Bible reading plan
Read the whole Bible in two years
Why every day?
That it’s an anchor for life. Most of the time we go along with the crowd – but how do we know the crowd is heading in the right direction? The Bible helps us to find God’s good and perfect way to live, filled with his Spirit.
That it’s full of stories! Far from being legalistic and dull, it’s mainly stories about real people living real lives, and how they connected with God – sometimes well, sometimes really badly. You’ll also find poetry, letters, adventures and romances… And all of it points to Jesus, whose life, death, resurrection and promised return have changed the world forever.
That through this book, God will speak to you. The Bible is the main way in which God can speak to you. The words on the page come to life as, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, they speak directly and personally to you.
Download the plans
Get it on your phone or tablet
Text instructions
- Visit bible.com/app from your mobile device.
- Download The Bible App by Youversion.
- In the app under Plans / Find Plans, search for the “Two Year Bible Reading Plan.”
Note: There are two plans. Use Volume 2 for odd years (eg 2019) and Volume 1 for even years (eg 2020).
Starting mid-way through the year
If you are beginning in the middle of a calendar year, you will need to use the “Catch me up” feature to jump to the current bit of the plan.
- Calculate how many days into the year you are e.g. 21st June is 172 days
- Jump to the day before that number in the plan e.g. 171 in the plan
- Tap the tick box next to the readings for that day so that they show as completed
- From the menu, select “Catch me up” and confirm that you want to shift forward
Video instructions
Help along the way
Getting started
If you are new to reading the Bible, we recommend doing The Bible Course. Get an overview of the whole Bible over eight weeks, and get into a habit of reading it for yourself every day. Contact the office to sign up for the next course: office@sjlh.org.uk
Read with others
It’s much easier to read the Bible with other people. Why not join a small group and start a Bible Book Club as you make your way through the Bible Reading Plan? The Bible Society has excellent resources to support your Bible Book Club.
Bibles
Use a good, modern translation of the Bible like the New International Version (NIV). For extra information alongside the text, invest in a good Study Bible like:
- The NIV Zondervan Study Bible
- The NLT Life Application Study Bible, or
- The Soul Survivor Youth Bible.
Check out the copies we keep in the church library in the Evens Room (first floor).
Books
For a brief introduction to each book of the Bible as you go, try:
How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (Zondervan, 2014)
For a daily commentary that accompanies the reading plan:
For the Love of God (Vol 1 & 2) by Don Carson, or
get them free as an e-book here: Volume One (for even years, eg 2020) and Volume Two (for odd years, eg 2019)
Videos
This short video from the Youth Alpha film seriesgives some practical tips and advice for getting into a daily Bible reading habit.
The Bible Project has excellent, short video introductions to every major section of the Bible, and lots more.