In the second to last week of reading in the New Testament, readers will begin to see the reoccurring Old Testament themes from Exodus, Leviticus, and even events from Kings and Chronicles. As these books lead up to a book of Revelation, their themes begin to preview the last major theme in the Bible: the return of Christ. As churches in the 1st century experienced a rise of persecution and false teaching, these epistles exhort their listeners to live honorable lives as they await the second appearance of the Savior originally promised in Genesis 3:15 to deliver a final death blow to sin.  ..read more

After a series of epistles in the New Testament that have a strong emphasis on New Covenant community and New Covenant living, the book of Hebrews detours readers into a book that interprets major themes in the Old Testament: temple, priest, sacrifice, covenant, and many more. In this book, Christ is offered as the ultimate fulfillment of what the Old Testament foreshadowed. As readers navigate this book they will begin to see how the Old Testament illuminates our understanding of the New. This book is followed by James which has some of the strongest language around works and faith. Although ..read more

As readers continue to study through the Pauline epistles, it is likely that a repetition of themes will seem to appear: a proper defense of the gospel, warning against false teaching and a strong emphasis to love one another. This week, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians all pick up on those themes with their own geographical and historical contexts. In Galatia, Paul challenges the false teaching of works based salvation. In Ephesus, Paul reminds the the church of God's sovereign plan to unite Jews and Gentiles in one body. In Philippians, Paul writes with a hardship-enduring jo ..read more

This week readers will pick up from last week's reading assignment, finishing both Corinthian letters. While the second half of 1 Corinthians spends time addressing some of the challenges going on in Corinth at the time of the writing, in 2 Corinthians Paul addresses a new topic of discussion: the credibility of his ministry. As false teachers crept into Corinth after the time of receiving 1 Corinthians, many in Corinth were subject to false teaching and began to question Paul's integrity as an apostle. In this podcast episode, join Brent and Trent as they discuss the various themes picked up ..read more

As we finish the narrative like accounts in the gospels and Acts, this week readers will begin a new section of biblical literature: the epistles. This section of scripture makes up the letters written to the churches and church leaders documented in the book of Acts. Although Paul had never been to Rome at the time of his writing, Acts 18 provides context to both letters that will be read in the upcoming week. While Romans provides some of the richest biblical theology connecting to the very beginning of the Bible, 1 Corinthians provides a pastoral exhortation to a church that has some issues ..read more

As readers finish through the four gospel accounts of Jesus life, death and resurrection, they are immediately exposed to the historical narrative of the church in Jerusalem. In response to Jesus's concluding command to "make disciples of all nations", through the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, the apostles and early church do just that. Join Brent and Trent as they discuss how the cross of Christ impacts the story of the people of God, including the dependence on the Holy Spirit, the inclusion of gentiles, and importance of a word-centered ministry.  For a PDF of the entire ..read more

This week, readers will start and finish the fourth and final gospel - John. This book, written by the beloved disciple John, is filled with unique contributions to the account of Jesus' life that are not found in Matthew, Mark and Luke. After reading a book highlighting the humanity of Christ, Luke, the book of John highlights the deity of Christ. From the book's beginning introduction to Jesus' fellowship in the Trinity before the creation of the world, to his high priestly prayer in John 17, readers will be drawn to a compelling picture of a divine savior that is found among the lowly and n ..read more

As we continue to work through the gospel narratives, this week Brent and Trent discuss Luke's account. As a third party writer, Luke collected writings and oral traditions from first-hand eye witnesses of Jesus as he wrote his two volume gift to his friend Theophilus. Although there are several unique contributions Luke provides to the New Testament, this week readers will see Jesus claim himself as the fulfillment of what God promised in the Old Testament. One specific instance of this claim found in Luke is when Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper, the "new covenant" meal, drawing back to th ..read more

Unlike the Old Testament with its progressing narrative and overlapping stories, the beginning four books of the New Testament are exclusively the same timeline as they cover the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the long awaited messiah. Unlike the book of Matthew, Mark is written primarily for a Gentile audience, unfamiliar with Jewish law. This fast paced gospel covers the life of Jesus with strong emphases on his ministry to physical needs and teaching on the cost of discipleship. As we journey into the book of Luke, a book written for his friend Theophilus, we begin to see an extended tr ..read more

As readers finish the Old Testament, there is a great sense of wonder of who the Messiah will be and when will he appear. The book of Matthew answers that question promptly: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In this episode, Brent and Trent discuss the unique writing style of the gospels as well as Matthew's unique contribution among to the New Testament. Writing to a Jewish audience, Matthew pieces together Old Testament prophesies about Jesus proving his deity, and affirming the importance of spending a year reading through the entire Bible.  For a PDF of the entire reading plan, click HERE ..read more