1. Anticipating the New Year BIBLE READING PLANS

2. Benefits of Bible Reading  Build Faith Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Acts 20:32 "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.  Spiritual Food Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, ' MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF G OD.'"

3. Benefits of Bible Reading  Life John 6.63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  Relationship with God John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

4. Benefits of Bible Reading  Insight Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.  Wisdom Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Jeremiah 8:9 "The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have?

5. Benefits of Bible Reading  Conviction Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Truth (Freedom) (Sanctification) John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.“ John 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

6. Benefits of Bible Reading  Success Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.  Hope Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

7. Benefits of Bible Reading  Equipping for good works 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  Joy Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

8. A few thoughts from others  “God will not love you more because you read the Bible. It’s for your benefit -- not required to make God love you. However, without reading the Bible, you will not grow spiritually, and you will be more easily deceived.”  “Change will happen from the inside out, not the outside in. If you’re looking for a genie in a bottle, you will be disappointed. The Bible isn’t a magic book of ancient wisdom; it’s a book about life and about God’s love for you.”

9. Bible Reading Plans – Discipleship Journal  Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan – straight through the Bible, cover to cover  Discipleship Journal - 5 x 5 x 5: Five minutes a day, five days a week – a “getting started” plan (NT in a year)  Discipleship Journal - Book at a time – 3-4 chapters a day (whole Bible) One feature of the Discipleship Journal plans that I like is their flexibility – they give you ‘catch up’ days built into the plan.

10. Bible Reading Plans – our own plans  The One Month NT (and 3 mo OT) – more intense, read the whole Bible in 4 months  Chronological Plan (from our Through the Bible series) – two sheets, OT and NT Do you wonder about why you seem to have difficulty putting into practice things you hear in sermons? Are you reading your Bible? Do you wonder why you seem to fall into the same sins over and over again and have no spiritual power? Are you reading your Bible? Do you wonder why you seem to be in the same space, spiritually speaking, year after year? Are you reading your Bible?