Abide | 6 Months in the New Testament - Daily Readings From the Bible Sample

A Letter from The Bridge:

The mission of every Christian is to be with Jesus and become like Him—for the sake of the world. That all starts in one place: God’s Word. To be with Jesus, we have to first spend time with Him. God wants us to know Him—not just know about Him—and studying Scripture is one foundational way we grow in our relationship with Him.

And so, we embark on Abide—a 6-month-long Bible reading and reflection plan. Our hope is that this next year of studying together is marked with a hunger for God’s Word and a deeper faith with every passage read.

Here are some thoughts to remember as you jump in:

• Stay with it. As with any reading plan, it’s important you stick it out! If you miss a day or fall behind, don’t be discouraged! Pick your Bible back up and keep going! We've even built in weekly "Catch Up Days" to give you the space to catch back up if needed.
• Dive deeper. Challenge yourself to dive deeper into the reading in a guided journal—reading, examining, applying, and praying through the Scripture each day. See more about this method on the next page.
• Don’t do this alone! You’ll read this truth a few times in Scripture this year, but God has made us for community! As you take His Word in and allow it to transform you, share the journey with others and tell them how God is at work!

Matthew 4:4 says this: “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Here, we see that Scripture serves such a great purpose in our lives as believers that it’s both life-giving and life-sustaining. We can take in a lot of things during our days, but nothing so transformative as the very Word of God.

As a church, we look forward to reading through the Bible with you. We pray that God uses this journey through Scripture to lead you to be with and become more like Him for the sake of the world.

Prayer

You’ll take a few minutes to read through today’s passages in just a moment. Before you do, start with a simple prayer like this:

“God, I invite you into this moment and ask that you open my heart to Your Word. Help me to know you deeply through it, and let your truth transform my heart, mind, and soul today.”

Once you finish your reading, take a few moments to walk through P.R.A.Y.

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P - PAUSE to be still. Meditate on what you’ve just read, allowing it to sink in.

R - REFLECT on Scripture. What was God saying to you today through His Word? Speak aloud a verse to remember, and maybe even write it down.

A - ASK for God’s help. The challenge is to be with Jesus and become more like Him. How does today’s Word challenge you to do that?

Y - YIELD to His will in your life. God lovingly invites you into His beautiful plan for you, His church, and the world. Take up His invitation to live differently; understanding His plan is beyond anything we could ask or imagine.

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Some Context on Matthew

Who Wrote the Book of Matthew?

While the book itself is anonymous, the earliest reliable Christian tradition links it to Matthew, a tax collector and disciple of Jesus.

Who was Matthew writing for?

Matthew's gospel is clearly written for a Jewish Christian audience living within the immediate proximity of the homeland itself. Matthew's is the most Jewish of all the gospels. The community for which Matthew was written was a Jewish Christian community that was encountering some new tensions in the period of reconstruction after the first revolt. It would appear that they've been there for quite some time.

Context

The events described in Matthew take place in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the surrounding occupied lands of the Greco-Roman Empire during the early 1st century, between 10 B.C.E. and 40 C.E. The book was likely composed between 50 and 90 C.E.

Literary Styles

The book of Matthew is written in narrative, along with some discourse sections.

Key Themes

1. God’s blessing to Israel and the nations
2. God's closeness to his people
3. Hope for and life within the messianic Kingdom of God

Structure

Matthew is divided into seven parts. Chapters 1-3 and 4-7 introduce Jesus as Messiah and God's Kingdom. Chapters 8-10, 11-13, and 14-20 invite people into the Kingdom's power. Chapters 21-25 and 26-28 conclude with Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.