Step 6: Do Not Start at the Start

You want to begin with the first book of the Bible, don’t you? That makes sense. Then you can read straight through. But that plan often falls apart by the end of the second book. It gets very hard to keep reading—even for those who love to read.

Start with the Gospel of Mark. (Find it in the Table of Contents if you need to.) This book has a fast pace. Jesus zips from place to place doing great things. And he says smart things, funny things.

Then move on to the Gospel of Luke. You’ll find some of the same stories, which could be nice. They will be like old friends.

And then you’ll come to the Gospel of John. Here you will meet extraordinary people. And you’ll see how Jesus gets to know them. So you’ll get to know Jesus in a new way.

Keep reading through Acts and Romans and the rest of the Bible. Just remember: Take your time. Enjoy the process. Allow God to speak to you and practice meditating upon the verses that God is using to speak to your life. Later, come back to the beginning to learn more!

Step 7: Find a Friend to Talk With

After you read some verses, talk with someone about them. This will help you get to know those verses even better. And your friend might share some good thoughts about them.

If there were parts you didn’t get, talk about that too. Maybe your friend can help you see something you missed.

A friend might also remind you to read the Bible more. Maybe your friend can suggest ways to follow the Bible’s teaching. Then you can both enjoy God’s Word in a brand new way.

Reading with other people guards us against distractions and provides us with fellowship. The public reading of the Bible in biblical days was fundamental since few people knew how to read. Unless the Scriptures were read to them, they would never hear them.

Consider the privilege you and I have, thank God, and enjoy your journey into discovering the beautiful treasures that the Word of God has in store for you, your family, and friends.