I need to fill in the breadth of the Word rather than the depth.
I think the one concern of mediation is valid, but more personal than systematic. You can take as much time as you want to meditate or not during your reading in accordance with your time.
All in all… this is great… and I love the flexibility of knowing that the system is just waiting for me to pick up where I left off since it has no definitive end point, and I think that will help from feeling “to far behind.”
I have read over 500 chapters with this system. I would have been lucky to read that many chapters in 2 years without the system.
I like this so much that I find myself reading 20 chapters a day (once in the morning and then again at night) if I have the time.
Tim, thanks you so much for introducing Professor Horner’s system on your blog. My wife discovered your post last August and we both agreed to give it a try. Today is Day 100 for us and I can tell you we have both found it immensely beneficial!
We experimented a bit at first with various bookmarks and ribbons to help keep our places but then discovered that a Bible AP from LifeChurch that we already had installed on our cell phones offered Professor Horner’s system as one of their reading plan choices. This has made keeping track on a daily basis very simple. For those who may be interested, this is the AP commonly referred to as the “You Version” and is available for both the Android and the iPhone.
After the first months or so, I too was tempted to consider changing things around a little bit. (Possibly grouping Acts with the Gospels to free up List 10 for dedicated study of a specific book). Nevertheless have opted to stick with the plan as designed and continue to enjoy the daily “banquet” :)