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Bible Passage: Psalms 119:105
At the beginning of the year, some congregations encourage their members to read the Bible more. Sometimes they supply a suggested plan. One congregation where we worshiped encouraged its members to read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) through each month. This would easily be done with a reading plan of three chapters a day. Our preacher said some people look at Bible reading as a chore instead of a joy.
I got off to a very slow start that year. I may have considered it a chore instead of a joy. I then caught up with my reading on the day two men and myself were to meet over pizza and discuss the Gospels. I think sharing my Bible reading with friends helped me see the reading as something joyful instead of as a chore. The three of us regularly read one chapter of our scheduled reading for the day and discussed it over greasy pizza. We had a wonderful time discussing God’s word and applying it to our lives. An added bonus came when we helped each other out through some of life’s problems. Our desire was to increase our group by one or two members, divide it, and multiply. The group increased in size, but unfortunately, did not multiply.
We hoped to read through the Gospels three times and then move onto other books in the Bible. I know this can be repetitive, but I have identified one benefit to this type of reading. When I read of Jesus’ teaching on worry one month, I may not have a care in the world. On that day, Matthew 6:25-34 may not stand out above other passages. The next month I read Matthew 6:25-34 may be a day filled with lots of problems. That is when those words of Jesus will be understood at a more intimate level. Those words will mean more to me one month than on another month. Understanding that many parables are told in Matthew and Luke, or Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and even sometimes in John, we will see a lot of repetition. This is a good thing. We will understand portions of God’s word better on some days than others.
If we read the Gospels we will know more about Jesus. If the goal of Christians is to be like Jesus, we have to know him better. Reading the Gospels is a great way to do that. Sharing some discussion of the Gospels over pizza or coffee with two or three others is outstanding. I encourage you to take this step and welcome some unchurched friends into your discussion if they are open to discussing the Bible.
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