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Introducing children to the actual text of the Bible can be a real challenge, but it doesn’t have to be a drudgery. It can be fun! Almost all children love it when grown-ups read to them –– why not read them the Bible? Below are short readings that follow the entire narrative cycle of the Bible from beginning to end, arranged according to the church liturgical calendar. This reading plan follows the story of the New Testament during the festal season (Advent through Eastertide, i.e. Dec-May) and the story of the Old Testament during Ordinary Time (June-Nov). The OT readings are generally longer than the NT readings, but they all vary in length. Most of the readings include a central story as well as narrative transitions; if necessary, the transition passages can be trimmed for younger children with shorter attention spans.
Advent 1 (~Nov 30): Counting Down to the Messiah
Read Matthew 1:1-17
Advent 2 (~Dec 6): Elizabeth and the Miracle Baby
Read Luke 1:5-25
Advent 3 (~Dec 13): Mary Sings a Great Hymn
Read Luke 1:26-56
Advent 4 (~Dec 20): The Birth of John the Baptist
Read Luke 1:57-80
Christmas Day (Dec 25): The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
Read Matthew 1:18-24; Luke 2:1-21
Christmastide 1 (~Dec 27): Prophecy About Jesus
Read Isaiah 9:1-7
Feast of the Holy Name (Jan 1): Jesus in the Temple, No. 1
Read Luke 2:22-40
Christmastide 2 (~Jan 3): More Prophecy About Jesus
Read Genesis 49:1-2,9-12; Micah 5:2-5
Feast of the Epiphany (Jan 6): The Magi Worship Jesus the Messiah
Read Matthew 2:1-23
Epiphanytide 1 (~Jan 10): Jesus in the Temple, No. 2
Read Luke 2:41-52
Epiphanytide 2 (~Jan 17): The Baptism of Jesus
Read Luke 3:1-6; Matthew 4:4-17
Epiphanytide 3 (~Jan 24): The Temptation of Jesus
Read Matthew 4:1-11
Epiphanytide 4 (~Jan 31): Jesus and the Great Proclamation
Read Luke 4:14-30
Epiphanytide 5 (~Feb 7): Jesus Teaches His Disciples, No. 1
Read Luke 6:12-49
Epiphanytide 6 (~Feb 14): Jesus Saves from Sickness and Death
Read Mark 5:21-43
Epiphanytide 7 (~Feb 21): A Busy Day for Jesus
Read Luke 9:1-17
Epiphanytide 8 (~Feb 28): A Busy Night for Jesus
Read Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:53-56
Epiphanytide 9 (~Mar 7): Jesus Heals a Blind Man
Read John 9:1-41
Ash Wednesday: Peter and the Great Confession
Read Matthew 16:13-28
Lent 1: The Transfiguration of Jesus
Read Matthew 17:1-13
Lent 2: Jesus Teaches His Disciples, No. 2
Read Mark 9:9-41
Lent 3: Stories About God’s Great Love
Read Luke 15:1-32
Lent 4: Jesus Teaches His Disciples, No. 3
Read Mark 10:13-45
Lent 5: Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
Read John 11:1-57
Palm Sunday: Jesus Rides a Little Horse
Read Matthew 21:1-17
Holy Monday: Mary Washes Jesus’ Feet
Read John 12:1-11
Holy Tuesday: Jesus, the Light of the World
Read John 12:20-50
Holy Wednesday: Jesus Teaches His Disciples, No. 4
Read John 13:21-35
Maundy Thursday: The Servanthood of Jesus
Read John 13:1-17
Good Friday: The Suffering of Jesus
Read John 18:1-40, 19:1-37
Holy Saturday: The Sabbath Rest of Jesus
Read John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:57-66
Feast of Easter: The Resurrection of Jesus
Read John 20:1-18; Matthew 28:1-10
Eastertide 2: Jesus’ Ascension and the Great Commission
Read Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:36-53; Acts 1:6-26
Eastertide 3: Peter’s Great Sermon at Jerusalem
Read Acts 2:1-47
Eastertide 4: Paul’s Great Conversion at Damascus
Read Acts 7:54-60; 8:1-3; 9:1-31
Eastertide 5: On Mission with Paul and Barnabas
Read Acts 13:1-52; 14:1-28
Feast of Pentecost: The Great Council in Jerusalem
Read Acts 15:1-35
Feast of the Trinity: The Re-Creation of the World
Read Revelation 19:1-16; 21:1-27; 22:1-21
Trinitytide 2 (~May 18): A Psalm of Creation
Read Psalm 104
Trinitytide 3 (~May 25): A Psalm of Confession
Read Psalm 106
Trinitytide 4 (~June 1): A Psalm of Redemption
Read Psalm 107
Trinitytide 5 (~June 8): The Creation of the World
Read Genesis 1:1-31, 2:1-3
Trinitytide 6 (~June 15): Adam and Eve and the Great Promise
Read Genesis 2:4-25, 3:1-24
Trinitytide 7 (~June 22): Noah and the Great Flood
Read Genesis 6:9-22; 7:1-10,17-24; 8:1-22; 9:1-17
Trinitytide 8 (~June 29): Abraham and the Great Covenant
Read Genesis 11:27-32; 12:1-9; 15:1-18, 17:1-22
Trinitytide 9 (~July 6): Isaac Becomes a Living Sacrifice
Read Genesis 21:1-8; 22:1-19; 25:7-8
Trinitytide 10 (~July 13): Jacob and Esau and the Angel of God
Read Genesis 25:19-28; 32:1-32; 33:1-20
Trinitytide 11 (~July 20): Moses and the Burning Bush
Read Exodus 1:1-14; 2:1-16; 3:1-20
Trinitytide 12 (~July 27): Pharaoh and the Plague of Death
Read Exodus 6:1-13, 10:24-29, 11:1-10, 12:29-42
Trinitytide 13 (~Aug 3): The Israelites and the Great Escape
Read Exodus 13:17-22; 14:1-31
Trinitytide 14 (~Aug 10): God Stands on the Rock
Read Exodus 16:1-36; 17:1-7
Trinitytide 15 (~Aug 17): Aaron and the Great Idolatry
Read Exodus 19:1-6; 32:1-35
Trinitytide 16 (~Aug 24): The Bronze Snake and the Great Repentance
Read Numbers 10:11-13,33-36; 20:1-13,22-29; 21:4-9
Trinitytide 17 (~Aug 31): Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
Read Joshua 1:1-9; 3:14-17; 5:13-15; 6:1-27
Trinitytide 18 (~Sept 7): Gideon and the Great Victory
Read Judges 6:1-14; 7:1-22; 8:22-28
Trinitytide 19 (~Sept 14): Hannah Sings a Great Hymn
Read 1 Samuel 1:1-20,24-28; 2:1-11
Trinitytide 20 (~Sept 21): Samuel Hears the Voice of God
Read 1 Samuel 2:12-26; 3:1-21
Trinitytide 21 (~Sept 28): Saul, the Tall King
Read 1 Samuel 9:1-27; 10:1-2; 15:1-35
Trinitytide 22 (~Oct 5): David, the Shepherd King
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 2 Samuel 2:1-7; 5:1-13; 7:1-29
Trinitytide 23 (~Oct 12): Solomon, the Wise (and Foolish) King
Read 1 Kings 2:1-12; 10:1-10; 11:1-13,41-43
Trinitytide 24 (~Oct 19): Elijah, the Great Prophet of God
Read 1 Kings 17:1-7; 18:1-46; 19:1-18
Trinitytide 25 (~Oct 26): Elisha, an Even Greater Prophet of God
Read 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-18; 5:1-27
Trinitytide 26 (~Nov 2): Hezekiah, the Faithful King
Read 2 Kings 18:1-24; 19:8-36
Trinitytide 27 (~Nov 9): Josiah, the Repentant King
Read 2 Kings 22:1-20; 23:1-3,19-30; 25:8-12,18-26
Trinitytide 28 (~Nov 16): Daniel, the Great Hero in a Foreign Land
Read Daniel 1:1-21; 6:1-28
Trinitytide 29 (~Nov 23): Nehemiah and the Return to Jerusalem
Read Nehemiah 1:1-11; 2:1-20; 8:1-18; 9:1-38
Reading the Old Testament 