I would think it would be obvious that the place to start with Bible Study is to begin reading the entire Bible from cover-to-cover. The average reader can accomplish this within one year (See Free Bible Study Tools for “Bible-in-one-year” reading plans). I recommend a plan which includes both Old Testament and New Testament  readings each day; otherwise one can get bogged down in "begats" and "legalisms."

This is also the place and way to start a habit of daily Bible Study, meditation and prayer.

I was raised in the Lutheran Church which is a “liturgical” church (formal; “high” church) having a formal liturgy (form of worship).  Many liturgical churches follow the “Revised Common Lectionary” (which is a schedule of Bible readings based on the seasons of the church year). But using the RCL for daily personal devotions is not simple because one must add optional psalms and divide texts to provide texts for seven days.

The Church Calendar, based on the seasons of the Church Year, has it’s origin in Judaism. It was God who inspired the Law of Moses, establishing an annual cycle of feasts and fasts, and these seasons have been reinterpreted in the context of the Christian Gospel. The Lord’s Supper was in the context of the Jewish Passover Feast. Pentecost, the Jewish Festival of “first fruits” became the birthday of the Christian Church, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts Chapter 2), who is the “first fruits” of eternal life and fellowship with the Lord.

The Church Calendar is cyclic and begins and ends (the Alpha and Omega; the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) at Advent (“coming”) which anticipates the coming of the Messiah in his physical manifestation in Jesus Christ, at Christmas (in the first “advent”), his coming individually and personally in the gift of the Holy Spirit, and also his return, his “second advent,” as the victorious King of kings, and Lord of lords, on the Day of Judgment. One can begin and end the study at any point in the cycle; it is not necessary to begin on the First Sunday in advent, or on January 1 of the secular year.

The value of a liturgical (formalized) lectionary (schedule of Biblical readings) is that it focuses us on the cycle of God’s Plan of Salvation (see sidebar, top right), and prepare us for worship on Sunday, in liturgical (and many spirit-filled non-liturgical) Churches.

As I have written and published this Bible Study online, the Lord has taught me and has caused me to grow spiritually. He has led me to a more disciplined devotional study, paraphrasing the Scripture text, which I consider the most difficult work, but which is essential to me to know what the text says. Then, in the case of this Lectionary, I have tried to find what the three texts have in common. I am convinced that the Lections were selected by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

This is a more ambitious devotional than I would have been able to undertake earlier in my spiritual growth.  Hopefully, the work has already been done, so that a new Christian with a limited amount of time for a daily devotional can use this effectively. I believe one can read the daily entry in less than twenty minutes, allowing for prayer and meditation, and receive the full benefit, although additional time, would be rewarded.

If one has more time, I would suggest that one read the three texts first and meditate on them, seeking the common thread and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (what the Lord wants you to see)  and then read the entry for the day.

One should always invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit before reading and should pray back any inspiration one receives to confirm that one has correctly understood. Note that God will never lead us to do anything which would harm ourselves or others.

My prayer is that you will be as blessed by this Devotional in participating in it as I was in writing and publishing it.

David -shepherdboy