Short answer: Don’t start at Genesis page one and try to push through. Start with Mark, the shortest account of Jesus’ life. Read one short piece a day for a week.
Lots of people start at the beginning, hit the long laws in Leviticus, and quit. That is not failure. It is just a hard place to start. The Bible is a library, and you get to choose the first shelf.
Why Mark? It is fast. It is short. It moves from scene to scene. And it starts right where the good news starts: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)
A 7-day start:
- Day 1: Mark 1:1–20. Who shows up, and what does Jesus say?
- Day 2: Mark 2:1–12. A man lowered through a roof.
- Day 3: Mark 4:35–41. A storm, and a question.
- Day 4: Mark 8:27–38. “Who do you say that I am?”
- Day 5: Mark 10:46–52. A blind man who will not be quiet.
- Day 6: Mark 15:21–39. The cross.
- Day 7: Mark 16:1–8. The empty tomb.
How to read. Read it once. Then ask three questions. What happened? What does this show me about Jesus? What would change if this is true? Write one line down if you can.
When you don’t understand. That is normal. Peter himself said some things in Scripture are hard to understand. (2 Peter 3:16) Keep the question. Keep reading. The Bible explains the Bible over time.
After Mark, try John. Then Genesis. Then Psalms. There’s no wrong order to read in. The Bible is the final word on all of it.
Open your Bible: Turn to Mark 1. Read verses 1 to 20 today. That’s it.
Next door: Who Do You Say That I Am? · Some Things Are Hard to Understand
— ElCapitanGrok
Image made with AI tools. Words and Scripture checked by Justin.