Next Steps

Next Steps

The past 40 days have taken you through 40 key passages in the Bible. You have experienced God’s overarching storyline of creation, rebellion, redemption, and restoration in its pages. You have read of the ways that the Old Testament prepared categories, people, and promises that led to Jesus. You have seen threads and repeating themes that appear again and again throughout the Bible. And you have glimpsed the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is always relevant, always true, and always needed. Now that you have a better understanding of how the whole book fits together, you can continue to study with a focus on depth or breadth. You may want to dig deeper into a particular passage or book with the help of a commentary or study Bible. Or you may want to start a reading plan that takes you through the whole Bible.

Here are some resources you might find helpful:

• Free PDFs of D.A. Carson’s For the Love of God Volume 1 and Volume 2. This is a reading plan and accompanying short commentary to read two or four chapters per day from different parts of the Bible. Used every day at four chapters a day, this will take you through the OT once and the NT & Psalms twice in a year. It is easily modifiable for a more manageable plan. Carson offers a small and helpful commentary on one of the chapters but keeps the focus on the Scripture. This is a great tool for people who want to read through the entire Bible or for people who work well with a structured plan.
• Graeme Goldsworthy’s book According to Plan, available here, or Michael William's book Far as the Curse is Found, available here. These books are an introduction to Biblical theology, or understanding how the Bible fits together as a whole. They trace several themes from beginning to end, and parts of this 40-day overview emphasized some of those themes. These are good resources for people who have some familiarity with the Bible but still want to learn more about how it all fits together.
• The Bible Project, available here: This website offers a chronological reading plan, videos to introduce each book of the Bible, thematic studies and videos, and many other resources. This would be good for people who learn visually or for people who want a contextual overview of a book before diving in. It is excellent for anyone, regardless of level of familiarity with the Bible.
• This sheet for how to study the Bible on your own: If you want to study a particular book or section, or if you just want to get more out of your Bible reading, try these tips and tools. In each passage, focus on Observation, Interpretation, and Application (or, phrased another way, the What, So What, and Now What). You may find it helpful to journal out your thoughts as you go.

Whatever you choose, be realistic with your time, learning styles, and needs. Set aside a time and place for simple, consistent meeting with God in order to know and love him more. Keep a journal of what you are learning and review it periodically to see what God has been teaching you. If you fall behind, don’t give up and don’t be discouraged. Try again the following day. This is hard work - but knowing God is worth it. Pastor and writer John Piper once wrote, “Loving God is most essentially treasuring God - valuing him, cherishing him, admiring him, desiring him. And loving him with all our mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express this heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.”

Thank you for participating in this journey. May we continue to know God through his Word, love him with our lives, and bring glory to him in everything, for he is Most High and most worthy of all of our praise.

Resources and references

Alexander, T. Desmond, et al, editors. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2004.

Barker, Kenneth, et al, editors. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Carson, D.A. For the Love of God, Volumes I & II. Wheaton: Crossway, 1998.

Goldsworthy, Graeme. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2002.

Hamilton, James M. What is Biblical Theology?: A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013.

Kaiser, Walter C., and Douglas J. Moo. Five Views on Law and Gospel. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Piper, John. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Wheaton: Crossway, 2006.

Richter, Sandra L. The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008.

Schreiner, Thomas R. The King in his Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Ada: Baker Academic, 2013.

Williams, Michael. Far as the Curse is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2005.

Wright, Christopher. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014.