Sharpening Your Sword: Developing the habit of consistent Bible reading

Would you like to develop the habit of consistent Bible reading? In one year, you can read through the entire Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice, simply by reading just four chapters a day! You can do it by following the bible reading guide known as the M'Cheyne's Bible Reading Calendar. Touted by Christian leaders from Charles Haddon Spurgeon to John Stott, this classic resource has been used by Christians for generations. Practically speaking, is a great way for everyone in your church community to be thinking along the same lines ("of one mind" Phil. 2:2) as you all meditate over the same passages throughout the year. I heard about this while taking a class last month with world-renowned Christian scholar and speaker, D.A. Carson. I've listed below several formats you can use, including Carson's own version in which he reduces the four M'Cheyne daily readings down to two, thereby making it more manageable for readers. Cutting the original M'Cheyne reading rate in half thereby takes the reader through the New Testament and Psalms every year, and the Old Testament every two years.

• Here's a complete online version including bible links (in both text and audio formats).

• calendar.pdf *

• If you have a printer which can print double-sided sheets, download booklet.pdf. *

• The RSS feed for the calendar is evidently also becoming very popular.

• Here's the Don Carson Edition (spreads the readings over two years). *

• An Interactive M'Cheyne Bible Reading Calendar

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* Adobe PDF format can be viewed/printed using Adobe Acrobat® Reader.

Here's a little about the inventor of this guide, Robert Murray M'Cheyne (also known as McCheyne).

No More Christian Nice Guy

Is there a difference between being nice and being good? Or are they the same thing? They are very different says author and speaker Paul Coughlin. He says that while the former seeks others' approval and avoids conflict at all costs, the latter boldly does the right thing, even if it means stepping on some toes. “Do you stand up to injustice? “A good guy is willing to enter into conflict for redemptive purposes,” adds Coughlin. Listen to this Focus on the Family broadcast as they discuss this topic and his related book, No More Christian Nice Guy: When Being Nice--Instead of Good--Hurts Men, Women and Children.

“Being nice is a vice disguised as a virtue.” -- Paul Coughlin