Let’s Begin Reading!
It all begins with an idea.
The most important thing anyone can do before reading the Bible is to pray for the Holy Spirit to help you understand, listen, and act on what He is saying to you. If you are not sure how to do that, here is a simple prayer to get you started:
Lord God, Thank you for the words that I am about to read. Holy Spirit, I trust that you are indeed my teacher and my counselor, so would you teach and counsel me as I read today? My mind and heart are open to understanding and I am ready to learn to abide. I pray in the name of Jesus, amen.
I have nothing but confidence that God will answer this prayer because there is nothing more that He wants than to abide in you and you in Him! He wants to talk to someone who is listening! Get ready to hear as you begin the first day of reading.
Reading New Testament and Psalms in Six Months in 2025
Here we are in 2025 and we are steadfast on abiding in Jesus this year! Here at Crossroads we are learning to abide better by engaging in His Word and letting it shape us as a community of people walking with Him. We want to embody John 15.1-9.
We are beginning by reading the New Testament during the first six months of the year. For those so inclined, there is an option to add the Psalms to your reading plan. This might sound like a big deal, but reading the New Testament in six months will only take about 8-10 minutes of your day! If you add the Psalms just double that amount.
The point isn’t really how much we read in six months, it’s more important that we are learning to ABIDE with Jesus. He in us and us in Him just as He is in the Father and Father is in Him. That is how we get to the point of hearing Him well and seeing Him around us so that we can follow his leading. We read the Bible because that is a primary way the Holy Spirit speaks to us. We learn who Jesus is. We begin to understand His ways, the ways of the Father, and learn the voice of the Holy Spirit. Without engaging in His Word, we are simply manufacturing our own ideas about what God is doing and saying. And that’s only abiding in ourselves . . . not Jesus.
I pray you are joining us this year as we learn to abide! Follow along each day. Share what’s happening! Take on the challenges that are posted and let us know how it’s going in the comments under each week’s reading plan. Text the word READ to 833-210-7705 and let me know how you are engaging or if you want to be a part of a small group or Zoom call. We want to help you connect with the Body of believers as you learn to abide.
I am confident God will bless you and our gatherings with His Presence, direction, and all manner of fruit of the Spirit in great abundance as we abide in Him.
Week Eight
The gospel of Luke gets pretty intense this week! We see what happens when Jesus sends out the 72, we get some parables and healing stories only found in Luke, and overall a LOT of red words spoken by Jesus! This is a great gospel to really concentrate on the two lists I brought up in week 3. See how I did that! I won’t forget.
I want to challenge you to spend an extra amount of concentration on the list ‘Who I am in Christ.’ Many of us get stalled in our faith journey because we don’t really understand who we are in Jesus. We may say, “I am loved” and that may very well be understood. But, what if you had to describe how exactly you know you are loved without using the word love?
In my small group this week, we looked at the story in Luke 7:36-50 and asked ourselves how did Jesus see the sinful woman? How did he feel about her? How did he demonstrate that? What does that mean for me?
Don’t allow yourself the easy answer, go deeper. Look at your deepest fear or consider how you think others see, or don’t see you. Then ask, where is Jesus in my fear? What does Jesus see? What would happen if I cried endless tears and layed all that I am at his feet. How would He respond? What exactly would He do? Yes, He would love you — but so much more! Get specific, go deep, and write it down. You will discover truths that will be with you for the rest of your life.
Tell me how you know God is loving you this week. Write a comment below or reach me, Melissa, at mrightmire@crnaz.com . Thank you for traveling with me on this journey through the New Testament.
Below are the readings for week 8:
February 20, 2025 Luke 9:37–62 NIV, Ps 46 NIV
February 23, 2025 Luke 12:1–48 NIV, Ps 49 NIV
February 24, 2025 Luke 12:49–13:35 NIV, Ps 50:1–9 NIV
February 25, 2025 Luke 14:1–15:10 NIV, Ps 50:10–23 NIV
February 26, 2025 Luke 15:11–16:31 NIV, Ps 51 NIV
Week Seven
Dr. Luke, by James Tissot
Did you ever think about the fact that both the gospels of Mark and Luke are written by people who were not among the 12 disciples? In the case of Mark, who was also called John Mark (Acts 12:12), we know he was a close follower of Jesus. Luke on the other hand is never identified as a follower of Jesus during his three years of ministry on earth. However, we know Luke to be a physician and a close friend and partner in ministry of Paul’s (Colossians 4:14). And, as stated in the first verses of his gospel, he felt it necessary to put together “an orderly account” of the things he and his friends had been told and come to believe.
Perhaps because of Luke’s profession as a doctor, his gospel is considered to demonstrate a greater appreciation of humanity than the other gospels. As you read his gospel, consider how Luke illuminates the human elements of Jesus and those He touches with His life. How can you add to the lists you are creating conisdering the humanity of Jesus and how that intersects with our humanity? Go back to week 3 if you are new to this blog to learn about the two lists.
Sometime this week, take an additional 10-15 minutes to think, ruminate, and consider the deep truths of Jesus, humanity in general, and more specifically yourself. I am praying that God will give you new revelation about who He is and who you are in Him.
What might God be saying to you this week? Write a comment below or reach me, Melissa, at mrightmire@crnaz.com . Below are the readings for week 7!
February 13, 2025 Luke 3 NIV, Ps 40:1–6 NIV
February 14, 2025 Luke 4:1–5:11 NIV, Ps 40:7–17 NIV
February 15, 2025 Luke 5:12–39 NIV, Ps 41 NIV
February 17, 2025 Luke 7 NIV, Ps 44:1–12 NIV
February 18, 2025 Luke 8 NIV, Ps 44:13–26 NIV
February 19, 2025 Luke 9:1–36 NIV, Ps 45 NIV
Week Six
For the second time, we are walking the final journey with Jesus and the disciples towards Jerusalem. The disciples are amazed at Jesus’ determination to go to the very place where he is predicting his death sentence. The others who follow are not as close to Jesus and may not have been fully aware of what He had been saying, feel a sense of dread and fear (Mark 10:32). But Jesus isn’t done teaching, healing, casting out demons, rebuking the legalistic, or raising the dead! He presses on with tremendous purpose and destiny. I hope those words are in your list about what the gospels are revealing about who God is.
No, I didn’t forget that I asked you to make two lists. Did you forget? One list is characteristics of God and the other is who you are in Jesus. By now, you may find a great deal of repetition and that might have caused you to stop. Let me encourage you to take another look.
Sometime this week, create a table on a sheet of paper with a column for every letter in the alphabet. Under each letter, write words that describe God’s character that begin with that letter. For example, “A” could have the words, able, attentive, affectionate, abundant. See if you can think of one or more words for every letter in the alphabet.
THEN do another list the same way for who you are in Jesus. Have a separate column for each letter of the alphabet.
What are the similarities? What are the differences?
Consider how you could you use these lists as prayer prompts each day. One letter a day for 26 days to praise God! It could look like this: “Lord God, you are so able to help me with ________. I thank you for your affection and attention. You have been so generous and your love is so abundant in my life. Like David, my cup truly overflows with your goodness and lovingkindness.” See? It’s not very hard.
These lists are not simply academic. They are meant to help us grow in our journey with Jesus. How else might you be able to use these lists? How could the second list help you remember who you are in Jesus? Can you also pray through that list?
I love hearing from you! Write a comment below sometime this week or reach me, Melissa, directly at mrightmire@crnaz.com . Below are the readings for week 6!
February 6, 2025 Mark 13 NIV, Ps 35:14–28 NIV
February 7, 2025 Mark 14:1–42 NIV, Ps 36 NIV
February 8, 2025 Mark 14:43–15:20 NIV, Ps 37:title–12 NIV
February 9, 2025 Mark 15:21–16:20 NIV, Ps 37:13–40 NIV
February 10, 2025 Luke 1:1–38 NIV, Ps 38:title–8 NIV
February 11, 2025 Luke 1:39–80 NIV, Ps 38:9–22 NIV
February 12, 2025 Luke 2 NIV, Ps 39 NIV
February 10. I keep wondering about the strange verses in Mark 14:51-52. Mark is the only place this little account exists. Why is it relevant? 1st consider that the author of this gospel, Mark, also known as John Mark, is not one of the original 12 disciples. While, he most certainly followed Jesus, he simply was not in the list of 12. We do know that he was the son of a follower named Mary (Acts 12:12) and many scholars believe it is likely that it was her home where the last supper took place. If John Mark was young enough, he may have gone to bed when Jesus and the disciples left for the garden. He may have been home in bed when Judas came to the house where they had been meeting expecting to find him there. However, John Mark now aware that Jesus was in danger may have left his bed and home in haste to warn him or see what was going on. He would have known where the garden was because Jesus and the disciples often met there (John 18:2). Quite possibly, John Mark got caught up in the commotion and was grabbed by one of the soldiers and as he fought to get loose, he lost his sleeping garment and ran home naked. These two verses may be how Mark made it known that he indeed was an eye witness to the arrest of Jesus.