His Word Together

Tag: Christian Habits

  • Readings for August 16–22

    Readings for August 16–22

    This is the back half of the dog days of summer, the stretch where the heat has settled in and everything feels a little slower than usual.

    That’s not a bad thing for reading. Slower days tend to have more room in them, even if it doesn’t feel that way in the moment.

    This week also wraps up Jeremiah and moves into Lamentations, with a quick handoff into Ezekiel by the end of the week. A few of the books are short, so the transitions come quickly. Don’t let that throw you off. You just read the next section, whatever book it happens to be in.

    This Week’s Readings

    Date Proverbs Psalms & Weekly Readings
    Aug 16 Proverbs 16 Psalm 129
    Jeremiah 42–46
    Aug 17 Proverbs 17 Psalm 130
    Jeremiah 47–51
    Aug 18 Proverbs 18 Psalm 131
    Jeremiah 52
    Lamentations 1–3
    Aug 19 Proverbs 19 Psalm 132
    Lamentations 4–5
    Ezekiel 1–2
    Aug 20 Proverbs 20
    Aug 21 Proverbs 21
    Aug 22 Proverbs 22

    P.S. If you’d like the weekly readings delivered to your inbox each Sunday, you can sign up below.

    No commentary. No interpretation. Just the readings.

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  • Readings for August 9–15

    Readings for August 9–15

    You’re deep into Jeremiah by now, well past the point where it still feels new. That’s actually a decent place to be.

    A long book stops feeling long once you’re far enough into it. The names and places that seemed unfamiliar a few weeks ago start to feel like part of the landscape instead of something you have to work to follow. This week keeps moving through that same stretch, four more sections further in.

    Nothing about the pace changes. You just keep reading where you are.

    This Week’s Readings

    Date Proverbs Psalms & Weekly Readings
    Aug 09 Proverbs 9 Psalm 125
    Jeremiah 22–26
    Aug 10 Proverbs 10 Psalm 126
    Jeremiah 27–31
    Aug 11 Proverbs 11 Psalm 127
    Jeremiah 32–36
    Aug 12 Proverbs 12 Psalm 128
    Jeremiah 37–41
    Aug 13 Proverbs 13
    Aug 14 Proverbs 14
    Aug 15 Proverbs 15

    P.S. If you’d like the weekly readings delivered to your inbox each Sunday, you can sign up below.

    No commentary. No interpretation. Just the readings.

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  • Nobody Is Watching

    Nobody Is Watching

    Nobody knows if you read today.

    No accountability partner waiting on a check-in. No streak counter that resets when you miss a day. No group chat where someone will notice if you go quiet.

    It’s just you and the reading.

    Most people assume that’s a problem, that without some external pressure they won’t follow through. And maybe that’s true for some things. But I’ve watched the opposite play out enough times to think differently about it here.

    When you read because someone is watching, you’re performing. When nobody is watching, you’re just reading. Those are different experiences, and over time they produce different results.

    The habit that holds up over years isn’t the one built on accountability. It’s the one you do quietly, on your own, without anyone keeping score. That kind of habit doesn’t collapse when the accountability structure disappears, because it never depended on one.

    There’s no record here of what you’ve read or skipped. No one tracking your progress. Whether you’ve been consistent for months or you’re just picking it back up today, it looks the same.

    That’s not a flaw in the design.

    If you’d like the weekly readings delivered to your inbox each Sunday, you can sign up below.

    Keep reading.

    PS- If you’d like the readings via email each week, just enter your info below:

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  • Nobody Is Watching

    Nobody Is Watching

    There are no streak counters here.

    No badges.
    No public dashboards.
    No accountability emails if you miss a day.

    No one knows how much you’ve read.

    Or how little.

    That’s intentional.

    This isn’t a productivity system.
    It’s not gamified.

    Because once reading becomes performance, it stops being formative.

    If you miss a week, nothing happens.

    If you stop for a month, nothing breaks.

    You just rejoin where we are.

    That’s it.

    The goal isn’t to impress anyone.

    It’s to build a quiet, repeatable habit that compounds over years.

    If you want to follow along with the structure, the weekly readings are posted every Sunday.

    You can sign up below — or just read directly on the site.

    Keep reading.

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  • You Don’t Need a Platform to Help Someone Read the Bible

    You Don’t Need a Platform to Help Someone Read the Bible

    You don’t need a podcast.

    Or a YouTube channel. Or a theology degree.

    Most influence doesn’t look like that. It’s usually smaller.

    It looks like this:

    “I’ve been using a simple Bible reading plan. You might like it.”

    That’s about it.

    No speech. No persuasion. No pressure.

    Just passing along something that made it easier to stay consistent.

    A lot of people say they want to read the Bible.

    Very few want to be preached at while they’re doing it. Or deal with someone else’s commentary, politics, or interpretation layered on top.

    That’s usually where they fall off.

    What they’re missing isn’t effort. It’s structure.

    A clear plan they can follow. A pace they can keep. Something steady.

    That’s all this is.

    Four weekly readings, Proverbs daily. No counters. No commentary. Nothing to manage beyond the reading itself.

    You go through it once, then come back around and do it again.

    If it’s helped you stay consistent, there’s a good chance it would help someone else too.

    You don’t need to explain it or defend it. Just send the link.

    They can read on the site, sign up for the emails, or ignore it. Up to them.

    Start With This Week’s Readings

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  • Should I Read or Listen?

    Should I Read or Listen?

    Some people read.

    Some people listen.

    Some people do both.

    There isn’t a “right” way.

    There’s only the way you’ll actually keep doing.

    If you prefer reading, great.
    Sit with it. Mark it up. Move at your own pace.

    If you prefer audio, great.
    You can listen in the car. On a walk. While doing dishes.

    Personally, I’ve found something helpful:

    Listening while following along in print.

    It keeps your mind from drifting.
    It slows you down just enough.
    And it lets you see the words while you hear them.

    But that’s just a tool.

    The plan here is structured around short, manageable segments — about 20 minutes per day or less.

    That works whether you’re reading or listening.

    The point isn’t the format.

    The point is repetition.

    Over time, repetition builds familiarity.
    Familiarity builds understanding.
    Understanding builds stability.

    Quietly.

    Need a Bible?

    If you don’t already have one you like, here are a few solid options:

    • A simple, readable print Bible
    • A journaling Bible with wider margins
    • A compact edition for travel
    • A larger print version if you prefer easier readability

    You can browse options here:

    Shop Bibles on Amazon

    (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not change your price — it simply helps support the site if you choose to use the link.)

    If you already have a Bible you like, use that.

    If you prefer an app, use that.

    Just keep reading.

    Start With This Week’s Readings

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  • There Is No Catch-Up

    There Is No Catch-Up

    If you’re behind, you’re not behind.

    There are no catch-up days built into this plan.
    That’s intentional.

    If you miss a week — or a month — you don’t go back and scramble to “fix it.”

    You rejoin the current week.

    That’s it.

    The goal isn’t perfect completion.
    The goal is long-term repetition.

    The plan resets every January.
    If you miss something this year, you’ll see it again.
    And again.
    And again.

    You are not graded.
    No one is tracking you.
    There are no streak counters.

    If you stopped reading yesterday, start again today.
    Just rejoin where we are.

    Keep reading.

    If you haven’t started yet, enter your email below and begin with this week.

    No need to wait for the beginning.

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  • Spoiler Alert: The Last Word Is Amen

    Spoiler Alert: The Last Word Is Amen

    When I was in elementary school, we had to do book reports on books we checked out of the library.

    Yes, I’m old enough to remember when people read actual books.

    I remember one of my friends telling me that whenever he got a new book, he would read the last page first. That always struck me as odd, though I’ve since learned it’s more common than people admit.

    Kind of like reading the Bible.

    People who actually do it usually don’t make a big deal about it.
    And people who make a big deal about it often don’t do much reading.

    I thought about that this week because this Sunday marks the final readings of the year. We’ll finish Revelation. The last page.

    Amen.

    So if you haven’t signed up yet but have been thinking about it, this is actually a good moment to start. Read the ending, then start fresh in January.

    And if you’re not a “read the last page first” person, I’d still suggest not waiting until January to sign up. Life has a habit of getting in the way.

    Things you fully intend to do later have a way of slipping by.

    It doesn’t cost anything to join.

    So if you’re planning to start next year anyway, you might as well sign up now and remove the friction.

    Sign up here.

  • The best time to read the Bible

    The best time to read the Bible

    One thing people often wonder is whether there’s a “best” time of day to do the readings.

    In general, I don’t think the specific time matters much. What matters is that it actually gets done.

    That said, in practical terms, timing does seem to matter a little.

    Maybe not the same way for everyone, but my experience might be helpful.

    I’m one of those people who has to write a to-do list every day so things don’t slip through the cracks. Not everything on the list is priority one, and I don’t finish every item every day. I try to get the most pressing things done.

    Guess what almost never qualifies as “most pressing”?

    Reading the Bible.

    I can put it on the list. But once I’m in execute-the-list mode, there’s always more on there than there is time in the day. That’s partly by design. But it means anything I plan to “get around to” usually doesn’t.

    Because how often does a spare half hour just appear?

    Basically never.

    What works best for me is doing the readings right after I wake up. I’m usually up before everyone else, so it’s quiet. I haven’t opened my computer yet, so the real world hasn’t grabbed me. I pray first, then do the readings.

    If I’m reading on my phone, the only discipline required is not opening email or a browser before I’m done.

    You don’t have to do it first thing. Your mornings may look very different. The key, I think, is having a set time and sticking to it.

    As best you can.

    While writing this, I remembered that I read Proverbs this morning but got interrupted before finishing the other readings.

    It will slide by if you’re not intentional.

    If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can get the weekly readings by email.

    It’s free, painless, and takes less time than scrolling past another political argument.

    Sign up here.