If you are here because you are interested in reading the Bible on a regular basis, or if you are here out of curiosity, or if you just happened to find your way here, welcome!
The Bible is God’s Holy Word, revealed to humanity, and reading it brings life. No book has been sold more, studied more, or has had as great of an impact in human history. I promise you, if you begin this journey of reading and reflecting on the Bible, it will be one of the most fruitful journeys of your life!
If you have never read the Bible or have studied it your whole life or if you are anywhere in-between, I invite you to take up this journey and study the story of God’s redemption of humanity and the whole world.
Where do I start?
One of the questions I hear most from people desiring to read the Bible on their own is “Where do I start?” The purpose of this page is to help answer that question.
Below, you will find various Bible reading plans as well as other helpful resources. Their intent is to serve as guides on a journey to pick a plan or pick a book of the Bible. Read it on your own, with your family, or find a friend or small group to read and discuss God’s Word with. And use these reflection questions to help you process what you read.
Which Plan is right for me?
If you are new to the Bible or have not read it regularly, consider reading…
- The 31 Day Journey Through the Bible
- Some individual books of the Bible such as John, Matthew, Genesis, Ephesians, 1 John, Psalms, or Proverbs
- The 5x5x5 Plan
If you have been a follower of Christ for a while and are looking to dig deeper into God’s Word, consider…
- Following one of the Bible reading plans, reading the whole Bible in 2-3 years
- Digging into specific books such as Hebrews, Romans, James
If you are looking for a more intense journey, consider one of the plans to read the entire Bible in a year.
Bible Reading Plan Descriptions
General Instructions
- In some of the plans, you will notice opportunities to read entire books in 1-3 sittings before going back and reading them chapter by chapter. This is to highlight the value of reading large chunks of Scripture and read the books how they were meant to be read.
- All of these plans can be started on January 1 or any time throughout the year. There is an appropriate plan for each.
Plan Descriptions
- 31 Day Bible Journey
- This plan highlights some of the main stories of the Bible. The Bible is 1 book telling 1 story of God’s redemption plan for the world from Genesis (Beginning) to Revelation (End). It is made up of 66 smaller books. This plan points to 31 of the main passages describing this journey through the Bible. It is a great introduction to the story of the Bible
- 5x5x5 New Testament Plan in 365 Days
- This plan leads the reader through the New Testament in 1 year. The goal is to read for 5 minutes, reflect for 5 minutes, and do that 5 times a week.
Optional 5x5x5 New Testament Plan Calendar Year
- This plan leads the reader through the New Testament in 1 year. The goal is to read for 5 minutes, reflect for 5 minutes, and do that 5 times a week.
- 1 Year Genre Plan
- This plan leads the reader through the entire Bible in a year, reading a different genre each day of the week. Reading this plan gives a nice balance of the different forms of literature in the Bible.
- 2 and 3 Year Genre Plan Genre – Week By Week | Genre – Calendar 2-Year
- These plans are the same as the 1 year plan except lengthened to last 2 or 3 years respectively making it a lighter load each day.
- 1 Year Chronological
- This plan is a chronological reading of the Bible, meaning the the chapters are arranged chronologically based on the events described. The Old and New Testaments are read side by side throughout this plan. This plan helps lay out the chronological story of the Bible, placing books within their historical context.
- 2 Year Chronological ( 730 Days or Days of the Year)
- The same as the one year chronological except spanned across in 2 years. The NT is read twice to keep a balance of Old Testament and New Testament each day.
Just a note on Bible reading and devotions
None of these plans are “better” than the others. All of them are meant to equip you to explore God’s Word in different ways and at different paces. Reading more does not necessarily equal better Bible reading. The question isn’t about quantity. Absolutely, it is a great benefit to read the Bible in large chunks in order to grasp the overarching story running through the pages of all 66 books making up the Bible, but spending time reflecting on one story or even a few verses at a time has great value. Some combination of both is often the best route! Read and Reflect!
If you don’t have a Bible and don’t have means to purchase your own, let us know! We would love to give you one!
If you are looking for a Bible but don’t know which one to get, consider…
- A Study Bible- Study Bibles are fantastic resources to help explore God’s Word
- NIV Zondervan Study Bible
- ESV Reformation Study Bible
Any version of the New International Version, English Standard Version or New Revised Standard Version. If you have questions, ask! There are many great English versions of the Bible.
Reflection Questions for after daily Bible Readings
What does this passage teach us about God?
What does this passage teach us about ourselves?
What does this passage teach us about our world?
Are there any thoughts, words, or phrases that caught your attention? Why?
Ask yourself about the details of what you read. Who are the characters? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did it happen or why was it said?
What questions do you have about this passage?
What other questions do you have?