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Announcing the Winners of the 2021 Bible Reading Challenge

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Many thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s 90-day Bible reading challenge! And again, many thanks to Lifeway for sponsoring the grand prize of a five-volume CSB Reader’s Bible. This year we had 25 entries that met the qualifications for the drawing. And the winners are:

  • Margaret D.
  • Benjamin D.

More than half of this year’s entries read the Bible in canonical order. The next most common reading order was chronological.

15 folks read the ESV. The second most common translation was HCSB. And one person read the 1560 Geneva Bible!

Here’s what some folks had to say about the experience:

It was a different experience. I am used to reading the Bible in a year. I plan to read this way more frequently, as it helps to relate texts to others, but I prefer to read at a lower speed.

It added so much context and meaning when I would read about the history of Israel’s kings one day and then the next day read about the prophets and prophecies that applied to them. It added a lot of context that I am usually missing when I read the prophets. Furthermore, reading quickly allowed me to notice more of the quotations and allusions of the Old Testament in the New Testament.

I enjoyed it immensely. Some passages like Proverbs were difficult to read through so quickly but Job, for instance, makes a lot more sense when read in large chunks. Elihu’s speech, for example, shows up in stark contrast to the others this way.

I would say overall I enjoyed it. It helped me to see the bible as one book as opposed to many smaller ones. It gave me a better idea of God’s overarching story. It also surprised me how much I liked certain books I disliked the last time I did this. I guess that’s why you always keep rereading?

5th year in a row! The Holy Spirit is still showing me themes I don’t think I would see without doing this each year.

Thanks again to all for participating. I trust it was profitable even for those who found it difficult or uncomfortable. May the Lord use this time of saturation in his word to influence the rest of this unusual year for the sake of his kingdom.

Last Chance to Enter Drawing

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Today is your last chance to enter the drawing for a reader’s Bible! Winners will be notified by the end of this week. See here for official rules. Entries that do not follow the guidelines will not be accepted.

Reading Challenge Reminder

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Don’t forget we’ve got a Bible reading challenge underway. There’s still time to finish reading the entire Bible within 90 days, and you could enter to win a free CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection or a one-volume reader’s Bible of your choice.

Reading must be completed by March 31. See this post for the complete rules. We’ve got twelve entries so far! Once you’ve completed your reading, you may enter the drawing with this form.

Entries that do not meet the guidelines (for example, reading period longer than 90 days, reading period is outside the allowable dates, or form is submitted before the reading has been completed) will not be counted in the drawing.

Announcing our 2021 Bible Reading Challenge

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We’re giving away a copy of the CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection and a one-volume reader’s Bible. The CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection provides the perfect opportunity to read the Bible in its original and simplified form, uninterrupted by verse and chapter references. Constructed with select cloth cover materials and printed on high-quality book paper, this unique Bible reading experience invites the reader to encounter God’s Word as a grand narrative and have a fresh experience with the Bible.

To win one of these prizes, you simply have to demonstrate you’d know what to do with it.

If you’ve been with us for the last few years, you’ve probably been expecting this post. Here I come, like the sun rising, going down, and once again hastening to its place to rise again. Like the wind blowing round and round, north, then south, and back again. Like streams running to the sea, and yet the sea is still not full. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Viruses and turmoil are no match for our inevitability.

If you’re new to the blog, you’ll be delighted to know we do a reading challenge here annually. And we try to get the best prizes we can think of to reward your toil at which you toil under the sun.

In our former days, most excellent Theophilus, we issued a 90-day Bible-reading challenge that had to begin on January 1 and end by March 31. But many folks have told us they would like to be able to get started over the holidays. While many are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, or chasing a spirit of stupor, we hear that you—the readers of this blog, the champions of the covenant, the heroes who shine like stars in the midst of a present evil age—would prefer to redeem the time when you already find yourself away from your usual responsibilities.

And who are we to stand in your way? You think about all his commandments; you will not be ashamed. You are continually overcome with longing for his judgments. Though your life is down in the dust, you seek life according to God’s word. Therefore this year’s Bible reading challenge may commence immediately. In fact, perhaps it already commenced for you, and you’re just now realizing it.

Here are the rules:

  1. You must have a United States mailing address to win one of the stated prizes. Residents of other countries will receive a $50 (US) Amazon gift card via email.
  2. You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but we’re trusting you to be honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable. You may also use any combination of audio and visual reading, as long as you’ve read or listened to the entire Bible within the allotted time period.
  3. You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
  4. The last day of that 90-day period must be between today and March 31, 2021. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
  5. To enter the drawing, you must fill out the survey below, letting us know the dates you read and what you thought of the speed-reading process. Your thoughts do not have to be glowing, but they should be honest; you’ll still be entered into the drawing if you didn’t enjoy your speed-read.
  6. Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or have the appearance of being fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 13, 2020 and March 31, 2021, “What I thought about the experience” has nothing to do with Bible reading, or date of completion is later than the date of entry submission (please don’t try to enter the drawing if you plan to read the Bible; only enter once you have completed reading it).
  7. In the first week of April 2021, we will randomly select 2 winners from those who have submitted the form. We will email the winners to get their shipping addresses. If a winner does not respond to our request for a shipping address within 1 week, a new winner will be selected in their place.
  8. The first prize winner (if US) will get their choice of the CSB Reader’s Bible, Five-Volume Collection or a one-volume reader’s Bible in the translation of their choice. (While these are not your only options, we have reviewed the following: ESV, CSB, NIV.) The second prize winner (if US) will get whichever option the first prize winner didn’t choose. Any winner outside the continental US will receive a $50 Amazon gift card via email.
  9. Unfortunately, missionaries with DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.

We will occasionally post links to the submission form on the blog between now and March 31. But you might also want to bookmark this page for easy access when you’re ready to submit your entry.

If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. I won’t bother to update the dates, as I don’t know which day you plan to start. But the checkboxes can provide signals to make sure you’re on track to finish on time.

  1. Canonical Order
  2. Chronological Order
  3. NIV Sola Scriptura Order

Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan.

We are grateful for the generosity of Lifeway Christian Resources in providing the grand prize for this year’s giveaway. You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.

Celebrating a Season of Intense Bible Reading

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We just completed our 2020 Bible reading challenge. Congratulations to all who participated, even if you didn’t make it all the way through, I trust this season of voluminous Bible reading was beneficial to you.

Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Barbara J., and our second prize winner, Kevin C. And congratulations to all 38 who completed the challenge and submitted entries to the drawing. Here are some of the things people had to say about the experience:

It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be.

When doing a year-long read-through, I was only reading a few chapters a day and tended to forget what I read the previous day. Reading big chunks like this made it much easier to see themes, repeated terms, and to connect books to books. I found more of an emotional connection as well, which surprised me. Lamentations moved me more because I had so recently read of Jeremiah’s ministry. Reading Isaiah and the other Old Testament prophets this way was a powerful experience.

This is my third year in this reading challenge. I can’t wait until next year’s challenge. [Perhaps the fourth year will be the year of the prize for you! – PJK] I have commented in the past years that I find reading the narratives rather easy but got lost in Isaiah’s poetry. This year was different. Isaiah actually started flowing much easier for me. I also noticed that reading the Gospels (all four in nine days!) I started noticing the differences more readily. I already knew that each Gospel author shapes similar scenes for their own purpose but this year I noticed that Matthew in recording the scene with the Sadducees about the resurrection didn’t record Jesus reminding them of Moses standing at the burning bush like Mark and Luke. I think that reading the whole Bible in 90 days allows me to see the depth of its riches in ways that small bites do not.

I cried big ugly tears the day I finished, God has changed me into a Bible reader and I never thought I could be.

I didn’t think I would be able to do it … I have to admit that because this is BY FAR the quickest I have read through the Bible, I did not retain as much, but I plan on doing a 90-day plan at least once a year moving forward. It also gives me confidence that I can read the Bible aloud to my family and it not take a lifetime!

Loved it, as always. It’s a great habit on multiple levels (set the tone for the year, jump start general reading for the year, reminds of the framework of the Bible for sermon prep and general study, etc.) I will probably do this at the beginning of each year forever.

This has consistently been one of the most useful things for my faith at the beginning of each year.

It was great to see the witness of Scripture to God’s long suffering character and desire for obedience. I have been wrestling with my understanding of Spiritual gifts, and to read all the epistles quickly gave me a great sense of the emphasis of God’s will on obedience and love.

Now, of course, not everyone is bursting at the seams with enthusiasm. This is not for everyone. I appreciate the honesty I received from those who gave it a try but decided it wasn’t for them:

It was a bit too much reading at one time and I would have to constantly refocus because my mind would start to wander. But not being in any one book for very long kept things interesting.

I didn’t like it mainly because I like to stop and meditate on what I just read/listened to from scripture.

May this season of front-loaded saturation in God’s Word set a good tone for the rest of your year. Lord willing, we’ll be back to do it again in 2021.

Reminder: Bible Reading Challenge Underway

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Here is a friendly reminder that we’re in the midst of our annual Bible reading challenge. (See the link for rules.) You have until March 31 to read the entire Bible.

If you complete the challenge, just let me know by completing the form below, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for an ESV Reader’s Bible, Six Volume Set, With Chapter and Verse Numbers or a one-volume reader’s Bible of your choice.

Just make sure you complete the form after you finish. Entries are time stamped, and those with a finish date after the date of submission will be deleted.

Can You Identify This Quote from the Bible?

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In my current readthrough of the Bible, I recently came upon this gem of a poem. In my experience, it’s not quoted very often by Christians. But it’s rather encouraging and beautiful, isn’t it?

I’ll write more about this poem next week. For now, let’s test your Bible literacy.

To the first person who comments below with the name of the biblical figure associated with these words (the person who wrote or spoke them), I will give an extra entry into the drawing for a reader’s Bible. In addition, I will give another entry to the first person who can identify the reference for the poem (book and chapter). If one person guesses both correctly, he or she will be given two entries.

Here’s an extra two chances for you to win this.

Just one caveat: You may not look it up. I want to know if you can guess this from memory. Of course, you could look it up and comment anyway to get the reward. And I’ll never know, but God will.

I’ll confirm if someone gets one of the answers right. That will make it easier for others to guess the second answer correctly.

Here is the poem.

“Agree with God, and be at peace; 
thereby good will come to you. 
Receive instruction from his mouth, 
and lay up his words in your heart. 
If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; 
if you remove injustice far from your tents, 
if you lay gold in the dust, 
and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, 
then the Almighty will be your gold 
and your precious silver. 
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty 
and lift up your face to God. 
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, 
and you will pay your vows. 
You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, 
and light will shine on your ways. 
For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; 
but he saves the lowly. 
He delivers even the one who is not innocent, 
who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

Announcing Our 2020 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge

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We’re giving away a copy of the ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set: With Chapter and Verse Numbers and a one-volume reader’s Bible. To win one of these prizes, you simply have to prove you’d know what to do with it.

If you’ve been with us for the last few years, you’ve probably been expecting this post. Here I come, like the sun rising, going down, and once again hastening to its place to rise again. Like the wind blowing round and round, north, then south, and back again. Like streams running to the sea, and yet the sea is still not full. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

If you’re new to the blog, you’ll be delighted to know we do a reading challenge here annually. And we try to get the best prizes we can think of to reward your toil at which you toil under the sun.

In our former days, most excellent Theophilus, we issued a 90-day Bible-reading challenge that had to begin on January 1 and end by March 31. But many folks have told us they would like to be able to get started over the holidays. While many are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, or chasing a spirit of stupor, we hear that you—the readers of this blog, the champions of the covenant, the heroes who shine like stars in the midst of a present evil age—would prefer to redeem the time when you already find yourself away from your usual responsibilities.

And though there were some kinks to work out with this new format last year, we’re happy to grant what you wish—only up to half our kingdom, mind you—for the second year in a row. This year’s Bible reading challenge may commence immediately. In fact, perhaps it already commenced for you, and you’re just now realizing it.

Here are the rules:

  1. You must have a continental United States mailing address to win one of the stated prizes. Residents of other countries will receive a $35 (US) Amazon gift card via email.
  2. You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but we’re trusting you to be honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable. You may also use any combination of audio and visual reading, as long as you’ve read or listened to the entire Bible within the allotted time period.
  3. You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
  4. The last day of that 90-day period must be between today and March 31, 2020. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
  5. To enter the drawing, you must fill out the survey below, letting us know the dates you read and what you thought of the speed-reading process. Your thoughts do not have to be glowing, but they should be honest; you’ll still be entered into the drawing if you didn’t enjoy your speed-read.
  6. Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or have the appearance of being fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 15, 2019 and March 31, 2020, “What I thought about the experience” has nothing to do with Bible reading, or date of completion is later than the date of entry submission (please don’t try to enter the drawing if you plan to read the Bible; only enter once you have completed reading it).
  7. In the first week of April 2020, we will randomly select 2 winners from those who have submitted the form. We will email the winners to get their shipping addresses. If a winner does not respond to our request for a shipping address within 1 week, a new winner will be selected in their place.
  8. The first prize winner (if US) will get their choice of the ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set: With Chapter and Verse Numbers or a one-volume reader’s Bible in the translation of their choice. (While these are not your only options, we have reviews the following: ESV, CSB, NIV.) The second prize winner (if US) will get whichever option the first prize winner didn’t choose. Any winner outside the continental US will receive a $35 Amazon gift card via email.
  9. Unfortunately, missionaries with DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.

We will occasionally post links to the submission form on the blog between now and March 31. But you might also want to bookmark this page for easy access when you’re ready to submit your entry.

If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. I won’t bother to update the dates, as I don’t know which day you plan to start. But the checkboxes can provide signals to make sure you’re on track to finish on time.

  1. Canonical Order
  2. Chronological Order
  3. NIV Sola Scriptura Order

Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan.

We are grateful for the generosity of Crossway in providing the grand prize for this year’s giveaway. You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.