We believe one of the best ways to learn to study the Bible is to read it. A lot of it. Over and over again. That won’t give you everything you need to understand it, but it will get you quite a long way toward the goal. As in marching through Kadesh all the way to the peaks of Pisgah. All you have to do is look down toward the valley, trust that God meant what he said, and finish the job from there. Don’t listen to those fools who speak of giants and grasshoppers. Look at the size of those grapes. And the size of the God who gives them.

If you’re not sure what I mean by all this Kadesh/Pisgah stuff, then maybe this is your year to read the entire Bible in 90 days. Milk and honey are yours for the taking. Not the under-the-tongue sort (Song 4:11) but the flowing-land sort (Deut 26:9). Though, of course, there is a theological connection between the two.

But I digress and perhaps ought to get to the point.

The Challenge

I’m writing to announce our 8th annual Bible reading challenge. The challenge is to read the entire Bible within 90 days. If you wish, you may begin today. Regardless of when you begin, your 90-day period must end no later than March 31, 2023.

And why—you ask—would you embark on such a strange venture? (“Madness,” they say. “Sheer madness.”) I can think of at least three reasons. One: Your grasp of the Bible’s big picture will surge like a COVID case count in winter. Two: Your reward in heaven will be great. And three: We’ve got a sweet set of prizes to urge you on in the present age.

All who complete the challenge are invited to fill out the form below (which we’ll share again as the twilight of March draws nigh). One grand prize winner will be selected at random to win their choice of ESV Scripture Journals (Old Testament or New Testament), generously provided by the good people at Crossway Bibles. One additional winner will be selected to receive a one-volume reader’s Bible of their choice. Physical prizes are limited to the continental United States. Winners in other parts of the world will receive a $50 Amazon gift card via email.

If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. You may make a copy and update the dates, if you plan to start on a date other than January 1.

1. Canonical Order
2. Chronological Order
3. Hebrew OT & NIV Sola Scriptura NT Order

Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan. You may also want to consider making a reading plan in the Dwell listening app if you prefer audio.

You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.

Official Rules

Here are the rules:

1. 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 the Lord sees and knows when you are being 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.
2. You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
3. The last day of that 90-day period must be between November 6, 2022 and March 31, 2023. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
4. 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.
5. Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or appear to be fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 4, 2022 and March 31, 2023, “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).
6. In the first week of April 2023, 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.
7. The first prize winner (if US) will get their choice of the Old or New Testament ESV Scripture Journals. The second prize winner (if US) will get their choice of a one-volume reader’s Bible (While these are not your only options, we have reviewed the following: ESV, CSB, NIV.). Any winner outside the continental US will receive a $50 Amazon gift card via email.
8. Unfortunately, though they are terrific people doing marvelous work for the sake of Christ, staff members of DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.

We’re in the final stretch of this year’s reading challenge. If you’ve taken up the challenge to read the entire Bible in 90 days, your deadline to finish is 90 days after your start date and not later than March 31, 2019.

For more information on the Bible reading challenge, including official rules, see the announcement.

We’ve had 13 entries so far, and a few completed the reading in 10-20 days. So it’s not impossible for you to still complete the challenge between now and the end of the month! And in completing this challenge, one person read the entire Bible for the first time!

When you finish, simply complete this Google Form to enter the drawing for a complete set of ESV New Testament Scripture Journals.

Here is a friendly reminder that, if you’d like a full 90 days to read the Bible for this year’s drawing, you need to begin by January 1. Your deadline to finish is 90 days after your start date.

For more information on the Bible reading challenge, see the announcement.

When you finish, simply complete this Google Form to enter the drawing for a complete set of ESV New Testament Scripture Journals.

We’re giving away a copy of the ESV Scripture Journal: New Testament Set 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 might be caught unawares by this post. Here I come—like a thief in the night, like a landowner returning to check on his unprepared stewards, like a bridegroom catching those virgins with insufficient oil, like the lightning that flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other—to announce this year’s Bible reading challenge earlier than you anticipated.

Have no fear. I do this not to leave you behind but to bring glad tidings of great joy. I do it because many have spoken, and we have listened.

The last few years, 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 so we grant your request. 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 $30 (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. That 90-day period must end by March 31, 2019. 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. In the first week of April 2019, we will randomly select 2 winners from those who have submitted the form. We will email the winners to get their shipping addresses.
7. The first prize winner (if US) will get their choice of the ESV Scripture Journal: New Testament Set or a one-volume reader’s Bible in the translation of their choice. (Reviews: ESV, CSB, NIV.) The second prize winner (if US) will get whichever option the first prize winner didn’t choose. Any winner outside the US will receive a $30 Amazon gift card via email.
8. 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.

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

You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.