The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble

This year, at Family Outreach Center, we will be participating in a Bible Reading plan where we will read the Bible from cover to cover in one year. Dr. Matthew Blake Strickland offers this helpful information below.......

- This plan uses the YouVersion Bible app. Make sure you have that downloaded on your device before clicking the link. 

- The plan automatically begins on January 1, 2023. 

- You don’t have to read the Bible on the app. You can, but it isn’t required. You can just use the app to see the plan and click that you completed each reading. 

- This reading plan is in chronological order. It’s what makes the most sense to me! Some places will skip around. The point is to read the Bible in the order that events happened. 

- There is a podcast episode for each day. If you have a podcast app on your device, you can listen to a short discussion for each day’s readings. This is not necessary but could be helpful. 

- At the start of each new book, there is also a video produced by The Bible Project. Viewing some of these could be helpful for understanding what that book of the Bible is about. 

- Listen to the podcast and view the book videos with some caution. I have not listened to every episode or seen every video, so I cannot fully endorse them. The things I have seen and heard were pretty good and helpful. However, I did that several years ago, so I do not know how much has changed. 

- Find a translation of the Bible that works for you. I personally like NKJV. The main ones I can recommend are KJV, NKJV, ESV, and NASB. Some people like the NIV and NLT, but I’m not sure I like those too much. 

- If a particular part of the Bible gets difficult, (long, long lists of names!!), don’t get bogged down in the details. Push through it.

- If you get behind, don’t quit! Just pick back up on the new day and read a little bit from the backlog until you get caught up. The worst thing you can do is say, “I’m a few days (weeks) behind so I’ll just try again next time.” Nope. Start reading and slowly make up what you missed. 

- Ask for help! There are some parts of the Bible (especially in the Old Testament) that are very difficult to either understand or imagine. Some things are gruesomely detailed while others are ambiguous on what exactly happened. Ask someone what they think about those things. 

- If someone hasn’t completed the readings in a while, check on them. This is not easy. Life has a way of standing in the way of doing something like this. Let’s help each other grow stronger in our faith in The Lord.

- Feel free to share this with people who do not attend FOC. Anyone is welcome to join us!