*The Bible*

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples." John 8:31b

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3:16-17

The Bible plays a crucial role in your discipleship process. In a way, it’s like the instruction manual for the Christian life – without it, you’d be hard pressed to ever be a fruitful disciple for Jesus Christ.

First, you need to have your own Bible. You can buy one (Amazon.com or a local bookstore) or download a Bible app to your smartphone. At the Harbor Church, people use all sorts of older and newer Bible translations, but most (including the senior pastor) use the ESV (English Standard Version) of the Bible.

Here are some suggested Bibles for all ages:

Second, you need a Bible reading plan. The Bible is comprised of sixty-six books for a total of 1,189 chapters. If you were to read one chapter a day it would take three years and three months to finish the entire Bible! Seriously, there’s no way you’re going to read it all if you don’t have a scheduled reading plan. Conveniently, you can find dozens of great Bible reading plan online; it doesn’t matter which one you use, as long as it gets you reading on a daily basis.

The YouVersion Bible App (the same one we use Sunday mornings for sermon notes) has MANY great Bible reading plans.

1. Open the YouVersion Bible App
2. Touch "Plans" right on the bottom of the App
3. Scroll down to 'Whole Bible' and select from many different plans or schedules

We highly recommend the "the Bible" reading plan from Bible Project as a great place to start for all ages. If you struggle finding time to read your Bible each day, many plans also offers an audio option. It's great for commuters in your or to listen at night in bed.

If you would like some suggestions for reading your printed paper Bible, here is a great list: https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/?version=NIV

Third, start memorizing bible verses. The reality is that memorizing Bible verses puts the Word of God not only into your mind, but also into your heart. To complete this task, you only need to memorize ten Bible verses. However, memorizing Scripture should be a life-long endeavor, so don’t stop at these ten.

1. John 3:16

2. Galatians 2:20

3. Proverbs 3:5-6

4. 1 Corinthians 10:13

5. Joshua 1:9

6. Philippians 4:6-7

7. Matthew 7:7-8

8. Acts 1:8

9. Romans 8:28

10. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Once you’ve completed these tasks, you can fill out the following boxes and click Submit.

For those of you who have read some of the Bible already, we suggest the you circle the books you’ve already read in the Table of Contents in your Bible and then make a plan to read all the books you’ve yet to read. If you’re just starting out, a great place to begin is by reading the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament. Remember, each time you complete the reading of a book, make sure you circle it in the Table of Contents of your Bible so you can keep track of what you’ve read. 

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8