Gospel Reading Plan - Day 1

Day 1 Readings:  Morning Thought
Matthew 1
Luke 1
John 1

Taking a Journey:
Today begins our 30 day journey through the Gospels of the New Testament.  For many of us, this will be the first time we've encountered many of these stories.  That's ok!  This will be an exciting journey over the next 30 days as you grow closer to Jesus, getting to know Him as follower, friend, learner and listener.  If you take this journey seriously, God will change you through it.

However, before we get too far in, perhaps a few initial thoughts.

1.)  What is "Gospel"?  The word gospel means "good news."  When we use this word in the Christian faith, we are describing the story of Jesus.  His story is good news to all of us.  More directly for our purposes, the "gospels" are the first four books of the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Each of them tell the story of Jesus from different perspectives, originally to different communities of readers.  Each will emphasize different aspects of Jesus' story, but together they tell the good news.

2.)  Choosing a good translation:  When beginning to read the bible, it's important to find a good translation that you are comfortable with.  If you grew up with the King James Version and feel good with it, have at it.  However, for most of us, the language will feel a bit clunky.  I would suggest reading the NIV, CEV, or NLT.  Each of these versions are written in a language that is a bit more comfortable to read.  

3.)  Don't get overwhelmed with what you don't know:  One of the quickest reasons people give up reading the bible is because they find passages they don't understand.  Don't stress, you aren't the only one.  Proficiency and confidence in reading the bible happens over time.  However, you have to start somewhere.  When we pray and ask God to help us to get what we need in that moment, God helps us to see what we need to know at that moment...the rest will come with time.  

4.)  Take your time:  Don't read like you are devouring a quick fast food meal in the car between appointments.  Take some time to savor the words.  Step into the story and look around.  Wade into the story and find your place.  Where would you stand in the stories?  What captures your attention?  What stirs your curiosity?  What is God up to?  What shocks you or troubles you?  How is God addressing you through the story you are reading?  

Allow the bible to become the means through which God can speak a good word, a challenging word, a convicting word, a transformative word into your life.