How to ACTUALLY Stick with your Bible Reading Resolution

How to ACTUALLY Stick with your Bible Reading Resolution

Apr 1, 2025 | Grow, Read the Bible

Establishing new habits is difficult.

It is that time of the year where we have thought about new habits – and perhaps already broken a few resolutions. It’s no secret that starting a new behavior is a lot easier than sustaining it as a new habit. Take exercise, for instance. I’m not sure how many times I’ve started some new commitment to get back in shape. I’ve done all kinds of things to convince myself that it will stick this time. Things like buy new equipment. Download a new app. Read advice from experts. Sign-up for a new membership. It doesn’t take much to immediately go all in.

At least for a while.

And then the zeal begins to fade. Consistency declines. Excuses begin. Equipment gathers dust. Memberships are unused. Apps are unopened. Before long the new habit becomes nothing more than another failed attempt at change.

Sound familiar? I suspect it does to many of us.

Unfortunately, developing a new habit for Bible reading is not immune to the same sad roller coaster of ups and downs or starts and stops. For many of us, it happens every January. The new year seems like a good time to start a “read through the Bible in a year” plan. But by the time the Israelites are wandering in the wilderness, many of us lose interest, get busy, or are simply too distracted.

The hard reality is that many people who start a new Bible reading journey won’t stick with it. What would it take to turn our commitment to read the Bible into something more than just another forgotten resolution? How do we get over the hump of moving this journey from a desire into a lasting habit?

What follows are four suggestions that may just help your new Bible reading resolution stick this year.

Don’t go at it alone.

Community is a powerful thing, especially in developing new behaviors. The fitness industry has certainly realized this. There are apps where you can share your workouts and your progress to get the encouragement from your network. Gyms have successfully built themselves around a community of people enduring the pain of the workout together. Even exercise equipment manufacturers have tapped into the power of community through connecting users’ online experiences as people exercise from their home.

While Bible reading is often thought about as an individual discipline, what if we leveraged the power of community to help us stick with our Bible reading resolution this year?

This could be as simple as finding a few friends to follow along on the same reading plan, getting together weekly to discuss what you have read, or even sending a quick text message for accountability—these things and more invite others to help make Bible-reading a habit that sticks.

We know there is power in community to do hard things. Applying that principle to your Bible reading may just be the most helpful thing to build consistency this year.

Read Like a Marathon, Not a Sprint.

The Bible is a big book. It will vary based on the translation you are reading, but there are approximately 750,000 words in the Bible. By contrast, the average novel may only be between 60,000-90,000 words. Reading the Bible is a far bigger undertaking than breezing through your favorite fiction author. While you can read through the entire Bible in a year by just reading about 15 minutes a day, it is a big commitment to read the entire Bible.

I’m not much of a runner these days, but in my younger years I ran quite a bit. I loved running longer races; I was not fast in short distances. Running a marathon is completely different than running a sprint.

Perhaps it is helpful to think about reading the Bible more like running a marathon than a 100- yard dash. This means that a slow, consistent pace may very helpful—especially as you are beginning a new Bible-reading resolution.

It is okay to start small. Get a Bible reading schedule that will serve as a guide to read 15-20 minutes a day. Set a manageable goal as you get started so you are more likely to build on your success rather than get frustrated because you couldn’t keep up the pace.

Mix It Up

When I think about failed attempts to start a new exercise routine in my own life, there is another problem that has plagued me: I get bored. For instance, after a few days or weeks of running, especially if it is the same route over and over, I get tired of the monotony of it. I have found that this can be true of Bible reading as well. Especially if we are following a Bible reading plan, our reading can become something of a mundane task that we feel obligated to just get done every day rather than to experience the joy and wonder of reading God’s Word. If you are starting to feel stuck by the repetition of reading the Bible, then why not change up how you are experiencing the Bible?

There are great (and free) ways to listen to the Bible on audio. Or read the Bible with your family and friends.

Read the Bible with your family or with friends by taking turns reading a chapter aloud to each other. If you are in the portion of the reading plan where you are reading some of the more challenging parts of the Old Testament, like Leviticus or Numbers, simply take a break and read the Psalms or one of the Gospels for a few days. There is no magic formula or prescribed methodology that is required for reading the Bible. If you find yourself getting stuck, mix things up to do something to stay consistent and faithful in your Bible reading resolution.

Have a Plan to Get Back on Track.

Depending on what research you read, anywhere from 80-95% of people will fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions, usually by February! It is amazing that we keep making those resolutions—sometimes the same ones, year after year—knowing we probably won’t keep them.

There is no reason to think that resolutions are kept longer simply because they are spiritual ones, like reading the Bible. Sadly, most people who decide to read the Bible in the new year won’t make it all the way through. And many won’t make it very far.

The reasons are varied. For some, reading some of the books in the Old Testament can get confusing and overwhelming. Others find that their schedules get busy and Bible reading isn’t a priority. Sometimes our schedules change and the time we planned to do our Bible reading gets overrun with work obligations, kids’ activities, or other commitments.

I’ve heard Bible reading advice that suggests we should find the same time every day to read our Bibles. If your schedule is anything like mine, it is nearly impossible to find a time that works every day because each day’s schedule can be quite different.

There are a lot of things that have the potential to interrupt your Bible reading and get you off ttrack. And unfortunately, once we fall off track it is hard—sometimes very hard—to get started again.

What can we do if find ourselves falling behind on our new Bible reading commitment? Maybe it sounds too simple, but simply jump back in there. If you missed a few days in your Bible reading plan, you can make it up over time. Ask someone to help hold you accountable to getting started again. On your commute, listen to an audio Bible for some of the days you missed to help you get caught up. And just know that you are in good company with lots of people who are facing the same struggles.

Bottom line: just get going again.

A Hope for You

Your decision to read the Bible in 2025 may have the biggest impact on your life this year. The Bible is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is God’s Word to you to help transform you into the person God desires you to be. Reading the Bible will change you this year… and in the coming years.

My hope for you is that you experience the joy and power of God’s Word in your life this year. If you are already struggling to be consistent, then I hope you will keep at it. And if you haven’t started, know that it is never too late to get going!

 

***

Michael Gunnin

[202504WTB]
O Holy Night

O Holy Night

Nov 26, 2024 | Free, Read the Bible

The Messiah had been prophesied for centuries. But on the surface, the prophecies were patchwork, a confusing array of diverse predictions. Prophetic “calculators” —the Scripture experts— couldn’t quite add them up. The best they could do was watch and wait.

But at the appointed time, Jesus came, born of a virgin. Son of Man and Son of God. Born in Bethlehem (a lowly place), sojourning in Egypt (a sinful place), and settling in Nazareth (a despised place). A suffering Servant, a King in humble disguise. A Branch (Isaiah 11:1) and a Root (Isaiah 11:10). Worshiped by kings and despised by men. Dying, yet eternal.

Any way you look at it, our Messiah was a walking, talking bundle of paradoxes. The impossible became real, not just in prophecy, but in every aspect of Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus stepped into this fallen world, “impossible” lost all relevance.

Join us this Advent season for O Holy Night, a FREE resource from Walk Thru the Bible!

Draw closer to our Messiah with this 26-day devotional guide! You’ll have time to contemplate, study, and reflect on the story of the birth of our Savior. You’ll also hear weekly messages about the names of Jesus: our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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Listen to our weekly messages the month of December! You can also view them on our YouTube Channel. 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

More Than a Book!

More Than a Book!

Nov 5, 2024 | Free, Read the Bible

Join us for More Than a Book!

Our new, FREE series More Than a Book: 5 Big Bible Questions from Michael Gunnin is a 5-
session video series that answers these questions about the Bible:

  • Session 1: What is the Bible?
  • Session 2: Where did we get the Bible from?
  • Session 3: What does the Bible say about itself?
  • Session 4: Is the Bible reliable?
  • Session 5: How is the Bible authoritative?

Additionally, we’re providing a FREE Downloadable Guide & 40-Day Bible Reading Plan (see below) that you can use to follow along in this study.

At Walk Thru the Bible, we know that Bible engagement is the number one way that we grow in our relationship with God. When we truly, deeply engage with God’s Word, everything changes. This is our prayer for you!

Watch the Series Today!

Watch the series below or on our YouTube channel. Watch them anytime for your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Session 1: What is the Bible?

Session 2: Where Does the Bible Come From?

Session 3: What Does the Bible Say About Itself?

Session 4: Is the Bible Reliable?

Session 5: In What Ways is the Bible Authoritative?

Thank you for watching & participating in More Than A Book: Five Big Bible Questions! Make sure to download your free study guide and 40-Day Bible Reading Plan below!

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Fill out the form below to get your FREE Downloadable Guide & 40-Day Bible Reading Plan!

After you enter your email address, check your email (spam & junk folder, too!) to receive the links to the PDFs. 

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In a Scary World, God Is Enough

In a Scary World, God Is Enough

Oct 4, 2024 | Grow

“Here is the world. Terrible and beautiful things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” -Frederick Buechner

We live in a beautiful, scary world. Redemption and tragedy exist in the same breath. How easily we can begin to feel overwhelmed and shaken by the struggles life presents to us! Every morning, we hear about another crisis, another disaster, another unspeakable act of violence. We sometimes fail people we love the most, and they fail us in return. Sometimes, we feel like all we can do is fasten ourselves down in anticipation of the next storm.

And the reality is, that next storm will come. It always does. So how do we continue on? How do we get out of our beds and leave our houses to face whatever this new day might bring, the beautiful and the scary?

No matter what new trial awaits us, we hold on to this single truth: God is enough.

We see evidence of this truth throughout the Bible. When God’s people face the storms of life, they find solace in Him. One of the first examples that comes to mind is when the disciples found themselves in the middle of a literal storm. Though many of them were experienced fishermen who had no doubt sailed through rough weather before, this situation was different. Mark 4:37 says, “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.” The disciples grew scared for their very lives.

And where was Jesus during all of this? He was in the boat, right beside them. We might think that His presence would have been enough to calm all their fears, but much to their dismay, Jesus chose this moment as the ideal time to take a nap. Verse 38 shows us how abandoned the disciples felt: “And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’”

Of course, Jesus calmed the storm. He then said to them, “’Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’” (Mark 4:40). The disciples were always safe, even when the storm was pouring gallons of water into their boat, even when they thought the waves might capsize their boat, even when they thought they would drown. But Jesus was there. He was always beside them. He controls the wind and water. He has created all things, and all things must answer to His voice. When it seems like He is sleeping during our storms, we must remember that He never forgets us or forsakes us. Even when we don’t understand His actions, He is still the captain of our ship, steering us in the right direction. He is enough.

Some of the most intense storms we will face are in our relationships with others, even with other believers. Whether with our spouses, parents, children, church community, or friends, we will encounter conflict that we don’t know how to resolve. These storms are especially terrifying because we don’t want to lose the people we love. What happens when both parties think they are doing the right thing, think they are trying to please God, and they still can’t find common ground? We might start asking, “God, why won’t You resolve this? Why won’t You change the other person, or even change me? I thought we were on the same ship, but now it feels like we’re heading in entirely different directions.”

Paul faced this exact situation when he found himself at odds with Barnabas concerning John Mark. Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark along with them on their missionary journey, but Paul found him to be unreliable. Acts 15:39-40 says, “And there arose a sharp disagreement, so they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.”

This ministry partnership, built around a shared love for the Lord and passion for preaching His gospel, was broken. Two godly men had different opinions and endured what was almost certainly an emotional, painful split. So where is God when our relationships don’t work out? Paul and Barnabas might have wondered the same thing, but in fact, He was still leading both of them to exactly where He needed them. They both continued to follow Jesus, spreading the Good News throughout the world. In fact, Paul later served alongside John Mark, implying that these brothers in Christ were able to reconcile once more.

Sometimes, God does see fit to mend our broken relationships. Sometimes, He does not. Either way, we can trust Him with our loved ones. None of us is perfect. Despite our best intentions, we will hurt one another and sometimes be forced to walk away from those we once held close. Though these situations are painful and scary, they are also beautiful. They lead us to the reconciliation that can only be found in Christ. Maybe it will be on this earth, or maybe it will be when we meet in heaven one day, free from the sin, pride, and guilt that hinders us now. Regardless of when, we can go forward knowing God is directing our paths. He is enough.

But what about those times that we are not operating out of our best intentions? What about those times when we are blatantly disobedient, when we actively choose sin, when we turn away from God? Will He continue to guide us through the disaster when it is one of our own making?

Let’s look to the story of Peter. After Jesus has been taken away to be crucified, Peter let his fear completely consume him. On three occasions, he denied that he ever knew Jesus (see John 18:15-18, 25-27. He had sworn that he would always stay by Jesus’ side, that he would die for Him. Suddenly, he became the picture of cowardice, choosing his safety over his Lord.

How many times have we prioritized our safety, our comfort, our addiction, our amusement, our flesh over our Lord? Upon realizing what we have done, we run away, too ashamed to face Jesus, certain that this time, He will be done with us for good.

And yet, Jesus stays. We can never be so bad that He will abandon us. We can never run so far that He will not come find us. When Peter did encounter Jesus again after the resurrection, Jesus did not rebuke him. Instead, He commanded Peter three times, “Feed My sheep” (John 21:15-17). Peter’s work for the Kingdom of God was not done. Jesus was still steering his ship. Peter had made such a mess of things that he probably thought he could never get his life back on course. As it turns out, that was never his job. He just had to trust his Captain. God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. He is enough.

The world is beautiful and it is terrifying. Tragedy occurs. Relationships end. Sin corrupts. We fear, we falter, we fail. We get lost in the storm.

But we keep sailing. Jesus is always guiding the ship. He is enough—more than enough.

***

By: Rich Leland

Join us for our Proverbs Challenge!

Join us for our Proverbs Challenge!

Sep 12, 2024 | Grow, Read the Bible

This coming month, take on the Proverbs Challenge and read thru the entire book of Proverbs in 31 days! With only 1 chapter a day, you’re sure to feel God speaking His wisdom to you in every aspect of your life.

Open your hearts and Bibles to hear God speak wisdom to your life today!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will make straight your paths. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7

Download your FREE Study Guide today below!

Proverbs Challenge

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Praying expectantly – even when we don’t receive the things promised

Praying expectantly – even when we don’t receive the things promised

Sep 12, 2024 | Grow, LifeChange articles

When you pray, do you ever find yourself thinking, “Can God really break through in this situation? I know He’s all-powerful, but this one seems pretty big.” Maybe you’ve been praying for a long time and still aren’t seeing the results you’re hoping for. You want to believe that God is in control of this situation, but His healing, deliverance, or redemption seems like it might be coming too late.

I’m reminded of a story a friend told me. This friend is a local pastor here in Johannesburg. His grandfather came to South Africa from India in the 1950s as an indentured servant to work in the sugar cane fields. He worked alongside many other Indians, all of them professing Hindus.

After a few years of working, a Christian missionary from India came to this community of workers. He would walk down from the mountain each day, praying for the people he was going to interact with, asking God to bring them to Him. The missionary became involved in their lives and got to know them well, sharing the Gospel day after day, explaining that Jesus loved them and sacrificed Himself in order to save them.

As long as this missionary lived, he never saw one member of this community come to Christ.

That seems like a pretty disheartening story, doesn’t it? This is a reality for many missionaries, who strive for years reach the lost with the Gospel and never see the fruit of their labor. It can be true for many of us as well, telling our families, friends, and co-workers about the love of Jesus with seemingly no impact. So why do we keep doing it? Why do we continue to witness when we’re constantly met with rejection?

Because God’s timing is perfect.

Hebrews 11:13-16 says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

Some years after this missionary died, his son came to the same community and to continue the Kingdom work his father had started. His experience, however, was very different. Very quickly, a number of people came to know Christ. One of those people was my friend’s grandfather. He had twelve children, who also trusted Christ. Then they had children, who also trusted Christ. Today, my friend is a pastor, spreading the love of Jesus and leading Christians in their pursuit of God. All of this is a direct result of a man who never saw a single soul converted in his lifetime.

Surely, that missionary often felt frustrated and disappointed. He probably spent many nights asking God, “Where are you? You called me here, and I answered. I’m preaching Your Word. I’m doing my part. So why haven’t You shown up?”

But this missionary knew he was a citizen of another country. He was a transient in this world. Though his life was surely frustrating and even lonely at times, he could rest in the fact that God doesn’t ask for success. He asks for our faithfulness. And because of this man’s faithfulness, countless people are walking with Jesus today.

Because God’s timing is perfect.

The world offers us quick fixes and easy solutions. God works on His own timeline, on a perfect, Heavenly timeline. We have to start thinking with an eternal mindset, not a temporal one. As we’re struggling with various issues in our lives—with family, work, health, etc.—we probably have an idea of what success in these situations would look like. We have our desired outcome that we’re praying for. These prayers aren’t necessarily wrong, but they are limited by our small viewpoint. Instead, let’s learn to pray expectantly—not expecting what we want on our earthly terms, but expecting God to move according to His perfect timing in ways bigger than we can imagine. His ways might even too big for us to understand until we reach eternity.

By Lee Helling
Walk Thru the Bible’s Director of International