September 20 - September 26
No matter what day you choose to begin, you can see the corresponding scripture to each day.
**Click the week you are on and you will find the bible reading and reflection questions for that week.**
Bible Reading Plan
August Scripture Reading
Week 1 (August 1 - August 8)
- August 1 - Reflect
- August 2 - 1 Thessalonians 1
- August 3 - 1 Thessalonians 2
- August 4 - 1 Thessalonians 3
- August 5 - 1 Thessalonians 4
- August 6 - 1 Thessalonians 5
- August 7 - Rest
- August 8 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- Paul rejoices in the faithful reputation of the Thessalonians. What example of faith do you set by the way you live?
- What does it mean to live a life worthy of God?
- The apostle yearns to reunite with the Thessalonians and continually prays for the church. Who are you fervently praying for today?
- How does 1 Thessalonians 4 give you hope for those you have loved and have gone before you in death? What does Paul say is the source of hope?
- What difference does it make to live with the knowledge that the Lord is coming again?
Week 2 (August 9 - August 15)
- August 9 - 2 Thessalonians 1
- August 10 - 2 Thessalonians 2
- August 11 - 2 Thessalonians 3
- August 12 - Hebrews 1
- August 13 - Hebrews 2
- August 14 - Rest
- August 15 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica, he offers prayers and gratitude for the steadfast faith of the people and for their growing love for one another. For what do you offer prayers and gratitude for your church? Will you pray for your church family and ministries today?
- Chapter 2 offers us warnings about challenges to come but ends with encouragement and the admonition to stand firm and hold fast to the teaching of the gospel. The last verses, 16 and 17 offer a blessing. Sit with this blessing today and repeat it every day until you accept it as your blessing of hope and encouragement.
- Paul ends this letter with a concern about idleness in the congregation. This early church believed the Christ would return any day and they would leave this earth and enter into the kingdom with Christ. In what ways does this admonition apply to us today, especially verse 13, “And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”
- The Letter to the Hebrews begins, in Chapter 1, with an announcement of who God’s Son is and aspects of his character. Take a few minutes and list the characteristics you find describing God’s Son in this chapter.
- In Chapter 2 the writer of Hebrews refers to the beautiful Psalm 8. Take time today to read and reread Psalm 8 and enter into the beauty of God’s creation and see Jesus as co-creator in this psalm.
Week 3 (August 16 - August 22)
- August 16 - Hebrews 3
- August 17 - Hebrews 4
- August 18 - Hebrews 5
- August 19 - Hebrews 6
- August 20 - Hebrews 7
- August 21 - Rest
- August 22 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- When have you struggled with maintaining your faith? Where do you struggle to trust God?
- How does it feel to know God sees the very deepest truth of who you are? What do you want God to see when he looks at you?
- Picture yourself approaching the throne of God knowing God waits to show you mercy and grace and to fill you with hope. How does that feel?
- Do you see yourself as a mature believer (eating the meat of the Gospel) or as one still very young in faith? Are you willing to let God grow you up?
- Does your life produce good fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23) or something more like thorns & Thistles (see Galatians 5:19-21a)
Week 4 (August 23 - August 29)
- August 23 - Hebrews 8
- August 24 - Hebrews 9
- August 25 - Hebrews 10
- August 26 - Hebrews 11
- August 27 - Hebrews 12
- August 28 - Rest
- August 29 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
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Hebrews 8: A covenant is a formal relationship with another person. Hebrews tells us that Jesus brought us into a new covenant with God. In what ways are you living out this formal relationship with God? What does it require of you that is different from those who do not see themselves in covenant?
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Hebrews 9: Modern culture has a difficult time relating to blood sacrifice. However, sacrifice often accompanies spiritual growth. How have you experienced growth in your relationship with God through sacrifice? Do you see yourself as forgiven? Why or why not?
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Hebrews 10: In what ways do you spur others on toward love and good deeds? Who has spurred you on to meet your potential? How were they inspired by God to do so?
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Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When have you experienced the power of faith in your life? How have you approached uncertainty with your faith in God?
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Hebrews 12: Who is in your “great cloud of witnesses”? Who has shown you the power and grace of forgiveness through Jesus? How did they reveal their relationship with Christ to you? Who will count you among their witnesses?
Week 5 (August 30 - August 31)
- August 30 - Hebrews 13
- August 31 - James 1
Weekly Reflection Questions
*Week Continued Into September*
September Scripture Reading
Week 1 (September 1 - September 5)
- September 1 - James 2
- September 2 - James 3
- September 3 - James 4
- September 4 - Rest
- September 5 - Reflection
Weekly Reflection Questions
- What's been the most significant thing you've learned from studying Hebrews? How has this affected your life? (Hebrews 13)
- What is the practical difference between trials and temptations? Concerning a trial, you have experienced what pressures did it bring to your faith? What wisdom did you gain through it? (James 1)
- Who are today's "poor": Orphans? School dropouts? Refugees? Single Parents? What would change if the "royal law" and "God's favoritism" were applied to them? (James 2)
- What have you found helpful in controlling your tongue? In changing the source of its spring (v.11)? (James 3)
- How is the "world" trying to get you to be its "friend" now? How is that related to your faithfulness to God? (James 4)
Week 2 (September 6 - September 12)
- September 6 - James 5
- September 7 - Mark 1
- September 8 - Mark 2
- September 9 - Mark 3
- September 10 - Mark 4
- September 11- Rest
- September 12 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- How does James use the prayers of Elijah to inspire a bold prayer life?
- What do you need to leave behind in order to follow Jesus?
- How do you understand Sabbath? How is it God’s gift to us?
- What does it mean to live as Jesus’ brother or sister?
- As you consider your own spiritual life, what kind of soil are you cultivating?
Week 3 (September 13 - September 19)
- September 13 - Mark 5
- September 14 - Mark 6
- September 15 - Mark 7
- September 16 - Mark 8
- September 17 - Mark 9
- September 18 - Rest
- September 19 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- Mark 5 opens with a wonderful story of Jesus restoring a man with an unclean/impure spirit back into wholeness and well-being. This man, with a restored life wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus sent him back to his family to tell his people what Jesus had done for him. In what ways might this be your story? In what ways has Jesus restored and healed you? Who have you told?
- Chapter 6 is filled with conflict, teaching, leading, the death of John the Baptist, the feeding of the multitudes and more miracles. We are out of breath as we read this chapter; so many stories within stories being told. Consider what Jesus does with his disciples in verses 31. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” When life is one hurry after another, how might you go with Jesus away from the busyness and hurry and rest?
- Consider in Chapter 7:24-30, the story of the Syrophoenician woman’s faith. Sit with it and imagine yourself in the room, sitting at the table with Jesus and other guests when the foreign woman pleads before Jesus. What do you think changed Jesus’ heart?
- Chapter 8 offers more stories of faith. Consider the question to Peter in verse 29. Imagine Jesus as you will, standing before you and answer this question for yourself; “Who do you say I am?”
- Jesus teaches through action as well as words. What does it mean to you that in Chapter 9:36, Jesus took a little child, whom he placed among the disciples, picked up the child in his arms and affirmed a need for a child-like faith, a tenderness and compassion toward children and their importance in the kingdom?
Week 4 (September 20 - September 26)
- September 20 - Mark 10
- September 21 - Mark 11
- September 22 - Mark 12
- September 23 - Mark 13
- September 24 - Mark 14
- September 25 - Rest
- September 26 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- From Mark 10:23 - why do you think it is so hard for a person with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God?
- Jesus asked the blind man, "What do you want me to do for you?" He answered with a big request: "I want to see."
If Jesus were to ask you what you want, what would be your biggest request? - What does it mean for your life with God to hear Jesus say, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."?
- What does it mean for you when Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God's"?
- We are called to be on alert for the return of Jesus - how can you best "stay alert" each day?
- How do you feel as you read the story of Jesus passionate prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane?
Week 5 (September 27 - September 30)
- September 27 - Mark 15
- September 28 - Mark 16
- September 29 - Ephesians 1
- September 30 - Ephesians 1
Weekly Reflection Questions
- Monday: Mark 15 – What is the importance of the crucifixion for the way you walk your faith journey? How you ever “died to” a part of your life to move closer to God?
- Tuesday: Mark 16 – When have you run from the Good News of Christ? (16:8) What would have happened if the story of Christ and what he gave us ended with the women running away, saying nothing?
- Wednesday: Ephesians 1 – What does it mean to be chosen by God? How does chosen-ness change the way you look at yourself? The way you look at others?
- Thursday: Ephesians 2 – How can Jesus’ sacrifice bring our divided world together? What would it look like if we were made one?
- Friday: Ephesians 3 – How have you humbled yourself more fully into the power love of Christ? What did you surrender, what did you gain?
*Week Continued Into October*
October Scripture Reading
Week 1 (October 1 - October 3)
- October 1 - Ephesians 3
- October 2 - Rest
- October 3 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
- Monday: Mark 15 – What is the importance of the crucifixion for the way you walk your faith journey? How you ever “died to” a part of your life to move closer to God?
- Tuesday: Mark 16 – When have you run from the Good News of Christ? (16:8) What would have happened if the story of Christ and what he gave us ended with the women running away, saying nothing?
- Wednesday: Ephesians 1 – What does it mean to be chosen by God? How does chosen-ness change the way you look at yourself? The way you look at others?
- Thursday: Ephesians 2 – How can Jesus’ sacrifice bring our divided world together? What would it look like if we were made one?
- Friday: Ephesians 3 – How have you humbled yourself more fully into the power love of Christ? What did you surrender, what did you gain?
Week 2 (October 4 - October 10)
- October 4 - Ephesians 4
- October 5 - Ephesians 5
- October 6 - Ephesians 6
- October 7 - Philippians 1
- October 8 - Philippians 2
- October 9 - Rest
- October 10 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 3 (October 11 - October 17)
- October 11 - Philippians 3
- October 12 - Philippians 4
- October 13 - Colossians 1
- October 14 - Colossians 2
- October 15 - Colossians 3
- October 16 - Rest
- October 17 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 4 (October 18 - October 24)
- October 18 - Colossians 4
- October 19 - 1 Timothy 1
- October 20 - 1 Timothy 2
- October 21 - 1 Timothy 3
- October 22 - 1 Timothy 4
- October 23 - Rest
- October 24 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 5 (October 25 - October 31)
- October 25 - 1 Timothy 5
- October 26 - 1 Timothy 6
- October 27 - 2 Timothy 1
- October 28 - 2 Timothy 2
- October 29 - 2 Timothy 3
- October 30 - Rest
- October 31 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
November Scripture Reading
Week 1 (November 1 - November 7)
- November 1 - Titus 1
- November 2 - Titus 2
- November 3 - Titus 3
- November 4 - Philemon
- November 5 - Romans 1
- November 6 - Rest
- November 7 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 2 (November 8 - November 14)
- November 8 - Romans 2
- November 9 - Romans 3
- November 10 - Romans 4
- November 11 - Romans 5
- November 12 - Romans 6
- November 13 - Rest
- November 14 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 3 (November 15 - November 21)
- November 15 - Romans 7
- November 16 - Romans 8
- November 17 - Romans 9
- November 18 - Romans 10
- November 19 - Romans 11
- November 20 - Rest
- November 21 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 4 (November 22 - November 28)
- November 22 - Romans 12
- November 23 - Romans 13
- November 24 - Romans 14
- November 25 - Romans 15
- November 26 - Romans 16
- November 27 - Rest
- November 28 - Reflect
Weekly Reflection Questions
Week 5 (November 29 - November 30)
- November 29 - Luke 1
- November 30 - Luke 2
Weekly Reflection Questions
*Week Continued Into December*
Weekly Prayer
September 20 - September 26
Holy God, give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected and peace when I am in turmoil. Amen.
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