Dave Miller's 2025 Bible Reading Challenge

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 15:1-39, Mark 7:1-8:9 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     The battle escalates.  Jesus' ministry has moved into phase 2. The early Galilean ministry was one blessing after another - miracles, popularity, crowds, and adulation. But as we saw yesterday, Jesus' teachings began to drive people away, slowly but surely. He did not back off, not even a little.  In today's readings, we see the key battle in Jesus' life escalating. The religious leaders were jealous of his popularity and determined to maintain thei...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   John 6:22-79 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     This is when it all turned around. There were crowds following Jesus, thousands upon thousands of excited people who were seeing healings, watching demons flee, and being fed by supernatural means. Jesus was the coolest thing that had happened in their lives. But then he began to teach them, and it got ugly. The Synoptics have told us about Jesus' call to "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." But here, in John 6, we see the actual turning point. Look at verse 66....

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 13:53-14:36, Mark 6, Luke 9:1-17, John 6:1-21 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's readings focus on two stories that are among the most familiar in the life of Christ. First is the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with the food of one young man. It is one of the few stories recorded in all four gospels. It is followed in three of the four gospels by the story of Jesus walking on water. Both stories remind us of the amazing and miraculous power of Jesus Christ. Matthew and Mark follow with stories of Jesus hea...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Mark 5, Luke 8:26-56 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     These three stories (or two, the second having two parts) again demonstrate the amazing power of Christ. He casts out the legion of demons, showing his remarkable power; he heals the woman with the issue of blood, and he raises a young woman from the dead. Demons, disease, and death - Jesus dominates them all. Anyone wonder why there were 2000 pigs in Israel? The answer is simple. The Decapolis, or ten cities, were Roman cities around the Galilee region. Gentiles didn...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 13:24-52, Mark 4:26-34 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     The parade of parables continues in today's readings. Matthew records six different parables here, and Mark has two of them, variations on those that Matthew told. Here are some principles for reading the parables and understanding them. Jesus, according to his own words, told parables to communicate truth to his disciples while hiding it from the world. Only those whose minds are illumined by the Spirit can hope to understand the truths of God.  The pa...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-25, Luke 8:4-18 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     "Jesus told stories so that people would understand him better." So many preachers have used Jesus' love for parables as a reason to be a storyteller in their messages. They reference Jesus' parables as their reason for such a tactic. He told stories to make his sermons understandable to the masses. The only problem with that is that Jesus said just the opposite. It is one of the more difficult-to-understand themes of the gospel story, but Jesus o...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 11:20-12:50 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Matthew's treatment of the early Galilean ministry of Jesus wraps up in today's readings. He has called, challenged, and empowered his disciples. He has done miracles that would amaze even the jaded people of the 21st Century. And, as we see in chapter 12, his battle with the religionists continues to escalate. Chapter 12 begins with two stories that provoked the Pharisees. First, Jesus' disciples picked grain on the Sabbath - a handful or two for food. Jesus did the u...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 11:1-19, Luke 7:18-35 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's reading is brief - the Matthew and Luke readings are virtually identical. They speak of the ebb and flow of the ministries of John and Jesus. John steps back in humility to prepare the way of the Lord, fading into the background so Jesus can take his place as the focus of the nation. His humility and kingdom focus are great examples.  Daily Devotional:   Giving Up the Glory John the Baptist was unique - Jesus called him the greatest of men. ...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 10 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Jesus reveals much of his leadership philosophy in Matthew 10. In the opening verses, he names his inner circle, the "Twelve" who would form the leadership core of his work (well, 11 of them would!). Volumes could be written about Jesus as a leader, but a few highlights must suffice here. Jesus did not pick the best and the brightest - a serious error according to most leadership gurus. But Jesus chose those who would obey him, and he worked his power through them. His kingdom ...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 8:18-9:38 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Each of the Gospel writers had a purpose. They were not simply chronicling the life of Christ, but they were making a point with the stories they told. Matthew was showing the authority of Jesus as King, the rightful king in the line of David, Israel's true ruler. He chose certain stories in a certain order based on his purpose and the points he was trying to make. For the next several days, we will be reading Matthew 8:18-12:50, which helps to set this theme, which he b...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Luke 7:36-8:3, 19-2 1 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     In Luke 7:36-8:3, we see two stories that show Jesus' concern and compassion for a group of people that the religious world often forgot, discounted, or disrespected - women. Jesus treated them as people, as co-bearers of the image of God, and as people of worth and value. At the end of Luke 7, we have a shocking story of Jesus showing compassion for a woman of low character, someone the religious leaders would uniformly shun. He gave grace and forgiveness to the wom...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 8:1-17, Luke 7:1-17 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     After a side-trip into the early chapters of John and an excursion in Matthew and Luke in the wonderful teachings of the Sermon on the Mount (and its cousin, the Sermon on the Plain), we return to the early Galilean ministry of Jesus in today's readings. After years of obscurity, Jesus appeared before John and was baptized, went into the wilderness to be tempted, and then, under the fullness of the Spirit, headed into Galilee to begin his ministry. He proclaime...

   Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Luke 6:17-49, 11:1-36 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Did Jesus preach the same sermon twice, with a few tweaks, or did Luke and Matthew just disagree about the details of the same sermon? That's the question that faces us as we look at today's passage in Luke 6. It is clearly a retelling of the Sermon on the Mount, but there is quite a bit that is different. The setting is different - Jesus is on a level place, not a mountain. The message is different. Jesus talks about the poor, not the poor in spirit. He balances his...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Matthew 6:19-7:29 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     In one of my favorite movies, Inigo Montoya tells Vizzini that the word he keeps using, "inconceivable," doesn't mean what he thinks it means. Today's reading has some of the most misunderstood and misapplied scriptures in the Bible. Some of its teachings do not mean what people seem to think that they mean.  After dealing with the law and with religion, Jesus in the remainder of the Sermon turns his attention to a series of ten teachings on life in the kingdom of God. Th...