Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Jonah 1

    Jonah 1

    Read Jonah 1

    Jonah Flees From the Lord

    1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

    3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

    4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

    But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

    7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

    9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

    10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

    11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

    12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

    13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

    Jonah’s Prayer

    17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

    Go Deeper

    We are all probably familiar with the story of Jonah running from God and being swallowed up by the large fish, before being spit out in the land where God originally told him to go. We are also likely familiar with the lessons about God carrying out His purposes and fulfilling His plans despite our willingness to obey. However, another important lesson weaves its way through this book.

    We see Jonah’s anger and frustration with God as a thread throughout this story. And why is Jonah mad? Because God loves those Jonah considers his enemies. Jonah is a biblical example of us on the days we ask God, “Why does it feel like the bad guys always win?” 

    We are not told in this chapter why Jonah runs in the opposite direction of Nineveh, but we know that he falls asleep aboard the ship. When God sends a storm to wake Jonah up, even the pagan sailors are able to discern that this is not a normal storm. They ask Jonah to explain himself and, somewhat hypocritically, he claims to worship the God “that made the sea.” Remember, based on what we know about Jonah from 2 Kings, there should be some skepticism about Jonah’s statement. If he truly worships the God who made the sea, why is he running from that God? We also can be skeptical about Jonah’s request for the sailors to throw him overboard. While this might initially seem unselfish, it could also be another way to run from what God is telling him to do. A way to die and escape everything that Jonah feels is unjust and unfair.

    But God foils his plans when the big fish enters the story. Just as Ephesians 2 tells us, God has planned in advance good works for each of us to do. Jonah was no different. We will see in the remainder of the book how Jonah’s anger at God remained, despite God’s relentless and merciful pursuit of him–the same merciful pursuit that angered Jonah when it was aimed at his enemies. 

    We can read this book as a question to all of us: are we ok with God loving our enemies? As The Bible Project explains, the book of Jonah is like a mirror that allows us to see the worst parts of our character magnified. God puts up with the Jonah in all of us. The good news is that the vastness of God’s mercy is for all of us.

    Questions

    1. Do you feel angry when it feels like the “bad guys” are winning? If so, what do you do with those feelings?
    2. Read Matthew 5:43-48.  These verses are a reminder that it is easy to love those who love us, but as Christians, we are called to something greater. 
    3. If there is anyone that you can identify as an “enemy”, spend time today praying for that person rather than allowing seeds of anger and bitterness against them to grow in your heart.

    Watch This

    Check out this video from The Bible Project for a more thorough overview of the Book of Jonah.

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  • Amos 1

    Amos 1

    Amos Preview

    The book of Amos, another one of the minor prophets, takes place during the eight century B.C. Amos was a simple man, working as a shepherd and a farmer and living amongst normal people. He wasn’t wealthy or royalty. He wasn’t a priest, nor did he even consider himself to be a prophet. He was, however, a man who loved God with a deep devotion. God, as He did time and time again throughout the Old Testament, chose to speak through Amos to address the problems within Israel.

    As Amos looked around, he was frustrated with Israel’s lack of care for those around them. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll says this about the book of Amos: “More than almost any other book of Scripture, the book of Amos holds God’s people accountable for their ill-treatment of others. It repeatedly points out the failure of the people to fully embrace God’s idea of justice.” To put it succinctly: Israel had wandered away from what God had called them to yet again. They were going through the motions of dead religion: gathering together, partaking in festivals, and making sacrifices. But their hearts weren’t in it. They had no interest in the things of God–they just wanted to look like they did.

    There is much for us to learn from a book like Amos. When we go through the motions and present our “Sunday best” all while our souls rot away on the inside, we make a mockery of what true faith actually looks like. Instead, through this book, we’ll see how we are to love God and love the people he’s placed around us. That is how the world will see that we are truly living out what we claim to believe.

    As you read through the book of Amos over the next couple of weeks, grab a journal and a pen. Take notes while you read. Highlight the words and phrases that stick out to you and jot down your thoughts at the end of each chapter. What does each chapter in this book teach you about God’s character? What does it teach you about humanity? What were the implications for each chapter’s original audience? What are the implications for us today? These are the questions we’ll be seeking to answer as we journey through Amos together.

    Read Amos 1

    1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

    2 He said:

    “The Lord roars from Zion
        and thunders from Jerusalem;
    the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
        and the top of Carmel withers.”

    Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

    3 This is what the Lord says:

    “For three sins of Damascus,
        even for four, I will not relent.
    Because she threshed Gilead
        with sledges having iron teeth,
    4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael
        that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.
    5 I will break down the gate of Damascus;
        I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven
    and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.
        The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,”
    says the Lord.

    6 This is what the Lord says:

    “For three sins of Gaza,
        even for four, I will not relent.
    Because she took captive whole communities
        and sold them to Edom,
    7 I will send fire on the walls of Gaza
        that will consume her fortresses.
    8 I will destroy the king of Ashdod
        and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
    I will turn my hand against Ekron,
        till the last of the Philistines are dead,”
    says the Sovereign Lord.

    9 This is what the Lord says:

    “For three sins of Tyre,
        even for four, I will not relent.
    Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,
        disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,
    10 I will send fire on the walls of Tyre
        that will consume her fortresses.”

    11 This is what the Lord says:

    “For three sins of Edom,
        even for four, I will not relent.
    Because he pursued his brother with a sword
        and slaughtered the women of the land,
    because his anger raged continually
        and his fury flamed unchecked,
    12 I will send fire on Teman
        that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.”

    13 This is what the Lord says:

    “For three sins of Ammon,
        even for four, I will not relent.
    Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
        in order to extend his borders,
    14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah
        that will consume her fortresses
    amid war cries on the day of battle,
        amid violent winds on a stormy day.
    15 Her king will go into exile,
        he and his officials together,”
    says the Lord.

    Go Deeper

    Amos is an interesting book. Most of the prophets we read about in the Old Testament came from a sort of “school”of prophets, having been distinctly trained for the office (some even since birth). Amos, on the other hand, is a shepherd and fig tree farmer (with no formal theological training) from a border region between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Israel has, in disobedience, rebelled against God and His installed Davidic kings, setting up their own false kings, false prophets, and false places of worship. God has had enough of this, so He sends Amos to go and tell them to right their wrongs.

    What is also strange about this text is that, even though 1:1-2 tells us that the audience of the following prophetic poetry is Israel, the subject of the first chapter is God’s judgment against the nations. This is where some knowledge of biblical geography becomes helpful. What Amos is doing here is drawing a geographical circle around the northern kingdom of Israel, using the sin of the nations around Israel to set up the weight of Israel’s own sin and their being led astray. God will not let the sin of his people go unpunished.

    What we see super clearly in this first chapter is that God takes sin seriously—especially the sin of nations and whole groups of people. Colossians 2 even suggests that he keeps a record of it. The sins that Amos lays out here are wicked things that the nations are walking in, but they aren’t just ancient history. These are the same things that we walk in today.

    We may not feel directly involved in wars, racism, or slavery, but still we play a part in conflicts, we dislike our neighbor for their differences, and we materialistically consume products that were produced by unethical labor means. We feel more removed from it, so we tend to give ourselves a pass. Just as the nations are being called out of their sin and into the righteous standard of Zion’s temple, so God is calling us out of our sin and into the righteous standard of the one in whom God’s fullness was also pleased to dwell—Jesus. Jesus takes the record of our sin and nails it to the cross, and gives us an opportunity to reject it and walk in righteousness. Let us not be a people known to the nations for our sin, but for our following of God. 

    Questions

    1. What has repentance looked like historically in your life? Can you point to particular moments or examples where you have turned from specific sins and left them in the past? 
    2. What unrepentant sin are you holding on to that God is calling you out of? 
    3. How has God used His discipline to show you how seriously He takes the sin in your life? 

    Pray This

    God, 

    Would you mercifully expose my sin? Show me what it is I need to turn from, and discipline me as much as I must be to turn from it. Thank you for taking the record of my sin and nailing it to the cross, granting me freedom. Thank you for the good news of the Gospel. Amen.

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  • Ephesians 6

    Ephesians 6

    Read Ephesians 6

    6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

    4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

    5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

    9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

    The Armor of God

    10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

    18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

    Final Greetings

    21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

    23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

    Go Deeper

    As Paul wraps up his letter to the church in Ephesus, he reminds them of the spiritual struggle they are part of. We have an enemy that is out to destroy us. As children of God, we should put on the full armor of God to stand up against the evil of the world. It is easy to think our boss, family members, or individuals we may be in conflict with are our enemies. This passage suggests it is different, and deeper, than that. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (v. 12). Our struggles with other people are really manifestations of conflict at the spiritual level.

    To overcome our spiritual struggles, we fight spiritual battles. Being faithful to God is not for the faint of heart. It’s a fight for the most important part of us–our souls. It is a matter of life and death. It’s the greatest challenge of our lives. Sometimes we may be tricked into thinking our greatest challenges are in building thriving companies, families or bank accounts. But “what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). Our faith is a dangerous fight for our souls.

    To win the fight for our souls, we need the full armor of God. Since our challenges and struggles will come from all forces of evil we must put on the full armor of God to be able to stand our ground. The full set of armor includes: truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit and God’s word. We need each piece to win the fight.

    In sum, we are in a spiritual fight against Satan and God offers us the armor (and sword) we need to succeed. Let’s take that seriously today. Serious enough to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (v. 18). Serious enough to spend time in the word of God. What will we do with that today?

    Questions

    1. Are you wearing the armor of God into your battles?
    2. Which piece(s) of the armor are you missing? 
    3. Do you sometimes forget faith is a fight?

    Watch This

    Now that we have read the book of Ephesians, watch this overview from The Bible Project to make sure you picked up on all the major themes throughout the book.

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  • Ephesians 1

    Ephesians 1

    Ephesians Preview

    Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus was written around 60 AD as Paul sat in a Roman prison. Paul was familiar with the Ephesian church, having spent significant time (about three years in total) ministering there during his second and third missionary journeys. This letter, while originally written for the Epheshians, was also meant to be circulated around to other early churches in other cities as well. 

    This book is split up into two distinct sections. The first half of the book (chapters 1-3) are more doctrinal and theological in nature. The second half is more practical and application-based in nature, answering the question “What should a Christian’s life look like?” As we read this book today, we are able to add tools to our theological toolbelt as well as understanding the practical implications for us as we follow Jesus. 

    There is much to learn from us each day as we dive into Ephesians. Each of these chapters are loaded with theological truths and practical applications for us. Pay attention to every word on the page–you don’t want to miss anything. Grab a highlighter and a journal. Take note of the words and phrases that jump off the page at you. Ask God to show you exactly what He wants you to learn each day.

    Thanks for journeying along with us!

    Read Ephesians 1

    1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

    To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

    2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

    3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

    11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

    Thanksgiving and Prayer

    15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

    Go Deeper

    Today’s chapter was a great summary of what the Gospels tell us: We have a Father who knew we would sin, so He sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for sins that we’ve done. We are forgiven, and the Lord loves us so much that He gave us the opportunity to have a relationship with Him. He did this because He knew it would be best to save us to show his love. 

    In this reading, Ephesians 1 perfectly illustrates the vast love the Lord has for us. Paul, who is writing this chapter, also tells us that it is us who must believe and know that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (v. 13), which allows us the inheritance to be in His Kingdom one day. Before Jesus, people who wanted a relationship with the Lord had to make sacrifices, such as killing animals. However, after Jesus, the Lord gave us the ability to accept the Holy Spirit and seal our relationship/inheritance with Him. This is not only a beautiful gift the Lord has given us, but He has shown his faithfulness through this action.

    This passage also shows us that the Lord knew all along that we would stray away from Him and want the fleshly desires of the world (v. 5). However, in that verse, it also tells us that we were adopted and given over to Him–a holy and blameless God. Even though it seems weird that the Lord would allow us to walk away from Him just to save us, He did it out of his “pleasure and will.” He knows what is best for humankind and our relationship with Him, even if it does not make sense.

    As we walk into today, remember this: The Lord loves you so incredibly much, to the point where He sacrificed the One He loved most just to save you. He is not a hateful or judgemental god, but a loving and wise Father. Also know that everything is in His timing. Even when it doesn’t make sense, He knows what is best for you and is doing it all within His goodness and will. Remember that as you take on today. 

    Questions

    1. What kinds of blessings does the Lord give us in the heavenly realms? (Refer to verse 3)
    2. Do you feel as though you cannot be saved? Why? 
    3. What is one thing you are struggling with that you can hand over to God? 

    Pray This

    Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for Scripture that illustrates how immense your love is while giving us instruction on how to live our lives. As I go into today, I ask that you allow me to praise your name despite all that is happening in my life right now. It is all within your pleasure and will, and I ask that you help me to believe that today. I thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross for me and all my wrongs, especially because I do not deserve it. You are a faithful Father, and you prove yourself over and over again. Thank you, Jesus. I love you. In your name, Amen.

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