How could we not read the bible?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3 v16-17 NIV)
If God breathes into the bible, why wouldn’t we want Him to breathe through it into our lives?
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119 v105, NIV)
Why would we choose to stumble around in the dark?
Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1 v1-2)
Why would we not want God’s blessings?
Bible Reading Notes are great.  Each day’s reading takes about 5 minutes.  Generally, they give you
  • A passage to read,
  • An explanation of the passage, relating it to everyday life
  • A prayer to say at the end

You find a quiet time in the day that suits you.  They only cost about £4 for 3 months.

Examples now follow:

CWR
Have plenty of different notes:
  • Every Day with Jesus is one of the most popular daily Bible study tools in the world with over ½ a million readers an issue.
  • Inspiring Women Every Day is aimed at women!
  • The Manual on the other hand is “for men, by men: these 60 days of notes are a no-nonsense guide to a man's walk with God.”

See www.cwr.org.uk/store/t-subs.aspx
or phone 01252 784710
Bible Reading Fellowship
Have a whole load of different notes, aimed at different people, including:
  • New daylight aims to give a fresh, devotional approach to Bible reading
  • Guidelines is more in-depth
  • The Upper Room has all the meditations written by readers of this publication, who seek to share the insights of their faith with others

See www.biblereadingnotes.org.uk
or phone 01865 319700
Scripture Union produce 3 main adult notes:
  • Daily Bread: Trying to show the relevance of a verse or a passage in the bible in our everyday lives
  • Closer to God: Aiming to help people see how God is speaking to them, and equipping them to live incredible lives for Him
  • Encounter with God: Designed to lead you to a deeper understanding about what God is saying to you and to his world today.
See www.scriptureunion.org.uk/bible
or phone 01908 856000
Options for Children, youth and families
Each of these 3 publishes have notes for specific age groups:
  • CWR has Pens for 3-6s, Topz for 7-11s, YPs for 11-15s and Mettle for 14-18s. 
  • Scripture Union has Tiddlywinks for little ones, Snapshots for 8-11s and Airlock for older young people.
And it’s a great thing for families to read the bible together—perhaps just before school, or at tea-time.   “Table talk for families” by the Good Book Company, has a passage to read, things to discuss, and a prayer, plus notes for parents!

Electronic Media

If you prefer, you can

  • Download an eBible app (like YouVersion) on your smartphone (there are various versions, including audio ones).
  • BRF has pdf-downloads, iPhone apps and e-mail options
  • See our Growing in Faith for a variety of great resources

And don’t forget you need a good bible!

Ask for one for Christmas! (a hardback one will last longer)

  • The NIV is the one we use in church
  • The Message is a fresh, modern (quirky at times) translation
  • The Good News Translation or the Contemporary English Version are in slightly more simple language
  • Or you can get the bible on audio—so it’s read to you
  • A good place to buy them is www.eden.co.uk (or even Amazon)
  • There are some lovely children’s bibles available.  Browse the ones in Junior Church to see which you like
  • A good youth bible is the NCV Youth Bible

Time with God

There are 1440 minutes in a day!  Surely we can spare 5 of them to sit down quietly and spend time with the God who loves us and wants to speak into our lives! 

Why would we not?

If you wanted to spend longer, then here are two possibilities:

  • Read through the whole bible in a year.  This can be done in about 15 minutes a day, and there are bible reading plans to help.  Keep going when it gets tough!
  • Or read it slowly, prayerfully and meditatively (look for resources on Lectio Devina if you feel you need help in this).