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Announcing Our 2020 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge

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We’re giving away a copy of the ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set: With Chapter and Verse Numbers and a one-volume reader’s Bible. To win one of these prizes, you simply have to prove you’d know what to do with it.

If you’ve been with us for the last few years, you’ve probably been expecting this post. Here I come, like the sun rising, going down, and once again hastening to its place to rise again. Like the wind blowing round and round, north, then south, and back again. Like streams running to the sea, and yet the sea is still not full. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

If you’re new to the blog, you’ll be delighted to know we do a reading challenge here annually. And we try to get the best prizes we can think of to reward your toil at which you toil under the sun.

In our former days, most excellent Theophilus, we issued a 90-day Bible-reading challenge that had to begin on January 1 and end by March 31. But many folks have told us they would like to be able to get started over the holidays. While many are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, or chasing a spirit of stupor, we hear that you—the readers of this blog, the champions of the covenant, the heroes who shine like stars in the midst of a present evil age—would prefer to redeem the time when you already find yourself away from your usual responsibilities.

And though there were some kinks to work out with this new format last year, we’re happy to grant what you wish—only up to half our kingdom, mind you—for the second year in a row. This year’s Bible reading challenge may commence immediately. In fact, perhaps it already commenced for you, and you’re just now realizing it.

Here are the rules:

  1. You must have a continental United States mailing address to win one of the stated prizes. Residents of other countries will receive a $35 (US) Amazon gift card via email.
  2. You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but we’re trusting you to be honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable. You may also use any combination of audio and visual reading, as long as you’ve read or listened to the entire Bible within the allotted time period.
  3. You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
  4. The last day of that 90-day period must be between today and March 31, 2020. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
  5. To enter the drawing, you must fill out the survey below, letting us know the dates you read and what you thought of the speed-reading process. Your thoughts do not have to be glowing, but they should be honest; you’ll still be entered into the drawing if you didn’t enjoy your speed-read.
  6. Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or have the appearance of being fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 15, 2019 and March 31, 2020, “What I thought about the experience” has nothing to do with Bible reading, or date of completion is later than the date of entry submission (please don’t try to enter the drawing if you plan to read the Bible; only enter once you have completed reading it).
  7. In the first week of April 2020, we will randomly select 2 winners from those who have submitted the form. We will email the winners to get their shipping addresses. If a winner does not respond to our request for a shipping address within 1 week, a new winner will be selected in their place.
  8. The first prize winner (if US) will get their choice of the ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set: With Chapter and Verse Numbers or a one-volume reader’s Bible in the translation of their choice. (While these are not your only options, we have reviews the following: ESV, CSB, NIV.) The second prize winner (if US) will get whichever option the first prize winner didn’t choose. Any winner outside the continental US will receive a $35 Amazon gift card via email.
  9. Unfortunately, missionaries with DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.

We will occasionally post links to the submission form on the blog between now and March 31. But you might also want to bookmark this page for easy access when you’re ready to submit your entry.

If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. I won’t bother to update the dates, as I don’t know which day you plan to start. But the checkboxes can provide signals to make sure you’re on track to finish on time.

  1. Canonical Order
  2. Chronological Order
  3. NIV Sola Scriptura Order

Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan.

We are grateful for the generosity of Crossway in providing the grand prize for this year’s giveaway. You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.

Why the Bible is Difficult to Understand

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Kevin Halloran lists 9 reasons the Bible is difficult to understand, along with what we can do about it. His reasons:

  1. We live at a different time
  2. We live in a different culture
  3. We speak different languages
  4. We have natural minds that struggle to understand spiritual truths
  5. We are sinners
  6. We don’t know how the Bible storyline fits together
  7. We have weak reading skills
  8. We are lazy
  9. We don’t approach the Bible correctly

After explaining these five hurdles, Halloran continues with reasons to rejoice in the resources God has given us. And he offers suggestions for growing in handling the Word.

This is great, practical instruction, which I highly commend.

Check it out!

Approach Your Bible Desperately

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Matt Smethurst wants you to “Approach Your Bible Desperately,” and I heartily concur.

Have you ever ruined your appetite for an epic dinner by snacking all day? You wish you could work up an appetite, but it’s too late. The steak is on the table, and you’re not hungry.


This is how we often treat God’s Word. Is it any wonder that nibbling long enough from the table of the world would leave us with little appetite left for God?1 If we’re snacking on cheese puffs, we shouldn’t be surprised when we don’t have room for steak.

The charge:

Shortly before his death, after rehearsing God’s law one final time, Moses looks at the people of Israel and says, “These are not just idle words for you—they are your life” (Deut. 32:47). The stakes could not be higher.


Your soul will wither and die without your Bible. Approach it desperately.

Check it out!

Congratulations to All Who Took Up the Bible Reading Challenge

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38 people completed this year’s Bible reading challenge and submitted entries for the drawing. The evaluations of the speed reading process ranged from “It was difficult and required a lot of discipline” to “It was AWESOME! I would recommend total immersion to anyone!”

I found one response particularly noteworthy: “What a blessing!! It was my first time actually reading the whole thing, and reading it quickly helped in retaining the details and timeline of events.” I’m impressed that someone had the stamina to read the entire Bible for the first time this quickly!

A few repeat entrants commented that they were able to complete the reading faster this year. The increased familiarity with both the Bible and their reading habits enabled them to make more of it in less time. That’s what I have also found to be the case, as this year was (again) my fastest time, yet, I believe, without any loss in comprehension.

Special congratulations to Becky and Jonah who were selected to win this year’s prizes. For the other 36 entrants: Fret not. Your reward is even greater in heaven. And we’ll see what we can drum for prizes next year so you can try again.

“I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” (Psalm 119:31-32).

Choosing a Daily Bible Reading Method

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Perhaps you just finished speed-reading the entire Bible. Or perhaps you’ve drifted from other New Year’s resolutions and you could use a fresh start to your Bible reading.

Matt Schneider has some great advice for you to consider.

Often people ask for God to speak to them, to give them signs, or to make himself known to them while ignoring regular Bible reading. This is unfortunate. If we want to hear from God, to know him more and more and to see his works in the world, we can do no better than regularly listening to him in Scripture for our entire lives.

Schneider then explains four approached people might take to develop the habit of daily Bible reading. The most important this is to do something. Perhaps one of these ideas can help you to refresh your vision and renew your practice.

Check it out!

2019 Bible Reading Challenge Ending Soon

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We’re in the final stretch of this year’s reading challenge. If you’ve taken up the challenge to read the entire Bible in 90 days, your deadline to finish is 90 days after your start date and not later than March 31, 2019.

For more information on the Bible reading challenge, including official rules, see the announcement.

We’ve had 13 entries so far, and a few completed the reading in 10-20 days. So it’s not impossible for you to still complete the challenge between now and the end of the month! And in completing this challenge, one person read the entire Bible for the first time!

When you finish, simply complete this Google Form to enter the drawing for a complete set of ESV New Testament Scripture Journals.

Preparing Children to Read the Bible

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Though I haven’t yet read Joe Carter’s new book, The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, I’m intrigued by this excerpt published at the Gospel Coalition. Here is a taste:

Some missionaries spend years or even decades learning how to teach literacy to unreached people. Why? Primarily, to give those people the tools they need to read the Word of God for themselves. As Christian parents—missionaries to our own children—we want our kids to know how to read so they too can one day read the Bible for themselves. This mindset about teaching can lead to long-lasting benefits for your children. Instead of viewing the literacy process as the means to reach the goal of reading, think of it instead as the means by which your child reaches the goal of reading the Bible.

This may appear to be a trivial distinction. After all, children who learn to read will likely be able to read the Bible. While that is true, a profound shift occurs when we teach reading for the primary goal of reading Scripture. Whatever stage your child is at in literacy education—whether they’re an infant learning words for the first time or a high-school student learning vocabulary terms for the SAT—consider this to be your objective: to shape their reading so they can better read the [Bible].

Check it out!

Disclaimer: The Amazon link above is an affiliate link. If you click it and buy stuff, we’ll receive a small commission. Thank you for helping us better prepare our children to read the Bible.

5 Ways to Read More of the Bible

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J.A. Medders understands real life, and how the ideal setting for Bible reading rarely occurs. In his post “5 Ways to Read More of the Bible,” he mentions a few ways to capitalize on the clumpy nature of life.

Life is loaded. Add up the ingredients of a routine day: getting kids ready for school, packing lunches, getting ready for work, traffic, co-workers, projects, meetings, helping with homework, kids extracurricular activities, exercise, church functions, and more. And this recipe alone doesn’t make it difficult to regularly read the Bible.

These full days also get bits of eggshell in the batter. Days can spin out of our routine with stress at work, car problems, sick kids, a spouse traveling for work, or a rough night of sleep. Our days can be unpredictable, and that’s why our Bible intake often is too.

Medders holds himself to 2 rejections and 3 practices. If you already feel behind on your Bible reading plan, perhaps these suggestions might work for you as well.

  1. Reject needing the Instagrammable scenario
  2. Reject the checkbox
  3. Read on your phone
  4. Read without study speed bumps
  5. Read in community

This is great advice. Check it out!