52 Weeks in the Word

  Welcome to Week 52.  Our last week reading through the Bible together with this study.   This week brings the end of a year and the beginning of a new year.  A time to reflect on not only what has happened in 2025, but a time to recall what you've learned as you've read through the Word of God this year.  It is also an exciting time with new goals and possibilities in the new year.  You should also feel excited about where the Lord will lead you next into the new year with Him!   Last week, I was reminded and encouraged in our reading to walk BOLDLY for Christ.  To speak up and share the Gospel message.  May we challenge one another to commit to sharing Christ boldly in 2026.   This Week's reading: 2 John 5 - Revelation 22. This week we will be reading 2 John, 3 John and Jude on the same day; then, we will devote the remaining 5 days to the book of Revelation.  Obviously, we will not be able to go into a deep study ...

  Welcome to Week 51.  Merry Christmas to each of you.  We are almost finished with our reading for the year.  I also know this is a busy time of year.  I am so excited that we have almost completed this reading together as a group.  Through the year, we have had some very thought provoking and meaningful discussions.  I am very thankful for each of you! This Week's reading: Hebrews 7 - 1 John 5. I will provide a small amount of background information for these books below: James James wrote this book around A. D. 50.  James, the half-brother of Jesus, was the leader of the church in Jerusalem in the middle of the 1st century; however, he was a later convert it seems.  In the beginning, you might consider him a typical sibling, skeptical to believe his brother, Jesus, was the Son of God.  It seems this belief shifted when James met with Jesus after His resurrection.  By 44 AD, he was considered the leader of the church in Jerusalem....

  Welcome to Week 50.  That's Week 50 out of 52!!  Can you believe we have made it this far?  It's exciting to think how far we have come this year!   Last week's reading made me decide what my next Bible study would be for the New Year.  Reading through the New Testament this quickly, I've decided that I will be taking a much slower pace and just concentrating on a study of the New Testament for awhile.  My opinion, just because we can read it quickly does not mean we can absorb it best, quickly!  However, I'm still enjoying reading His Word together with you all.       This Week's reading: 2 Thessalonians 1 - Hebrews 6. I will provide a small amount of background information for these books below: 2 Thessalonians Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians was written a year or two after the first.  They had some misinterpretations of the "Day of the Lord" because they thought it had already taken place, so they quit ...

  Welcome to Week 49.  You may have noticed that reading through the New Testament has been moving at fast speeds like the days until Christmas.  This week alone we will be reading in 6 different books from the New Testament.  The chapters are shorter in comparison to many of the chapters from the Old Testament.  However, you may desire to break up your reading and do some in the morning and some in the evening if you find it too much information at one time.  This week we will finish reading 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians.     This Weeks reading: 2 Corinthians 8 - 1 Thessalonians 5. I will provide a small amount of background information for these books below: Galatians    It is believed that the Galatians was Paul's first letter written around 49 or 50 A.D.  (This is a reminder that the New Testament is not organized by when it was written.)  Several of the cities that P...

  Welcome to Week 48 and the last month of the year.  We are so close to finishing our goal of reading through the Bible together.  I know last week was very busy for many of you, for several different reasons.  I want to encourage each of you to keep going with your reading.  Your questions have really helped one another to keep going and press further into God's Word.  This week we will finish reading Romans and 1 Corinthians, and we will also begin reading 2 Corinthians.   This Weeks reading: Romans 13 - 2 Corinthians 7. In Romans this week, we will read about Christian liberty at the end of the book.   Next, we will look at 1 & 2 Corinthians.   Let's take a look at a little background information before we get started with this week's reading.  1 and 2 Corinthians are letters written to the church in Corinth by Paul.  It is believed Paul first visited Corinth in 50 A.D on his second missionary journey where he...

  Welcome to Week 47 and Thanksgiving Week here in the United States.  We will finish reading Acts and begin Romans this week.  Acts has been one of my favorite reads so far in this year's journey because I find the words so powerful! This week in Acts we will read about Paul's Trial.  Up to this point he has had 3 mission journeys around the Mediterranean. Then he was falsely accused and taken to Caesarea, where Felix placed him under house arrest.  Over the next 2 years, Felix met with Paul to hear the Gospel message.  It was time for Paul to go to Rome, so they placed him on a large grain freighter, a large commercial vessel common during that time, to get to Rome.  Due to heavy winds that time of year (probably around October), the ship moved very slowly towards Rome.  Paul warned them about the stormy season, and he was correct.  The ship and crew found themselves in the middle of a horrible storm, for two weeks!  The Roman soldiers...

    Welcome to Week 46.  This week we will finish reading the Gospels.  You may have noticed the book of John includes a little more detail about some of the encounters than the other Gospels.  John was a little more direct when he had something to say, at least in his writings.   Thank you to all those who shared interesting ideas and thoughts on last week's reading.  This discussion has really enriched the reading for me.  Looking ahead to Week 46: The reading for Week 46 includes: John 20 - Acts 18.  A little background info on the book of Acts: The book of Acts begins where the book of Luke ends.  Same author as the book of Luke.  The events of the book begin with the 40 days following the resurrection of Jesus.  The book goes on to describe the quest of the Great Commission, requested by Jesus.  Acts is 28 chapters long, with half describing the ministry of Peter, and the second half describing the ministry of Pa...

    Welcome to Week 45.  The month of November has a way of moving ever-so-quickly, much like reading through Gospels.  Last week we finished reading the Gospel of Luke.  In that book, we were introduced to the 12 Apostles.  Before he selected the 12, Jesus went and prayed.  The book of Luke is the first place we see the term "Apostle" used, which means, "one who is sent out." Below are a couple of interesting highlights about 2 of the Apostles: Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was a disciple of John the Baptist.  He found and met Jesus, going back to his brother, Simon, telling him that they had found the Messiah!   Peter, also known as Simon Peter or Simon bar Jonah, was a fisherman, along with his brother Andrew, on the Sea of Galilea.  He is typically listed as the first disciple, perhaps because he declared his belief that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  He was also the one who denied Jesus 3 times the nigh...

   It's Week 44!  Last week we finished reading Mark and began the book of Luke .  A few highlights from last week's reading: Luke 6:45b: "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   We also read the traditional Christmas reading from Luke this week. In Mark 14, Peter denies Jesus 3 three times after declaring he would die for Him.  It is another reminder that these 12 men Jesus selected to be his apostles were average, ordinary men.  They were not perfect and did not fully understand everything Jesus was teaching them.  They were a work in progress.  Not only did they not stand with Him at that moment, but after the crucifixion, they forgot about the resurrection.  When others came and told them they saw Christ after His death, many did not believe until they had that personal encounter with Christ afterwards.   In Mark 14:51, it talks about a "certain young man" how fled naked during the betrayal of Jesus ...

  Welcome to Week 43!  Look at that; less than 10 weeks of not only the year, but also until we finish reading through the Bible! The New Testament is going by quickly.  After talking to several of you this week, it is easy to see there was quite a bit in last week's reading.  Feel free to share your thoughts along the way.   This week we will finish the book of Mark and begin Luke.   Looking ahead to Week 43: The reading for Week 42 includes: Mark 8 - Luke 7. Just a few more facts about Mark for this week.  The Gospel of Mark is the shortest gospel, but is action-packed.  It's primary purpose is to present Jesus as the One who came to the world to serve, suffer, and give His life as a ransom for many.  The book's emphasis is on the acts of Jesus, showing that Jesus is both the Servant of God and Servant of mankind.   Looking at the geography of Mark, we have two different locations.  The Galilee region is where Jesus...

  !  Welcome to Week 42!  This week we will finish the book of Matthew and begin the book of Mark.  Did last week's reading seem to go by much quicker for you?  Compared to our reading in the Old Testament recently, The book of Matthew has gone by quickly, packed with an abundance of events!  Did you see all the references from the Old Testament already?  Reading the Old Testament can give us a greater appreciation for the New Testament, and what the people endured while they waited for the promised Messiah.  Looking ahead to Week 42: The reading for Week 42 includes: Matthew 16 - Mark 7. From last week's reading of Matthew, you may have noticed that the Gospel of Matthew bridges the Old Testament with the New Testament.  The main audience of Matthew was Jewish believers, familiar with history of Israel, their laws, customs, and promises.  Matthew was an eye witness to the events he recorded.  It is helpful if the reader of Matthew ...

Week 41!   This week we finish the Old Testament and begin the New Testament reading.  While reflecting on the Old Testament over the past 40 weeks, I can honestly say I've learned to appreciate and admire the prophets who stepped out and spoke when it really wasn't the popular or safest option to do so!  I now recognize several more instances where the Messiah was prophesized or referenced as well.  Understanding the lifestyle during the Old Testament helps when studying these Scriptures.  Even in the first chapter of Matthew, the author takes us through the genealogy of Christ, starting with the beginning of time, proving Scripture points back to Christ. Looking ahead to Week 41: The reading for Week 40 includes: Zechariah 11 - Matthew 15. The book of Malachi has 4 chapters and was written around 430 B.C.  We will read that God's people must serve Him carefully.  The Messiah, in the Old Testament time, was a promise of God. The book of Matthew i...

    Welcome to Week 40!   This is our last full week of reading from the Old Testament!  That is a huge accomplishment! Looking ahead to Week 40: The reading for Week 40 includes: Nahum 1 - Zechariah 10. The book of Nahum only consists of 3 chapters.  Its author is Nahum himself, written around 650 B.C.  A little background information to help with understanding: Nahum had a heavy or important message to deliver to the capital of Assyria, which was Nineveh.  Assyria was known as basically the bully of the Middle East.  They concurred many nations, including Israel.  You may remember from last week's reading that Jonah went to Nineveh with another message from the Lord, talking about their destruction if they did not repent.  The nation as a whole did, in fact, repent and turn from their ways.  HOWEVER, it must not have lasted long because 100 years later, Nahum is delivering a similar message from the Lord to the same nation....

   Welcome to Week 39!   The next two weeks we will be reading the last of the Old Testament, which is made up of several smaller books.  Also, in week 41, we begin the New Testament! Looking ahead to Week 39: The reading for Week 39 includes: Amos 1 - Micah 7. The book of Amos is the only place we read about the prophet Amos in the Old Testament.  His name means burden or burden bearer .  This probably was in reference to the burden he had to carry to prophesy about the judgment to God's people.  It is important to also remember that Amos was a simple man.  He was a sheep breeder, his choice of words.  Most would probably have said shepherd, but Amos could have been trying to make a difference between the career choice of shepherding and the type we know as shepherding people.  He was not educated in prophesying, and they did have schools for that in his time.  He was also a farmer, a simple man.  We know God often used ...

  Welcome to Week 38!   Last week we finished reading the book of Ezekiel and began reading in the Book of Daniel.  The first 6 chapters of Daniel may have included some familiar events such as Shadrach, Meshach, and abed-Nego being thrown into the fiery furnace,  the hand writing on the wall and Daniel interpreting it to the king, and Daniel being thrown into the lion's den.  It's also important to take note that the leadership has changed several times during this first part of Daniel.  Looking at who is king while reading the passages of Scripture will help you determine the order of the events.     The remaining reading of the Book of Daniel for this week jumps arounds, so keep that in mind.  Do not let that confuse you. Chapters 1 - 6 of Daniel describes his life and times; chapters 7 - 12 describe Daniels visions.  Chapter 7's vision took place in time between chapters 4 and 5. Looking ahead to Week 38: The reading for We...

  Welcome to Week 37!  This week we will finish the book of Ezekiel and begin reading Daniel.  Chapter 37 has always been my favorite chapter in Ezekiel as we read about God taking the dry bones and bringing them to life.  If you notice, there has been a shift in our reading.  The Book of Ezekiel has gone from hopelessness to hope!  God is revealing what He will do for His people.  Chapter 37 and the dry bones coming back to life has always been a powerful imagery for me on what the Lord can do with His people scattered and all the hopelessness we had just read about in the first part of the book. Looking ahead to Week 37: The reading for Week 37 includes: Ezekiel 37 - Daniel 6. The author of the Book of Daniel is believed to be Daniel, written about 530 B.C.  To set the scene for the Book of Daniel, Jerusalem is in ashes.  The temple has been destroyed.  If you were a Jew in Babylon, things looked hopeless.  Jeremiah was right abou...

  Welcome to Week 36!  For those who might be counting, (I'm raising my hand here.) we only have about 5 more weeks until we begin reading the New Testament.  All of you are doing an absolute amazing job.  Several of you have discussed with us that this has been a new challenge of reading straight through the Word like this.  I am so thankful to have each of you joining with us as we are making new discoveries along the way.   Last week we continued reading in the Book of Ezekiel.  During this time we read chapter 16, which after a little research for further explanation, I discovered it to be the longest chapter in the book.  Interestingly enough, it is the one chapter that most preachers try to refrain from quoting in their sermons.  Depending on the translation you read, this chapter can be quite descriptive of their sins. As a side note, does anyone remember what the term "pass through the fire" means in terms of the children?  ...

    Welcome to Week 35!  Reading over the past 34 weeks has been a big commitment.   Thank you for reading with us!  Some have found themselves falling behind.  If you are more than 2 weeks behind on your reading, I suggest picking up where we are this week and reading along with us.  Then, in addition, use a Bible app, such as Blue Letter Bible, to listen 15 minutes a day to the passages you need to catch up.  You will get caught up in no time!  It is important to remember this is not designed to be an in-depth Bible reading plan, but it will give a wonderful opportunity for rich discussion throughout the entire Bible.  This will hopefully bless you with a great perspective of the Bible for future studies.   Last week we finished Jeremiah and began the book of Lamentations. In chapters 40-45 of Jeremiah, we read about Jerusalem after its fall.  Unfortunately, we saw that the Judeans failed to learn from history....

   Welcome to Week 34!  I'm not sure if you are counting yet, but there are only 18 more weeks until we finish!!  Some of you have reached out, stating that you are behind on your reading, but you all said you are not giving up!  You all are doing an amazing job.  This is no small task or commitment.   Thank you for reading with us.  If you find yourself falling behind, I highly suggest using a free Bible app, such as Blue Letter Bible, to listen to the version of the Bible you prefer.  It is amazing how listening 15 to 30 minutes a day will get you caught up quickly!  Listen while you water flowers, morning chores around the house, or on your morning commute.   Last week's reading we pressed on through the prophet Jeremiah's book.  We read the warnings from the Lord, and we read about people not listening.  We also saw mention of the child sacrifices again in Chapter 32, verse 35.   A thought shared fr...

  Welcome to Week 33!  How are you doing with your reading at this point?  Do you find it easier to make time for the Word or are you having a harder time digging in?  Wherever you might fit in to that scenario, don't worry; keep reading!   A thought shared from last week's reading: Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit." This is similar to what we read in Psalm 1, speaking to the blessings of the man who delights in the Lord God. Looking ahead to Week 33: The reading for Week 33 includes: Jeremiah 22-38. In chapter 24, we read about the baskets of figs, one good and the other bad.   Judgment was coming to Judah.  Th...