Two Bible Reading Plans

One of the recurring themes from Don Whitney's book about spiritual disciplines is the importance of having a plan. This is especially true if one of your New Year's resolutions is to read through the Bible in a year. Good intentions will only take you so far. It's much easier to accomplish a goal if you have a road-map.

Here are two schedules for reading the Bible (both are by NavPress, and are under their copyright). One thing that I like about both of them is that they leave scheduled days for reflection and (more likely) catch-up. Print one out and stick it in your Bible.

Option #1 -- 5x5x5 plan. Click link to view. 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Through the NT in a year.

Option #2 -- Book-at-a-Time plan. Click link to view. This is the whole Bible via alternating books from the Old and New Testament. You also get a short daily reading from Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, or Ecclesiastes.

Praying Through Scripture

One of the reasons we fail to spend much time in prayer, says Don Whitney, is because it is often boring. We tend to say the same things about the same things. But if we want to find a new sense of freshness and excitement in our personal prayer life, we should go back to the original prayer book: the Psalms. Listen to the following two sessions to hear Don describe why we should use Scripture as a catalyst for prayer.

Praying Through Scripture, part 1.

Praying Through Scripture, part 2.

What did I just read?

"Why does the intake of God's Word often leave us cold, and why don't we have more success in our spiritual life?" (Whitney, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life", p. 43)

Many of us can relate to this feeling. We know that it's important to hear from God, and that reading the Bible is the best way to do it. Yet when we make the time for this practice we often come away unchanged. Why?

This is the question that Don Whitney explored in a recent talk at Omaha Bible Church. He contends that the missing ingredient in our diet may be meditation--the practice of focusing our mind on scripture in an intentional way.

Click here to listen to Whitney explain the why and how of Biblical meditation.

...for the Purpose of Godliness

Donald Whitney recently gave a series of messages at Omaha Bible Church.

Why are spiritual disciplines important? Click here to hear Don explain the purpose of these practices.

Coming Soon

Starting November 4, Cornerstone's new format will include a time for digging deeper. From 9:30 - 10:15, Inquire is an opportunity to learn, discuss, and grow together. Our inaugural study will be "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life". Donald Whitney's book encourages us to grow in classic Christian disciplines like scripture reading, prayer, fasting, worship, evangelism, serving, and stewardship. All ages are welcome! The book is available for $10, but not required for participation.