Many new Christians go out and buy a bible (or have one gifted to them), and they sit down at home and quickly become overwhelmed. The bible is huge - 66 books in one! Where on earth does one start? The obvious answer for many is to crack it open to the first book, Genesis, and have at it. For a new Christian, this will seem very dry and will often quickly discourage them to put the book down and go read some fascinating inspirational book, and stick with those forever after.
These books are good and useful study tools and guides to practical application, but in our family we refer to them as "miracle grow". That is to say, they may cause one to blossom fast with quick apparent result. You may rush out and want to share it with everyone in the honeymoon phases of your relationship with God, all full of hope and optimism.
There is nothing wrong with these feelings, however they are not the most important part of being a Christian. In order to realize your full potential and truly understand the Word and build that relationship with Christ, your roots must go down deep, into the earthy soil of the Word of God. What I am saying is there is NO substitution for reading your Bible! What good is it if I pop a plant down on cement, spray it with miracle grow and walk away? There is no way for the roots to reach down and drink of the nourishment of the earth and water. No way for it to grow strong and hale. The Bible gives us those roots.
That emphasis made, I have a recommended order of reading the books to begin with. Once you are done thoroughly reading and understanding these, it will be easier to decide on your own (with God, of course) how your path continues.
These books are good and useful study tools and guides to practical application, but in our family we refer to them as "miracle grow". That is to say, they may cause one to blossom fast with quick apparent result. You may rush out and want to share it with everyone in the honeymoon phases of your relationship with God, all full of hope and optimism.
There is nothing wrong with these feelings, however they are not the most important part of being a Christian. In order to realize your full potential and truly understand the Word and build that relationship with Christ, your roots must go down deep, into the earthy soil of the Word of God. What I am saying is there is NO substitution for reading your Bible! What good is it if I pop a plant down on cement, spray it with miracle grow and walk away? There is no way for the roots to reach down and drink of the nourishment of the earth and water. No way for it to grow strong and hale. The Bible gives us those roots.
That emphasis made, I have a recommended order of reading the books to begin with. Once you are done thoroughly reading and understanding these, it will be easier to decide on your own (with God, of course) how your path continues.
- John - Gives the way to Salvation. Full of the seeds that need to be planted (seeds=basics).
- Romans - A different set of principles. Shows you how to operate under them.
- Acts - Puts Romans into action. See how the principles of Romans are applied. This book is focused largely on the works of the Holy Spirit, including moving in the gifts and the command to speak in Tongues.
- Matthew, Mark, Luke - The synoptics, these are the confirmation of what Jesus was doing. Firsthand accounts of his life and teachings from different perspectives with different emphasis found in each.
Once one is finished with these, they may wish to continue with the Epistles of I and II Corinthians. I would also recommend a good, thorough study of Ephesians.
After that, it would be a good idea to go ahead and read the rest of the New Testament so you can understand and begin to apply his Word to your life.
However, do not take this to mean one should neglect the Old Testament. To understand who we are, we need to understand where we came from. The OT tells the stories of many great men of Christ, and we will find many parallels to our own lives in these books. There is a wealth of information to discover here, though much of it will have to be illuminated to each person on an individual basis.
Remember, Rom 10:17 says Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. That second hearing actually means "understanding". So this statement actually means that your Faith is built by hearing what God has to say to you personally, and in order to recognize His voice you must read and understand his Word (the Bible). Therefore, the more you read, the more you will understand, the more familiar you will become with his voice, the more you can build that direct relationship!
After that, it would be a good idea to go ahead and read the rest of the New Testament so you can understand and begin to apply his Word to your life.
However, do not take this to mean one should neglect the Old Testament. To understand who we are, we need to understand where we came from. The OT tells the stories of many great men of Christ, and we will find many parallels to our own lives in these books. There is a wealth of information to discover here, though much of it will have to be illuminated to each person on an individual basis.
Remember, Rom 10:17 says Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. That second hearing actually means "understanding". So this statement actually means that your Faith is built by hearing what God has to say to you personally, and in order to recognize His voice you must read and understand his Word (the Bible). Therefore, the more you read, the more you will understand, the more familiar you will become with his voice, the more you can build that direct relationship!
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