21 Days

Join us at any time and read the entire Bible in a year! Starting off in the New Testament as we get to know Jesus, this guide will show you through the Bible in 365 Days.

At Story Church, we want to ensure that all people can see themselves in the Story of God. To do that, we have to actually engage with the Story itself. However, many of us have experienced the "Leviticus Lull"—that moment early in the year where the reading gets dense, and we eventually give up.

Pastor Spencer and Sarah believe we should read the Bible this way because it isn't just about "checking a box"; it’s about developing true Bible literacy and falling in love with the Author.

1. The "Easy Wins" Strategy (Momentum)
While most plans start in Genesis, we start with the New Testament. This decision is both psychological and spiritual:
• Psychological: By starting with shorter, narrative-driven books in the New Testament, you build immediate momentum and a sense of accomplishment. We want to prevent you from getting discouraged early on so that you have the spiritual stamina to finish the year.
• Spiritual: As followers of Jesus, we should read the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament. By anchoring ourselves in the story of Jesus first, the Old Testament history, laws, and sacrifices make much more sense.

2. Narrative and Chronological Flow
We group books to maintain a cohesive "storyline" rather than just following the order in a standard physical Bible:
• Luke and Acts back-to-back: Since Luke wrote both, and Acts is the direct sequel to Luke’s Gospel, we read them together. This allows the narrative of the early church to flow naturally from the life of Jesus.
• Paul’s Letters in Order: In most Bibles, Paul’s letters are organized by length. We arrange them chronologically based on when they were actually written. This helps us see the real-time development of the early church and how Paul’s heart for the people grew as the Story unfolded.

3. The "Tanakh" Structure for the Old Testament
When we eventually move to the Old Testament, we depart from the traditional Western order. Instead, we follow the Hebrew Bible order: Torah (Law), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).
• The Jesus Model: This is the exact order and structure of the Scriptures that Jesus Himself would have used.
• Finish with Wisdom: This order places the "Writings" (like Psalms, Proverbs, and Job) at the very end of our year. This allows us to finish our journey with wisdom and poetry rather than ending on heavy historical or prophetic warnings that can feel "weighed down."

4. Christ-Centered Interpretation
Our ultimate goal is to move toward a Christ-centered life. By starting with the fulfillment (Jesus) and then looking back at the foundation (the Old Testament), we ensure that the Word remains focused on Him.

We believe that after a year of reading this way, you won’t recognize yourself. You will no longer see the Bible as a collection of random rules or ancient stories, but as one cohesive narrative—The Story of God—that points directly to Jesus and His love for you.