Resolved to Read God's Word (Updated for 2025)

Ah, those pesky "resolutions." How often we target some day or event—especially that beloved January 1 date so many of us call the new year, and by which so many of us live—stating that's the day we're going to "make that change." This can be a good thing, and it's typically thought of with great intentions. But frequently, and even annually just after a year begins, I hear people complaining they've fallen off whatever wagon they intended to ride. And that can be enough to make us give it all up fast. (Perhaps this is the year to consider a "Rule of Life" instead.) 

For many people, reading the Bible can become one of those "resolutions." And since we do have that handy 365 days in our calendar year, the top of a year or the beginning of a month are not necessarily bad times to get such a thing started.

But where to begin?

In the beginning? Genesis is not a bad idea if you want to go cover to cover. But after the excitement of creation, the sadness of the fall and the action and adventure that follow, a lot of people get bogged down a few books in, frequently for a lack of understanding what they're reading and why it's important. Whether or not that includes you, this should help your study.

For the new believer, the book of John is often suggested as a good place to start. In any of the Gospels, including Matthew, Mark or Luke, you'll get a picture of who Jesus is, frequently by His own words, and how He lived, died and came back to life in an amazing display of perfection and love for His people, which is exactly what the entire collection of 66 books is about.

Another popular standby is to read and pray through the Psalms and/or Proverbs each day.

But if you've already done or tried all that and would like a new approach, yet have no idea what that might look like, perhaps one of the following will help.


Plans and Tools

• BibleGateway.com Reading Plans
The page above includes two 61 day overview plans to get you started if a year feels intimidating. There's also a 121 day overview. All three put together would gradually build you up to having spent over half a year in God's Word. Any of these are great recommendations for learning or reviewing major Biblical themes and characters. If you want to go for it, use the full year plan.

• Even More BibleGateway.com Plans
Lots of options here. This list gives you 365 day options for Old/New Testament, Chronological, Genesis-Revelation, Historical and New Testament only, plus a few 40 day plans for the coming Lent season. There's even a Bible in 90 days plan and an NT in 24 weeks guide for the particularly ambitious.

• Crossway - ESV Podcasts
Crossway offers a variety of ESV podcasts with a few plan options, including 90 days through the New Testament. A couple years ago, I found their "Straight Through the Bible" plan really helpful for using my commute time to focus on God's Word.

• ESV.org
ESV has recently overhauled their website, and still offers a variety of daily reading plans of different lengths. They have also added Scripture playlists based on various topics. However, many of these offerings are now subscription based. For accounts based on a previous purchase of the ESV Study Bible, several plans and playlists remain included.

• Ligonier Ministries Reading Plans (Updated for 2025)
A few more options, including a flexible 5 day a week plan, all available to download as PDFs. Ligonier also has suggestions for a basic overview of the Bible for those just getting started.

• From Tim Challies' Blog
Here's a bunch of plan ideas shared by Challies a while back, including the why-didn't-I-think-of-that "Change Your Mind" plan. More recently, he continues to be a big fan of the Five Day Bible Reading Plan.

• TGC's "Read the Bible"
Daily readings from four different books along with commentary from Don Carson. You can read or listen online, or download a printable PDF to follow along.

• The Bible Project
Illustrated video summaries of each book of the Bible, plus series and theme videos to enhance your understanding as you go. They also have their own reading plan and an app to follow.

• Bible Reading Plan Generator
Nothing look right for you? Build your own Bible adventure with this handy tool.

Hey, don't get overwhelmed here. The point is, you've got options. Choose one and get in there!

Tips and Tricks 

No matter what you pick, as you embark on this journey here are some things to keep in mind:

Pray - Ask God what He wants to show you in the text. Pray the words back to Him as appropriate, or pray along to a Psalm that expresses how you feel right now. Be honest with God. He knows your heart better than you do. Ask Him to show you the truth, and to show you the love and forgiveness of Jesus throughout the Scripture and in your own life.

Look for Jesus - Remember, Jesus is who the Bible is all about. Really. He's in there everywhere, either literally or represented by something or someone. If you are wondering where He is and how to find Him, here's a quick and helpful summary. Seeing Jesus in ways you've never seen Him before will help you get to know Him better, and helps keep you motivated as you understand Who the Bible's really about.

Pick a time/place/plan/style best for you - Do this whenever and wherever you will be least distracted. Pick whatever works best in your current life situation, but pick something. If reading is not your thing, there are plenty of audio Bibles and podcast options, and the ESV site allows you to listen online as well.

Find a friend - This isn't mandatory, but a reading plan is often easier to stick with if you have someone reading with you. That way you can ask each other how you're doing and discuss what you're learning. I once created a private blog to do my study with others, and just being able to interact and comment each day in that way, much like journaling, really helped keep me going. (For 2 whole years even. Never thought I'd say that at the time.) It also helped me think and learn differently.

Don't give up - So you missed a day. Life happens. Just pick it up again wherever you are. 


A Powerful Experience

Let it be known, daily time in God's Word isn't natural to me either. But, by God's grace, from 2010-11 I didn't go a day without. (FYI, we traveled quite extensively during this time, so I made efforts to plan for reading time each day. Even at Disneyland.) This actually started to encourage a friend who wanted to spend more time in Scripture, and having someone to share insights with was a helpful motivator. We were studying along with The Daily Office Lectionary, a 2-year plan which was really helpful as it includes readings from Psalms or Proverbs, Old Testament, New Testament and a Gospel every day. This broadened my understanding of how The Bible is one story pointing to Jesus, the Savior who takes away the sins of His people from every race and era.

This was an amazing journey, and one I most certainly don't regret. I pray all this will encourage you on your own journey in God's amazing Word, and that you find incredible joy in spending more time with the Lord.


(This article originated in 2011 and has been revised to reflect updated plan information.)

Resources for Study: The Book of Revelation

This weekend, our church is joining together for a 24-Hour Prayer Vigil, which involves continual prayer at our building as we pray through the Book of Revelation, with focus on a different chapter each hour, and culminating in our worship service on Sunday.

This book can be intimidating or confusing to some, and there are many different interpretations of the text. However, I love this ultimate summary of Revelation from one of my distance mentors, Ed Welch, who fairly expressed it is not a puzzle to be solved, but a picture shouting, quite simply: “Jesus wins."

If you’ve never read Revelation before, or even if you've read it many times, here are a few resources to help you better navigate and pray your way through this amazing book, all about the great King of Kings who was and is and is to come.

The Bible Project Overview: Revelation 1-11

The Bible Project Overview: Revelation 12-22

Nancy Guthrie: “Don’t Fear the Book of Revelation”

"The Bible Project:" A Tool to Enhance Your Reading

I often share an article about starting a Scripture reading plan, especially around the new year, which you can find here: "Resolved to Read God's Word."

This year, I want to share a great resource to help people better understand just what they're reading.

The Bible Project has created beautifully illustrated summaries of every book in the Bible, plus lots of series and theme videos to help you understand particular topics. And at this point they're still creating, with much of their content being crowd funded.

The site does offer some reading plans, which you can follow via an app, get notifications for by e-mail or even download in print, but you can definitely use their videos to enhance any plan you choose. Here's an intro video for more on who they are.

I've also included the first half of Genesis here just so you can get a feel for their riveting style. Or, go ahead and get started there if that's your pick.

However you choose to get reading, I hope these videos are a great help as you get to know the Lord through His Word.

take no one's word for God's Word

"The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 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. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds." -Acts 17:10-13 (ESV)


If last year was all about understanding the joy of the Lord, I’d have to say this year has been about doctrine and correct use of Scripture. I think I’ve grown a lot in my understanding of the Bible this year (with, of course, infinite room for growth) and how to listen when Scripture is used inappropriately or out of context.

This didn’t "just happen.” It came from plenty of study, some public but much private, and even visiting several churches. It’s on my mind so much and I'm learning so much that I’ve honestly had some trouble collecting my thoughts to write. I even had a dream recently about trying to correct someone and help them understand how to study the Bible. Because I constantly hear misquoted and misused Scripture, I'm genuinely concerned about things many of us are taught and believe without checking, then teach others wrongly so the error continues person to person on down the generations.

I also become very concerned when those who claim to be believers say things like, "Oh, well that's not exactly what it means, but God can use it." God is not the author of confusion, and we aren't allowed to excuse ourselves from confusing others. We are accountable to the Lord for presenting His message correctly. We need to repent and ask the Lord for His wisdom, correcting ourselves in humility.

I know sometimes when a person feels this way they can also fall into several errors, which I pray to avoid. I don’t want to be angry in correction or prideful in knowledge. Right or wrong, I don't want to "agitate." (Hold accountable, yes. Stir up trouble, no.) This isn't about "being right," it's about honoring God. And I know that I, too, have been guilty of Scriptural misunderstanding and explanation because I didn't do enough study myself. That simply has to stop.

Look at James 3:1-18. Proper teaching and use of words in all settings isn't just a suggestion.

My prayer is that I can glorify the Lord in helping others grow in Him and their understanding of His words, even as I grow in my understanding and ability to explain. My prayer is for His wisdom in understanding the text, not overlaying other ideas or ways I really wish God worked. I want to know Him for who He is as He is, and I want to know exactly what God is communicating, not trusting various interpretations of God's plan.

That said, here are some things to do during your own study which have helped tremendously as I move past simply being taught and dig into the Bible for myself.


1) Textual Context - We love to make fortune cookie sized quotes out of rich Bible passages and stick them on signs and t-shirts. Some of Proverbs is written in that style, but for most of the Bible, which is written as a flow of thought through an entire document or letter, it's possible to miss the point of the passage altogether. Brief quotes come in handy for memorization, and, explained properly, help in sharing and teaching. But proper explanation is key, because hearing something out of context can cause it to take on an entirely different meaning in our minds (and this happens far too often with Scripture).

Be sure to always read the passages surrounding the portion of Scripture you're studying. If that means reading a whole book, do it. I really appreciate the clickable Scripture references on this site that allow you to go see what else is surrounding that portion of Scripture. Use them. And remember, the numbering system was created later to help you find things easier, not for isolation.

Try this with everyone's favorite, John 3:16. To get the context of that verse, you should read from John 3:1-21. Find out who is talking, who is being spoken too and what is being said. Even look for time references. (I'll give it away, it's "night.") Read quotes in their entirety.


2) Historical Context - While God's plan encompasses all of human history, past, present and future, the Bible was written by certain people to certain people at certain points in time. To fully understand the concepts presented, we need to know those facts as much as possible and how that audience was likely to understand what was being said.

Commentaries and study Bibles can be useful for historical information, but be careful when these become more opinion based than fact based. (We recommend the ESV Study Bible as one that tends toward a fairly balanced presentation.)

For instance, in John 3:1-21, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus who was a member of the Sanhedrin, one who is supposed to know Scripture (our Old Testament) well enough to teach. Therefore he has a different perspective than many people of that time, and Jesus speaks to Him differently. Obviously much more can be said on this verse, but this fact alone should improve our perspective of why Jesus says the things He says here.


3) Original Language - Alright, so you can't read Greek. Or Hebrew. Or any of the other languages of the Bible. Maybe you can barely make out some of the older translations. But remember, all of our modern versions are just that—translated. And our words, in any language, take on different meanings as time goes on and dialects change or die.

So what was being said in the original languages? Well, if I just described you, Bible Hub has a great resource to help you with that question. Their Bible Lexicon includes Greek and Hebrew so you can view passages to see what the words are in those languages.

To get you started, check out John 3:16 all broken down in Greek. You can click on the numbers in the Strong's column for definitions and other word options. I also have a note in my Bible stating that, "For God so loved the world," might be translated, "For this is how God loved the world."

And, hey, watch out getting all caught up on individual words in English or any translation. I've heard of all kinds of study methods that ask people to focus on individual words. Sometimes every little one. Not only does this cause you to lose sight of vital context, but sometimes because we have to use different styles of phraseology to communicate in translations, people get stuck on words that aren't in the original phrase. Definitions are important. Context is crucial.


4) Scripture vs. Scripture - Another question is, how does this Scripture align with other portions of Scripture? Remember, the Bible tells a single story. It's God's story of redemption. It's all pointing to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of those who believe in Him. Don't forget this, regardless of what you're reading.

My biggest caution would be against overlaying ideas that aren't necessarily there onto the text, especially when your idea is contrary to other portions of Scripture. And definitely don't try to force other Scriptures to fit your conjecture. The steps above should help with a large part of that problem. But the tendency remains, and sometimes one has to retrain the brain to understand the proper meaning of a passage rather than what we've been told or even convinced ourselves is true.

Helpful in this pursuit can be cross references, provided in most larger Bibles. I looked at a few for John 3:16, and it pointed me to passages such as Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 2:4. (Tip: Don't forget context in looking at the cross references too!)


So all of this is basic and vital to having an informed, Biblical comprehension. Don't just sit back and wait for a preacher or anyone else to do this for you. Know the Bible yourself. A true believer should find an ever increasing desire to know what the Lord is saying, so studying the Bible should become natural in your life as you grow in Him. And pray each time you read, always asking the Lord to reveal His truth alone.

By the way, in my own study of John 3:16 and surrounding, this is what I am learning:

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (ESV)
  

God's love for the world meant He took action and sent Jesus to die for the sins of not everyone, but those who believe in Him. This is clear in verse 15 as well. We see several places in Scripture that not everyone will be saved. If that were true, no one would be in hell or "perish." But having heard others claim this means Christ's death is "for all," I looked up the background of "world" and "whoever" (sometimes translated "whosoever.") Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a Jew, and is making the point again, as do many other places in Scripture, that it is not only the Jews who can be saved, but Gentiles as well. The "whoever" emphasizes people from any nation that God calls who truly trust in Jesus and will be saved through His blood. This would have been a bit of a shock for the Jews, who claimed some exclusivity as God's chosen race. (Chosen to share who God was with the rest of the world, and even have the Messiah born through them as a Jew, but that's a further study.)

That's just a little of what I'm learning from this passage as I study using all the devices listed above. It's amazing, bringing out so much more of what God is doing in restoring His creation. In His perfect justice, He gets all the glory in both His wrath and love. Praise Him for His mercy extended through the blood of Christ to those who believe.

And that is where your study should always lead you in the end, the praise of God's glory. Worship Him.