CLOSER: Bible Reading Plan - SEGMENT 1 Sample

"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

  1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Life is short and speeding past. Have we climbed our highest mountain? Have the things we most long to see God do through our lives already happened? Made our greatest sacrifice for Christ already? We all sense that time is running out and our “face time” with Jesus is getting so much closer.

Every day we “pitch our tents” one day’s march closer to eternity.

Let’s make the most of the time that remains. Let’s take more ground for the Lord Jesus as The Day draws near. Let’s increase the quality of our discipleship. Let’s expand the reach of the gospel. As His people, let’s give our highest and best for the Lord as His return draws closer.

This reading plan is for those who want to make the commitment to read through the Bible in one year. We’ve broken it down into four segments (CLOSER I, CLOSER II, CLOSER III, and CLOSER IV) to make it easier for you to see your progress and allow for multiple starting points throughout the year.

Each segment has selected reading from a wide number of books, genres, and topics. Our goal is to create a hybrid path through scripture that reveals areas of connectedness that you’ve never noticed before, while helping you see the overall flow through the biblical texts.

This first segment begins . . . in the beginning. Did you know that two different books start with “In the beginning . . .”? One of those is Genesis in the Old Testament; the other is the Gospel of John in the New Testament. We’ll start there and head into the story of God’s people after creation through Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth. We’ll then skip ahead to God’s work rebuilding his people in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. This segment will conclude with the work of a major prophet, Jeremiah.

As with any reading plan, we don’t want you to simply read the passage for the sake of completion. God’s Word is transformative when you stop to apply it to your life. As you read, we would encourage you to have a notebook or notetaking app ready. Answer the following questions about each of the day’s readings:

1.  What do these verses say? Review and summarize the verses in your own mind. What stands out? What did you expect or not expect? 

2.  What do these verses mean? Understanding and comprehension is critical to proper application. Remember that the Bible was not written TO you, but it was written FOR you. A good place to start is to try to understand what it might have meant for the original audience.

3.  How should I respond? Truth requires a response. Were there specific commands to follow? Perhaps you learned something new about the character of God that inspires worship. 

4.  Pray and Share. The Holy Spirit is active as you read God’s Word. Ask God to help you obey and be transformed by the scriptures. Share what you’ve learned and how you’re going to apply it with others for accountability.

Now, get after it. Jesus’ return is closer than ever.