Get e-book THE BIBLE READING CONTEST: A Novel

10 Books of the Bible You Should Read Again and Again

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How to Read the Book: Nine Rules for Effective Bible Reading

Devise your own and tenaciously work through it. The most prolific Bible readers with whom I am familiar are people who are systematic in method and time. Other things may be postponed. We have our Bibles to read! We must read the Bible persistently. Bible reading can be discouraging for some, especially the new Christian. He may be distracted by what is not readily understood, rather than absorbing what could have been easily grasped.

I recommend that you keep a notebook nearby while reading the Bible. Write down the reference of a verse that perplexes you, and keep on reading.

Schedule another time for a more exhaustive study to research the difficult text. Avoid interrupting your plan, as a general rule, to ponder about an obscure thought to the neglect of much that could have been understood. Keep reading, and press on. I do not imply that the Bible should be read sloppily.

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Matthew said: The Story was written to help make the Bible more accessible to those and, therefore, was not any more accessible than just reading the Bible. Editorial Reviews. From Publishers Weekly. "This is not the Bible," Wangerin (The Book of the device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel.

This is indispensable to our growth as well. Such projects, however, usually cannot be accomplished in short periods of time. We need an entire morning, evening, or Saturday afternoon, to devote uninterrupted hours for these special studies. With perseverance and planning, we can devote ourselves to persistent Bible reading with thirty minutes to an hour per day.

The previous guidelines help us accomplish this one: A plan best accomplishes this, and it certainly ought to be our resolve. Some books of the Bible captivate our attention more than others. Some are more immediately relevant to our spiritual needs. Yet neglect none of them. Read it; read it all—1, chapters. The next several suggestions involve a mind set more than methodology. They are vital for effective Bible reading. We must read the Bible reverently. Bible reading is not a matter of Pharisaic self-congratulation. It should not degrade into a mere routine. For reverent readers, Bible reading and prayer are inseparable see Acts 6: The regularity of our reading should not diminish our respect for the words breathed out by God.

To the contrary, I believe that the persistent reader will become more reverent through the passing of time. Because this book is from God for our utmost good, we ought to read the Bible expectantly. God will help you and reward your effort.

Dedicate yourself to become a person of the Word by studying it, obeying it, and treasuring it more than you treasure gold and silver Psalm God will reveal Himself to you in a powerful way. I blog for the glory of God, to nourish the church, and to clarify my mind. I sometimes share affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through a link, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you to cover blogging expenses. Skip to content Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer Why can the Bible be so hard to understand? Chronology The Bible was written between about two and three thousand years ago.

Culture The biblical authors wrote to distinctive groups of people in distinctive places throughout the ancient world. Scripture communicates spiritual truths 1 Corinthians 2: Sin Our sin separates us from God and blinds us to spiritual reality—making reading and understanding the Bible more difficult.

How to Read the Book: Nine Rules for Effective Bible Reading

Weak reading comprehension skills. Not knowing how to read the genres of the Bible.

Not working hard at understanding the Bible. How can we break down these barriers? Dec 23, Cathryn Conroy rated it it was amazing. If you have ever wanted to read the Bible from start to finish but found the length daunting and the "begats" boring, this is the book for you. When parts are skipped, the author summarizes in italics what happened.

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I read "The Story" as part of a nine-month Episcopal church Bible study group, and it's ideal for this if you're looking for such a resource. But If you have ever wanted to read the Bible from start to finish but found the length daunting and the "begats" boring, this is the book for you.

But you can also read this on your own, and at the end you will have a sound overview of the Bible. If you decide to read the Bible cover to cover, including all the "begats," it will take you about three years if you read one chapter a day. My church just finished going through this book together in the worship services and in weekly small group discussions. It's not a replacement for the Bible, it's simply meant as a tool to encourage fuller engagement with the Bible. And it was extremely effective in our community -- it raised biblical literacy, encouraged deeper worship, and allowed us a venue for asking some really tough and wonderful questions.

If you're someone who has always been interested in the Bible but for one reason or My church just finished going through this book together in the worship services and in weekly small group discussions.

If you're someone who has always been interested in the Bible but for one reason or another felt a little intimidated by the Bible or by church , then this is a great series to try out. You'll learn a ton and have the opportunity to grow closer to God, if you'd like. I read this book to go along with on ongoing sermon series at our church.

Between the book itself and the sermons that accompanied it, I learned a lot and understand parts of the Bible that were foreign to me beforehand. While nothing could compare with the entire Bible, this book is a good devotional, and helps you see God's Word as a complete story. However, if you haven't read the Good Book in its entirety, you should; there's a lot of important content that was left out of this, such as the General Epistles. Dec 31, Tom rated it liked it.

1. Genesis

Reading this is like reading the Readers Digest Condensed Version of the Bible, but it does present the narrative arc of the Bible in a useful way. In no way is this intended to be a study Bible. There are no chapter and verse numbers. Although, the author includes an appendix of discussion questions should you want to read this in a study group.

Only stories that have narrative flow are included, with some other text such as Psalms, Proverbs, and from the prophets when such text helps with the Reading this is like reading the Readers Digest Condensed Version of the Bible, but it does present the narrative arc of the Bible in a useful way. Only stories that have narrative flow are included, with some other text such as Psalms, Proverbs, and from the prophets when such text helps with the narrative flow.

The author fills gaps with additional, non-Biblical text to connect different narratives, and those passages are italicized. Reading the Bible this way can help provide a different, and often illuminating, perspective. I welcome Lucado's re-organization of the text. Getting a sense of the grand meta-narrative is extremely helpful, and get the reader into the context of the Bible. Christians tend to proof-text way too much, without understanding the grander story. May 30, Curtis rated it it was ok.

This book did a great job giving the over-arching story from Genesis to Revelation. The parts I liked best were the authors notes to help explain the story and allow the storyline to flow better. The majority of this book is taken right out of the NIV. By sticking to the overarching storyline of scripture there were definitely minor storylines that were left out. For the big picture - read the Bible: We are reading this book in church and so now that I have gotten up to where the church is, I'll be reading one chapter each week.

Although it is abridged and simplified and does leave out quite a bit, it has been in interesting way to read the Bible and I'm enjoying it. Now I have finished it, and I have enjoyed reading it. I have learned quite a bit about parts of the Bible that I really hadn't read thoroughly. It also makes me want to read some of the parts more in depth. Aug 26, Katie rated it liked it Shelves: This is more of a spark notes summary of the Bible. It's worth a read especially for the deal I got on it however, the actual Bible reads better.

Cannot replace the Bible, bit for those inclined, can be a supplement to the Bible. Mar 08, Julie Heckman rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've never read the bible cover to cover so this was a good first stepping stone for me. I don't know enough to know what it left out and now it's given me a good fundamental starting point and enough interest to want to go deeper. Sep 15, Kimmie rated it it was amazing. This book will give you a good overview of the Bible which will in turn make you want to dig deeper. Reads like "a Story" with significant portions missing!

Sep 15, Kathleen Chantrey rated it liked it. Let's take a look. Nov 16, Jenifer rated it liked it. A good way to read through the bible in a clear and concise manner from beginning to end and not get stuck in Leviticus, Deuteronomy or Numbers and end up quitting. Dec 17, Todd Coburn rated it it was amazing. Good way to read the major thread of the Bible from cover to cover. I personally prefer reading the Bible itself, but many will find this more achievable. Jan 28, Casseroll rated it really liked it.

Bible Reading Plan?
The Brave Little Ball.
Hugo und die gemeinen Prinzessinnen (Schreckliche-Kinder-Geschichten 8) (German Edition).
Cordelias Corinthian.

Currently listening to this on audio book. Easier and quicker to understand. Feb 14, Jaime Contreras rated it really liked it Shelves: I am a mature Christian in my 50s and have read the bible from cover to cover 8 times. I have also read many biblical topic books. I approached this book not a substitute for the bible because it is not but as a narrative of God's love for us. The compilers and editors of this book have taken the stories and teachings of the bible and organized them into a chronological narrative of the story of God and His people first, the Jews and later includes the Christians based on the bible.

Not every I am a mature Christian in my 50s and have read the bible from cover to cover 8 times. Not every book is represented but the heart of the bible is here.

The book begins with an overview of the relationship between God and His children. This book is also as a historical account of faith, establishment of of faith and a country, and finally, the expansion of the faith. It ends with the path to eternity - a belief in Jesus Christ. These paragraphs are respectful and instructional. They help to clarify and encourage further study and meditation on the previous passage. Finally, because this is not inclusive of all the books of the bible it cannot be used as a bible! I believe this was written for the layman who likes history and responds to a softer approach to the Judeo-Christian faith.

It should provoke and encourage further reading of the whole bible. So, approach it as such and you will find the experience to be positive. Sep 02, Shane rated it liked it Shelves: The book was presented as a way to tell the Bible as if it were a continuing narrative like a novel. In this, it kinda sorta worked.