Help Reading the Bible

Reading the World's Greatest Story

· This reading plan is also available in some our NIV paperback Bibles.

The heart and soul of the Bible is its story. It is the real saga of a particular people, how God called them and intended for them to bring a blessing to all people.

Story is also the word that best describes our own lives. While we may or may not follow the right rules, investigate certain facts and attempt to live wisely, none of these activities provides the central way we make sense of our lives. Stories give context and provide meaning.

All the different part of the Bible come together as one narrative.

To understand the Bible you must get to know its characters, understand its setting and follow its plot.

The ultimate resolution will make sense only if you've followed the earlier parts as a story. Learn to feel the tension and wrestle with its major conflict.

We present an abbreviated version of the story of the Bible as a drama in five acts. Although this is not an exhaustive list, the following passages will give you a helpful overview of God's story.

Act I: Creation

• The creation: Genesis 1; 2:1-3
• Praise God for his creation: Psalm 8
• Praise to the Creator of all things: Psalm 104
• Praise for creating me: Psalm 139

Act II: The Fall

• The fall into sin: Genesis 3
• Noah, the flood and the ark: Genesis 6, 7, 8, 9:1-17
• A prayer of repentance: Psalm 51
• No one is righteous: Romans 3:9-26

Act III: Israel

• God's covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12:1-9, 15:1-21
• Abraham almost sacrifices his son Isaac: Genesis 22:1-19
• Jacob receives his father's blessing: Genesis 27:1-40
• Jacob's (Israel's) family: Genesis 29:16-35, 30:1-24
• Joseph the dreamer: Genesis 37:2-36 (see also chapters 39-50)
• Moses is born in Egypt: Exodus 1; 2:1-10
• Ten plagues: Exodus 7:14-24; 8; 9; 10; 11:1-10
• The Passover: Exodus 12:1-17
• The Israelites leave Egypt: Exodus 12:17-50; 13; 14; 15:1-21
• God's covenant with Israel: Exodus 19; 20
• Rahab the prostitute hides the Israelite spies: Joshua 2
• God keep his promise: Joshua 23; 24
• David kills Goliath: 1 Samuel 17
• David becomes king: 2 Samuel 5:1-5
• God's promise to David: 2 Samuel 7
• David and Bathsheba: 2 Samuel 11; 12:1-25
• The Lord is my shepherd: Psalm 23
• A prayer of thanksgiving: Psalm 100
• Israel sent into exile: 2 Chronicles 36:15-23
• Queen Esther saves her people: Esther 1
• Messiah's birth prophesied: Isaiah 9:1-7
• God's promise to return: Isaiah 52:1-12
• Daniel's dream of God's kingdom: Daniel 7

Act IV: Jesus

• The birth of Jesus: Luke 1; 2
• The temptation of Jesus: Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13
• The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5; 6
• Jesus shares his calling with the people: Luke 4:16-30
• Jesus' teaching on prayer: Luke 11:1-13
• The lost son: Luke 15
• New birth: John 3
• Jesus is the resurrection and the life: John 11
• Three prayers of Jesus: John 17
• The Lord's Supper: Luke 22:7-38; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
• The death of Jesus: Luke 23:26-56; John 19:16-42
• The resurrection of Jesus: Luke 24; John 20
• Jesus ascends into heaven: Acts 1:1-11

Act V: The New People of God

• The Great Commission from Jesus: Matthew 28:16-20
• The coming of the Holy Spirit: Acts 2:1-21
• "Repent and be baptized": Acts 2:22-47
• Jesus, the fulfillment of Abraham's covenant: Acts 3
• Salvation in Jesus alone: Acts 4
• Paul's conversion: Acts 9:1-31
• Paul's testimony before King Agrippa: Acts 25:23-27; 26:1-32
• What real love is: 1 Corinthians 13
• The fruit of the Holy Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23
• The armor of God: Ephesians 6:10-18
• Imitating Christ: Philippians 2:1-11
• Heroes of the faith: Hebrews 11
• Faith in action: James 2:14-26
• The return of Christ: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Peter 3:3-14
• The new heaven and earth: Revelation 21; 22