2009 has come. So here is the challenge. Take 90 days to immerse yourself in the New Testament. There are 260 chapters in the NT. That is roughly three chapters per day.
There is wisdom in carving out a specific time and place to do this. It may vary between the work week and the weekend, but be strategic. Do not do this for data input only. Take the time to pray before and after you read. Ask God to:
- reveal Himself and His glory to you
- reveal His big story to you
- reveal where you are rebellious and working against Him and His ways
- reveal where you are submitted to His authority
- reveal practical knowledge and wisdom that will help you today
- give you wisdom to make long term decisions
For those who are not Christ-followers, I invite you to join us. Check out the New Testament. Specifically take notice of the biographies of Jesus of Nazareth: John, Mark, Luke, and Matthew. Then take a look at how messed Jesus’ followers were then. They did not have it together then, and neither do we. We are beggars telling other beggars where to find bread.
Speaking of Bread, enjoy the challenge. Let me know if you are in.
90 Day New Testament Reading Plan
1. MATTHEW 1-4
2. 5-7
3. 8-10
4. 11-14
5. 15-17
6. 18-20
7. 21-23
8. 24-25
9. 26-28
10. EPHESIANS 1-2
11. 3-4
12. 5-6
13. I PETER 1-2
14. 3-5
15. TITUS: ALL
16. I CORINTH. 1-4
17.5-8
18. 9-12
19. 13-16
20. MARK 1-4
21. 5-8
22. 9-12
23. 13-16
24. I JOHN 1-2
25. 3-5
26. JAMES 1-2
27. 3-5
28. I TIMOTHY 1-3
29. 4-6
30. ROMANS 1-3
31. 4-5
32. 6-8
33. 9-11
34. 12-13
35. 14-16
36. JUDE: ALL
37. ACTS 1-4
38. 5-8
39. 9-12
40. 13-16
41. 17-20
42. 21-24
43. 25-28
44. COLOSSIANS 1-2
45. 3-4
46. PHILEMON: ALL
47. GALATIANS 1-2
48. 3-4
49. 5-6
50. LUKE 1-4
51. 5-8
52. 9-12
53. 13-16
54. 17-21
55. 22-24
56. HEBREWS 1-2
57. 3-4
58. 5-7
59. 8-10
60. 11-13
61. II JOHN: ALL
62. III JOHN: ALL
63. I THESS. 1-3
64. 4-5
65. II CORINTH. 1-3
66. 4-6
67. 7-9
68. 10-13
69. JOHN 1-3
70. 4-6
71. 7-9
72. 10-12
73. 13-15
74. 16-17
75. 18-21
76. II THESS.: ALL
77. PHILIPPIANS 1-2
78. 3-4
79. II PETER ALL
80. II TIMOTHY 1-2
81. 3-4
82. REVELATION 1-3
83. 4-5
84. 6-7
85. 8-10
86. 11-13
87. 14-15
88. 16-18
89. 19-20
90. 21-22
__________________________
David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog
twitter.com/davidthew
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Thanks for the challenge.
Thanks for the challenge. Many times I’ve tried to plow my way through Scripture readings (just gathering data …) so I really appreciate your coaching on being strategic and prayerful. I’ll follow those instructions and accept the challenge. I’m in.
- Rich
__________________________Rich Sturmfels
Diesel Does It
Hey all. Folks from around
Hey all. Folks from around the country have contacted me to say that they are excited to join you in this challenge. You have inspired many. Press on!
__________________________David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog
twitter.com/davidthew
Here’s a few ideas: 1 -
Here’s a few ideas:
1 - Goto www.bibleagateway.com. You can listen to the ESV or NIV being read. Go to “passage lookup.” Insert the passage/s for the day. Click on the speaker icon just below the text box where you inserted your search.
2 - Invest in the NT or the bible on CD. I study NASB and ESV mainly, but I like to listed to the New Living Translation (NLT). Invest in your spiritual health.
3 - with either your laptop or a CD player, listen to the passages while in the shower or getting ready for the day. Drive time is also a great place to listen. Use your time strategically.
__________________________David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog
twitter.com/davidthew
I am well into the
I am well into the challenge. I finished Matthew up and I am moving into Mark. I decided to go straight through just because I am old an would not be able to remember where I am at. So far. God has revealed a lot of things to me. There are a few that I wanted to share.
God as a healer. Wow, how many lives he touched by healing them from their sickness. I was reminded that God is not just a healer of physical sickness, but also he has healed my spirit.
When Jesus was put before Pilate in Matthew. Pilate’s wife tried to intervene and tell Him not to get involved. I learned from this as a wife that I need to be aware of what is going on in my husbands life and be a watcher for him. Be a source of wisdom and not be a hindrance to what God is trying to use Him for.
God is showing me how I need to have faith and trust Him. In Mark 4:35, when the disciples where in the storm in the boat and Jesus was sleeping. They became scared and woke Jesus up. He asked them Why are so afraid? Have you still no faith? It really spoke to me that I need not be afraid of whatever is coming into my path and I need to trust God in His sovereignty.
These are some areas that I have need to pray that God will help me become stronger. I have been a Christian for almost 25 years. The longer I walk this journey, the more I realize that I am nothing and have nothing without Him. May He be Glorified.
We have been going through
We have been going through some of the readings as a family at breakfast in the mornings. This morning should have been 1 Peter 1-2, but I mistakenly read from 1 Timothy 1-2 instead. The boys are 12, 9 & 7, and Zoie is 4. Here were some of our conversations:
1 Tim 1:20 - “20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.” NLT
The boys asked if that meant that Paul sent them to hell. I told him that Paul prayed that God would removed His protection and let them feel the full force of their sin and rebellion. They asked if that was good. I told them it was because it would show them that God wants us to know that following our path brings self-destruction as well as to others.
1 Tim 2:5
5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. NLT
5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. ESV
We read through the New Living Translation (NLT). We talked about the terms “mediator,” “reconcile,” and “ransom.” Mediator is someone who takes the risk to step between two offended parties to try and bring them together. We used the illustration of holding our hands apart and then clapping them. They were apart, now they are brought together.
For ransom, we used Anakin Skywalker as an example. He was under the rule of an alien being - owned by him. They had to remind me of what the ransom was: winning the race. By that action, Anakin was freed from slavery. From there we talked about Jesus’ death and how we were freed because He took the Father’s wrath for our rebellion (propitiation) so we could be reconciled with God.
__________________________David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog
twitter.com/davidthew