¡Hola, hola! Welcome to the Summer Bible Reading Challenge! We are so very grateful that you are joining us and look forward to hearing what the Lord will be doing in your life through this challenge – let us know through email or on our Facebook page!
Our plan is designed for us to abide in the Word of God with much intentionality through the summer. We have two plans running simultaneously: one will take you through the New Testament once reading only 4 chapters a day, and the second option will take you through several epistles three times and a few psalms, reading 6 chapters a day. Each week we have readings assigned Monday through Friday, and Saturdays are set apart for you to review and meditate on the Scripture passage that we will be considering closely each week (Saturdays are called “M-Days” and of course you can use them as catch-up days too!)
I recommend that you print your weekly memory/meditation card and have it ready by Monday. That week read it and meditate on it, pray it, and even try to memorize it by reading it 5-6 times a day. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of memorization. Keep it at hand and be intentional about reading it and meditating on it several times a day, and then on Saturday – our M-Day – you will be surprised to see how much you actually remember. Note that our plan is not organized following the order in which the books appear in our Bibles, but rather in a unique, well-thought order. We will start with the gospel of John, followed by his three epistles, and then the book of Revelation, which he also wrote. Pay attention to what John chooses to tell us in his gospel about Jesus and then see how these things closely relate to the doctrines he develops in his letters. Note themes like light/darkness, dead/life, confession of sin, repentance, loving God and His people (but hating the world!). Those of you choosing to do the extended plan will be reading almost twice this per week. I am sure you will find many connections with what we will be reading in John’s writings while at the same time finding so much encouragement in seeing how our justification is through grace by faith alone.
The meditation/memorization passages are chosen to tell one story if you put them together. In June we will memorize John 3:16-21, 1 John 1:5-10; and Revelation 21:1-4. If you take a moment to read them all at once you will see that we are going to be meditating on the gospel message: The Father sends His Son to the world to save the world, to bring many to the light, and God is the Light and in Him there is no darkness at all, so we must repent (instead of saying that we have no sin!) and believe and trust that only the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us and not only forgive us but cleanse us from all unrighteousness! And then in the passage of Revelation we will read how, when we are in Him as part of His church, we will be in a restored relationship with Him. He will dwell among us, He will be our God and we will be His people forever! Sin will no longer have dominion over us, but all things will be made new in Christ Jesus! Alleluia!
As you meditate on each week’s passage, I hope you see how important it is to consider the immediate context of the text, and it’s context within the whole letter. This will make your meditation richer.
Friends, we are praying that you will be nourished as you come to the Scriptures every day this week. Remember that we don’t need more willpower to persevere, we need more hunger and more thirst, and we cannot produce those ourselves. Ask God to give you more hunger and more thirst of Him, He will surely answer you and draw closer to you as you draw closer to Him.
May our prayer this week be, “ Father, help us abide in your Word as your true disciples do.” (John 8:31)
Under His sun and by His grace,
Becky Pliego and the Christ Church Ladies Fellowship
