Join the 25 Day Bible Reading Challenge!

Joel Arnold is on the Bible Faculty at BJMBC.

Transform your understanding of the Bible with this 25-day sweep through Scripture.

Read the Bible in 25 days?!?

Another year at BJMBC is nearly finished. The holiday fever has begun as students struggle to stay focused through their last week of classes. 

But this year we challenged our students to end the year by blowing the top off of their expectations; to do something so radical it sounds impossible and to use their Christmas break in the best possible way. Specifically, we challenged them to read through the entire Bible in 25 days.

​It’s a little crazy, but less crazy than you think. It’ll take about 2-3 hours per day, starting this Saturday.

And now we are inviting you to join us. We have a schedule (see below), a Facebook accountability group to keep everyone motivated, and more than enough excitement. Here are a few practical suggestions to make it possible:

Make the Impossible Possible

​1. Be alert.
Don’t read lying down. We all know where that goes. Stand up, or walk around while you read if you need to. 

2. Be active.
Buy a cheap award Bible and mark as you go. Keep it super simple—underline things that amaze you. But resist the temptation to get too detailed.

3. Be fast.
There are times to read the Bible slowly and digest every word. There are other times to just keep moving. The goal is to get a fly-by overview of your entire Bible. Discipline yourself not to stop—just keep moving!

4. Be creative.
You could read some books out loud together with friends. (Extra fun is to read it like a play with parts!) Or try reading and listening to an audio book at the same time. I suggest not relying on audio Bibles alone, though—your mind will wander.

5. Be accountable.
Have someone hold you accountable, either a friend or a family member. Or join the Facebook group for daily encouragement and check-ins.

Why try?

Reading the Bible intensely in a short time transforms the way you understand it.

​Why do we view so much of God’s words to us closed, confusing and opaque? Maybe because we don’t read the whole thing! Or maybe because even when we do, it is spread out too far for us to notice the constant, rich patterns in the tapestry?

The most powerful memory I have with reading Scripture was one Christmas break when I decided to read the Bible in as short a time as possible. It was like flying over Scripture in a helicopter. I’ll never forget it. It changed my life.

No question, reading like that is a lot of work. There will be days when you feel like quitting. Life will happen and you’ll have to catch up.

​But I’m also absolutely certain that no-one who finishes this project will regret it. One month from now, you could have a radically expanded vision of the richness of Scripture. What better thing could you hope to accomplish in the next 25 days?

Come join us!

Print the 25 Day Bible Reading Challenge.

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Dr. Joel Arnold has lived in Metro Manila since 2013 with his wife, Sarah, their two sons and two daughters. His role is teacher at Bob Jones Memorial Bible College, also providing block classes to groups of pastors across the Philippines and around the world.

He writes regularly at Rootedthinking.com.