READING THROUGH THE BIBLE

Join us as we read our Bible plan together in 2024!

READING PLAN

Our plan in 2024 is to read through the entire Bible together as a church. If you are newer to the Bible, reading all of it can be overwhelming. However, we believe reading through the entire Bible is the best way to grow in your relationship with Christ. The best way to access this plan is through the YouVersion Bible App. If you have the app on your phone open it, click “discover”, then “churches”, find First City Church and make it your church by selecting “my church.” Once you’ve done this you will see the featured plan called More Jesus Daily Reading Plan. If you would like to access the web version you can find it using the link below.

The importance of the intentional time daily with Jesus

If I had to choose the one practice or discipline in my life that has made the biggest impact on me in my relationship with God the answer would be obvious. Nothing replaces spending time with Jesus every day. That is one thing I love about First City, we are filled with people who love the Word of God.

Some helpful thoughts as you begin

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to daily Bible study. There are seasons for reading large portions, and there are seasons for lingering in shorter sections. Understanding the Bible is a process of moving back and forth between the big picture and the details. The more you know about the big picture, the more you understand the details, and the more you study the details, the more those inform the big picture. When it comes to understanding the big picture, there is no substitution for reading through the entire Bible.

To help us grow in our understanding of the big picture of the Bible, I am recommending this Bible reading schedule for our church in 2024. Here is why I like this particular schedule:

Ideally one would read straight through the Bible from beginning to end. There are reasons the Bible was assembled the way it was, and reading straight through helps you pick up on some of those details. But here is what often happens: people tear through the exciting story-based books of Genesis and Exodus, but lose hope somewhere in the middle of Leviticus. This doesn’t mean Leviticus is without value, but the change in style is so stark that many stop reading.

Some Bible reading is better than no Bible reading. If this seems overwhelming to you, please don’t stress. Just do your best. Here are some ideas on how to make the most of this Bible reading schedule and how to adjust it to where you are:

– Try to build the habit of reading every day, even if it is just one verse. Building this habit, especially during the first month, is way more important than completing each day’s reading.

– Some books will bog you down (say, Levitucus). Don’t worry, we all get there, and keep pushing through.

– I highly recommend you take notes (write out one thing that sticks out to you each day). Journal this time, what you believe God is speaking to you through His Word.

– Star off your Bible reading plan with a time of prayer and worship if you have time. If not, at a minimum, pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you what you need to see through His Word.

– If you miss a day, and you will, don’t worry about it. Don’t even stress about going back unless you find time. So many people miss a day or a week, then feel that it’s not worth it because they are so far behind. Just move ahead and stay on track as best as you can!

We want to give an avenue to discuss and share thoughts on what we are reading each day. Because of this I want to encourage each of you to post anything you’ve learned or been challenged by, areas God is speaking to you through His Word, questions, and any other things revealed through your time with God in our Members of First City page on Facebook. We will use this as a place to discuss, challenge, and grow on another in the Lord. I look forward to the growth we will see in the Lord this year, and I pray that your love for Christ will flourish during this time.

Pastor Taran Howell

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE READING PLAN?

We would love to help!