A Better Bible Reading Plan for Beginners (and Anyone Else!)

I have found a resource that I think will better serve you in your reading of the Gospels.  It is found on Bible.org and there is a dedicated page for reading through the Gospels.  I have the link here: [LINK].

I figured, "Why should I reinvent the wheel when there's already an excellent resource?"  This plan has a good pace already built in (of course you can take it at your own pace) and offers excellent commentary and reflection.  So, for the time being I have decided to leave you in better hands in completing your Gospel readings, while I take time to create a better resource that can adequately meet your needs.  After all, as children of God, you deserve the best.

As always, I encourage you to get into the Word.  Make it a habit.  Ask questions.

And remember my suggestion for reading your Bible:

1. Start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  These four books tell us everything that Jesus said and what he did.  It is the foundation of your Christian faith. If you read nothing else of the Bible, read this.
2. Continue on with the rest of the New Testament.  Here you will learn the history of the early church (Acts) and read the letters that were written to give encouragement (and sometimes even constructive criticism!) to the early churches and church leaders.  Even today these words are relevant to us. To finish off the New Testament we have the Book of Revelation. Even this book is a letter to some of the early churches (encouraging and admonishing them) before it gets into the visions of future prophecy.
3. Once you've read the entire New Testament you will have a good foundation to build from.  Then go back to Genesis and start reading the Old Testament.  You will find that the Old Testament is basically a prequel.  Everything that Jesus taught is based on the Old Testament - he didn't leave anything out.  Everything that happened in Jesus' life - his birth, his ministry, his death, his resurrection - is referred to in the Old Testament.  Even his return is mentioned there!  There are some wonderfully awesome stories in the Old Testament.  And granted, there's some really dry and boring stuff there, too - you can skim through those parts (there are extremely detailed instructions on how to build the tabernacle - right down to the material, color, and measurements of the curtains, the curtain rods, and even the curtain rings - chances are you won't be asked to build a tabernacle).  Again, just skim through those parts so you get a general idea.

So, I leave you now with hope and prayer that will continue to grow and learn in the Christian faith.  Remember that it is a life-long process.