Read the Bible

Bible Plan

10 Reasons to Read Your Bible in 2026

A Pastoral Call to a Word-Saturated Life For CBC

As we step into a new year, there are many good goals we could set. But none is more foundational, more life-shaping, or more eternally significant than committing ourselves afresh to the daily intake of God’s Word. The Bible is not merely a religious book—it is God’s living and active Word, given to reveal who He is and what He has done, as well as shape His people, and sustain our faith until heaven. As a church family, let us resolve together to be men and women of the Book.

Here are ten biblical reasons to increase your bible intake in 2026.

The Scriptures Show Us Jesus Christ

The Bible is ultimately about a Person and building a relationship, not just about learning more knowledge. Jesus taught that all of Scripture points to Him—His person, His work, His glory, and His kingdom. When we read the Bible rightly, we are not merely gaining information; we are meeting the risen Christ.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

The Scriptures are the primary way God has chosen to reveal His Son, and the best way to grow your relationship with Him (reading with humility and prayer, Isaiah 66:2).

The Word of God Revives and Sustains the Soul

Life is draining. The world exhausts us. Sin weakens us. But God’s Word restores us. Scripture does what no podcast, strategy, or self-help book can do—it revives the soul from the inside out.

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.” (Psalm 19:7)

If your spiritual life feels dull or weary, the answer is not less Bible—but more. The answer is to increase your disciplined intake of God’s Word. It is also one of the key ways we wait on Him.

Scripture Arms Us for Spiritual Battle

We are not neutral observers in a safe world. We are engaged in battle even when we are not aware of this, and God has not left us battle plans that are Word heavy.The Word of God is our primary offensive weapon against the lies of the enemy, and our primary defensive weapon against His flaming arrows (2 Corinthians 10:5).

“Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

A Bible-neglecting Christian is an unarmed Christian, and if we are not increasing our Bible intake we are easy prey for the demonic attacks, so will find ourselves creating division, depressed and disoriented.

Scripture Delivers Grace and Peace

God pours His grace and peace into our lives through His Word and our faith in Him. As we read Scripture, we encounter the fullness of Christ—grace for our failures, peace for our anxieties, and strength for obedience.

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)

Grace does not bypass Scripture; it flows through it. We understand and experience grace as we rejoice in who He is, and what He has done as revealed in His Word.

Scripture Sanctifies Us

We do not drift toward holiness. We are shaped by what fills our minds and hearts. God uses His Word to convict, cleanse, and transform us from the inside out.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

If we want changed lives, we must be a Word saturated people (John 17:17).

Scripture Produces Deep and Lasting Joy

Joy is not found in distraction but in delight—and God’s Word is meant to be savored. The Scriptures awaken spiritual taste buds that the world cannot satisfy.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)

A joyful Christian is almost always a Scripture-soaked Christian. In fact the way we learn to drink from the spring of Living Water is through Spirit illuminated Scripture intake (Jeremaih 2:12-13).

Scripture Guards Us from Destructive and Divisive Error

We live in an age of confusion, half-truths, and spiritual deception (Romans 12:1-2). God’s Word anchors us in truth and gives us wisdom to discern what is right.

“The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7b)

A church anchored in Scripture is protected from drifting into error as we speak the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Scripture Fixes Our Hope on Heaven

The Bible lifts our eyes beyond the present moment and anchors our hope in eternity. When we read Scripture, we are reminded of what awaits us—an inheritance secured by Christ and kept by God (Colossians 3:1-3).

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope…” (1 Peter 1:3–4)

Bible reading fuels perseverance by reminding us where the story ends, and where we will spend eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Scripture Forms Our Minds and Hearts

God’s Word does not merely inform us; it transforms us. It reshapes how we see God, the Gospel, ourselves, others, and the world around us.

“The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:8b)

We become like what we behold—and Scripture trains our vision to see rightly. As we hear and obey we are given strength to stand in the midst of any storm (Matthew 7:21-29).

Scripture Guides Our Daily Walk

Life is full of decisions, crossroads, and uncertainties. God has given us His Word to guide us step by step—not always answering every question, but always lighting the path of faithful obedience.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Scripture does not remove the need for faith—but it helps followers of Jesus to walk by faith and not by sight.

A Pastoral Invitation for 2026: Word Saturation

Beloved, let us not settle for a shallow familiarity with God’s Word or not growing in our Bible intake. Let us be people of the Book, shaped by Scripture, anchored in truth, and captivated by Christ. Read alone. Read with your family. Read with others. Read prayerfully. Read expectantly. Share what you are learning, and how you are growing in your first love relationship with Jesus.

Then 2026 will be remembered as a year when God renewed His church at CBC by renewing our love for His Word, His people, and our zeal for His glory.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Reading Plan

This plan is based on the M’Cheyne reading system, featuring four different readings for use in both family and personal devotions. Each day has two passages from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from either the Psalms or the Gospels. In one year, you read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.