January 6

Welcome to Listing Your Way Through the Bible, our unique bible study based on making lists as we work through daily readings.

January 6, 2011: The readings for today are: Genesis 15, 16, & 17 and Matthew 5:21-48. Here are some lists for the reader to contemplate while reading.

Genesis 15:

• In verse 1: list the 3 things the Lord spoke to Abram.

• List the things the Lord told Abram to bring.

• In verses 13-18: briefly list the things the Lord told or promised Abram.

Genesis 16:

• Draw a vertical line down the center of your page. Label the left column "Hagar" and the right column "Sarai." Now briefly list under the appropriate column any description of Hagar or Sarai, including actions and events.

• List descriptive words about Ishmael.

Genesis 17:

• Draw a vertical line down the page. Label the left column "Instructions" and the right column "Blessings."

• List God's instructions of what Abram (now named Abraham)  was to do under "Instructions."

• List God's promises he made in his covenant.

• Draw another vertical line down another page. Label the left column "Isaac" and the right column "Ishmael."

• List in each appropriate column what blessings the Lord will bestow on each of Abraham's sons

Matthew 5:21-48: 

Starting in verse, 21, Jesus begins to teach about various subject matters.

• Draw 2 vertical lines down the page, dividing the page into 3 equal thirds. Label the left column "Topic," the center column "Basic Duty," and the right column "God's Expectations"

• In the left column, list the following topics and cull from the reading what should be listed in the center and right columns:
• murder (v. 21-22)
• offerings (v. 23-26)
• adultery (v. 27-30)
• divorce (v. 31-32
• vows (v. 33-37)
• revenge (v. 38-47)

January 5

Welcome to Listing Your Way Through the Bible. If you are pressed for time, consider completing just 1 or 2 lists.

January 5, 2011: The readings for today are Genesis 12, 13, & 14 and Matthew 5:1-20. Here are some lists for the reader to contemplate while reading.

Genesis 12:

• In verses 1-3, God instructs Abram and makes promises. List them all, instructions and promises.

• List all the places that Abram went to and what he did when he arrived at each place.

Genesis 13:

• Draw a vertical dividing line down the center of your paper. Label the left column "Lot" and the right column "Abram." List descriptions appropriate to each person: their wealth, their behavior, their choices, and their actions after making choices.

• List God's promises to Abram.

Genesis 14:

• Draw a vertical dividing down the center of your paper. Label the left column "Kings group A" and the right column "Kings group B." List the names of the kings that were part of each group. Circle the ringleader of each group.

• List the people conquered by King Kedorlaomer and his allies.

• In v. 17-20, Abram encounters Melchizedek. List who Melchizedek was, what he gave Abram, and what he said to Abram.

• List what Abram's response was to Melchizedek's actions.

Matthew 5:1-20:

In verses 3-11, Jesus teaches about humility, repentence, meekness, spiritual hunger (justice), mercy, purity, peacemaking, and perseverence.

• Draw a vertical line diving your page in half. Label the left column "Qualities" and the right column "Results."

• In the left column, list the qualities mentioned above along with the verses that specifically teach them

• In the right column, list what the results will be.

• List the two items that Jesus says we are and describe what will happen to each.

• In verses 17-20, list briefly the statements Jesus made and what would happen.

January 4

Welcome to Listing Your Way Through the Bible. If you are pressed for time, just complete one or two lists.

January 4, 2011: The readings for today are Genesis 9, 10, & 11 and Matthew 4. Here are some lists for the reader to contemplate while reading.

Genesis 9:

• v. 1-7: List God's instructions to Noah.

• v. 8-17: List the components of God's covenant with Noah, his descendants, and the animals.

• List the disposition of blessing or curse of each of Noah's sons.

Genesis 10:

This chapter tells us about the descendants of Noah's sons. While at first it may seem like a long list of strange names, still there are some interesting things to note.

• Write the names of Noah's three sons and leave some space after each name.

• List the description of what each of the descendants of Noah's sons ultimately became, listing briefly something of note generally about each son's descendants.

Genesis 11:

• List the reasons the people wanted to build the tower of Babel.

• List the reasons the Lord did not want the tower built.

• List and trace the names of Shem's descendants down to Terah.

• List the names of Terah's sons and their family disposition (wives, children)

Matthew 4:

• Draw a vertical line down the center of your paper. Label the left column "the Devil" and the right column "Jesus."

• In the left column, briefly list the Devil's three temptations to Jesus. In the right column, briefly list the counter statements Jesus made in response to each temptation and the source of these counterstatements.

• In the passage following verse 17, Jesus makes two statements. List the substance of his two statements.

• From verse 23, list the things that Jesus did.

January 3

Welcome to the third day of our unique bible study, Listing Your Way Through the Bible. 

January 3, 2011: Today's readings are Genesis 6, 7, & 8 and Matthew 3. Here are some lists for the reader to contemplate while reading. If you are pressed for time, you may choose to compile one or two lists.

Genesis 6:

• List all the negative things that God observed about the human race.

• List all the positive things about Noah that explain why Noah found favor with God.

• List all the living beings that were to enter the ark.

Genesis 7:

• List what God instructed Noah to take on the boat.

• List the number of days and nights the rain fell and how long the water covered the earth.

Genesis 8:

• List the creatures that Noah released outside the ark and what happened.

• Gen. 8:21-22: list God's promises as long as the earth remains.

Matthew 3:

• List what John the Baptist's message was (v. 2 & 8).

• List what the people from Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordan Valley did.

• List what John said he did versus the one who John said would come later.

• List what happened after Jesus was baptized.

January 2

Welcome to the second day of our unique bible study, Listing Your Way Through the Bible. I found the number three featured prominently throughout today's readings.

January 2, 2011: Today's readings are Genesis 3, 4, & 5 and Matthew 2. Here are some lists for the reader to contemplate while reading. If you are pressed for time, you may choose to compile one or two lists.

Genesis 3, 4, & 5:

• What are three things the serpent told Eve?

• What are the three questions God asked Adam and Eve?

• List God's punishment for the serpent.

• List God's punishment for Eve.

• List God's punishment for Adam.

• After banishing Adam and Eve from the garden, list what God set up to guard the tree of life?

• List the names of Adam's three sons and include some information about their occupation and character.

• List Lamech's two wives, the offspring of each, and their occupations, if known.

• Chapter 5 denotes the descendants of Adam until Noah. List each descendant and what age they were when they died (or if they didn't die!).

• What are the names of Noah's sons?

Matthew 2:

• What are the three things the wise men told Herod?

• What are the three things that Herod did (v. 3, 7, 8)?

• What are three things the wise men did or felt when they saw the star and the Christ child?

• What are the three gifts the wise men brought for the child?

• What are the three places where this passage tells us that Joseph and his family lived?

• What are the three dreams that Joseph experienced?

If you think of another list, please send me a comment about it.

January 1

Today is the first day of our unique bible study: Listing Your Way Through the Bible. If you are pressed for time, you could just do one or two lists.

January 1, 2011:  The readings for today are Genesis 1 & 2 and Matthew 1. Here are some lists for the reader to contemplate while reading.

Genesis 1 & 2:

• List everything that God created by day in the order He created it.

• List what God did in the garden of Eden.

• List the names of the four headwaters from the river in Eden along with the place it is located and anything else that is mentioned in that place.

• What is the name of the forbidden tree? What was the instruction God gave Adam concerning this tree.

• Starting in Gen. 2:18, list the events that God did for the creation of Eve.

Matthew 1:

Verse 1:17 states that there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the Babylonian exile, and 14 from the exile to the bith of Christ. List the 3 levels of generations.

• From Abraham to David (1-6a)

• From David to the exile (6b-11)

• From the exile to the birth of Christ (11-17)

From verse 18-24, list briefly the events that occurred

Please leave me a comment about your discoveries or insights.

Welcome to the New Year!

Introduction: Listing Your Way Through the Bible 2012

Many of us have read the bible cover to cover, and some of us have done it several times. We have used different editions and versions, we have followed one-year plans, and we have used chronological versions and study bibles. We have even tried Old and New Testament reading plans and plans that just go from the beginning to the end. Many of us may be looking for another way to deepen our interest in what we are reading and maybe something that will strengthen our understanding and help us to make more connections with what we are reading.

That's where this blog comes in. I have found a way that keeps me interested in what I am reading, and it affords me an opportunity to reflect on the current passage I am reading in a unique way. I have enjoyed doing this process, and I will share it with you in the hopes that you will also enjoy what you find.

There are many possible ways to do this plan, but if you want to follow along with me, I plan to list the addresses of the daily readings, and each suggested daily reading list will include a little Old Testament and a little New Testament. You can break up the readings into morning and evening reading sessions if you wish or just do the readings at one sitting. The only reason I happened to choose this particular reading plan is that it was the very first reading plan I ever followed.

So join me on this journey beginning January 1 in the books of Genesis and Matthew. I will provide the lists to make as you read. I welcome any comments, questions, suggestions, or insights you wish to share with me. In addition to your preferred bible version, you will need something to write with (pen, pencil, crayon), something to write in (notebook, legal pad, back of an envelope), and access to this blog at http://biblelist.blogspot.com. Consider subscribing. If you prefer, there are several ways to access the bible via the internet. I have used http://www.biblegateway.com, and I also have an iPhone app. I still prefer holding the actual book in my hands, but it's helpful to have an alternative internet source if I happen to be in a place without my print version.

Check in on January 1 as we embark on a unique spiritual journey together by listing our way through the bible. God bless everyone in 2012.