Jesus spoke often about the importance of the Word in our lives. He even said His most important parable was the one in which He explained the different soils of the heart into which the word is sown1. In the Gospel of John, Jesus gave a very pointed teaching on the importance of abiding in His Word.
John 8:31-32 AMPC “ So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”
John 15:4-10 AMPC “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. 9 I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love continue in His love with Me]. 10 If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.”
These two passages give us the key to living the Christian life, abiding. To abide in Christ, we must have a continual connection to the Word through prayer and in worship. In this post, I will share various ways of continually reading the Bible in chunks to get it in your heart in what I have found to be a very efficient manner. While everyone should read the Bible cover to cover at least once, I believe that after we have done so, it is best to focus on repeated reading of a particular book or section, so that we can meditate more deeply on Scripture and live the champion life God intended. Not only do we need to meditate on the Scriptures, read and speak them, if we do not get the sin out of our lives, our efforts to abide will continually be derailed. Let’s look at two passages on this topic.
Joshua 1:8 NLT “ Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
There are more Scriptures we could look at on this topic, but I will leave that for another post. Let’s now turn our attention to a few ways to repetitively review the Scriptures.
Reading the Bible the Jesus Way
As a Jew, Jesus would have read through the Torah (the first five Books of the Bible) every year, along with the connecting portion from the Prophets. In addition, Jews read the book of Psalms every month. Reading the Bible this way connects us to how Jesus and His disciples read and connected Scriptures. The reading cycle begins in the fall, at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, and concludes the following year at the same time.
You can purchase a Hebrew calendar, which will give you the readings, sign up to have them emailed to you (scroll down to Parsha and click daily wisdom), and/or purchase an ArtScroll Chumash or a Chabad Chumash, which has the readings broken up for you, along with the Prophetic portions and Holiday readings.
Reading Psalms and Proverbs
As mentioned above, Jews read the Book of Psalms every month. The Psalms are not just a songbook; they are also a book of prayers that offers much comfort and encouragement at various times in life, both the good and the difficult. If you read about twenty Psalms per day, you will complete the Book each month. Reading the Psalms in this way will cultivate prayer and praise in us in a deep, sustaining, and life-changing way.
The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon would be a great devotional tool if you wanted to take a Psalm a day, read the passage, and the teaching that goes with it. I recommend splitting longer Psalms into sections. This will take longer than 150 days, but it will be a very rewarding experience.
Proverbs is easier to manage schedule-wise, 31 chapters, 30 or 31 days in a month equals the Proverb of the day. Each day, you will receive a little bit of wisdom. You can also pair the book of James with Proverbs; they go well together.
The Gospels
Read the four Gospels in a month:
Week 1: John (3 chapters a day)
Week 2: Luke (4 chapters a day)
Week 3: Matthew (4 chapters a day)
Week 4: Mark (3 chapters a day)
A Month in Specific Passages
When we read something repeatedly for an entire month, it imprints on our minds and hearts. If you add to that listening to an audio Bible while you are driving, you’ll get an even better growth of the Scriptures on the inside of you, then, when trouble comes, worry, anxiety, or great blessings, the Word will be the response to all of it.
Some passages you could read and meditate on for a month include: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), The Ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16), and God’s favor and protection in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). By reading the chapters each day, you will remember them by the end of the month without having tried.
I also recommend this 30-day meditation regimen for topical studies. If you need to overcome something, look up Scriptures on that issue, write them down on an index card, and read the index cards twice a day. Pray those Scriptures over your life. We defeat the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony; we have no greater testimony than the Scriptures! Meditation from a Bible standpoint does not mean being silent; it means speaking. We are to speak the Word day and night!
The MacArthur Method
Pastor John MacArthur (1939-2025) was the Pastor of Grace Community Church in California for over fifty years and preached through the entire New Testament verse by verse. He encouraged the following method: read through the Old Testament each year, making notes of questions and interesting things for later study. When it comes to the New Testament, start with a small Book and read it every day for a month. For larger Books, split them into sections, for example: John 1-7, John 8-14, John 15-21. You read the first seven chapters every day for a month, the next month, the next seven, and finish in the third month. This method of Study takes almost three years, and by the end of it, you will have a great grasp on the New Testament.
While this method can seem overwhelming, there is nothing more rewarding than spending time in the Word. You don’t have to set out to study through the entire New Testament all at once. Do one book, a short one, and see how you like it.
Closing Thoughts
Mix and match these methods; most importantly, be led by the Holy Spirit in your journey and growth in the Scriptures. It’s okay to stop in the middle of the method and switch to something else. Having different ways to read and study helps keep our Bible reading fresh. My primary Bible is the KJV, and I look up things in other translations when I study. From time to time, I like to read a Book in a different translation, which also helps me see familiar passages in new ways.
Regardless of what “method” I am currently using, there are passages I visit at least once a month, or every other month: Psalm 119; Ephesians; Proverbs 3-4; James. There are certain passages and or books that will just “be life” to you, they will speak to you in ways other Books don’t. Gravitate to and cling to those books; run the references in the margins. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)
- Matt. 13:1-15; Mk. 4:1-12; Lk. 8:4-10
Casey D. Bell 
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