Every new year, many families set a goal to read the Bible in a year. While that’s a wonderful goal, it can also feel overwhelming—especially for parents, kids, and anyone new to Bible reading.
The Bible isn’t written in chronological order, so reading straight through can be confusing and discouraging. Instead of trying to read everything at once, this year we recommend starting with the major storyline of the Bible.
Why a Big-Picture Bible Reading Plan Works
Every word of Scripture is important. But before diving into every detail, it helps to understand the overall timeline and story of the Bible.
When people understand who the key people are, what events happened first, and how God’s plan unfolds, Bible reading becomes clearer, more meaningful, and easier to stick with.
This approach works especially well for:
- Family Bible time
- Homeschool Bible curriculum
- Classrooms and co-ops
- New Bible readers
The Best Bible Reading Plan for Families
This Bible reading plan focuses on the historical books that tell the main story of the Bible from beginning to end. This helps readers to understand to major characters and events without getting confused and bogged down in all the details. Here is what the reading would look like:
Old Testament: God’s Story with Israel
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Joshua
- Judges
- 1 & 2 Samuel
- 1 & 2 Kings
- 1 & 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
These books cover creation, God’s covenant with Israel, the kings, exile, and return—forming the backbone of Bible history.
New Testament: Jesus and the Early Church
- Mark
- Luke
- Acts
Together, these books clearly show the life of Jesus and how the early church began. By reading in this order, you and your family will have a solid foundation in biblical history.
A Bible Reading Plan You Can Stick With
This plan is:
- Less overwhelming than reading the whole Bible in a year
- Easy to adapt for different ages
Reading these books in this order helps families clearly follow the life of Jesus and see how the early church began.
Why Chronological Reading Helps Families
Reading the Bible in chronological order helps kids and adults:
- Understand what happened first, next, and last
- See how people and events connect
- Build confidence when reading Scripture
- Know where future Bible books fit on the timeline
Once families understand the timeline, it becomes much easier to go back and study Psalms, Proverbs, prophets, and letters with clarity and confidence.
Add Scripture Writing for Deeper Learning
One simple way to help kids (and adults!) slow down and retain what they read is through Scripture writing.
As you work through this reading plan, choose a key verse from each book to write and discuss together. Writing Scripture reinforces Bible reading, improves memory, and creates meaningful family conversations.
Tip: Scripture writing pairs perfectly with a big-picture Bible reading plan and helps families connect God’s Word to the timeline.
Free Printable Bible Reading Plan
To make this easy to start, we’ve created a free printable Big-Picture Bible Reading Plan for Families. It works well as a family checklist, homeschool resource, or Scripture writing companion.
Understanding the story of the Bible first makes every future study clearer and more meaningful.
