A new year offers a new opportunity—an opportunity to rethink and refresh the way you read your Bible. While some have found a pattern or habit they love and will never deviate from, others like to look for new ways to read, digest, and apply the Word. For those who may be interested in trying something new, here are a few ideas that may be worth considering.
Create An Heirloom
Paul Carter describes a great way to turn a retired Bible (or a brand new Bible, for that) into a precious family heirloom. This is a project that will probably take a couple of years but will result in something precious and meaningful. You can learn more about Paul’s method here.
Read It In a Year
I have long been an advocate of the 5-Day Plan that takes you through the entire Bible in a year. It does so chronologically with five readings per week drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. This plan has led me to read the Bible repeatedly and I have benefited a lot from doing so. You can learn more about the program here.
Write It Out
Rebekah is an advocate of writing out the Bible—taking the time and putting in the discipline to write it out by hand. She describes her method and tools here. This method helps you slow down and think while also potentially engaging your artistic side. You can see some photos here.
Use the “God’s Word for You” Series
The “God’s Word for You” series from The Good Book Company is an excellent collection of resources that will take you deep into many of the books of the Bible. The volumes are written by well-known Bible teachers like Tim Keller, Tim Chester, David Helm, Al Mohler, and so on. There are enough of them now (35 volumes, I believe!) that you could make this a multi-year project. You can find the set here. If you’d like to make this a family or group project, you can get the Good Book Guides which nicely supplement them. (Note: The Philippians volume was written by Steve Lawson, so you may want to take a pass on that one.)
Use a Reader’s Bible
A reader’s Bible is the same text as any other Bible, but without the chapter and verse markings (which, as I’m sure you know, are not actually part of the inspired text). This allows you to read the Bible more as it was meant to be read, without having the flow interrupted by divisions that are sometimes helpful and sometimes not. You’ll find lots of options in the ESV and other translations.
Follow Tabletalk Magazine
Ligonier Ministry’s Tabletalk magazine has long offered daily Bible studies that combine with a Bible-reading plan and other thematic articles. I know many people who have used this for years as a mainstay of their personal devotions. You can learn more and sign up for a free three-month, no obligation, no credit card trial of the magazine at tabletalkmagazine.com.
Use an ESV Reading Plan
You may enjoy exploring the various reading plans that come with an ESV subscription (which is priced very reasonably for what you get). Some will take you through the Bible in a year while others will focus on various themes. Still others will depend on books Crossway has published such as Dane Ortlund’s In the Lord I Take Refuge. You’ll also gain access to lots of study Bibles, commentaries, and other great resources. You can learn more at ESV.org.
Try Professor Horner’s System
Professor Horner’s system is an intense one! His program involves reading ten chapters per day from ten different books of the Bible, all year long. The idea is that the different readings begin to overlap in different ways, increasing your knowledge not only of Scripture but also of its cohesion. I haven’t been able to find an official page for the plan, but this article from my archives has what you need to know.
Read It in 90 Days
Every year Knowable Word advocates beginning the year by reading the whole Bible as quickly as you feasibly can while still gaining benefit from it—in 90 days or less. They are even having a challenge this year that includes a giveaway for those who participate and complete the Bible before March 31. You can learn more here.
Eat the Bible
Nate Pickowicz advocates a plan that I believe was first popularized by John MacArthur. The idea is to read individual books of the Bible repeatedly until you have grasped both their big picture and their fine details. You can find more about plans like this online or buy Nate’s book How To Eat Your Bible which includes a 7-year plan to use this method until you have completed the entire Bible.
Journal Your Way Through
In the last few years we have seen the rise and popularization of the journaling Bible—a Bible that has blank lines in the margin where you can write your own notes. I tend to read the ESV and it has lots of options such as paperback (currently deeply discounted), illuminated and the new Spiral-Bound Journaling Bible. Plus, of course, there are lots of one-volume editions.
Generate Your Own Plan
The Bible Reading Plan Generator will let you custom-craft a Bible-reading plan that helps you achieve whatever kind of plan you would like to follow this year.
