Week One - Our First Assignment

"A Treasure Map"

"The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and ridiculed. ... The Bible's durability is not found on earth; it is found in heaven. ... The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim God's plan and passion to save his children. ... It is the treasure map that leads us to God's highest treasure, eternal life." ---Max Lucado, The Inspirational Study Bible

So here we are. Our Bibles, journals, and pencils in hand, ready to read completely through the Bible by ourselves, together! It may take awhile, but God is patient and good. He sees our hearts. He loves us and he will see us through. You get your assignment today with the intention of starting tomorrow morning. (But don't let that stop you from beginning today, if you wish!) :-)

Remember to set aside your 15 reading minutes and 15 study minutes every morning before breakfast and, whether you're feeling up to it, or in the mood or not, do it! Be persistent! You will be rewarded. :-) (There may be occasions that you can only read for 15 minutes and begin your study notes at this time. You could (make sure to) finish before bedtime.

During this, our first week, we will read the entire book of 1 John. Don't let that scare you! You will find that it is only five short chapters long. Tim LaHaye recommends we read it once every day. I will ask you to please attempt this.

First Reading: You may just wish to read the entire book through, once, without taking notes until after you've finished. Record thoughts and impressions and insights.
Second - Seventh daily reading: Record items 1 and 2 in your Spiritual Journal.
1) Record the day's date and the Name of the book you're reading.
2) Who is the author of this book? and to whom is he writing?
Other suggested notations:
3) Record the Chapter and Verse and major points that caught your attention.
4) Did you find a promise that God has made?
5) What special meaning might have been intended for the people at the time it was written?
6) What central meaning has this Book of the Bible for you (or How does this Book of the Bible relate to you?)
7) Have you found a verse you'd like to memorize?

Of course you may deviate a bit from these specific points, but all-in-all the above are pretty good suggestions.

***At any time during the week, but especially at the end of the week, return to this assignment post to leave a comment or question. We will all do this. We can encourage and help each other. We can also keep each other accountable for our reading! :-)

May God bless each of us as we begin the reading of His Word together.

kt (Kathy T)

Note: If you're using a 3-ring binder, you could copy and paste each weekly assignment into a text document, print it and put it in your binder.