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A Free Bible Study Guide 
"Making Connections"

Not sure where to start reading the Bible? This free Bible study guide will "guide" you through the Bible and help make connections so that you better understand God's Story as a whole.

You may or may not have ever read the Bible all the way through, but I am here to encourage you - it’s worth it!  When we read a story by skipping around, it can become confusing.  The Bible is God’s story and how He desires for us to become a part of it by knowing Him.

But the Bible is even more than a story; it’s an experience – a life changing experience!  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is living and active; it’s unlike any other book you’ve ever read.

Therefore, I created this “doable” free Bible study guide to take you from the beginning and help you make the connections of how it all joins together into one beautiful love story. 

Please make note...I am no theologian, and this "creative" free Bible study guide does not delve deeply but contains notes and activities that hopefully will give a better understanding while also intrigue you to want to read more!


Bible Reading Guide

Our Goal

Our goal is to make connections.

  1. Connect with God and knowing Him.
  2. Connect the pieces of His story into one beautiful living epic.
  3. Connect His Word to our own life so we may see Him all around us in our everyday and us be changed by His presence to be more like our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.

Free Bible Study Guide

  •  Flexibility: Start whenever you’re ready with a flexible start date any time of the year. Move at your own pace; although the readings are possible to be finished in a year, take as long as you need to finish.  Adapt this plan to you.  No matter how you use it, this Bible reading plan will take you on a journey to better understand God’s story as a whole.
  • Balance:  Each week contains readings from Psalms for praise, Proverbs of wisdom, lots of Old Testament reading (there are 929 verses in the OT!) and New Testament readings.  This gives both a variety and continuity.  Some things in the Old Testament portray God in His sovereignty and justice.  Balancing this with His love we see revealed through Jesus gives us a full picture of His character balanced with justice and love, righteousness and compassion, truth and grace. 
  • Keep going:  Use the printable to mark off chapters as you read. If you do get off track, lose the path, or just need a break, it’s easy to jump back in where you left off.  The journey doesn’t have to fit into a determined time period.  The goal is to see the journey through to the end – to read the whole story all the way through.
  • Bible Study with Prayer:  Each day begin with prayer asking God’s Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts and open your eyes and understanding.  God speaks through His Word; there is always more He can teach us even from the most familiar of Bible verses like John 3:16. Take time to listen and talk with Him. Ask God questions, share your heart with Him, enjoy His presence. He desires to be known.

Bible Reading Plan Explanations

Wondering why this free Bible study guide doesn't take you straight from Genesis to Revelation in the order your Bible has them arranged?

"Making Connections" takes you through a story timeline in which the events happened and also makes connections between and within the Old Testament and New Testament, as well as connecting Bible themes and information.

  1. The order of the Old Testament books interlaces the books of history with the books of prophecy and poetry chronologically except for Psalms and Proverbs which we have included weekly readings throughout the plan for praise and wisdom.  Most theologians, believe Job was a contemporary of Abraham; therefore, we placed the reading of it after the Book of Genesis.  
  2. The order of the New Testament books is arranged beginning with the Gospel of John then moves chronologically through the Book of Acts.  The other three Gospels are spaced throughout this Bible reading plan so there is continuous interaction with the life of Jesus.  Most of Paul’s letters follow each other by the date of their writing.
  3. Hebrews is read close to the books of Exodus and Leviticus for its connections with the Tabernacle.
  4. Being a book of doctrine, Romans has been placed near the Books of the Law.
  5. Obedience is also a theme throughout the Law on into the books of Joshua and Judges.  Therefore, the reading of the New Testament Book of James is placed among these.
  6. The remaining letters written by Peter, John and Jude are scattered to infuse hope and clarity among difficult Old Testament readings.
  7. Matthew falls alongside the Book of Isaiah because Matthew quotes many prophecies and verses from this Old Testament book.
  8. And pulling up the end (or rather the future) is the Book of Revelation as we set our eyes on the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Printable Free Bible Study Guide

Print the "Making Connections" free Bible study guide reading plan to keep up with where you are in your readings.  Remember you may read at your own pace!


Read through the Bible in a year

Free Bible study guide reading options:

  • Spread your readings throughout your day.  Begin your day with the Psalm or Proverb during a quiet time with the Lord.  Have a longer bit of time set later to read through the Old Testament readings for the day and then finish off before bed with the New Testament reading.
  • “Reading” through the Bible can also include “listening.” Use the YouVersion Bible App or other venue to listen to portions if that is easier or you have a long commute each day!
  • Slow Plan:  Use each “day” of readings for a week reading one chapter a day.  This will still give you the variety and consistency of journeying through the Bible making connections but at a slower pace.  Our goal isn’t to have to finish in a year, but to make it to the destination of reading all the way through.

Notes & Activities
Free Bible Study Guide

Go Beyond the Reading...

Following are some things I am doing if you'd like to join in, but do not feel like you have to do all every day!  These are merely ideas to help you go beyond the read and interact with Scripture.

  • Read & Write - Write at least one verse per day that you "connect" with.
  • Choose one word that jumps out at you or is repeated in your reading.
  • Make note of any names or descriptions of God.
  • Notice & Note - Make your own connections and notes as you go.
  • Ponder & Wonder - Ask questions of God and yourself.
  • Collects Facts - Record the who, what, where facts; you may even want to do this on a separate page with the names of people, places, etc. for easy access to refer to as you progress in your readings.
  • Connect - Note any connections you see or the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
  • Pray - Take time to listen and talk to the LORD.  Write a prayer in your journal.

Bible journaling

Free Note taking Guide

My Bible study & prayer journal consists of a plain composition notebook.  This free Bible study guide may help you layout your notebook or be printed off, copied and be used in a binder.

Below is an example:

Here is the blank printable note-taking form for "Making Connections" free Bible study guide.


favorite Bible verse

My Personal Notes & Activity Suggestions

My personal notes come from years of listening to teachers, reading writings of others, and personal observations recorded in my journals with what I think of as "whispers" from the Holy Spirit.  These came as inspired understanding or thoughts that I would not have come up with in my own simple mind!

The interactive activity suggestions come from things I am doing myself and will create a newness to our Bible study time no matter how new or advanced we may be to reading the Bible.  

Note:  I am actually moving through this plan as of January 2022; so notes will be added throughout this year. 

Here is a peak of what these may consist of:


Free Bible Study Guide For Readings

In the Beginning...

We begin reading from Genesis together with the Gospel of John because both begin with “In the beginning,” but also because it is important for us to know Jesus was there in Genesis in the beginning creating; He is God.  

Notice:

• Genesis chapters 1 and 2 both tell the story of creation but in different ways.  In chapter 1 we see God as Creator God (Elohim); He reveals His power and rule over all.  Chapter 2 focuses more on His creation of mankind.  We first see God called LORD (Yahweh/Jehovah), His name of relationship offered to mankind.

Ponder:

• Genesis 2:9 tells us God made all sorts of trees grow in the garden; it then goes on to mention specifically the Tree of Life & the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  The New Living Translation uses the word “placed” in the garden.  Did these already exist with Him in Heaven but are now offered to mankind as a choice?  Connect with Revelation 22:1-2 where the Tree of Life is mentioned again in John’s vision of Heaven and Revelation 2:7 and 22:14-15 where permission to eat of the Tree of Life is promised.

Connect:

• Gardening theme – We’ve seen a tree planted by a stream in Psalm 1, The Tree of Life & the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, a garden planted by God.  Over and over throughout the Bible this theme of planting & growing & bearing fruit is mentioned.  Begin keeping a “Gardening theme” list of Scripture references as you come across more of these in your readings.

• Another theme we see begin in Genesis 1 and John 1 is “Light.”  Also begin a list of “Light” verses.

Bible Activities:

• Genesis 1-2 - Write all the action verbs associated with God. Ex:  God created.  God said.  God called., etc. Meditate on all God did.

• John 1 – Make note of all the names given to Jesus in this first chapter of John.  Ex: The Word, Light, Begotten, God, Lamb of God, etc.  Continue adding to this list as we continue reading through the Bible.



I hope you check back often; there's more to come!   - Susan :)

Links will be added as we go for organization of notes:

Old Testament Readings

The Book of Genesis

Psalms

Proverbs

new Testament Readings

Gospel of John

Special note: We do preview the websites to which we link, but are unable to peruse them completely. We try to check others' faith statements and make sure they do profess Jesus Christ as God's Son and salvation is found only in Him. It must, however, be your responsibility to personally dig into God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to be your first and final teacher on all subjects.

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