The Forty-Day Challenge, New Testament Edition

A couple of months ago, I was trying to decide whether I would go with the flow and take a summer teaching break along with the rest of the church and was evaluating options for our class. As I thought of various ideas, one that struck me as important was the need for all of us to stay connected to the Word of God. Not a daily reading and devotion that may take 15 or 20 minutes a day (that's what the daily reading program on this blog should take), but a deliberate plan to read through the entire Bible during the summer months. In all, reading the Bible should take about 80 hours (my audio version of the NIV plays for 77 hours). So, by establishing a plan to read the entire Bible in 80 days seemed to be a reasonable goal.

However, for many of us, one hour seems to be difficult find each day, so I developed the "Forty-Day Challenge, New Testament Edition." The "Forty-Day Challenge, New Testament Edition" is designed to get individuals into the habit of daily Bible reading in only 30 minutes each day. It has been said that if you do something for 28 days in a row, it will become a habit. I'm hoping and praying that that is the case for you. But more than that, the Forty-Day Challenge is also designed to acquaint you with the New Testament. There are no requirements for deep study; no hard questions to answer; no deep theological puzzles to solve. Just read the New Testament to start a habit and become acquainted with the nine authors of the New Testament and their writings. We won't jump around and we won't try to keep all the writings of one author together or put the Bible in chronological order.

By using the "Forty-Day Challenge" blog (40-daynt.blogspot.com), it should all be very easy. Open your browser; connect to 40-daynt.blogspot.com; and select the post for the current day of the program. There, I've provided a brief introduction to each day's reading and a hyperlink to the daily passage, but otherwise there will be no devotional content, no Q&A, no evaluation of the reading. My plan is to let the Scriptures speak for themselves. However, if you do have a question, I want to try to get you an answer. Respond to the daily reading in the comment section and I'll respond as soon as possible and to the best of my ability. For now the sessions will be moderated (which means that I need to read them before they are posted as a comment), but I may change my mind as this program develops and permit unmoderated comments.

The daily link connects to the ESV Bible Online, this is the recently published English Standard Version, and will open the complete reading for the day. You may choose to read right there on-screen, print the daily content, listen online (there's a button on the page), or simply determine the reading and read from your own favorite version. If you want a different online version, go to www.biblegateway.com (there's a link on the page) and enter the version and passage in the appropriate locations and you're on your way.

The Apostle John pronounced a blessing on those who read and study the book of Revelation:

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near." (Revelation 1:3)

This blessing is available to all who read and study the Word of God and I'm sure that you will be blessed by taking up this challenge and completing the program.