Bible Reading Challenge 2020/2021
I wanted to invite all of Impact to join me in a 9-month Bible Reading Challenge! The reading plan takes you through the whole bible in 9 months, averaging 4-6 chapters (20 minutes) a day. The plan starts September 7th.
If you’re like me, there are places in your bible that you’ve read and heard several times (i.e. the gospels, Genesis 1-11, and the popular Psalms). However, there are those dark spots in your bible – whole books you’ve never touched. For me, those were books like Ezekiel, 1 & 2 Chronicles, and those "deep cut" Psalms you wouldn’t see cross-stitched on a pillow.
I want to challenge you to read through your whole bible this school year. Shine a light on all those dark spots. Get to know your bible – all of it – and let it transform you daily. Be prepared to say, “Wait, the bible says WHAT?” by the end of October. #Leviticus
I encourage you to enjoy the accountability of doing a plan like this with the youth group. If you start a plan like this with others, you’ll have a better chance of making it to the finish line! Another perk – friendships thrive when you’re working side-by-side toward a common goal.
This plan is definitely a bible reading challenge, and 4-6 chapters a day is no joke. So I’m going to give you a life-saving tip right now… AUDIO BIBLE. That may sound like cheating, but it doesn’t matter HOW the word gets in your heart, the point is just that it gets in there.
I also want to debunk the myth that daily bible reading has to be “precious” or “inspirational” or Instagram-worthy. You’re not going to have a spiritual epiphany every day. In reality, some days it will look like you listening to the day’s reading at 1.5 speed while scarfing down your lunch or doing chores. That’s okay. Faithfulness often looks like daily obedience, even on the days you’re not feeling particularly close to God. Don’t let your perfect ideal be the enemy of a good habit.
At the fast pace of this challenge, you might feel like you’re not fully understanding everything you read. If a passage about Daniel’s weird dream goes right over your head – don’t worry! If the goal is lifelong reading of the word, you will be back to that passage again soon! You will have plenty of opportunities to understand that passage better next time (with a little more life experience under your belt).
This plan does not have scheduled readings on Sundays, because it assumes you are receiving the word from Sunday’s sermon. There are catch-up days built in after every big book. But if you are all caught up, don’t just take the day off! Read the optional reading, which will be repeated elsewhere in the plan. (For those of you counting, that means by the end of the plan you’ll have read every book of the bible once, plus a few books twice!)
If you DO get behind, don’t get discouraged or give up. Jump back in on today’s reading. Daily bible reading is like eating every day. If you miss breakfast, you wouldn’t skip lunch and dinner out of guilt or discouragement. You also wouldn’t say, “I can’t eat dinner food until I’ve had pancakes and bacon!” You would eat the meal in front of you and be satisfied by it. So if you miss a day (or 5), save those readings for the next catch-up day and join us on today’s scheduled reading. That way we can all be on the same page. Literally!
Remember, you’re never behind if you’re reading today!