Read the bible to get to know its author

To be completely honest with you guys, I'm not very good at reading my bible. I always have good intentions but I never read as much as I should. However, over the last year I have found little ways to help me get more into the bible and get the most out of it I can. 

Reading plans:

At the beginning of September I started the soul survivor bible in a year reading plan with a group of friends. This is a lot to read in a year, and lots of friends have dropped out of this, leaving only three of us. The other two are doing well at it, but I'm behind. Even so, this has encouraged me to read my bible more as I have a goal in mind. It was also great having a group of us doing this, to encourage each other and also to remind each other to read the passage for that day. Even though we all live in different places, we created a Facebook group chat to talk about where we were up to, and discuss passages that we may have found difficult to understand. 

There are many different bible reading plans, including the word for you today reading plans, which have an adult and youth version. These can be a great way to read more of the bible, even if it's just a couple of verses each day. 

Audio book:

On the bible app, there is a setting which reads the bible out to you. This is great for people who don't enjoy reading, but still want to know more bible stories. I use this setting quite often when I'm colouring in, and sometimes just before I go to bed. 

Cell groups:

I used to be part of a youth cell group when I lived in London, where we would start at the beginning of a book of the bible and read a chapter each week. This was very helpful, because we would not always understand the passage, so we had people there to help us and answer any questions we had. It also encouraged us to read the bible more. 

Quite a lot of churches have cell / house groups where they go though different bible passages each week. This is also good because it makes sure that you understand what the passage is saying, and also to be able to discuss the different meanings people pull out from the passage.

Bible journaling:

I keep a journal of bible verses which have really spoken to me. This motivates me to really think about the passages I am reading, and the meaning behind the verses. It also means that I have a record of different bible verses which I can refer back to when I want to. 

I know people who also draw pictures relating to verses which speak to them. 

The main thing to need to do it be motivated to read the bible. Even though it can be boring at times, it is totally worth it!