It looks like there will be a bunch of us who will be reading the Bible together over 2012, and I hope that we can add more over the next couple days. Below you will find the next steps to join in on what we are doing. From this point out most, if not all, of the communications will take place over at the Facebook group.

Facebook Groups – We have created a Facebook group. Click on over there and join the group. Also feel free to share the group with other people so they can join in this community journey of reading the Bible in 2012.

Facilitators – One of the hopes with the Facebook group is that we would have some discussion on the group wall. To help do this I have asked a couple of my friends, Bryan Page and Tim Sewall (become friends with them, I promise they will not bite*) to help lead discussion, along with me. Our hope in plan is to post thoughts, quotes or meditations from the passage for that day. By all means we hope that you will join in on the conversation and post your thoughts from the daily passage.

Accountability – Now if you are like me one of the reasons you are excited about this whole process is that you will have a group of people to encourage you and hold you accountable (ie. the FB group). Now even though this goes far beyond simply attempting to read through the Bible on your own, I would still encourage you to find a couple people who you can see face-to-face and ask them to do this with you. Have them join the group also!

Chronological – The Bible reading plan we will be using is the Chronological Bible reading plan. Here is the description from the creators.

 This plan does not read straight through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Rather, these readings are compiled according to recent historical research, taking into account the order in which the recorded events actually occurred. This is a fantastic plan to follow if you wish to add historical context to your reading of the Bible. If the schedule provided is followed, the entire Bible will be read in one calendar year.

You can use a couple different methods for reading through the Bible.

• PDF – Click here to download a .pdf of the reading plan. May I encourage you to print it off so that you can stick it in your own Bible for easier reading.
• YouVerison – You can also click here and sign up for YouVerion, which is free, and read what ever translation you like from there. If you sign up, you can actually sign up to read this very reading plan, and it will have your daily reading. You can also down load this on your iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows Mobile phone.
• RSS – if you would like to subscribe to the passages for each day, go ahead and subscribe to this RSS feed (if you don’t know what RSS is, then don’t worry about it, or Google it).

Bible Check List – Also here is a helpful, small little check list that I have taped to the inside front of my journal. You can use it to simply ‘check’ off the passages as you read them each day. Download HERE. 

[note: this post was unedited and is in the raw, so get over the grammer and delight in Jesus!]

*I simply promise that they will not bite through FaceBook, if you meet them in person, I can not promise they may not nibble you a little!

So yesterday I posed the question on Facebook if anyone would want to do a Bible in a year reading plan and use Facebook to help keep each other accountable. Much to my surprise, a bunch of people wanted to join in. So last night I spent some time thinking through some factors, and some of the different options, and here we go. Over the next couple days I will be launching a small push to get people together to read through the Bible in a year together.

However, before we do start this journey together, I want to encourage you to do a couple things;

1. Read this post from the blog, Team Pyro on the why behind doing a reading plan
2. If you are planning on joining us, leave a comment below, so I can make sure you get connected.
3. Spread the word. Use the links on the left to share this project with friends and family. It would be great to get a bunch of people together to read the Bible in a year, it could be life changing!

Here are some blurbs from the team pyro blog:

Why a plan? One is mindful of the possibly apocryphal story of the evangelist who was set upon by a critic, who announced, “Sir, I do not like your methods!” The man replied, “I am always glad to hear of a better approach. What is yours?” The critic stammered, “Why, I…I don’t have one.”

This is not a process that another can do for us. My wife can’t eat for me. My children can’t drink for me. Our pastor can’t grow for us, or learn for us. Each of us must do what God has pressed on us.

I love the ending challenge they put forth -

You’ve got a good theory. Now do it. Pick a plan. Any plan is better than no plan. Play to your strength. If you’re a morning person, read it first thing (this is what I found decades ago to be my path). If not, do it in the evening or midday. There is no law for a time to pick; but there is a law to do it. Pick a plan, pick a time, and do it. Be at it. Do what works. Don’t scale the Alps in one day, but do set foot on the slope; and then another, and then another, and then another.

Amen.

Keep your eyes on the blog as I will post a link to the group and also some helpful links, including the reading plan we will be following.

[note: this post was unedited and is in the raw, so get over the grammer and delight in Jesus!]