Two years ago at Graceway we challenged ourselves to read through the Bible in 2011. Most of us used the same Bible reading schedule that included daily readings from both Old and New Testaments and both Psalms and Proverbs. You could pick up a monthly reading guide at church, have it emailed to you each day or download it from the website. Last year we offered the same service that has been a blessing to many of you. Many of you have commented about how you, too, have developed the spiritual discipline of daily Bible reading.
This year they will no longer be sending out the daily schedules because we can offer something better. There are many, many Bible reading plans and schedules available on the internet and as apps for your smart phones. One that I can highly recommend is YouVersion. They have plans for specific purposes, yearly plans, shorter term plans – you name it! And, you can choose from multiple versions and in just about any language I can think of that is represented at Graceway. Try it.
Here are some tips for keeping at your daily Bible reading:
- Keep it simple. Just read. Don’t worry about having to understand everything and figure it out. Just read and let the Holy Spirit direct you when to pause, reflect, meditate and investigate further. You can dig deeper on other occasions, but if you think you have to do that each and every day you’re probably not going to make it. The more you read, the more you’ll understand. Let it happen.
- If you miss, don’t panic and think you have to “make it up.” Just pick up where you left off and keep going.
- You WILL have those days when you just not “feeling it.” Keep going. It’s OK. Don’t worry about it. Read your daily portion and it will be better tomorrow.
- Connect your Bible reading with your life. Think about what you have read. Look for ways to share and live it out. If you are a Gracewayer, build your life around what we call the “Big Three.” #1. Be there to assemble on Sunday mornings and listen to scripture as it is expounded. I think you will find that this is a moment when the dots of your Bible reading will suddenly connect. #2 In addition to assembling in the weekly main service, take advantage of another period on Sunday morning to serve in some capacity – greeter, shuttle drive, Sky Kids worker, sound, lighting or video support, security, etc. #3 Be part of a small group as you share with each other how learning the scriptures is transforming your lives.
We encourage you to check them out at https://www.youversion.com/reading-plans and find one that works for you. With Youversion you can have them emailed to you daily, and/or access them via your smartphone with their iOS, Android app or their other mobile apps.
