Last night at Community Group we continued our discussion of what it looks like to be a healthy community of faith by kicking around what it means to be “devoted to the Apostles teaching” (Acts 2:42).
We display a devotion to what the Apostles’ taught when we place ourselves under the authority of the Scripture and allow it to shape the way we think and act. This can take place in a variety of ways.
Certainly, when we gather together each Sunday evening and discuss a portion of the Scripture that would fall into this category. Perhaps you also attend a service where a preacher shares a sermon. To the extent that these activities are rooted in Gospel truth and you are willing to engage with them, it’s fair to say that we are showing some level of devotion.
But, I think there is another way we can experience it.
If our only exposure to God’s word takes place once a week, it is difficult to build the type of abiding relationship (think sacrificial, intimate, unconditional, “feels like home”, to quote Jenn, Lacey & Mike last night) that He envisions us having with Him.
So yesterday we considered the question, “What does it look like to commit to reading the Bible together on a regular basis?” While there are a ton of options out there, and one probably isn’t any better than another, we decided to give the CBR (Community Bible Reading) program a try.
Here are a few reasons why:
- It’s doable– each weekday there is 1 chapter from the New Testament and 1 chapter from the Old Testament. Saturday gives you one Psalm to read. That’s it.
- It’s flexible– feeling on top of your game? Read both passages. Did you oversleep? Maybe just one of them. Completely failing at life today? Punt and pick back up tomorrow. If you are one of those overachievers who has to check every box you can get caught up on the weekend or when you have time. Otherwise, trust that God loves you anyway and pick it up on the next day.
- It has options– the program has a reading schedule that is easy to print and stick in your Bible if you are a paper and glue type person. If you read your Bible in an app, there’s an app for that too. You can download it here. If you prefer audiobooks, the app will actually read the passage to you while you are in the car or out for a run.
- We are not alone– The CBR is Polk County born. In fact, there are hundreds of people using this resource each day in our community. Kinda cool to think that a group of people are all reading and thinking about the same passages each day.
For those reasons, I think this program has a lot of merits. But, there are a few caveats or ground rules I think we should acknowledge.
God Won’t Love You More if You Do This (or less if you don’t)
Contrary to what you may have heard, God doesn’t keep score. If you have come to Jesus in faith, he loves you with the fullest measure of love conceivably possible. Choosing to try to read the Bible more consistently really won’t change that either way. So don’t stress or freak out about it.
There Isn’t a Right Way to Do It
Start with what feels right. A person who is a novice runner should not wake up and decide to run a marathon. They make it a mile and a half before they get exhausted, frustrated and quit. Run around the block first. Tomorrow, maybe make two laps. Miss a day of “running”? That’s ok, run again tomorrow.
You Don’t Have to Do THIS
If you already have a Bible reading plan that you enjoy and are consistent with, by all means, stick with it. There isn’t anything magical about the CBR. The goal is for us to become more deeply immersed in the Apostles’ teaching.
But, the beauty of us reading the same passages throughout the week is it gives us a common language to encourage one another with. While we will continue looking at the Scripture the same way we have been on Sundays, it will be fun to spend a little time each week sharing with each other the ways the Lord used the readings to speak to us.
Ready to get started? Use the links below to download the reading guide and start with today (even if you are in the middle of the book, you’ll survive Type A’s) or pick up the App for your phone.
Download the App (There are two options in there. Click the button on the bottom that says 3 Year Plan)
