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 :   John 8 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     This chapter is significant and powerful, with a deeper theological meaning than many understand. In John, there are seven great "I am" statements of Jesus. John 6: 35, 48 "I am the bread of life." John 8: 12, 9:5 "I am the light of the world." John 10:9 "I am the door." John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd." John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life." John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 15:1 "I am the true vine." ...

  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 7   In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     One of the strangest aspects of Jesus' ministry is his secrecy. Though we are called to proclaim him openly and publicly, during his earthly ministry he often hid and even told people to keep his deeds secret. Many theories for this have been offered, but none are definitive. Of course, now we have no such excuse. We must proclaim Christ boldly. Here Jesus first refused to go publicly to the Feast of Booths with his brothers (the sons of Mary), then went privately. He ended up tea...

  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 18:15-35, Luke 9:51-62 (Mt 8:18-22) In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     What is the biggest hindrance to the work of God in your church? What hinders the unity of the Spirit? The answer is simple. It is sin, and in this section, Jesus begins to prepare the church how to handle sin in their midst. He gives a pattern for confronting sin and for bringing restoration through the church. He then deals with the higher calling of forgiveness, which is the true means of dealing with sin. He also continues to remind his disciples ...

  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 17:22-18:14, Mark 9:30-50, Luke 9:43-50 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Over the last several days we've seen a subtle shift in the ministry of Jesus. He has been traveling, healing, providing meals, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. But suddenly he is looking forward to the end of his ministry. He has begun to tell his disciples about his death and that they must deny themselves and take up their crosses to follow him. People are turning away. He is transfigured, and the focus seems to shift. Jesus is less con...

  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 17:1-21, Mark 9:2-29, Luke 9:28-42 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's reading, about the Transfiguration, is another key moment. We are not told here exactly what happened, but it is a time of deep communion between the Father and the Son, a miraculous and the others involved. It seems that from this point on the focus of Jesus turns more and more to his upcoming death and resurrection.  Daily Devotional:   You Can't Live on the Mountaintop Peter was having the time of his life. He had been part of a sm...

  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 16:1-28, Mark 8:10-9:1, Luke 9:18-27 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     This is one of our most significant readings. Powerful truths abound. It syncs up with our reading from a few days ago in John 6, when Jesus began to lay down his harsher tea chings and saw many disciples turn away.  There is a clear bit of humor in Matthew 16:7. Jesus warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees, and they hold a discussion in which they decide that Jesus is upset because they didn't bring any bread. Clueless. This brin...

   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. ...