A Realistic Bible Reading Plan for 2021
December is a good time to choose a Bible reading plan for the new year ahead and the Faith Baptist Church New Testament plan is a good option for several reasons.
It's realistic.
Let's be honest. Some Bible reading plans are flat out overwhelming. While some of us may be able to read the entire Bible in a year, reading multiple chapters a morning for 365 days in a row, others find this approach to be daunting and impractical. After all, what's better? Plowing through large chunks of Scripture every day with little (if any) personal reflection or reading shorter passages with time to contemplate what you've read? The Faith Baptist NT plan features one chapter per day, which is enough material to be substantive but short enough to allow for reflection.
It's chronological (mostly).
Bibles generally lay out the NT books by grouping them according to genre (or type of book): gospels, history, letters, then prophecy. But the Faith Baptist plan offers a fresh approach by arranging many of the books in the order in which they were probably written. It also groups together books by author, so you'll read Luke and Acts together and Paul's letters together (in chronological order), then you'll finish the year by reading all of John's writing together, one after another. This approach will allow you to trace common themes and thoughts through the books of each writer, increasing your Bible study potential.
It's flexible.
This plan avoids the relentless approach of reading chapters of the Bible one day after another with no reprieve or variation. You'll read one chapter a day on weekdays only, Monday - Friday, then you'll pause from your reading on the weekends. On Sunday you'll preview the next five chapters to get a sneak peak at what you'll be reading. On Saturday you'll review what you've read the previous five days and reflect on what you've learned before rushing ahead to the next chapters. (And if you've gotten behind, you'll be able to catch up on the weekends no problem.) This flexible approach gives you some "breathing room" and some much-needed moments to digest what you've read more deeply.
It's interactive.
To get the most spiritual benefit from this reading plan, you should pause to respond each day to what you've read.
The Visual/Tactile Approach
If you prefer reading (visual) and writing (tactile), then write down an insight, observation, or question from the chapter, or copy down a verse from the chapter by hand. Moleskine Journals work well for this approach. Do this in a way that fits your personality and style, then review what you've written on Saturday for maximum impact.
The Audio/Verbal Approach
If you prefer listening (audio) and speaking (verbal), then listen to your chapter using an audio Bible app like Bible.is, which is free. You may also want to consider Dwell, a paid app that offers high-quality Scripture readings enhanced by customized, reflective background music for only $30/yr. After you listen to your chapter, then record a voice memo stating insight, observation, or question from the chapter, or recite a verse from the chapter. On Saturday, you can listen back over your voice memos from the week for maximum impact.
Moleskine Journals
I use Moleskine notebooks for writing down takeaways from my daily Bible reading. They're durable, use quality paper, and are pleasing to use.
The Dwell App
Choose from 10 voices with music just for Scripture. For only $30/yr., this may be what you need to take your Bible reading to the next level.
Bible.is
This free resource offers a vast library of Bible translations in many languages. If you prefer to listen to the Bible, then give this a look.
