Reading Your Bible
The Lord Jesus himself was clear that life is more than what our five senses tell us (Mathew 6:25). Whatever this "more" to life is, food and water cannot sustain it. The words of Scripture are the only power able to sustain the "more." In order to live the fullest life possible, we must feed both sides of life: physical and spiritual. Bread sustains the body, but the Bread of Life in Scripture feeds the soul. Now, if it is not a strict guideline to tell someone to eat 3 meals a day, then surely it is no "legalistic standard" to tell a Spirit-filled Christian to read Scripture ("eat a meal") once a day.
We want our people at Church at Bergen to be students of the Bible, to love their Bibles, enjoy reading the Bible, teach the Bible, and fellowship around the Bible. It is no wonder that Peter commands us: "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation" (1 Peter 2:2). Amazing! God commands us to have intense yearnings, longings, and cravings for Scripture, even more than you do your daily portion of food! This can only happen through the new-birth granted by the Spirit of God. May he do this in all of us.
Resources for How to Read the Bible:
Bibles
ESVBible.org (create free account)
BibleStudyTools.com
Bibles at Crossway.org
ESV Bible App
Journaling Bibles
Bible Reading Plans
2 Year Plan (beginner)
Discipleship-Journal Plan (used by Pastor McKinney)
M'Cheyne Reading Plan (advanced)
New Testament in 90 Days
Reading Plan for Shirkers and Slackers
Studying the Bible
One-to-One (w/ someone else)
Step-by-Step (Village Church)
Book Studies (ESVBible.org)
Women of the Word (Jen Wilkin)
Overview of the Bible
The God Who is There (D.A. Carson)
How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth(Gordon Fee)
From Eden to Jerusalem (T. Desmond Alexander)
Bible Commentaries
Top 5 Commentaries on each book (Ligonier Min)
Top 5 Commentaries on each book (Tim Challies)
Videos on Bible Study
Look at the Book Videos (John Piper, highly recommended)
The Bible Project Video Series (creative)
Know Your Bible (Village Church)
The God Who is There Series (D.A. Carson)
For questions on resources or tips to reading the Bible please email Mike McKinney.