Where Next? A Bible Reading Roadmap

1. The Tools: The CROJAM Method

Before picking a book, use this "mining tool" to help you dig for treasure in every chapter you read.

CContext
Genre & Situation

RRead
What does it say?

OObserve
Why is it here?

JJesus
How is He seen?

AApply
What do I do?

MMeditate
Pray it in!

Pro-Tip: Ask yourself: Is there a promise to claim? Is there a sin to repent of? Lord, help me trust your name!

2. The Reading Roadmap

This plan alternates between the Old and New Testaments to show how the whole Bible is one big story pointing to Jesus.

Gospel • New Testament

1. The Proclamation: Mark

Fast-paced and action-oriented. It focuses on what Jesus did and why He is the Son of God.

The Jesus Focus: Look for how He calms the literal and spiritual storms of life.

History • Old Testament

2. The Roots: Genesis (Ch. 1–12 & 37–50)

The "backstory" of the world. It shows God's creation and the beginning of His promise to rescue humanity.

The Jesus Focus: Notice the promise that a "seed" of the woman will crush the serpent.

Letter • New Testament

3. Applied Truth: Philippians

A short, joyful letter written to real people with real problems. It’s practical and encouraging.

The Jesus Focus: Look for how the Gospel gives us the power to be joyful in hard times.

Wisdom • Old Testament

4. Patterns of Life: Proverbs (Ch. 1–9)

Observations on how life works best. Remember: these are patterns, not 100% money-back promises.

The Jesus Focus: How is Jesus the "Greater Solomon" who lived this out perfectly?

Law/History • Old Testament

5. The Great Rescue: Exodus (Ch. 1–20)

The story of the Ten Commandments and the rescue from Egypt. It reveals God’s holiness.

The Jesus Focus: Since we can't keep these laws perfectly, see our need for Jesus’ perfect obedience.

History • New Testament

6. The Church on the Move: Acts (Ch. 1–12)

The "sequel" to the Gospels. See how the early church started and how the Holy Spirit empowered normal people.

The Jesus Focus: Look for how Jesus continues His work through His people after His ascension.

History • Old Testament

7. The Rise & Fall of Kings: 1 Samuel 16 – 1 Kings 12

The story of David and Solomon. It explains why Israel needed a "perfect King" to come.

The Jesus Focus: Every time a King fails, ask: “How does this point to my need for Jesus?”

Poetry • Old Testament

8. Songs of the Heart: Selected Psalms

Try Psalms 1, 19, 23, 51, 103, and 139. These are emotional "heart cries" to God.

The Jesus Focus: How did Jesus fulfill these cries of the heart on the cross?

Letter • New Testament

9. The Core of the Gospel: Romans (Ch. 1–8)

A deep dive into what Christians believe. It moves from our need for a Savior to our new identity in Him.

The Jesus Focus: Look for the word "Righteousness"—Jesus giving us His "A-grade" standing.

Prophecy • Old Testament

10. The Suffering Servant: Isaiah (Ch. 40–55)

Beautiful promises written to people who felt forgotten. Contains the famous Ch. 53 about Jesus' death.

The Jesus Focus: See the "photographic" description of Jesus' sacrifice 700 years before it happened.

History • Old Testament

11. Rebuilding: Ezra (1–3) & Nehemiah (1–6)

The story of the return from exile. It’s about leadership, prayer, and rebuilding when things are broken.

The Jesus Focus: The rebuilt temple was small; it created a longing for the True Temple (Jesus).

Letter • New Testament

12. Living as Outsiders: 1 Peter

Written to people who feel like "strangers" in their culture because of their faith. Very relevant today!

The Jesus Focus: Peter points to Jesus’ suffering as the model for how we handle hard times.

3. Knowing the Genre

The Bible is a library of different styles. Use the right "lens" for the right book:

Genre	The Mindset	The "Jesus" Question
History	Descriptive, not Prescriptive.	How does this flawed leader point to the perfect King?
Law	Reveals God's holiness.	How does this show my need for Jesus’ obedience?
Wisdom	Pattern, not Promise.	How is Jesus the ultimate Wisdom of God?
Poetry	Emotional, not Literal.	How does this picture point to God's character?
Letters	Real mail to real people.	How does the Gospel give me the power to obey this?
Prophecy	A challenge, not a crystal ball.	How does this promise find its "Yes" in Jesus?

Prepared for Connect+. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105

If I don't chase after wisdom, I will not fear God

Paul Tripp has this striking image that we all have an "inner lawyer": whenever we disagree with someone about something, or whenever someone makes us feel like we might be in the wrong, our inner lawyer gets to work. He defends our cause, wins the argument against our opponent (often many times over and increasingly convincingly, to the point where no rational person could fail to see that we are in the right) and convinces us of our righteousness and how we are guiltless in the situation. The inner lawyer does a great job of making us feel better about ourselves.

The inner lawyer is the enemy of true wisdom and righteousness.

I don't know about you, buy my inner lawyer is just far too good. He wins my case almost every time. But deeply to the detriment of my godliness and love for others. And even to the point of damaging my relationships with those closest to me.

How can I conquer this inner enemy who claims to be my friend? Surely the first step must be to truly recognise that I am not wise. Then my inner lawyer will have a much harder time convincing me that I must be in the right in each situation.

Proverbs has never been one of my favourite books in the Bible. I think that's probably because I don't understand many of them. So what a great place to start in growing in wisdom. Those proverbs that I do understand will make me wiser. Those that I don't understand should make me more humble.

if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2.3-5)

May I no longer be complacent in seeking God's wisdom, may I call out to him to give me insight, that I might know Him.

God's holiness

We often talk of God's holiness, but I was struck yesterday that I haven't spent enough time studying and meditating on what it means for God to be holy. So here are a few brief thoughts...

The first occurrence of the root word for holy (qadash) is at the end of the account of creation:

God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation (Gen 2.3)

It seems that God is setting apart a day as special, separate, different from the other days of creation. And so, many of the subsequent Old Testament occurrences of the word holy are referring to a holy Sabbath day.

Then, just before giving the 10 commandments to His people, God says to them:

you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19.6)

So Israel will be set apart from all the other nations of the Earth as God's special people, shining the light of God to all other nations. In the New Testament, This is picked up by the Apostle Peter who applies it to God's New Testament people, the Church:

you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1Pet 2.9)

But surely if we are to know what true holiness is, to know in what way we are to be separate and set apart, we need to look to God himself. So God says to his people:

You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1Pet 1.16, quoting Lev 11.44)

We get some hints of what it means for God to be holy when he is giving Moses instructions for building the tabernacle, the place where God himself will come to dwell with his people:

You shall make a veil... And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. (Ex 26.31-34)

The Most Holy Place would be the place of God's particular presence on earth with his people. In that place were the Ark of the Covenant (containing the 10 commandments, God's treaty with his people) and the mercy seat, above it. Clearly, an aspect of God's holiness is that he relates to his people and has mercy upon them.

Perhaps the clearest picture of God's holiness in the Old Testament is in the vision of Isaiah. God is called "the Holy One of Israel" 31 times in the Bible. Twenty-five of these occurrences are in Isaiah. When God first calls Isaiah to be a prophet, the first words he hears are these:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (Isa 6.3)

Isaiah's immediate response is to be filled with fear:

"Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isa 6.5)

Yet again, God shows mercy and draws near to his servant, as Isaiah records:

[The Seraph] touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isa 6.7)

So we've seen that God is separate, set apart, transcendent above his Creation. And yet, amazingly, he draws near to his people. He has a clear, saving, purpose for them. He chooses them, sets them apart, and has mercy upon them.
In one of my favourite passages in the Bible, Isaiah 45-46, God declares again and again that:

"I am God, and there is no other"

He contrasts the saving love with which he carries his people against the way in which idols of other "gods" have to be carried around on donkeys and weigh them down. God has a plan to save his people. Nothing can stop him from accomplishing it, and his glory will be seen.

Ultimately God accomplishes his plan in Jesus who most clearly reveals the holiness and character of God in all his fullness and who most clearly shows us what it means for us to live holy lives. But that needs to be the subject of another post!