What's Your Plan to Read the Bible in 2019?
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For many of us, 2019 means fresh starts and new beginnings. When we think about new years, new year’s resolutions typically come to mind—losing weight, quitting a habit, changing something. We all know, however, how often new year’s resolutions last or work.
Why don’t new years resolutions work? They often fail for one primary reason—lack of discipline. Anything worth while in life requires discipline—the ability to say no to certain things, yes to other things, determination, perseverance, good time management, and more. Each year many of us long to read the Bible more but fail to. What needs to change?
As we leave 2018 and enter into 2019, we must see Bible reading as a discipline, and that’s a good thing! Like any discipline, Bible reading is something we must be committed to and willing to do regularly until it becomes a habit. After we’ve carried out a discipline regularly over a long period of time, that discipline becomes easier. This reality is also true for Bible reading.
So Where Do We Begin?
The problem for many of us with any goal is that we know what we want to accomplish or what habit we want to form, but we do not have a plan to see it to fruition. Enter the F260 Bible Reading Plan. In 2018, Vintage Church tried something new. Our good friends at Replicate Ministries created a doable Bible reading plan where we read through most of the Bible in one year. We typically read two chapters of the Bible five days a week. For many of us, this was the first time, we consistently read the Bible and grew in our faith. I’ve been so encouraged to hear stories from individuals or in my vGroup of how the F260 Bible Reading plan helped people begin to consistently read the Bible.
In 2019, Vintage Church is continuing to use the F260 Bible Reading Plan, but there’s a new plan. This year, the Replicate Ministries Team has created a new F260 plan focused on the New Testament. Surprisingly, there’s exactly 260 chapters in the New Testament! That means in 2019, we will read one chapter of the New Testament five days a week. I’m personally excited about this because focusing on one chapter per day will allow us all to read and study more closely.
There are several ways you can access this great Bible-reading plan:
Foundations Books (We will also have copies of these at our Resource Center)
To learn more about these resources, check out vintagechurchnola.com/f260.
How Do We Make the Most of the F260 New Testament Plan?
Perhaps you can say, “I read the Bible in 2018!” For many of us, this is a great first step, but what if there’s more to gain from reading the Bible than just being able to say, “I read my Bible.” Because the Bible is God’s Word to us, we want to not only read it but also understand it and meditate on it. We want to hear God speak to us.
Last year we not only introduced the F260 Bible Reading Plan, but we also shared the HEAR Journal Method from our friends at Replicate Ministries. The HEAR Method is simply a way to help you not only read the Bible but also interpret, understand, and apply what you’ve read. Here is how you can use the HEAR Method:
Highlight - make note of the verses that stand out and speak to you.
Write a title that describes the passage.
What chapter, verses, or phrase stand out and speak to you in your reading?
Explain - discover what this passage means.
Why was this passage written?
How does this passage fit with the verses before and after it?
What is intended to be communicated through this passage?
Apply - write out what God is saying in this passage for your life.
What does this passage mean today?
What does this passage mean to me?
What is God saying to me personally?
Respond - what’s your next step(s)?
What is your prayer to God in response to this passage?
In what ways does this passage call you to action?
What are you going to do differently because of this passage?
I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in 2019. While much of next year is still unknown to us, I can promise you this: If you consistently read and meditate on God’s Word it will change your life! Make plans to begin the F260 New Testament plan with Vintage Church and watch God change you!