The Redeemed Reader Bible Pilgrimage: How and Why

My Story and His

I was raised in a denomination that took the Bible very seriously: “We speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent!” The advantage was, I had quite a bit of knowledge by the time I graduated high school. Not only could I name all 66 books by sixth grade, but I could also sketch the life of Jesus, Paul’s missionary journeys, the kings of united Israel, the miracles of Elisha, and the plagues of Egypt. Name the twelve apostles? No problem. Find Jerusalem, Samaria, and the Sea of Galilee on a map? I could draw the map.

But if you had asked me what the Bible was about. I would have said it was about a lot of things—origins, Jewish history, the sacrificial system, the Ten Commandments, how to be good . . . and Jesus, of course.

My first glimmer of the unity of scripture came during my sophomore year in a denominational college. The course was called “Old Testament Literature.” My professor was known for choking up in class. Some of my classmates were embarrassed by him, but I will always be grateful to him for starting me down the road to salvation.

I can’t go into all the insights and convictions of that pivotal class, but the light first came on when with the two trees. Skimming over Genesis, he paused to point out the description of the garden in Genesis 2. The Tree of Life at the center gets little notice in that context because all our attention will soon be taken by that other tree–but then he referred us to Revelation 22:2: “on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

I don’t remember whether he implied it or said it, but the connection clicked: the tree of Revelation was the same tree that appears in Genesis. The beginning tied directly to the end.

The discovery that the Bible was a unified narrative led to my conviction that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied throughout scripture. And hence, my Savior. Wasn’t I taught that before? Sure, but I wasn’t listening too closely, and the central theme was surrounded and often obscured by secondary issues. It’s ridiculously easy for the church to tilt off-center and lose sight of what she’s all about. But to this day, I peg my salvation from that class, and the revelation that scripture tells one story. It tells the story.

The Pilgrimage of Knowing God through His Word

Several years ago I joined forces with Emily Whitten, co-founder of Redeemed Reader, to write a one-year through-the-Bible study plan.  Our aim was to plant a sense of the scriptural unity in the minds of young students, or new students. A lot of people had the same idea at that time, such as Phil Visshur (creator of Veggie Tales) who produced a new series to teach kids What’s in the Bible? R. C. Sproul’s book by the same title was selling briskly.

We wanted to create something in the middle, for kids old enough to be independent readers, as well as their little brothers and sisters. It could also be helpful for Christians of any age who didn’t have a clue where to begin. We wanted the study to be accessible, flexible, easy to use, not too burdensome, and not too long.  In a year, a family or study group or individual could get a firm grasp of all the major themes and chronology of scripture.

Redeemed Reader’s Bible Pilgrimage: A Step-by-Step Journey through God’s Great Story of Redemption

As Betsy explained on Monday, the study is divided into 49 week-long chapters (or “camps,” in keeping with our pilgrimage theme). It follows a chronological rather than a canonical plan–so we look at Job in connection with Genesis and selected Psalms of David along with I and II Samuel; team Daniel with Nehemiah, Joel and Malachi with the first chapters of Matthew and Luke, selected epistles combined with Acts.

Each week’s study includes 3-6 Bible chapters, a short overview with further relevant scriptures, a key verse, 5-7 thought/discussion questions, and 2-4 suggested activities for kids.  If you miss a week, no worries–who says you have to finish it in a year anyway? The suggestions are just that, and the plan can be applied

• as a family devotional,
• as a homeschool Bible curriculum (see Betsy’s adaptations),
• as a personal Bible study for teens,
• and even as a discipleship tool for new Christians.

Beginning in September, all of our Golden Key members will receive a monthly email with 4 weeks’ worth of readings/commentary for ages 4-8 and for ages 9-12. They will also have access to our new Bible Pilgrimage Hub. Journey with us through the Old Testament this school year, and continue on into the New Testament in late spring/early summer. Or save the NT chapters for next fall, or wait until January to start the grand tour–once you’ve printed or saved the downloads, they are yours to use when and how you wish.

If you haven’t taken that step to become a Golden Key member, and would like more information, stay tuned. On Friday, we’ll post a sample chapter from the first month. In the meantime, click on the heading below to see our reading selections and themes:

Bible Pilgrimage Overview Chart

(The Bible Pilgrimage is just one of the membership perks; Golden Key members also receive our print literary magazine, The Redeemed Reader Quarterly.)