2019 Cloud of Witnesses Reading Challenge (Sign up)

If my math is to be trusted this will be my SEVENTH year I'll be hosting the Cloud of Witnesses Reading Challenge. I hope you'll join me! I welcome back former participants! And I hope to see some new participants as well this year! I'd love to show you that reading "from the Cloud" isn't intimidating and scary. The dates for the challenge are January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.

The title of this reading challenge comes from Hebrews 12:1-2, which reads "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (KJV) If the KJV isn't quite for you,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV)

For an author to qualify for this reading challenge, they must be among "the cloud of witnesses".... in other words, they must be dead. (They must also be Christian.)
The following list is NOT comprehensive by any means. It is just a small sampling of authors that count towards the challenge. 

• Norman Geisler (1932-2019)
• David Powlison (1949-2019)
• Warren Wiersbe (1929-1919)
• R.C. Sproul (1939-2017)
• Mike Ovey (1958-2017)
• Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017)
• Jerry Bridges (1929-2016)
• Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015)
• Brennan Manning (1934-2013)
• John Stott (1921-2011)
• D. James Kennedy (1930-2007)
• James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000)
• Paul E. Little (1928-1975)
• Phillip Keller (1920-1997)
• Bilquis Sheikh (1912-1997)
• John Oswald Sanders (1902-1992)
• Loraine Boettner (1901-1990)
• J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988)
• Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984)
• Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983)
• Catherine Marshall (1914-1983)
• Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)
• L.E. Maxwell (1895-1984)
• William Barclay (1907-1978)
• Watchman Nee (1903-1972)
• C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
• A.W. Tozer (1897-1963)
• Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957)
• A.W. Pink (1886-1952)
• Peter Marshall (1902-1949)
• John Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
• Charles Sheldon (1857-1946)
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
• G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945)
• Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949)
• G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
• R.A. Torrey (1856-1928)
• B.B. Warfield (1851-1921)
• Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)
• Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
• A.B. Simpson (1843-1919)
• Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
• E.M. Bounds (1835-1913)
• Andrew Murray (1828-1917)
• Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)
• Alexander Whyte (1836-1921)
• Egerton Ryerson Young (1840-1909)
• J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)
• Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)
• John Ross Macduff (1818-1895)
• Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
• Charles Hodge (1797-1878)
• George Muller (1805-1898)
• Thomas Guthrie (1803-1873)
• J.W. Alexander (1804-1859)
• Charles Bridges (1794-1869)
• William Wilberforce (1759-1833)
• John Newton (1725-1807)
• Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
• David Brainerd (1718-1747)
• George Whitfield (1714-1770)
• John Wesley (1703-1791)
• William Law (1686-1761)
• Thomas Manton (1620-1677)
• Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
• John Owen (1616-1683)
• John Bunyan (1628-1688)
• Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)
• John Flavel (1627-1691)
• Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
• Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
• Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)
• Martin Luther (1483-1546)
• John Calvin (1509-1564)
• Brother Lawrence (1605-1691)
• Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
• Thomas Manton (1620-1677)
• Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471)
• Saint Augustine (354-430)

So what "counts" for this challenge? Well, the goal is to get you acquainted with different authors. So any reading material will count: no matter the length. It can be an article of a few pages; an individual sermon or a collection of sermons; it can be a book of quotes by that person; it can be a biography or autobiography about the person; you might find full-length books available online, or individual sermons online. And of course it doesn't matter if it's a book-book, e-book, or audiobook.

So how do I find books? Some authors will still be in print. Others won't be. Plenty of qualifying books can be found at Amazon for Kindle or Barnes & Noble for Nooks. Plenty can be read online or downloaded as pdfs. 

A great place to begin might be Free Grace Broadcaster. They've got subject-themed newsletters with articles by various authors. Topics include "The Work of Christ," "Worship," "Heaven," "The Resurrection." I also recommend Christian Classics Ethereal Library. 

So how many books are required? 

If you're completely new to christian nonfiction (christian living, theology, bible commentaries, bible studies, etc.) then I'd like to challenge you to read ONE or TWO books. If your first attempt is too tough, or proving not-for-you, try again. Don't assume that just because one author isn't working for you, that no author will. 

If christian nonfiction is something you're comfortable reading, I'd like to challenge you to read four to six books for this challenge. 

Sign up for the challenge by leaving a comment on the blog. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2019 Operation Deepen Faith

To sign up 'officially,' leave a comment on this post. The challenge is from January 2019 - December 2019. There are multiple parts to this challenge. Sign up only for those parts that interest/challenge you.  (A blog is not required. But if you do blog, do share a link.) I encourage you to follow me on twitter (@operationbible) and tweet me as often as you like regarding what you're reading and/or studying, what you're looking forward to reading, etc. One last thing, consider adding me and fellow participants to your blogroll, and cheer on other participants by reading reviews and leaving comments.

I. Wonderful Words of Life. Read the Bible. The goal isn't to read the Bible following a specific plan or by a certain date. The goal is to read the Bible. For some that might mean reading the Bible once a year. For others it might mean reading the Bible over two or three years. What matters is that you incorporate reading the Bible into your life. 

If you're looking to keep track here's a checklist for your convenience. Feel free to copy/paste this. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste it) when you finish reading a book. 

Written by Moses

_ 1. Genesis 

_ 2. Exodus

_ 3. Leviticus

_ 4. Numbers

_ 5. Deuteronomy

OT Narratives

_ 6. Joshua

_ 7. Judges

_ 8. Ruth 

_ 9. 1 Samuel

_ 10. 2 Samuel

_ 11. 1 Kings

_ 12. 2 Kings

_ 13. 1 Chronicles

_ 14. 2 Chronicles

_ 15. Ezra

_ 16. Nehemiah

_ 17. Esther

Wisdom Literature

_ 18. Job

_ 19. Psalms

_ 20. Proverbs

_ 21. Ecclesiastes

_ 22. Song of Songs

Major Prophets

_ 23. Isaiah

_ 24. Jeremiah

_ 25. Lamentations

_ 26. Ezekiel

_ 27. Daniel

Minor Prophets

_ 28. Hosea

_ 29. Joel 

_ 30. Amos

_ 31. Obadiah

_ 32. Jonah

_ 33. Micah

_ 34. Nahum

_ 35. Habakkuk

_ 36. Zephaniah

_ 37. Haggai

_ 38. Zechariah

_ 39. Malachi

NT Narratives

_ 40. Matthew

_ 41. Mark

_ 42. Luke

_ 43. John

_ 44. Acts

Epistles by Paul

_ 45. Romans

_ 46. 1 Corinthians

_ 47. 2 Corinthians

_ 48. Galatians

_ 49. Ephesians

_ 50. Philippians

_ 51. Colossians

_ 52. 1 Thessalonians

_ 53. 2 Thessalonians

_ 54. 1 Timothy

_ 55. 2 Timothy

_ 56. Titus

_ 57. Philemon

General Epistles

_ 58. Hebrews

_ 59. James

_ 60. 1 Peter

_ 61. 2 Peter

_ 62. 1 John

_ 63. 2 John

_ 64. 3 John

_ 65. Jude

Apocalyptic Epistle by John

_ 66. Revelation

II. Tell Me The Stories of Jesus. Goal: Read one or more children's bible story books. If you're a parent, this would be a great opportunity to make reading aloud apart of your routine.

III. How Great Thou Art. Goal: Read one or more books on the attributes and character of God.

IV. Sweet Hour of Prayer. Goal: Read one or more books on prayer. And/or read a devotional. 

V. Just A Closer Walk With Thee. Read one or more books on the Christian Life, aka "Christian Living."

VI. How Firm a Foundation. Goal: Read one or more theological books, aka "Theology" (Bible commentaries can count as Christian Living OR theology).

VII. How Can I Keep From Singing: Goal: Read one or more books on praise or worship.

VIII. God Of Our Fathers. Goal: Read one or more books on church history or the church.

IX. When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. Goal: Read one or more books on eternity (heaven, hell, judgment, last days, end times). 

X. It is No Secret (What God Can Do). Goal: Read one or more biography, autobiography, or memoir.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible