So, I heard about a CRAZY idea while watching #thenines last week.

Someone has the audacity to think they can read through the entire Bible in 90 days! 90!

I have trouble reading through it in a year. (I even tried again this year and didn’t make it past January.)

But why is that?

Why is it that I can read 20 books a year, averaging 200 pages each — or 4000 pages total, but I have trouble reading the book that 95% of those other books are all about?

The Bible sitting on our office desk is only 1720 pages. IF someone were to read it in 90 days, it would only be 19 pages a day. That can be done over lunch!

options

So, I did a quick search and found a couple different options for the plan but they seem to all follow the same reading plan.

Zondervan has a slick package which offers some cool videos and special Bible to go along with it.

Biblegateway.com offers one as well that has all the reading available online — but seems to be built around a repeating schedule — and doesn’t seem to be something you can just jump into whenever you want.

Or there’s B90X plan that @stevenfurtick’s] and evolution church are doing. They’ve also got folks using the #B90X hashtag on Twitter for accountability purposes.

the plan

So — here’s the plan. I’m going to follow @stevenfurtick’s B90X plan (because it’s free and there’s already a community on Twitter doing it) and start my reading through the Bible on Sept 15 — tomorrow.

I’m also going to try and blog about the experience along the way and I’ll be tweeting about it (along with others who have already begun) using the hashtag #B90X.

So, who’s in? Who wants to join me?

Add your info in the comments or drop me an email and let’s do this!

One of my goals this year is to read through the Bible.

I was challenged to do this once when I was in high school by a former youth pastor who asked us the question, “Do you believe everything in the Bible is true?”

Of course the church youth group answer was always, “Yes.”

“Have you read all of it?”

“Uh, no.”

“Well then how do you know it’s true?”

I got his point. I set out and read the entire book of Scripture over the next couple years. And yet it still amazes me how reading it in a new version or just simply reading the same passage again brings passages alive again and again.

I’m using the plan offered by YouVersion.com and with their handy website, RSS feeds, Blackberry and iPhone apps – FOR FREE – you can follow along wherever you are.

Who’s with me?

“Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.” Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.”

“From Chick-fil-a to youth pastors with goatees and bald worship leaders, author Prodigal Jon writes in a refreshing and totally humorous manner.”

After browsing the site some of the things make me wonder if I should laugh or cry because it’s so true. Take for instance #134:

#134. Witnessing to people that don’t believe in the Bible using the Bible.

This one is just cuckoo, but I promise it happens. I have some friends that if you open the door to hear about God or Jesus or Faith with them will immediately turn to the Bible to prove that all of the three mentioned subjects are true and good and worth giving your life to. The problem is that some people just don’t believe in the Bible. At all. So here is what those conversations tend to look like:

Christian friend:
“It’s a cliche to see it on signs at football games, but the message of John 3:16 is still a gift that holds true for all of us.”

Non Christian friend:
“That’s cool, but I don’t believe in the Bible.”

Christian friend:
“What do you mean? Which part?”

Non Christian friend:
“The words part.”

Christian friend:
“What?”

Non Christian friend:
“I don’t believe in it. I don’t think it’s the word of God or some sort of holy truth.”

Christian friend:
(Awkward silence.) “OK, but in Romans it says …”

Clearly this isn’t how all my friends or all Christians are. But, if your Bible is the only outward expression or explanation of your faith then the minute you meet someone that does not believe in it you’ve hit a serious wall. It’s like trying to tell someone that lived their whole life in the desert how deep the ocean is and how many animals live in it. They don’t even believe in the concept of salt water, never mind the miracle of oceanic life. You’ve got to live it. You have to be the ocean and express your life in such a way that even if all they’ve seen are sandstorms for the last twenty years, when they’re around you, they can’t help but start to hear the waves.

A few other ones of interest:
#128. Throwing stuff away out of guilt. Buying it again later.
#130. Praying at people.
#120. Evangelism tools.