Join us as we read the Bible in a year

By Gerry Straker, 20 Aug 2026

The ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.  
They are more desirable than gold - than an abundance of pure gold;
and sweeter than honey, dripping from a honeycomb. 
Psalm 19:9-10
 

The Bible describes itself as:

• Powerful like fire;
• Penetrating like a double-edged sword; 
• Vital like bread, milk, food and water; 
• Sight-giving like light and a mirror; 
• Bringing security like an anchor and a rock; 
• More valuable than silver, gold and rubies; 
• Creating life, like a seed; 
• And, satisfying like honey. 

The Bible is dangerous and delighful, weighty and wonderful, meat and drink, life-giving and life-fulfilling. The Bible is the Word of God and through his Word we come to God himself. A W Tozer wrote this: 

The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and centre of their hearts.

God has spoken by his prophets, by Christ Jesus and God speaks today by his Spirit as the Author brings His Word to bear in our hearts. 

I would like to invite you to read the Bible in a year, or two years. Committing to reading the Bible in a year together helps us actually do it and means there can be discussion and prayer about what we read. 
 
Our particular Bible plan has the following advantages: 

• There is a varied diet, rather than reading four chapters in the same book.
• Although we read four chapters, usually our heads are in three books rather than four - people find threes easier than fours.
• Usually there is one New Testament chapter.
• Usually one chapter is from the ‘Wisdom’ section of the Old Testament.
• Built into the plan are rests or chances to catch up or to do something different.
• Some books are deliberately paired to be read together.
• Some books are in historical order.

You can find the Bible plan attached here or you can pick up a copy from Church on Sundays.  

The first few days of the plan are:

Tuesday 1st September         Matthew 1     1 Kings 1-2     Psalm 1
Wednesday 2nd September  Matthew 2     1 Kings 3-4     Psalm 2
Thursday 3rd September       Matthew 3     1 Kings 5-6     Psalm 3
Friday 4th September            Matthew 4      1 Kings 7-8    Psalm 4
Saturday 5th September        Matthew 5      1 Kings 9-10   Psalm 5
Sunday 6th September          Catch up/get ahead/enjoy a shorter Bible reading

Our Bible reading plan is not meant to be a stick to beat ourselves with. It is meant to be a joy and to help you read less familiar or perhaps sections of the Bible you haven't read before or perhaps just spend more time reading the Bible.  I completely understand that four chapters a day will be too much for some, so here are some suggestions

• Why not read the Bible over two years. Choose two columns this year, and two columns next year. 
• Why not listen to the Bible instead, or to some of the chapters. I find David Suchet reading the NIV 2011 very helpful. There is an App (e.g. Google Play Store or Apple App Store). Or you can find him on the Bible Gateway website
• Why not read a column or two as a family or a couple or on the phone with a friend?
• Why not count family Bible time, or Sunday's sermon series or C3 when we hear some Bible from elsewhere on the plan and tick off as we hear the Bible in those different contexts. 

It's much better to be realistic than to end up paralysed with pressure and not enjoy reading God's Word.  

God’s people from at least Moses' days are people of the book, and we are to be too - making the most of the technology that put the Bible into our hands, or the palms of our hands on our smartphones.  Charles Spurgeon said: ‘Visit many good books but live in the Bible.’ John Wesley wanted to be a 'homo unius libri' (a man of one book) - not that he wouldn’t read other books, but that all other books were to be compared to the one truly great book.

Here's a good prayer you can pray before reading. It's from the Book of Common Prayer written by Thomas Cranmer in the 16th century, it’s the collect (a short general prayer used in Church meetings) for the second Sunday in Advent (the season before Christmas):

'Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.'

Whether you decide to join us or not, keep reading the Word of God, meditating on it, and praying in the light of it. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.