They say that it takes three weeks to establish a habit, whoever “they” are, and apparently, that goes for good habits and bad ones. Occasionally, I talk with people who are interested in starting to run. I am by no means an expert or a trained professional on the topic of running, but I do enjoy it. One piece of advice that I do feel fairly comfortable passing along is that the first three weeks of running are often the greatest challenge. Week one is typically miserable. Week two is often tolerable. Week three is generally manageable. Then, nine times out of ten, sometime during week four, the effort becomes almost enjoyable. Finally, the body has managed to adjust to the new routine and begins to experience a happy response.
So, it is not a surprising observation that habits take time to develop and require the greatest commitment at the beginning if they are going to stick. As part of the leadership team at Parkside (PKS), I want to share three of my favorite resources that may be useful in establishing a daily habit of reading the Bible. January 1st is always a great time to start something new and perhaps one of the following suggestions will be of help to you:
Read Through the Bible Chronologically in a Year
I have started, and stopped prematurely, more “read through the Bible programs in a year” than I would like to admit. Things start well at the beginning, but get challenging somewhere around Leviticus. This year, I made my way through the Bible using The Daily Bible in Chronological Order. It is, by far, the best format I have found. The daily readings are formatted chronologically with insightful comments that paint the scene for what is about to be read with historical and spiritual insights. You can pick up a copy at Books by the Park (BBTP).
Read Through the New Testament in a Year
The One Year New Testament (OYNT) has become our most recommended devotional at PKS. It is also affectionately referred to as "The Jeff Mills Memorial Bible." Many people on our leadership team use this resource for their personal Bible reading. We regularly read the daily passage during our pastoral team meetings and collectively think out loud about what we have just read. The OYNT is always available at the bookstore or you can get it sent to your inbox at www.parksidechurch.com/readthebible.
Read Portions of the Bible With the Help of a Wise Friend
Charles Spurgeon was a 19th century pastor living in the United Kingdom. He was gifted in many ways including making material available for the people in his congregation. Morning & Evening is one of his works that I appreciate the most. There is a Bible reading for the morning and evening along with three or four paragraphs of his reflections about the passage. His Biblical insight and focus on Christ can do much good for the soul. Alistair updated the language in the devotional portion a few years ago and helped bring the work to a new generation. You can pick up the older and newer version at BBTP, or our friends at Truth For Life will send it to you in a daily email at www.truthforlife.org/devotion.
Working this out with you,
Matt McAlvey
