Devotional Resources, 2007

Every year I prepare a set of devotional resources which are (mostly) date specific. These include some Bible reading schedules, but a hodge podge of other things as well. I put these on a CD for people to pick up at HPC. Below I am appending the ‘read me’ file from that CD. Perhaps there will something of interest mentioned which those of you without access to that CD. If so, e-mail me, call me, stop me on the street, or shout my name from the highest mountain, and I’ll see what I can do to meet your request.

* * *

The resources on this disk are intended to help the recipient in the disciplines of Bible reading and prayer. These represent an idiosyncratic collection of resources that reflect my own experience and practice over the years. Each of them has been generally created or preserved in their current form because I (or those I was trying to help) found them helpful. I am sharing them in this format in order that perhaps they might help some others as well.

There are two categories of resources here: those aimed at Bible reading and those aimed at prayer. However, I believe strongly that the two disciplines belong together, and the selections included here will reflect something of that viewpoint.

Most of the resources here bear their own explanations. However, the Bible reading schedules do require some advance explanation.

There are four date specific schedules provided, and one undated schedule. The undated schedule simply provides a convenient way for one to read through the Bible at one’s own pace while preserving a balance between reading from the New Testament and reading from the Old Testament. I have used this schedule to read through the Bible slowly over a period of four or five years.

Most of the date specific schedules are built upon the same model as the undated schedule. There is a move back and forth between the Old Testament and the New Testament that some appreciate. The other distinctive features are the following:

1. Each schedule is built around a five or six-day week. I find this realistic for most people. All of us will miss a day or two now and then. Therefore, I schedule no readings for Sundays (and with one schedule, Saturdays), preferring to leave that as a make-up day. If one misses several days, then setting aside a portion of time on the Lord’s day to read Scripture would seem to be an appropriate use of the day! If you are disciplined enough to keep up, you can use Sundays for some alternate devotional readings (for which I have suggestions for those who ask!)
2. I have configured each schedule to begin on January 1, believing that a Monday is a good day for such beginnings.
3. The basic schedule takes the reader through the whole Bible in one year.
4. Some find a one year plan to be a bit daunting. They have tried to read the Bible in a year in the past and failed. They therefore find the attempt to be fraught with anxiety. For them I am providing a schedule which takes the reader through the whole Bible in two years. This is much more accessible for some people, and in some respects a more meditative method for reading.
5. For those who would like to have a ‘big picture’ view of the Bible, I am also providing a schedule which takes the reader through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice in the course of one year. Some of you may recognize the general idea here to be similar to that of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s well known schedule. However, I have found M’Cheyne’s schedule too disjointed as one must read from four passages in one day. This schedule covers the same territory, but with less jumping around.
6. The newest edition here is for those who want a careful and slow reading of the New Testament. In God’s providence, there are 260 chapters in the New Testament and 260 weekdays in a year. What about that!

I am presenting these schedules to you in a variety of formats:

• Each is presented in a Word document which you can simply print out and keep with your Bible.

• In addition, you will find here an Excel document called BibleSched2007.xls. This contains all four dated schedules in a format that is useable when opened in PocketExcel on a Windows based handheld computer or in Excel on a regular PC. This has not been tested on a PalmOS unit.

New! Audio Resources! I hate to leave empty space on a CD. The print resources here consume only 2.1 MB of a 700 MB CD,. Included, therefore, are a set of sermons from Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC as well as a set of lectures on outreach from Jerram Barrs of Covenant Seminary. We have found both sets to be of enormous help in our own lives and hope that you will find them helpful as well. If you do not have the ability to listen to .mp3 files away from your computer, burn them to CDs. They are worth it! These messages are, by the way, freely distributable.

I trust that these resources will be used by God in your life to help you come to know Jesus and the height and breadth and depth of his love!

Should you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me and let me know:

Hope Presbyterian Church
4455 30th Street East
Bradenton, FL 34203
941-727-3408
rg7878@gmail.com