Get Reading!

It's almost New Year's Day and you may be thinking about starting a systematic Bible reading program. You could just do 4 chapters per day, which gets you through the Bible in a year. The program I am using was devised (or at least made known to me) by Grant Horner, elder at Faith Community Church in Santa Clarita, CA, and a professor at The Master's College. He suggests getting a large exposure to Scripture through his Ten Lists Reading System. You read one chapter each day from each list. Grant recommends (and I use) Post-it notes as markers to keep your places and keep track of the lists. The lists are:

1. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
2. The Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
3. Acts
4. OT History (Joshua-Esther)
5. Romans, 1, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews
6. Psalms
7. Proverbs
8. 1, 2 Thessalonians, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1,2 Peter, 1,2,3 John, Jude, Revelation
9. Job, Eccelsiastes, Song of Solomon
10. Prophets (Isaiah-Malachi)

Obviously, you will read through some lists faster than others, but always read 10 chapters. Your combinations will always be different, but you will be getting input from the various sections of the Bible every day. Grant recommends reading quickly--don't feel the need to linger long. He and others report that speed increases the longer you go. Of course, you can downsize to 5 chapters a day and you will still get through more than the whole Bible in one year, except for the prophets list.

Whatever method you choose, get into the Word in 2007.