Reading the Bible in 2018?

One of the things that I do every year at the end of the year is find a Bible reading plan for the coming year.  There are a lot of them out there, and any of them can be useful IF we are disciplined to keep reading all through the year.

I have often talked to people about reading through the Scriptures, and I think in general there's a general sense of "yes, that's a good thing to do" from most Christians.  But even a resolution to read through Scripture is like most resolutions - only followed for a while.  I like a Bible reading plan because it helps me track my progress and keep me disciplined to do it day by day.

I am planning on teaching a new series this next year that is going to be a Panorama of the Bible - a broad overview of the Scriptures.  I have only taught the Scriptures this way in the classroom, so the challenge is to say enough in a manageable amount of time that will help people to grasp the Big Picture of the Word of God.  I have posted on our Church website, under the Resources tab, four different Bible reading plans that anyone can download and print off for personal use.  You can find this at www.nlfellowship.org/resources/ 

Why do it though?  Paul tells Timothy, and us, that the Bible – the entire whole of Scripture – is the most essential point of reference for everyone...  All of the Scripture includes ALL of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.  You see, we need to know it all, not just a verse here or there, or a story here or there. 

Jesus makes this clear:  Matthew 4:4
⁴  ...It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

And Paul also to his young Pastor he has mentored:  

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

¹⁶  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

The Bible is our Creed, and the Bible is the means for our Conduct to grow in Christ.

Years ago I came across a 19^th century brilliant theologian and Bible teacher named Charles Hodge.  He wrote a book called “The Way of Life”... in it he writes about the absolute necessity of our reading, hearing and meditating on the Word of God.

“We cannot make progress in holiness unless we devote much time to the reading, hearing, and meditating upon the word of God, which is the truth whereby we are sanctified. The more this truth is brought before the mind ; the more we commune with it, entering into it to truly want to know it, applying it to our own life, appropriating its principles, appreciating its motives, rejoicing in its promises, trembling at its threatenings, rising by its influence from what is seen and temporal to what is unseen and eternal, the more may we expect to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so as to approve and love whatever is holy, just and good. Men distinguished for their piety have ever been men of meditation as well as men of prayer ; men accustomed to withdraw the mind from the influence of the world with its thousand joys and sorrows, and to bring it under the influence of the doctrines, precepts, and promises of the word of God.”