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Reading Challenge Reminder

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Don’t forget we’ve got a Bible reading challenge underway. There’s still time to finish reading the entire Bible within 90 days, and you could enter to win a free CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection or a one-volume reader’s Bible of your choice.

Reading must be completed by March 31. See this post for the complete rules. We’ve got twelve entries so far! Once you’ve completed your reading, you may enter the drawing with this form.

Entries that do not meet the guidelines (for example, reading period longer than 90 days, reading period is outside the allowable dates, or form is submitted before the reading has been completed) will not be counted in the drawing.

The Reason You’re Bored with the Bible

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My friend Andy Cimbala has a fine piece at his blog about “The Reason Why You’re Bored with the Bible.”

There are many reasons why you could be bored with the Bible. Maybe you have read the whole thing and already think you know what it says, so for you the repeat content is boring. Maybe you haven’t read much, but you’ve been in church enough times that you figure you know the basic gist… and it’s not something you want to hear more of. Maybe you just aren’t into books, and since the Bible is a book, therefore it’s boring. Maybe you’re into stories, and so all those Pauline epistles, poetry, and case laws in Deuteronomy… are boring! 

But I’d like to suggest one big reason why most people are bored with the Bible: because you are treating it like entertainment. 

Andy offers specific, insightful advice to help you recapture the truer joy of the gospel revealed in Scripture. Check it out!

Delightful Upgrade to Reading Plans in Logos 9

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As I’ve made known numerous times, I am an avid daily user of Logos Bible Software. And the latest version made a significant upgrade to a feature I use more than almost anything else: reading plans. When I wrote my review of Logos 9, I wasn’t yet aware of the extent of the upgrade to reading plans. But now that I’ve been using it extensively for my new year’s speed-read of the Bible, I’d like to tell you about it.

Some of the upgraded reading plan features show up in the desktop app. But the most noticeable improvements are in the Logos mobile app. (In case you didn’t know, you can use Logos on both your desktop and mobile devices, and everything syncs perfectly between them.)

For this year’s Bible speed-read, I’m following a detailed chronological plan. I call it “detailed,” because it pays no heed to chapter divisions. It might give me a 3-verse chunk, followed by a 7-verse chunk, followed by a 16-chapter chunk, and so on. I’m currently in the gospels, and it’s really fun to read every parallel scene back to back to back. It really highlights how different each gospel’s account is, even of the same event!

My Logos reading plan handles this sort of plan (and any sort of plan, really) very, very well. I read most often on an iPad, and here is a sample screen shot.

That’s it. A very simple interface, with only the portion of text I want at the moment. Those buttons at the bottom allow me to move to the next text assignment (or previous one) with a tap. The new text will then replace the current text on the screen.

You’ll notice that I’ve gotten rid of all footnotes, verse and chapter numbers, and section headings. I adjust that setting one time, and it applies to all passages I read from that Bible (in this case, the ESV) until I choose to add them back in. Give me the text; just the text.

Finally, do you see the speaker icon in the top right? A few Bibles, such as the ESV, have an integrated audio version available in Logos. When I tap that icon, the audio Bible (Hear the Word ESV Bible read by David Cochran Heath) begins playing. The audio begins precisely with whatever text is at the top of the current screen, even if it’s not the beginning of a chapter (audio track). At the end of the selection, the audio automatically stops, even if it’s not the end of the chapter (audio track). If I tap the “next” button at the bottom before the audio stops (sometimes I have to just beat the last word), the audio will continue with the next passage in the plan.

And if all that weren’t enough, I most love what the audio Bible does in between the beginning and end of a passage. When the audio begins each verse, a pulsating golden circle appears around the first word of that verse in the text and flashes for a second. That way, if my eyes drift from alignment with the audio, I can realign them at the start of the next verse (and every subsequent verse). When a portion of Scripture is longer than a single screen, the text automatically shifts (almost like a page flip) when the audio advances past the visible page.

This combination of features makes it easier than ever for me to read/listen to my Bible on my iPad while, for example, using my treadmill each morning. It requires very little manual tapping and scrolling, and gives me a sustained audio feed with associated visual stimuli to follow along with.

I just wanted to rave about one more reason to consider looking into Logos 9.

Tips for Reading the Bible with Another Person

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Drew Hunter offers 7 great tips for reading the Bible with another person:

  1. Keep it simple
  2. Pick a section of the Bible
  3. Make a short-term commitment
  4. Read with coffee or a meal
  5. Read with other Christians
  6. Read with non-Christians
  7. Keep God and his grace in view
  8. Respond with openness and prayer

I especially would highlight the first point. You don’t have to spend hours preparing an extensive Bible study in order to meet with someone to read Scripture together. As Hunter remarks:

Here’s what it can look like: Briefly pray to thank God for his word, and ask for help with understanding and responding to his word. Then read a section of Scripture out loud together. Afterward, briefly respond by sharing thoughts you had while reading the passage. End your time together by praying again.

David Helm offers further help with this sort of discipleship in his book One-to-One Bible Reading. But Hunter’s article is a great introduction to the topic.

Check it out!

How to Become Passionate About Bible Reading

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John Piper answers a question from a teenager wondering how to develop not only a duty but a passion for reading the Bible. His answer may be of help to you as well.

He begins:

Let me start this way: John Piper does not read through the Bible every year because there is a biblical law requiring me to do it; rather, because there’s something like — I don’t know what to call it — a natural or spiritual law in my soul that sets off alarm bells if I don’t. What I mean is this: my mental, psychological, spiritual condition has taught me over the years that without daily communion, daily fellowship with the living Christ, my God, my Savior, my treasure, my friend, in and through his word, the totality of Scripture — without that — my sight of him becomes blurred.

As you proceed in your Bible reading plan for the new year, you may want to consider the rest of his answer.

Check it out!

The New-Bible Fallacy

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Aaron Burden (2017), public domain

If I buy new running shoes, I’ll become a dedicated runner. If I subscribe to a language-training app, I’ll be fluent in a snap. If I purchase an expensive notebook, I’m sure to be a poet.

It’s easy to spot the flaws in this thinking, and our experiences confirm it. New equipment, by itself, won’t produce lasting change.

Though this error is obvious, this thinking still creeps in, even into our spiritual lives. In particular, many people act like getting a new Bible is the key to reading the Bible more.

It’s not.

The Effect of a New Bible

I’ve gotten a few new Bibles in my life, and the first few weeks unfold in a predictable way.

  • Week 1 — I love using my new Bible and I’m reading it more than ever. The feel, the smell, the experience of holding it in my hands—I enjoy all of it!
  • Week 2 — I’m still excited to read my new Bible, but my schedule is getting busy. For some reason, I don’t seem to have as much time or desire to read the Bible as last week.
  • Week 3 — I recognize all the benefits of having this great new Bible, but I’m not reading it nearly as much as I’d like.
  • Week 4 — I don’t read my new Bible any more or less than I was reading the Bible a few weeks ago.

I’m guessing you can relate. When we recognize that we don’t read the Bible as much as we’d like, we long for an easy fix. A new physical Bible seems like just the thing! Yet that new book doesn’t produce long-term change.

Producing Real Change

New possessions—in fact, most changes to our environment—won’t make us different people. They don’t have the power to remake us.

And yet, people can change for the better! We can change! Children of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can resist temptation, grow in obedience, and put the deeds of the body to death (see Romans 8:9–13).

So, how do we change our Bible reading behavior for the better? How do we read the Bible more consistently, more deeply, and with greater anticipation?

Real change begins on the inside. In other words, if our hearts and minds are transformed, it’s easier for our behavior to follow. Repentance means putting off our old selves and putting on the new. (See Ephesians 4:17–24.)

Renewed hearts and minds emerge when God gives us new affections. And proper affections are born of truth.

With that said, here are some foundational truths about the Bible. We need to absorb these truths deep in our bones if we want to change.

  • The Bible is God’s word. It is unlike any other writing or book. (See 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21.)
  • The Bible contains the most important story and the most important truths we will ever encounter. Understanding and remembering these truths are a matter of life and death for our souls. (See Psalm 19:7–11.)
  • The Bible is knowable. God has inspired the Bible so that we might know him through his Son, Jesus. (See John 5:39.)
  • Reading the Bible is essential for faith—both for our conversion and for our ongoing transformation. (See Romans 12:1–2.)
  • Because of sin, the human heart is both stubborn and forgetful. We need the Holy Spirit to help us read, understand, and remember the Bible. (See John 14:26.)
  • Because Christians are adopted children of God, our Bible reading cannot earn or lose us any favor with God. We don’t read to be loved; we read because we are loved already.

If God changes our hearts so that we believe these truths, we will be much more likely to live by them. This change of heart will be ongoing and will last a lifetime.

A New Bible

In the West, there’s rarely a need for a new physical Bible. God has blessed us with an abundance of digital resources for reading his word, and we can start any time we wish.

However, let’s not scoff at the purchase (or gift) of a new Bible. This too can be a great blessing.

A new physical Bible will not bring about an immediate, magical devotion to God. But God himself can change our hearts and make more regular reading a reality.

You Already Know How to Read the Bible

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Alan Shlemon makes a great point in this article: Reading the Bible requires rules we already know. Though the OIA method, for example, may seem like something new to learn, with a whole set of rules to follow—it is actually something you already do instinctively with many things you read on a daily basis.

Shlemon highlights three fundamental principles:

  1. What is the author talking about in the surrounding text (context)?
  2. What is the historical occasion for why the author wrote (history)?
  3. What literary style is the passage written in (genre)?

He gives examples of how we do these things already, instinctively, such as:

If a sports headline reads, “Cowboys Shoot Down Eagles,” everyone knows that men with revolvers didn’t shoot any birds. We all recognize that sports news is written in a particular literary style, where teams are often named after people (e.g. Cowboys, 49ers, etc.) and animals (e.g. eagles, dolphins etc.). No one is confused. For some reason, however, the same people who understand that news headlines are written in different literary styles, ignore the different literary styles of Scripture.

Check it out!

Announcing our 2021 Bible Reading Challenge

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We’re giving away a copy of the CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection and a one-volume reader’s Bible. The CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection provides the perfect opportunity to read the Bible in its original and simplified form, uninterrupted by verse and chapter references. Constructed with select cloth cover materials and printed on high-quality book paper, this unique Bible reading experience invites the reader to encounter God’s Word as a grand narrative and have a fresh experience with the Bible.

To win one of these prizes, you simply have to demonstrate 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. Viruses and turmoil are no match for our inevitability.

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 who are we to stand in your way? You think about all his commandments; you will not be ashamed. You are continually overcome with longing for his judgments. Though your life is down in the dust, you seek life according to God’s word. Therefore 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 United States mailing address to win one of the stated prizes. Residents of other countries will receive a $50 (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, 2021. 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 13, 2020 and March 31, 2021, “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 2021, 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 CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection or a one-volume reader’s Bible in the translation of their choice. (While these are not your only options, we have reviewed 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 $50 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 Lifeway Christian Resources 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.

The Bible is Bigger than Your Bumper Sticker

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Here is a very brief, yet marvelous reflection from Jared Wilson on the glory of the Scripture.

I want to bleed Bible. Don’t you? I want, when somebody cuts me open, my guts to spill out in Bible verses.

We are staring back along the wake of an entire generation of church teaching that treats the Bible likes Bartlett’s Book of Quotations. We swoop down toward the Scriptures quickly and snatch something, anything, that will do for a pick-me-up, a soundbite, a prooftexted inspiration. Jeremiah 29:11. Philippians 4:13. Romans 8:28. These verses and more we have decontextualized into a devastating discipleship deficiency. And then we act shocked when professing Christians who otherwise know some Bible verses do not portray the wisdom of the Word.

He concludes:

Be careful with how you use your Bible, then, to make sure it is actually using you. Consult its whole counsel. Don’t be an adherent of pick-n-choose-ianity. Reject sloganeering and cliche-peddling. Through the deep Word, become a deeper person. The Bible is bigger than your bumper sticker.

Please read the rest of Wilson’s exhortation, and please, please, take it to heart. Check it out!

Why Read the Bible When So Many Teachers are Available Online?

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John Piper was recently asked this question, and his answer is fantastic.

1. Do you believe Psalm 119:99?
2. How will you test the reliability of your teachers by the word of God?
3. Why do you want to avoid the immediate, authentic experience of savoring your love letter by asking someone else to read it for you?

Of course, this is only the summary. His full answer is worth your consideration.

Check it out!