New to Faith: Bible Reading PlanSample

Reading Your Bible

The first spiritual practice we’ll look at is reading the Bible. The Bible is the unified story about how God appointed humanity as His partners to oversee this world, how we ruined that partnership, and how God is restoring us and our world through Jesus. Forty diverse people wrote the Bible over 1,500 years and as a collection of narratives, laws, poetry, wisdom writings, and letters that all point to Jesus.

We believe the Bible is the Word of God, meaning that God inspired human authors to reveal His plan to restore us and our world. Because God Himself is the ultimate author, we learn about God and what He wants to do in and through our lives when we study the Bible.

When you read the Bible, keep a couple of things in mind. First, its authors didn't write the Bible to us but for us. Even though the Bible began with different people, times, and cultures, God communicates His timeless principles and values through Scripture. As you begin to read the Bible, great resources, such as the Bible Project, can help you understand what you’re reading.

You start at the beginning with most books and read to the end. That may not be the best way to read the Bible—at least not at first. Here are a few good places to start:

1. Discover who Jesus is: The Gospel of John
2. Discover how to pray and talk to God: The Psalms
3. Discover how being a Christ-follower affects how you live your life: Colossians

Try setting aside some time each day—you might want to start with 10 or 15 minutes.

Read a chapter.

Read it slowly. Note different phrases or paragraphs that stand out to you.

Think it through.

What does the passage mean? Pay special attention to verbs, metaphors, repeated words, comparisons, and contrasts. Write down any questions that come to mind so that you can ask a pastor, small group leader, or another Christ-follower.

Apply it.

How might this passage apply to you personally?

Pray.

Ask God to help you understand and apply what you’re reading.

Question: What is your biggest obstacle in reading the Bible? What is one way you can overcome that obstacle?