Welcome - I'm glad you're here! I'm excited that you're willing to dive into this ambitious endeavor of reading through the Bible in a single week and hope that this experience will forever change your view of the Bible and of God. Before we get started, here's a little bit of my story of how "Bible Week" was born....
Last year I read the account of a group of Christians in a closed country who were risking their lives for a chance to read the Bible. When they started, they refused to stop, so they read and studied through the night, making their way through the Bible in just a matter of days. I was inspired by their hunger for the Word and felt a hint of the same desire.
2020 was one of the most difficult years of my life - the country I called home for the past few years and felt called to work in was (and still is) closed due to COVID, I was wrestling with a broken relationship, and the team I was serving with was being called to other places - all leaving me with painful goodbyes, lots of questions, and a lack of clarity about my purpose in this season in America*.* It also felt like most of the world was also experiencing a new level of confusion. What was the truth about COVID, masks, vaccines, & politics? There were so many voices in the world and so many opinions. I felt like I was in a haze - adrift and not sure where the shore was. And in that place, as I saw how those persecuted believers long for truth, I also felt the craving for Truth. What better place to find truth than the Bible?
And so, the crazy plan was born to see if it was possible and worth it to read through the Bible in a single week. At first I thought it was a good idea, but didn't think it would actually happen. But I mentioned it to a few friends and quickly realized that we all shared the same hunger for real truth in an age when the world claims that truth is whatever you want to believe. If those persecuted Christians had found something that so fully captured their attention, maybe we would find something as well. We decided that it was worth the week off of work and away from everything to give it a try. And it was so worth it. The Bible came alive for us in a way I'd long prayed to experience, and we saw such an incredible perspective of the whole story that God has been writing all through time. It forever changed the way I view the Bible and gave me a little bit clearer view of God's character. In fact, I'm still going back to the notes that I made throughout that week and digging into different topics and passages. Every time, the Bible feels so alive and so full of things I've never noticed before. God's word is truly incredible. There is always something more that we haven't yet discovered and He's just waiting for us to dive in so He can show us. I hope that the following information will be helpful as you start your own adventure into reading through the Bible!
First off, know that this is going to be intense. You're about to do in one week what most people never do in a year or maybe even in their lifetime. This week will forever change the way you see the Bible, and hopefully give you a more full picture of God and His character.
Go into the week with an open mind - rather than looking for specifics, keep your focus on the Father and be in conversation with Him about what He wants you to take away from the week.
Parts of the Old Testament may feel dry, but keep your eye out for pieces of God's character throughout the stories and even the Law. I was really surprised by the amount of grace I saw woven throughout the stories that I typically thought of as from a time without mercy. Remember that as you dive into the Gospels, your time in the less interesting parts of the Old Testament will be worth it and shed light in new ways on the stories and themes in the New Testament.
Keep in mind that this week is a time to see the larger story of the Bible. There won't be much time to dig into topics of discussion, but this is your chance to see the big picture all at once. Take notes as you go about things that stick out to you, or questions you may have - these will be a valuable resource that you'll have the rest of the year to dig into. Look for the continuity - this isn't a collection of separate stories, but one larger story that God has been writing since before the beginning of time.
Plan to sit together and take turns reading Scripture aloud. You'll have a minimum of 10-12 hours of reading per day, plus time for prayer, solo time, discussion, meals, and sleeping. Due to the amount of reading each day, you'll need to set a schedule and keep to it as much as possible. I've included a sample schedule below that can help you stay on track.
Physically, this might be an easy week, but it will be a lot to process mentally and spiritually. This whole week runs on prayer. Spend time in focused prayer leading up to Bible Week, and be intentional about asking God to replace your expectations with His. Ask that the Spirit would reveal truth, and correct anything that you might misinterpret or miss, as well as praying protection against the ways Satan would want to distract or hinder your group. Bring a list of things that you would like to lift up in prayer for the week, even if they're not related to reading through the Bible, since this can be a great time of focused and intentional prayer.
Spending this much time in the Word doesn't some without some measure of spiritual warfare. Satan will not be happy with this much prayer and Scripture at one time in one place. You will want more people praying for you throughout the week, and even the month leading up to it. Choose people who care about you and the endeavor, and ask them to commit to being prayer supporters for you and your group. This is not meant to be done alone.
It can also be helpful to prayerfully put together a list of things you want to keep an eye out for, or things you want to learn more about as you read. The main focus should be to look for more of God's story and character, but having your own questions and topics of interest will be useful as well.
You'll need a chronological Bible. Because reading through the entire Bible will give you a unique perspective of the whole story, having the story in chronological order is really valuable. I strongly recommend the NLT version, as you will be reading fast and need something you can easily understand. If you don't normally read the NLT, keep in mind that this a time to see a new perspective of the whole story at once, and not to dig into details. Make sure everyone has their own hardcopy so they can mark them up and make notes in them. And make sure you all have the same versions so that you can easily follow along with each other as you read. There is about only one good chronological NLT Bible available on the market that is both simple and without a load of Bible study extras included with it. I've linked it here:
Link to One Year Chronological Bible NLT: https://amzn.to/39uExJa