An Ambitious Reading PlanFor those Ready for a Challenge

This article was originally published in French at TPSG.

Grant Horner’s three-day interview/grilling process for a professorship in the department of English concluded that day in the office of the president of the Master’s College, Dr. John MacArthur. He asked one question: “Can I see your Bible?” The candidate thought Pastor John would be horrified by his unbound, tattered and worn old Scofield. Instead, he handed it to his wife Patricia and remarked, “If your Bible is falling apart, you probably aren’t.” Professor Horner was basically hired on the spot.

I first read this account several years ago as I searched for a new Bible reading plan for the coming year. I had enjoyed reading through the Bible chronologically in a year, but I was ready for a challenge. The Professor Grant Horner Bible Reading Plan seemed right up my alley.

The plan is simple. You read ten chapters a day from ten different books of the Bible, chosen by literary genre. On day one, you read Matthew 1, Genesis 1, Romans 1, 1 Thessalonians 1, Job 1, Psalms 1, Proverbs 1, Joshua 1, Isaiah 1, and Acts 1. On day 2, read Matthew 2, Genesis 2, etc. And when you reach the last chapter of the last book in a list, you simply start over again. Every year you’ll read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and Prophetic books about 1.5 times. Here’s what looks like:

·         List 1 (89 days) Matt­hew, Mark, Luke, John

·         List 2 (187 days) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

·         List 3 (78 days) Romans, I&II Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, Hebrews

·         List 4 (65 days) I&II ‑Thess, I&II Tim, Titus, Philemon, James, I&II Peter, I,II&III John, Jude, Revelation

·         List 5 (62 days) Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

·         List 6 (150 days) Psalms

·         List 7 (31 days) Proverbs

·         List 8 (249 days) Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I&II Samuel, I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

·         List 9 (250 days) Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

·         List 10 (28 days) Acts

What I love about this plan is that it gives me a big picture of the Bible and helps me make connections between different parts of Scripture that I might not make if I were reading only one literary genre at a time.

Also, honestly, some books are harder to read than others. They are denser and require greater concentration and comprehension. Some of us might find it difficult to persevere day after day in a long book of the Bible that is over our heads at times, especially if it’s the only Scripture reading we have planned for the day. The advantage of this plan is that it provides a variety of books to read from, which speak to our souls in different ways. So, if one book in that morning’s reading doesn’t jump off the page, there are nine others that may.

Some things to keep in mind:

1.       This plan works with various media:

a.       Paper Bible: For those who follow a Bible reading plan with their paper Bible, they will need to use ten bookmarks to keep track of the ten portions of Scripture they’re going through.

b.       Audio Bible: You can also enjoy this system via audio. When I first started, I found this helped me redeem the time, as I listened to the Scriptures while I exercised or prepared meals.

c.       Bible Reading App: Eventually, I followed this plan by reading on a Bible app. This allowed me to easily track my progress (no paper bookmarks required). Plus, I found that whenever I had a free moment, I could take out my phone and make progress on my reading for the day (which I normally split into 5 in the morning and 5 in the evening). I don’t know about you, but I don’t keep a paper Bible in my pocket, but I almost always have my phone on me. I know that many argue for the benefits of reading a paper Bible, and I don’t deny those. But since my Olive Tree app on my phone syncs with the app on my computer, I am able to take notes and keep track of the ways in which the Lord was speaking to me through his Word. Some of my deepest insights for a study I was teaching came in such moments of communion with Christ.

2. This plan is so versatile: While I no longer read the full ten chapters a day, I do continue to use it in as my general Bible reading plan. It may take me two days to go through the ten chapters, perhaps three if I’m studying a book of the Bible in preparation to teach.  

Yes, this plan is ambitious. It requires reading/listening for about 40-60 minutes a day. And it doesn’t allow for slow, meditative reading. But the benefits of immersing oneself in this amount of Scripture is enormous. This plan need not be intimidating. One need not have Bible school training or a seminary degree. Grant Horner does not. In fact, he was a college dropout, ex-heavy-druggie when he started it. If he could do it -- so can you! According to Professor Horner, the goal of this system is simple, and twofold: To know Scripture, and to love and obey God more! May this be the case for you in the coming year.