Have you ever taken the time to sit down and read through all 66 books of the Bible cover-to-cover?  Martin Luther once said that he read through the Bible twice every year.  I’m not quite there yet (not even close!)  But what if we as a congregation committed to reading through the Bible just once over the course of a year?  It would mean reading about 3-4 chapters a day, approximately 15-20 minutes.  Talk about something worth doing!

Well, that’s my challenge to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for 2010.  Starting in January, we will as a congregation read through the Bible, Genesis to Revelation in 12 months.  I will provide you every Sunday with a brief summary of every day’s readings for the upcoming week.  If you miss a day, you read the summary of the stuff you missed and you jump back in.  I’ll also be preaching through the Bible over the course of the year – 52 sermons to give a good overview of how the 66 books all fit together to tell one story.  You can find the reading for the day by going to the "Thru the Bible" drop down menu and clicking on "Daily Readings". 

But the thing I’m most excited about is the opportunity for us to gather in small groups to dive even deeper into each of the books of the Bible.  A number of people have agreed to host a small group in their home or to facilitate a group on Sunday morning at Good Shepherd.  In these small groups, you’ll have a chance to discuss what you’re reading but most importantly to apply God’s love letters to your daily lives.  If you have not yet joined a group and are interested, check them out by going to the drop down menu under "Thru the Bible" and then click on "Small Groups".  If you don't find a group that fits you, email Janet Fitzgerald (jfitz4@bellsouth.net), our small groups leader, for help in finding a group or starting one of your own.

Each small group session will start off with an opening / ice-breaking question related to the theme of the study.  Then, you will watch a 10 minute video of yours truly talking through a bit of history or theology that you need to better understand the particular book of the Bible you’ll be studying.  Then, there will be a list of discussion questions that will lead you to search the Scriptures together and make application in real and personal ways.  To check out these videos, go to the drop down menu under "Thru the Bible" and then click on "Video Studies".  The accompanying discussion questions can also be accessed under each video.

I pray that reading and studying thru the Bible in 2010 will shape us in real and lasting ways to be the people of God, but most of all I pray that we would come to know the immense love of God in Christ through His love letters to us. 

Blessings,

Pastor Ben