2018 Cloud of Witnesses Reading Challenge (Sign Up)

This will be the SIXTH 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, 2018 to December 31, 2018.

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. 

• 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

2018 Operation Deepen Faith

To sign up 'officially,' leave a comment on this post. The challenge is from January 2018-December 2018. There are two parts to this challenge.  Sign up for one or the other, or both! (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. Goal: 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

Looking for a Bible plan:

• (Whole) Bible in 90 Days Plan (link to pdf file)
• John MacArthur's NT Plan (read a book 30 days in a row)
• Woodrow Kroll's Plan (read whole books at a time; read a whole book of the Bible in one sitting)
• Professor Horner's Bible Reading Plan (link to pdf file)
• M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (link to pdf file)
• 52 Week Bible Reading Plan, Different Genre Every Day (link to pdf file)
• Legacy Reading Plan (No set daily readings, but, set monthly readings) (link to pdf file)
• Back to the Bible's Chronological Plan (lists readings month by month, the link to January)

II. Christian Nonfiction. Don't be afraid to give it a try. Read some theology. You choose the number of books to aim for. A beginner might not feel comfortable committing to more than one book. And that's fine. I want to challenge you to start somewhere. This challenge is for everyone. Not just for people who want to commit to reading twenty!  

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Books about God (his attributes, his character, his names, the trinity)
• Books about the birth, life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ; His person, his work. 
• Books about the Bible (how to read the Bible, how to study the Bible, how it's translated, the history of translation, why it's reliable and trustworthy, why it's inerrant and infallible, etc.)
• Commentaries on specific books of the Bible (Ezekiel, Gospel of John, Romans, etc.)
• Books about Bible characters (Moses, Abraham, David, Elijah, Ruth, Mary, Peter, Paul, etc.)
• Books about prayer and/or fasting
• Books about worship, praise and thanksgiving, music in church, etc.
• Books about church life, church growth, church leadership, church discipline, etc.
• books about missions (evangelism, outreach, discipleship,  service, local and global)
• sermon collections (book, ebook, websites of teaching ministries, etc.)
• biographies/autobiographies of theologians, preachers, missionaries, other Christians 
• books about pain, suffering, grief, and tough questions
• books about apologetics 
• books about other religions, specifically books about other religions written from a Christian point of view
• topical books offering a Christian perspective on any subject (marriage, family life, parenting, finances (getting out of debt), dieting, starting a business, being single, fostering or adopting children, war, terrorism, politics, etc.
• books about end times 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2017 Operation Deepen Faith

I am changing things up from previous years. There will be only two parts. (Not eight like last year). Sign up for one or the other, or both! (A blog is not required. But if you do blog, do share a link.) To sign up 'officially,' leave a comment on this post. The challenge is from January 2017-December 2017.

I want the challenge to focus more on sharing and community-building. I will have check-in posts on the twenty-eighth of each month. Your checking in will be optional, of course. But I hope you do!  In addition to monthly check-in posts, 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. Goal: 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. 

Looking for a plan? I've got a list:

• Back to the Bible's 21 Day Bible Reading Challenge (John only)*
• Back to the Bible's 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge (Genesis, Matthew, Mark, Luke only) (link to pdf file)*
• Back to the Bible's 6 Month Bible Reading Challenge (Acts through Revelation, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes only) (link to pdf file)*
• 5X5X5 Bible Reading Plan (New Testament Only, 5 Days A Week, 5 Minutes a Day) (link to pdf file)*
• Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (25 readings per month) (link to pdf file)
• Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (Book-at-a-Time) (25 readings per month) (link to pdf file)
• (Whole) Bible in 90 Days Plan (link to pdf file)
• John MacArthur's NT Plan (read a book 30 days in a row)
• Woodrow Kroll's Plan (read whole books at a time; read a whole book of the Bible in one sitting)
• Professor Horner's Bible Reading Plan (link to pdf file)
• M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (link to pdf file)
• 52 Week Bible Reading Plan, Different Genre Every Day (link to pdf file)
• Legacy Reading Plan (No set daily readings, but, set monthly readings) (link to pdf file)
• Back to the Bible's Chronological Plan (lists readings month by month, the link to January)

II. Christian Nonfiction. Don't be afraid to give it a try. Read some theology. You choose the number of books to aim for. A beginner might not feel comfortable committing to more than one book. And that's fine. I want to challenge you to start somewhere. This challenge is for everyone. Not just for people who want to commit to reading twenty!  

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Books about God (his attributes, his character, his names, the trinity)
• Books about the birth, life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ; His person, his work. 
• Books about the Bible (how to read the Bible, how to study the Bible, how it's translated, the history of translation, why it's reliable and trustworthy, why it's inerrant and infallible, etc.)
• Commentaries on specific books of the Bible (Ezekiel, Gospel of John, Romans, etc.)
• Books about Bible characters (Moses, Abraham, David, Elijah, Ruth, Mary, Peter, Paul, etc.)
• Books about prayer and/or fasting
• Books about worship, praise and thanksgiving, music in church, etc.
• Books about church life, church growth, church leadership, church discipline, etc.
• books about missions (evangelism, outreach, discipleship,  service, local and global)
• sermon collections (book, ebook, websites of teaching ministries, etc.)
• biographies/autobiographies of theologians, preachers, missionaries, other Christians 
• books about pain, suffering, grief, and tough questions
• books about apologetics 
• books about other religions, specifically books about other religions written from a Christian point of view
• topical books offering a Christian perspective on any subject (marriage, family life, parenting, finances (getting out of debt), dieting, starting a business, being single, fostering or adopting children, war, terrorism, politics, etc.
• books about end times 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Reformation Reading Challenge, Sign Up Here

I will be hosting the Reformation Reading Challenge to celebrate the 500 year anniversary of the 'start' of the Reformation.

Any book BY a reformer, ABOUT a reformer, or ABOUT the reformation (history, theology, legacy) will count.

As will any teaching/preaching series about any reformer or the reformation. Any documentary or film about the Reformers or the Reformation.

You might also consider reading from an early Bible translation. (Wycliffe, Tyndale, 1599 Geneva Bible)

You do not need to have a blog--or a place where you post reviews online--in order to participate. If you do review what you read, you can share links either in this sign-up post, or, you can send me a tweet. (@operationbible)

The minimum requirement is one book or one sermon series. There is no maximum limit!

Sign up by leaving a comment. You don't have to commit to specifics.Though if you have decided, then feel free to share! But you don't have to have it all exactly planned out in order to join!

*The background image is a painting of Luther nailing the 95 theses done by Julius Hubner.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2016 Cloud of Witnesses Reading Challenge (sign up)

This will be the FOURTH year I'll be hosting the Cloud of Witness 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, 2016 to December 31, 2016.

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.)

I think it isn't always easy for readers to pick up Christian classics. Perhaps because it isn't always easy to know exactly where to start. Perhaps because people think that they will be difficult to understand--that the language will be too difficult, the style too complicated. Perhaps because people question if a book will still be relevant. 

I believe that there are some AMAZING, GREAT, WONDERFUL, MUST-MUST-MUST reads out there waiting to be discovered.

The following list is NOT comprehensive by any means. It is just a small sampling of authors that count towards the challenge. 

• 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)
• Phillip Keller (1920-1997)
• Bilquis Sheikh (1912-1997)
• 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)
• 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)
• Charles Sheldon (1857-1946)
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
• G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945)
• 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)
• Alexander Whyte (1836-1921)
• Egerton Ryerson Young (1840-1909)
• J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)
• Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)
• Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
• Charles Hodge (1797-1878)
• Thomas Guthrie (1803-1873)
• J.W. Alexander (1804-1859)
• John Newton (1725-1807)
• Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
• George Whitfield (1714-1770)
• John Wesley (1703-1791)
• William Law (1686-1761)
• Richard Baxter (1615-1691)
• John Owen (1616-1683)
• John Bunyan (1628-1688)
• Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)
• John Flavel (1627-1691)
• Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
• 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. 

What I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see is for people to share quotes from what they're reading. I will be sharing a quotes post every Thursday. My first year of sharing quotes was 2015. You may share your own quotes in the comments of my weekly posts. Or, if you prefer, you might consider creating weekly, monthly, or quarterly quote posts of your own. Let me know if you do decide to do this! I'd love to keep up with what you're reading! (Or WHO you're reading!!!)

I'd also love to see participants recommend books to one another. If you write a review of a book, please share a link with me. You can leave a comment on this post, or, on any of the weekly quotes posts throughout the year. 

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

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2016 Operation Deepen Faith

This challenge has multiple parts. (You wouldn't have to sign up for each part. But. Ideally participants would be interested in doing more than just one.) The challenge is from January 2016 through December 2016. Read carefully, I've added some new things this year!!! One thing I've added is an OPTIONAL introduction survey for you to fill out either in the comments or on your own blog.

I. Wonderful Words of Life. Goal: 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.

Looking for a plan? I've got a list:

• Back to the Bible's 21 Day Bible Reading Challenge (John only)*
• Back to the Bible's 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge (Genesis, Matthew, Mark, Luke only) (link to pdf file)*
• Back to the Bible's 6 Month Bible Reading Challenge (Acts through Revelation, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes only) (link to pdf file)*
• 5X5X5 Bible Reading Plan (New Testament Only, 5 Days A Week, 5 Minutes a Day) (link to pdf file)*
• Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (25 readings per month) (link to pdf file)
• Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (Book-at-a-Time) (25 readings per month) (link to pdf file)
• (Whole) Bible in 90 Days Plan (link to pdf file)
• John MacArthur's NT Plan (read a book 30 days in a row)
• Woodrow Kroll's Plan (read whole books at a time; read a whole book of the Bible in one sitting)
• Professor Horner's Bible Reading Plan (link to pdf file)
• M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (link to pdf file)
• 52 Week Bible Reading Plan, Different Genre Every Day (link to pdf file)
• Legacy Reading Plan (No set daily readings, but, set monthly readings) (link to pdf file)
• Back to the Bible's Chronological Plan (lists readings month by month, the link to January)

II. Sweet Hour of Prayer. Goal: Pray daily. I don't know about you. But prayer doesn't always come easily, naturally, effortlessly. The weight and shame of not praying or not praying good enough or long enough or hard enough can be heavy and burdensome. And if your guilt and shame keeps you from even trying, that's a problem. There are so many books on prayer, on praying, on learning to pray. There are two or three that come to my mind as being the best. But any book that helps you out, that gets you praying, that keeps you praying, will do. (Often it's getting started, creating a habit that is the toughest part.) 

One I recommend is PRAYING THE BIBLE by Donald S. Whitney. I personally think it's the best of the best when it comes to practical books on how to pray. His method of praying has you praying the Bible, praying the book of Psalms to be exact. What's the date? Say it's the 5th. You would skim Psalms 5, 35, 65, 95, and 125. (Just find the date. Add 30. Keep adding 30 until you run out of Psalms!) After briefly skimming them to see which one is the best fit for you on that day, you'd then choose ONE to pray. Read the chapter. Line by line, verse by verse. Talk to God. Let His word talk to you, to minister to you. Pray what's on your mind. Use the words of Scripture--when possible--to shape your prayer. But not in a strict, confining way. You'll notice that much of it is God-centered and praise-and-thanksgiving-centered. And that's a great thing!!! You can pray for yourself, pray for your loved ones, pray for your circumstances. But focusing on how good and righteous and faithful God is makes a difference. You almost have to try it yourself to see it's true. 

But let me stress again, it's not the plan or method that matters. Pray daily. 

III. How Firm A Foundation. Goal: STUDY (meditate too!) one book of the Bible throughout the year. I'd recommend reading it at least four times. But even better perhaps would be to read it twelve times--one each month. Read it on your own. But also take a few extra steps to get to know it. If possible, read the notes in a study Bible, or, read a commentary book about your book, or, read and listen to sermons on your book, or, doing an inductive (manuscript) study of your book. Consider reading it in different translations. Get to know that one book well. Let God speak to you through it. Online commentaries are available. Classic Bible Commentaries. Bible Gateway offers several as well: IVP New Testament Commentary Series; Reformation Study Bible; Asbury Bible Commentary. List of commentaries available throughBibleStudyTools.com. J. Vernon McGee's Thru the Bible sermons are also available. (Listen online through Oneplace.)

IV. Deep and Wide; Goal: read multiple books of the bible in multiple translations.

For example that might mean reading four to six books of the Bible (OT or NT, whatever you prefer) in four to six different translations. The books wouldn't have to be long books. You might choose Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, etc. Or you might choose  John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation. Or Luke, Acts, Romans, Hebrews. You can choose a group of books that makes sense to you. Books that you want to explore further. You choose the books, you choose the translations. You choose the pace. 

V. Meditate or Memorize. Note the OR! Not everyone is comfortable committing to memorize Scripture. (I'm one of them!) Goal: Choose about a verse a week--or a verse every other week--to reflect and meditate on. It might mean memorizing it. It might mean writing or journaling about it. (Or blogging about it if you like.) It might mean praying it. Or studying it. It's taking the reading of Scripture into something a little more--worship. These verses would not (have to) be chosen ahead of time. I'm not asking for a list. This is all about choosing-as-you-go, choosing as you read, let Scripture speak to you. Or if you want to make a list, make a list. Whatever gets you excited and keeps you excited about the Word of God.

VI. Choose a Research Project. You can choose the extent of it. If you want it to be small, medium, or large. If your research focuses on studying the Word of God itself or if it incorporates reading other books. It can be a question you're researching, or, just a subject you're researching. For example "the atonement,"  "parables of Jesus" or "sermon on the mount" or "prayer" or "forgiveness" or "predestination" or "grace" or "heaven." OR "What does 1 John teach us about love?" OR "What do different commentators say about John 3?"

VII. Christian Nonfiction. Don't be afraid to give it a try. Read some theology. You choose the number of books to aim for. A beginner might not feel comfortable committing to more than one book. And that's fine. I want to challenge you to start somewhere. This challenge is for everyone. Not just for people who want to commit to reading twenty!  

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Books about God (his attributes, his character, his names, the trinity)
• Books about the birth, life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ; His person, his work. 
• Books about the Bible (how to read the Bible, how to study the Bible, how it's translated, the history of translation, why it's reliable and trustworthy, why it's inerrant and infallible, etc.)
• Commentaries on specific books of the Bible (Ezekiel, Gospel of John, Romans, etc.)
• Books about Bible characters (Moses, Abraham, David, Elijah, Ruth, Mary, Peter, Paul, etc.)
• Books about prayer and/or fasting
• Books about worship, praise and thanksgiving, music in church, etc.
• Books about church life, church growth, church leadership, church discipline, etc.
• books about missions (evangelism, outreach, discipleship,  service, local and global)
• sermon collections (book, ebook, websites of teaching ministries, etc.)
• biographies/autobiographies of theologians, preachers, missionaries, other Christians 
• books about pain, suffering, grief, and tough questions
• books about apologetics 
• books about other religions, specifically books about other religions written from a Christian point of view
• topical books offering a Christian perspective on any subject (marriage, family life, parenting, finances (getting out of debt), dieting, starting a business, being single, fostering or adopting children, war, terrorism, politics, etc.
• books about end times 

Completely Optional Choices:

VII A. READ THE ALPHABET. Choose if you want alphabetical book titles or alphabetical authors. Try to read a book for each letter. Some creativity is allowed! For example, I will be using "Exalting Jesus in…" (a commentary series) for the letter X. For Z, I will be reading a commentary on Zechariah. For trickier letters, perhaps allowing any word in the title to count. OR even making individual sermons count as a whole book.

VII B. BINGO. Create your own bingo card. You might want to focus on topics (see above list for suggestions). Or you might want to focus on authors. Or you might want to focus on other things. For example:

• a book published in the 1970s
• a book published by Thomas Nelson
• a book borrowed from the library
• a book with a blue cover
• a book with the word "Holy" in it
• an author who uses initials (C.S. Lewis, R.C. Sproul, A.W. Tozer)

VIII We Believe. Goal: Choose a number of creeds, confessions, or catechisms to read throughout the year. They can be of any length. Some are short. Some are long. Is there a minimum? I'd say at least two or three! You wouldn't have to commit to one per month or anything. Just however many you want. Share your thoughts on what you read.

Sign up by leaving a comment. Be sure to let me know which of the eight you're interested in joining. You don't have to commit to specifics. (You don't have to tell me which one book you're going to study. Or how many books/how many translations you're going to read. Or the number of theology books you're wanting to commit to.) Though if you have decided, then feel free to share! But you don't have to have it all exactly planned out in order to join!

The completely optional, but I really-hope-you-do-it, introduce-yourself survey:Also: There are no wrong answers. I promise. 

1. Introduce yourself. Which categories are you joining? Which category are you most excited about?  
2. Have you participated in this challenge before? 
3. Do you have a blog? Please share a blog address if you have one! I'd love to add you to my blog list and keep up with you.
4. Have you read the Bible before? Or is this your first time reading it? Are you looking for support and encouragement on the journey? Or is it something you want to do on your own? Do you plan to blog about your Bible reading? 
5. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? a favorite verse of the Bible? 
6. Have you read many Christian nonfiction books? Why or why not? 
7. Do you have a favorite author? a favorite book?
8. Which books or which authors would you recommend to other participants?
9. Would you be interested in reading a book with another participant (book buddy) or even participating in a group read-a-long? 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible