Friday, July 15, 2011

Read The Bible in One Year Challenge


Beginning on August 1, 2011 we are asking every member of New Life Bible Church and anyone else who would like to join with us to read the Holy Bible on a one year reading plan.  We will provide the schedule to you on or before July 31, 2011.  As you read your scriptures daily, please feel free to post your thoughts to this blog or drop a note in the “Bible challenge box” in the vestibule at the church.

I am very excited about this one year reading plan.  As we read and share together on a daily bases, each of us will get a better understanding of the Word as we grow closer to Christ and to one another. 

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Are you ready for the challenge?

54 comments:

  1. Wonderful idea!! I did read the bible all the way through, but it never hurts to read it over again, since memory does not make you keep everything :))...I am in and excited about it myself!!

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  2. That's wonderful that you have taken the time and effort to read God's Word from cover to cover. Help us to encourage others to do the same.

    The word says "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17"

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  3. Here's an encouragement to read the Word of God daily:

    He must always keep that copy (scriptures) with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. Deuteronomy 17:19 (NLT)

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  4. I am excited about making this commitment to read to Bible everyday beginning with Genesis to Revelation within one year; wow:)

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  5. I had the bible with me at all times. I built the habit to carry it as it was my purse and left it next to my purse or night desk. Doctor Visits, Lunch breaks...however, it is really not hard, even if you take only one chapter on one days, you commit yourself a bit more time on another day to take more time. During the day it is really hard if you are working, but lunch time is always a good way to do it. You can walk and read at the same time if you sit all day or you let your child practice reading ;)....many ways, so no excuse :)), just 15 minutes a day will make a big differents in your progress...

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  6. So this is the first day of reading...There is so much to think about in Genesis! Have you guys ever wondered, why Noah and his decedents lived longer then 120 years if God had said, that he wont let anyone live longer then 120 years old? Abraham even longer? I believe it depended on how strong their relationship with God was. By the way, Genesis even tells you who the first musician was lol, and more...so keep your eyes open while you read :))Have a blessed day!

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  7. Wow! The first day of reading Genesis chapters 1 – 3 has been so revealing to me: In the beginning God reveals Himself as God (Elohim {a plural word allowing for the revelation of the triunity of the Godhead= Strong One) during creation and the demonstration of His awesome power; then once He begins to deal with man in chapter 2:4 He reveals himself as LORD (YHWH or Yahweh = I am the One who is). He is saying to me that He is strong enough to provide and protect me, and He is gentle enough to love and forgive me.

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  8. Bible Log 1st Day: God created Adam and Eve as the first grown adults, but everyone after them started out as babies. They did not have to learn how to walk, talk or any of the things babies have to learn. They had one requirement; to obey God. On the first Sabbath Day they were just one day old. They had fellowship with God the Father. What a wonderful way to spend their first day on earth in the Garden planted by God with the river of life flowing through the Garden and the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the mist of the Garden.

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  9. I'm one day late. But tonight im going to get started.

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  10. Go William Wallace, I am your biggest fan:)

    Lets pray that members will continue to join in sharing their thoughts about what the Word of God is saying to their spirit.

    Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

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  11. This is the second day and although I've read Genesis before, I have had to stop and really study certain scriptures that I didn't pay attention to previously. This is going to be so good for those of us who stick with this challenge.

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  12. Hello everyone, we had another Blessed day of reading in Genesis, this is just so great to read the Bible with such loving and inspiring group of sisters and brothers all moving toward the same goal. This has given my wife and I so much encouragement as we read and share with one another as the Scriptures speak to us. Let’s continue with the zeal of the Bereans as we search the scriptures daily. We pray that your cups will overflow with every Blessing from God.

    The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11

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  13. I am looking forward to this challenge. I have got to catch up because I started yesterday. The notes provided with this study are very informative. The fact that the book of Genesis spans over a 2400 year period is amazing. Our God is awesome.

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  14. I've enjoyed that Noah waited for God to tell him to come out. At times in my life, I've become impatient, but it's in the waiting process that I've learned more about my Father and His love for me.

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  15. Thank you for the word sister Llamdia. Being a type "A" personality myself, it has been very hard for me to be patient. But now I am learning to be still and to allow God to do His work in me and to direct me. I now realize that He's in control, and I don't control anything.

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  16. Hey everyone, here's another challenge for you; invite 2 or more of you friends or someone you know who are not New Lifers to join the Blog and take the One Year Bible Reading Challenge:) Are you up for it?

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  17. In the past I would skip through the genealogy parts because the list of names would go on and on...but what I took note of during the reading for today (Gen.8-11) was that the lifespan became less with each generation. In the very beginning with Adam etc....people lived to be 900 or more years old but by the end of the 11th chapter which was about eight generations after Noah, people died by the time they were 200+ years old. I haven't done any extensive research on this but I thought what I read on that was pretty interesting to note.

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  18. As I meditate on Gen 12, I am reminded when we lack faith or courage and choose to resort to deception and manipulation as our means, God often provides a way out, instead of waiting for us to admit our lack of integrity.
    PS- Minister Rucker we are of the same mind! Earlier this week I went through my address book to invite friends and family. To God be the glory.

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  19. You are so right my sister "onepantherfan" :) God provides away out for us because of His unchanging Love for us. The word of God says:

    "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8"
    It can be said that God provided away for us to return to Him, after Adam's mistake separated us from Him.
    Wow! Thank God for His Love, His Mercy and His Grace.

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  20. God’s word spoke to me yesterday as I read in Genesis, and I received that under the Law circumcision of the flesh was the sign of God’s covenant between Him and His people, and now under Grace, He Seals His people with the Holy Spirit of promise. In other words, instead of a physical sign, others should see the Spirit of Christ working in my life as a sign. Also, under the Law, males who were not circumcised in the foreskin were cut off from their people physically speaking, and under Grace those not Sealed with the Holy Spirit are cut off, separated, Spiritually from God and the family of believers.

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  21. This is truly a wonderful blessing and a heart massaging experience as my husband and I share daily what the word has spoken to us, and as we encourage one another to stay on top of our reading commitment. By during this daily, we are being sharpen in our knowledge, in our relationship with Christ and in our relationship with each other.

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  22. Thank God for Brother William Wallace. He worked tirelessly so that I am now able to post comments. That's what love your neighbor is all about.

    Is anyone willing to obey God as Jacob did and work for 20 years for someone who does not treat you well. How great and wonderful and great the blessings when we listen to the voice of God.

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  23. Genesis: Full of Life Application Nuggets
    Reading the book of Genesis is an absolute joy in spite of some of the boring genealogies and names that can be a jawbreaker to pronounce. Example: Gen. 46:34 states: "All shepherds were detestable to the Egyptians". Despite this fact, Joseph instructed his brothers to tell Pharaoh (who held their physical fate in his hands) that they were shepherds and was proud of their occupation. Joseph arranged for his family to continue to work as shepherds, the occupation of their forefathers. Lesson: Do not to be ashamed of your calling and honest work. An honest calling and hard work are not reasons to be embarrassed; rather it a shame to be lazy, or to have nothing to do.

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  24. Brotherly Love: Genesis gives us two examples of brotherly love and the hardships they faced by decisions their parents made. Ishmael and Isaac and Esau and Jacob had to separate and live apart but the love was still there. When Abraham died Ishmael and Isaac came together and buried their father. When Esau and Jacob met each other after years of separation, they were overcome by the love for one another. In both cases they knew they could not live together because God had different plans for each of them, but the love remained. God is LOVE so let us love one another as we read God’s WORD DAILY .

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  25. Deception seemed like it was in the blood. It was being passed down from generation to generation. So glad that Christ is our Redeemer. Ephesians 1:7&8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

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  26. This past weekend was a real challenge in trying to stay on track with my daily reading, because two of our little grand-kids were here visiting us. Nevertheless, somehow I managed to keep up with my reading as well as love up on our grand-kids. You might say that I had the best of both worlds. I thank God for His Word, and I thank Him for our lovely grand-kids, all four of them; oh what a wonderful weekend.

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  27. I agree that it was a challenge to stay on track this past week...I'm just getting caught up with my reading but it has been good. I must say that it was some pretty wild events taking place: rape, deception, family betrayal...you name it. However, the happy ending to my reading was the awesome family reunion with Joseph and his brothers. It displayed God's grace, mercy and unconditional love. Joseph remained positive through it all because he was able to understand God's divine purpose and plan at work in his life; Joseph endured even through the tough times and God's favor was on his life...that encourgaed my heart.

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  28. God gave me extra time to read this week-end. I even read the scriptures aloud so some of my sisters in Christ could hear the Word while they worked. Our comments centered mostly around those made in the previous post. It is amazing that even though times change, Satan uses the same schemes to cause us to fall into sin today. It is my prayer, that through this reading, we learn to recognize Satan and his schemes for what they are and tell him to flee from us. As a child of God we can live a joyous and abundant life as promised by our God. Now that makes me want to shout. Keep up the reading.

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  29. “There is nothing new under the sun” because it is all in the book of Genesis. Every kind of vice you can think of happens in the first book of the Bible. With all of the vice, deception, disappointment, and hurt, I see the LOVE of GOD moving in a mighty way. Thank God for His love kindness and His mercy.

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  30. Beginning Monday Aug 22nd 2011 is the start of our “40 Days of Prayer”. We are prayerfully asking each of you to pray together with us each morning at 5:00am. If you should miss the 5:00am prayer, its OK, try to pray between 5:00am and 6:00am, and there is no time limit as to how long to pray, pray as long or as short as the Spirit leads you. Let us focus (Meditate) our prayers on “Breakthrough”; let us pray for a breakthrough in a closer relationship with Jesus our Lord, a breakthrough in a closer relationship with our family and a breakthrough in a closer relationship with our fellow believers. Read Acts 16:25 – 36 (Paul and Silas’ breakthrough)

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  31. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Genesis. The word of God is timeless and always provides nourishing food for the soul. Thank you God for your word!

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  32. Reference Exodus 10:21-23. Can you imagine being in a darkness that is so dark that it can be felt? It seems that not even light itself could penetrate this darkness, because they could not see one another and they, the Egyptians, stayed in their places for three days. It was too dark to move, and it seems that the darkness had pen them down. However, the Hebrews had light in their dwellings. What this says to me is that anyone without Christ is in total darkness, a thick darkness of judgment and cannot find his way, but anyone who is in Christ; he is in the Light and is guided by the Light. What are your thoughts on this?

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  33. What is your greatest challenge in staying on course with your daily Bible reading, and how are managing it?

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  34. Exodus 35 and 36 are good examples of what the pastor is trying to teach us regarding SHAPE. In these chapters, people willingly and joyfully offered their time, talent and abilities for God's purpose.
    The greatest challenge for staying on course with my daily reading is not establishing a set time to read. Flexibility works better for me. Daily, I am reminding myself that reading God's word is a priority!

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  35. My beloved sister Wanda has extended an invitation to join this Bible reading group. Even though I'm joining the group late, I have been reading the Bible in reverse book order starting with Revelations. Around the first of August when your group began, I distinctively recall reading in the book of Phillippians; chapter 1 verse 3 and 4 left an indelible print on my mind- I thank God when I recall the fellowship we enjoy in the gospel! Thanks for the invite. We should meet in our reading plans somewhere near Psalms and finish the course at the same time! PraiseM

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  36. I am so grateful that God shows mercy toward us every day through His grace, because if we were still under the law, I probably would have been struck down long ago. Under the Law, God would strike down people just for grumbling or any other disobedience. I thank you Lord for Your Mercy and Your Grace through which we have forgiveness.

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  37. As I continue to read, I am in awe of how much mercy and love God bestows on his people. What a wonderful Father we have.

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  38. Ok so Deuteronomy Chapter 14:21: Moses talks about his people and moreover GOD'S PEOPLE...and in the verse I mentioned he says not to eat meat that died on a natural death but to give it to foreigners. This questions me! If I apply this verse in today's life...who would be the foreigners. Israel was God's people, but who would be us today? We are Christians and disciples, but how do we see us in God? Are we part of Israel? Would be the foreigners the unbelievers??? Can someone explain please? Thank you!

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  39. In Deut. 14:21 God said to Israel “You are a holy people”: The idea behind Holy is “separate.” The people of Israel (descendents of Jacob; the 12 tribes) were a people separate unto the LORD, and everyone else was foreigners (of another family). In Jesus, we also are a holy people, even though we are not Israel, we as Christians were adopted into the family of God with full inheritance of the blessing of Abraham when we accepted Jesus who is the seed of Abraham as our savior and Lord. Rom 8:15-17 & Gal 3:6-9: But you are . . . a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).

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  40. For Israel, above all the people who are on the face of the earth: Each of these glorious privileges carried with it a special responsibility in doing things in a Holy way. If God regarded Israel as something special among the nations, they had to conduct themselves as something special among the nations. Christians today are a Holy people, and are to be separate for God's purpose in a Holy life style. 1Peter 1:13-16

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  41. The bottom line is that God want us to be set apart from sin and not do the things we did in our ignorance, but He want us to be submissive and obedient to His Word.

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  42. How's your reading coming along? Comment?

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  43. I am enjoying my time in the word and learning more about the character of our God.

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  44. Afer reading 2 Chron 7, I pray that we will humble ourselves and pray and praise God so much that we can experience the Shekinah Glory at New Life. To God be the glory!

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  45. Hello everyone; today was a very interesting day and an encouraging one for me. I had one of the most encouraging experience of my Christian walk today when three of the most caring sisters and brothers in Christ fellow-shipped with me and inspired me to write in the blog again. We had a wonderful time discussing scripture which we had read thus far doing this Bible reading challenge. It was Spirit filled, it was encouraging and inspiring. Thank you to: Sister Wanda Lee, Sister and Brother Tony Townsend. May the Lord Bless you in every way. :) I also pray for God to Bless each of you participating in the Bible reading challenge and those of you who are only reading the Blog. Again, Thank You So Much :-)

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  46. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
    1 Thessalonians 5:11

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  47. Thanks for the encouragement Brother Rucker! As I am reading through Daniel, I am reminded we should not be intimidated by anyone or anything! We are not to conform to those things that are against our God even if the highest earthly power or everyone around us condones it. God will show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward him-2 Chron 16:9

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  48. I really love chapter 9 in Daniel; it has touched my spirit and my heart. We can learn a lot from Daniels prayer in the book of Daniel (chapter 9) because it speaks to the situation of Christianity today. We too have been in a captivity to our personal Babylon and the time is now for us to come out of her and build God’s House (not only the church, but first us as individuals, God’s Temple) the way he wants it built...But how? Daniel’s prayer gives us clues, therefore; read it with expectancy. Trust that God will enlighten you in a special way. I know most of you are now reading Hosea, but take a few minutes to read Daniel chapter 9 again and personalize it and allow it to really feed your spirit.

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    1. I understand what you mean brother Rucker. Prayer is a powerful weapon and many don't realize how powerful it is. It clearly tells me in this chapter how not to hesitate to ask for forgiveness. At any circumstance we should not forget that our God is a forgiving God and he will give us chances as long as we mean it from the bottom of our hearts. If we really listen, we will hear HIM speaking to us! Many times people just ignore and that is where they end up giving up hope and faith.

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  49. I know brother Ron had talked to us about the 3 kings, however, I never really understood chapter 11 of Daniel. I am still trying to figure out what who what is and does, even though chapter 12 is clear.

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  50. I completed the bible reading challenge. It has been a wonderful journey. The bible is the world's greatest book!

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