Read with Me Challenge
Happy New Year!
I posted at Persevering Pens this week that I never make New Year’s Resolutions, so I’ll not call this that. This is … um … simply a growing group exercise and YOU are invited!
Kellie and I happened to be on twitter at the same time that I found a link to the annual Bible reading schedule John Piper uses. (If you’re not familiar with John Piper, go grab one of his books (or two) and meet him. He’s a man who love the Lord and seeks Him diligently.) The schedule divides all of Scripture — Old and New Testaments — into daily readings. If you follow it, you will have read the entire Bible by the end of the calendar year.
Anyway, I shared the link and Kellie and Whimzie both jumped on the bandwagon. Before I knew what had happened, we had ourselves an accountability group!
About the program:
It’s FREE. It’s ONLINE and printable.
It’s DEPENDABLE. This system has been tested. It’s tried and true. The plan was developed by Discipleship Journal. Like I said, John Piper recommends it. He has actually used it every year for the past five years and plans to use it again this year.
It’s DO-ABLE. The plan segments the entire Bible into 300 daily readings. That’s 25 per month, which leaves 3-6 extra days to “catch up” if you get behind. Or you could schedule your “free days” when you know life will be crazy. Either way, it alleviates the stress of having to read every day. BONUS: The readings are relatively short and should only take about 20 minutes each day.
It’s MANAGEABLE. Last year a friend confessed to me that, even though she has been a Christian for sixteen years, she has never read the Old Testament. She considers it boring and irrelevant. I understand her blase when it comes to Deuteronomy and Leviticus! Trust me when I say treasures abound in the Old Testament. You want to discover what is there.
This reading plan pairs the most “boring” books of the Old Testament with easy-to-understand books from the New Testament. We’ll read Leviticus with Matthew and Acts and Deuteronomy with Romans and Psalms.
The Link:
Monthly Schedule: This link offers a monthly overview of the whole plan. It is designed with check boxes so you can easily keep track of your progress.
And More!
To help keep ourselves accountable, we’ve started a tweetlist. If you’re on twitter and you decide to take the challenge with us, please subscribe! Click HERE for a direct link.
We may also have a once-a-month weigh-in to see how we’re all doing and what we’re learning … stuff like that. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, if you’re in, say so in the comments!
Posted on December 31, 2009, in Bible Reading and tagged Bible Reading Challenge. Bookmark the permalink. 23 Comments.
I’m in. Though, I don’t exactly like the words, “weigh-in” (shudder).
Thanks for the links and the inspiration!
I’d love to join your tweetlist as I’m making this a goal for me this year as well.
I’m in! But I don’t tweet.
I’m so 2009 aren’t I? 
Can I join in if I am using a different “read the bible in a year” plan? I have already started one and it is on my iPhone. I could use the accountability and I know having my reading plan at the palm of my hand is going to be very helpful to me. I have already found myself reading ahead when I am sitting and waiting on kids and I only started it a week ago.
http://twitter.com/Zaankali
Absolutely!!
Ugh! I am failing miserably! I am recommitting to both catching up and completing it THIS YEAR. I just found out I can subscribe to the posts with the tags Read-with-me. So I did and it is going to the top of my google reader list too keep it in sight.
Okay, I’m in. Going to start today.
I have to admit that when I saw ya’ll tweeting about this, I rolled my eyes. I totally relate to where Whimzie is in regard to praying, scripture reading, etc. Just kinda numb….
BUT…as I was reading her post, I felt conviction. God has indeed been faithful to me this year. And my heart wants “the more” that only He can give. So I’m in. I know ya’ll are using The Message, but I’ll probably flip back and forth between that and the NLT (my fave).
Oh, one more thing…I’ve used this plan before! It’s GREAT!
I’m still in!
I’m already doing this plan (for the first time), and I love this accountability. Count me in!
Can I be in???
I just printed the checklists out, plus a copy for my mom to do too. I don’t tweet, but I just wanted to join up here.
This is my one goal this year. I have decided that if this is the only thing I accomplish it will be more important than anything else.
I’m a friend of Gretchen, Kellie and Whimzie…I’d love to do this!!
Can I join? Not sure how to “officially” sign up. Is this it? I’m already sort of on track as I’ve been reading using the Psalms,Provberbs, NT read thru list from the church but I need accountability and this is the entire bible …. have to say, I’m enjoying Luke so I may continue on that one as well! HI TANYA!!!
Better late than never. I’m over from Meredith’s and CPQ’s blogs. I’m in. I’ve been trying to do this for years. If I can just make it past Numbers and Daniel then I’ll consider it successful!
I can’t get the links to pull up so I can print out the schedule and such. Any help? Thanks!
They changed the link! Sorry, Kendra! I’ll edit my post. In the meantime, go here: Reading Schedule. It should link you directly to the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Program (the one we’re doing) via the NavPress website.
Can I still join in? I have a One Year Bible I’m going to use but would LOVE the accountability!!!!
Let me knw if that is possible!
THANKS!
Mindy
Absolutely!! I somehow missed your comment until today. Sorry ’bout that! I hope you’ve been reading with us even with my blog neglect.
I’m in! I’m a little late, but I think this sounds like a great plan so I’m going to give it a try…I’ve attempted to do this several times over the past 11 years. Maybe in 2010 I will succeed!
I’m really enjoying this. I purchased the “One Year Bible Companion” and even though the reading schedule is different there are some really interesting theories and explanations for many verses. I’m finally caught up.
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