Let’s Read the Bible Together in 2018

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For so many people, reading the Bible is a daunting and seemingly impossible task. For some who have tried in the past, they feel defeated because they weren’t able to keep up and read the Bible throughout the year. Reading the Bible can simply become one of those things in life we know we need to do, but we simply never get around to doing it. 

But, again, we know reading the Bible is good for us. The Bible is God’s Word to us, one of the primary ways in which God has communicated to us. Through the Bible God has shown us who he is and how we are to follow him. So, if we’re not reading the Bible for ourselves on a regular basis, we’re missing much of what God has to say to us. 

So How Can We Read the Bible?

Over the past few years, we’ve always provided a list of Bible-reading plans that you could take and read on your own. 2018 is going to be different! As a part of our Complete the Pathway Initiative, one of Vintage Church’s focuses in 2018 is discipleship. One of the ways in which we are going to focus on discipleship in 2018 is by reading the Bible together in 2018. 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
— Psalm 119:105

So, how are we going to read the Bible together in 2018? Great question! Next year we are going to commit to read the Bible together using the F260 Bible Reading Plan. This is an excellent Bible-reading plan designed for you to read through all 66 books of the Bible in one year, while still having the flexibility of reading only 5 days per week. Most days you will read 2 chapters of Scripture, a task I know all of us can easily accomplish! There are several ways you can access this great Bible-reading plan:

Using the F260 Bible Reading Plan Most Effectively

While a great first step for many of us is simply to begin to read our Bibles, I want to encourage us all to go one step further. Let’s not just read the Bible together in 2018; let’s journal the Bible together!

Our good friend, Robby Gallaty, who developed the F260 Bible Reading plan also created the HEAR Journal. The point of the HEAR journal is for us not to simply read the Bible to say we did it, but to read the Bible for transformation. HEAR stands for Highlight, Explain, Interpret, and Apply. 

  • Highlight – Highlight each verse that speaks to you by copying it under the letter “H” on a notepad. Write down the name of the book, the chapter and verse(s), as well as a title to describe the passage. 
  • Explain – Under the letter “E” on a notepad, explain what is happening in the text. Hear a good study Bible can be a helpful tool as you answer questions like why was this written, to whom was it written, and how does this fit within the book?
  • Apply – Under the letter “A” on a notepad, write down how you will apply this Scripture to your life. 
  • Respond – Under the letter “R” on a notepad, write down how you will take action and how you will be different after you have read this passage. 

For a more thorough description of the HEAR journal, check out Pastor Robby Gallaty’s blog on the HEAR Journal. 

2018 is going to be an incredible year! Vintage Church has so many incredible things happening. While it might seem simple, I believe reading the Bible together will be one of the most important things we do next year. Let’s all commit to read and journal through the Bible together in 2018. Watch and see how God works in our lives!