The Plan:
Read a study Bible plus the notes in a year. I love the ESV Study Bible. Use these bookmarks developed from Discipleship Journal that segments the entire Bible into 300 daily readings.
Just because Jan. 1 is behind you, it doesn’t mean you can’t start today and end a year from that date.
The Why:
I could write about countless battles won, a deeper joy, and a greater understanding of the goodness of God because of the Scriptures, but I’ll let the Scriptures tell you “The Why.”
Scripture is to be understood correctly
2 Timothy 2:15 – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Acts 17:11 – Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for the man of God
2 Timothy 3:14-16 – But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Scripture provides nourishment that bread cannot
Matthew 4:4 – Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Job 23:12 – I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
Scripture will set you free from guilt and the enslaving power of sinful patterns of conduct
John 8:32 – “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Bob Kauflin, The Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries and worship pastor of Covenant Life Church, read the ESV Study Bible last year and wrote down some thoughts on it that I found helpful
May our lives be saturated with the Word; our thoughts, our songs, our prayers. Let me know if you’re up for the challenge. It’s worth it.
Thanks for posting this. Started an ESV in a year plan on January 5, but am now considering using the ESV study Bible.
I’m reading the the NT (ESV Study Bible), including notes, in the first 6 months of 2010. I would suggest that not every Christian may be “wired” to go through an entire study bible in one year. I tend to get more out of the bible by meditating on a few verses or a chapter of scripture every day.
For those who DO want to challenge themselves with an ambitious goal like this – you might consider reading along with the audio at the ESV Study Bible website. The narrator is one of the best I’ve heard. I tend to get distracted when I read. But following along with the narrator keeps me going at a fairly rapid pace.
Great post, Michael! Thanks for the Kauflin link.
I received the ESV Study Bible as a birthday gift in December. Leery of giving up my beloved NIV, I decided to give it a try with the read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan you mentioned. God is really using this to challenge and teach me. The study notes are very insightful, and the ESV is much easier to read than I expected. It’s been really cool.
Thanks for posting about this!
I retweeted your tweet about this and 2 of the peeps in our home group got started right away. Katie and I didn’t get started until yesterday. The bookmarks are a huge help.
The notes add a whole new level of depth. I have the iPhone ESVSB app and it is a great compliment to the printed copy.