Reading the Bible Together in 2024
This year, let’s grow deeper in the Christian Ordinary of reading the Bible daily! To this end, we have provided a link below to a free e-copy of D. A. Carson’s devotional, “For the Love of God (Volume 2)”. In this devotional, you will be provided with 4 chapters for your daily reading, as well as a more in-depth devotional for one of those chapters from Carson.
Please do not be overwhelmed by the 4 chapters listed each day! Again, the purpose of this Bible-reading plan is to read the Bible daily! At the very least, would you read the chapter that Carson’s devotional is based on, each day. This would already add such depth and distance to your Bible-reading this year. But if you would really like to go far in your Bible-reading this year, I encourage you to read in community – especially with your cell group members!
Let’s take every effort to safeguard this foundational Christian Ordinary – not only for our own personal growth – but also so that we might truly bring God’s flourishing wherever we are! By God’s grace, would you also find this discipline becoming a delight.
Pastor Johanan
On behalf of the Elders
For the Love of God (Volume 2)
Additional resources
- Ligonier Scripture Index (with resources for specific chapters): Click here
- Joel Beeke’s Family Guide (need to purchase): Click here
- Bible book overviews from ‘A Chapter A Day’ (below)
Old Testament
New Testament
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
- Gospel-centred
- Chapter by chapter (not 1-2 verses per devotional)
- Goes through the Bible (not cherry-picking certain parts thematically)
Also the PDF version is free for everyone!
Carson’s thoughts are generally rich enough for meditation even on 2nd or 3rd readings, and we can still benefit greatly from them
Reading the Bible in community encourages us as a body, it acts as a common point of reference for sharing parts of our walk with the Lord in cell meetings, ministry or church gatherings.
Also, not everyone would have the initiative or drive to source out and commit to a reading plan, or might currently still need help to understand the daily passage with the help of a devotional.
Hence, having this general direction pastorally and encouraging us to go on the journey together will help us as a body.
Here are some ways that you can engage with Agapians in community!
- Share thoughts with your cell in WhatsApp chat groups
- Meet on a regular basis with your cell members to share and pray together about how the Lord is teaching and challenging you
- When you get the chance to share at a ministry gathering, share from the text that you have been reading and meditating on
- Talk to a friend about what you have learnt when you get a chance, and aim to encourage them with the Word of God
If you can read one chapter a day, that’s actually a really great outcome! It’s understandable that 4 chapters a day is quite a stretch, so start with wherever you currently are, but wherever your starting point prayerfully aim to grow in consistency of Bible reading this year.
If you’d like to stick with 1 chapter a day, perhaps you can consider the following approaches:
- Start with any 1 out of the 4 starting points of the plan
- E.g. Pick either Gen 1, Matt 1, Ezra 1, Acts 1 and continue through to the end of the year from that starting point
- Pick the chapter for that day based on which chapter the devotional refers to
E.g. If the devotional is based on 1 Corinthains 3, then read 1 Corinthians 3 for that day
