2018 Madison Reading Plan
Read through the Bible with us. You can follow along on our website, through our weekly reading-pan emails, or on this web page. you'll find our current month's readings detailed on the page below and you can find past/future readings by clicking on those buttons. Because we've started our second-quarter readings, we've refreshed our study page list. If you're looking for study pages for any of our readings from January - march, click on the "past readings" button below
Week #14 Romans, 1st & 2nd Thessalonians April 1 - April 7
With our first Gospel finished we'll go on to read three of the letters or "epistles" of the New Testament. All three of these books are written by the apostle Paul. You will find them to be dense with teaching and instruction that is immediately applicable to your life. our reading this week will focus on the issues of the Gospel, justification, the role of ethnic Israel, and the end times. Grab a pen and a highlighter and dig in.
Week # 15 Titus, James, Jude & Psalm 1-21 April 8 - April 14
Won’t it feel good to read three books of the Bible in three days? Our reading this week brings us to some of the shorter epistles of the New Testament, but remember, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight. These three powerful, short letters have incredibly important things to tell us about our lives. We’ll spend the second half of the week reading from the very unique book of Psalms. Reading Psalms can be a powerful act of prayer.
Week # 16 Psalm 22-41, Leviticus 1-10 April 15-21
We'll finish reading Book I of Psalms this week after reading the most famous and often-memorized chapter of the Bible. Our plan then takes us back to the Pentateuch, to read Leviticus, which follows immediately on the story of Exodus. In Leviticus, God will give the Israelites an incredible gift. He tells them precisely how they are to worship him and remain pure so that God's presence may remain among the Israelites
Week # 17 Leviticus 11-27, Ruth (1-4) April 22-28
We’ll finish Leviticus this week. With most of the ceremonial law out of the way, Leviticus will instruct the Israelites how to regard food, physical maladies, sexual relations, property, and festivals. The chapters on skin diseases and discharges will have you heading for the shower, but once you’re past that, it is fascinating to consider how the instructions in this book relate to the holiness of God. Don’t miss the instructions related to the incredibly important Day of Atonement, which are the centerpiece of the book. After Leviticus we skip over to the book of Ruth, where some of the rules that we learned in Leviticus will play a major role, and we learn an incredible story about the family of David and Jesus.
Week # 18 Ecclesiastes (1-12), Isaiah 1-12 April 29 - May 5th
This week’s reading is simply really fun. Your reward for conquering Leviticus is Ecclesiastes, a fascinating investigation into what can make our life meaningful and worthwhile. Follow along with the teacher of Ecclesiastes to examine the various pursuits of your life and ask what those endeavors gain for you. Then it is time to move on to the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah speaks to Judah at a time of crises, promising both punishment and restoration. Isaiah is full of messianic imagery and prophecy that is ultimately fulfilled in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Week # 19 Isaiah 13-35 May 6th - May 12th
We continue on in Isaiah as the prophet moves from addressing the nation of Judah to oracles concerning a number of nations in the ancient world. God has bad news in store for them. Their judgment and punishment is a lesson larger than Isaiah's time in history. God punishes wickedness, and will not leave the earth un-judged. As Judah prepares to face the mighty Assyrian empire, Isaiah tells them where their strength and confidence should come from
Week # 20 Isaiah 36-57 May 13th - May 19th
Isaiah takes a turn in this week’s reading. Much of the prophecy that we have read thus far is fulfilled in the account of God delivering Hezekiah and Jerusalem from destruction at the hand of a mighty Assyrian army. However, Hezekiah’s pride and Judah’s sinfulness will soon result in an even greater calamity. The last half of Isaiah is the prophet looking past the oncoming doom to the day when God not only restores Jerusalem, but also sends his Servant to forgive sins and fulfill what Israel was supposed to be all along
Week # 21 Isaiah 58-66, Psalm 42-53 May 20th - May 26th
What will happen to Jerusalem after Judah is taken into exile and restored? Will it remain humbled and overlooked forever? Isaiah will answer these questions as we finish up the book of his prophecy this week. Our Psalms reading centers on the worship in the temple and the praise given to God on the same holy hill of Zion for which Isaiah has prophesied prominence.
Week # 22 Psalm 54-72, Jonah (1-4) May 27th - June 2nd
We’ll finish Book II of Psalms this week in a section filled, almost entirely, by psalms of David. Joel’s favorite psalm (68) is in this week’s reading (more on that in the study notes). Then we’re on to Jonah. Jonah is one of the most memorable Sunday school characters, but he is no hero. He becomes a powerful counter-example to God’s love and his capacity to forgive. See if you can find who the “good guys” are in the four-chapter story of Jonah.
Week # 23 Hosea, Joel, Zephaniah, & Habakkuk June 3rd - June 9th
This week's reading will have us complete four whole books in only 23 chapters of reading. Our quarter-2 Old Testament reading is drawing down and the prophets we're reading will be speaking to Israel and Judah at a time where God's judgment and punishment for their evil is rapidly approaching. Despite the bad news that they have to deliver, each of them have hope to offer about God's plan for his people in an age to come.
Week # 24 Ezra & Nehemiah June 10 - June 16th
Our reading this week takes us right to the end of the Old Testament story. Ezra and Nehemiah are really one singular book, despite the fact that they are listed separately in our English Bibles. These books tells us the story of the return of the Israelites (of the nation of Judah) from captivity. Ezra, the priest, and Nehemiah, the governor, both encourage the Israelites to be faithful to God in ways that their forefathers had not been. Read their account of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and reestablishment of God’s people in the Promised Land.
Our reading this week takes us from Malachi to Luke. Malachi is the last prophet in the Old Testament and he seems to know it. The day of the Lord and coming prophet Elijah featured in his book will be fulfilled in Luke’s account of Jesus. Luke’s gospel includes the most detailed birth and childhood narrative in any of the four accounts. We’ll read that section and the portion of Luke’s Gospel known as the “Galilean ministry.” By the time that we finish our reading, Jesus will have set out on the Road to Jerusalem to fulfill his mission and purpose as Savior.
Our reading this week picks up with Jesus on the long road to Jerusalem. As he's on his way he teaches his disciples, the crowd, and the pharisees, and performs miracles. As soon as Jesus arrives to his destination, he angers the rulers and teachers in Jerusalem which leads to his crucifixion just one week later. Our reading ends with the amazing and chaotic account of the risen Jesus appearing to his followers.