This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
You can download a foldable bookmark here: 2026
12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 2 Do not be conformed to this world,3 but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.4
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members,5 and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,6 with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,7 serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.8 Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it9 to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
[1] 12:1
[2] 12:1
[3] 12:2
[4] 12:2
[5] 12:4
[6] 12:8
[7] 12:11
[8] 12:16
[9] 12:19
(ESV)
During the season of Lent, there is an ancient Christian tradition which instructs the faithful to sacrifice some luxury that they enjoy in memory of Christ, who sacrificed his very body on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. In Roman Catholicism, this sacrifice has been loosely standardized: Catholics do not eat meat on Fridays. This, of course, has cleared the way for sumptuous fish fries and good fellowship. Among other branches of Christendom, sacrifice is still often encouraged, but it is usually left up to the individual to decide exactly what he or she would like to sacrifice.
Now, for my confession: I have never been particularly good at sacrificing, at least that which is most valuable to me. Although I may be perfectly happy to sacrifice something which I would consider nominal such as a few dollars to purchase a meal for someone or a couple of minutes to chat with someone about a theological question they might have, this past Wednesday, when I was asked to sacrifice a whole day to serve the State of Texas on jury duty, I was not terribly happy. For overall, my time is precious to me, especially that time which I spend in ministry. And asking me to make this kind of a sacrifice toward something that I am not heavily invested in was difficult indeed.
No matter how much of an aversion I might have toward making certain sacrifices, this is precisely what I am called to do according to our reading for today from Romans 12: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship" (verse 1). Paul reminds us that we, as Christians, in light of God's mercy, are called to make sacrifices, and even be sacrifices, for Christ has sacrificed himself for us on the cross. In the balance of the chapter, then, Paul delineates what sacrifices we are to make.
First, we are to sacrifice our ego: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you" (verse 3). Rather than expending our efforts and our energy on boosting our image and our influence, we are to humbly reckon ourselves not according to our accomplishments, but according to the faith which God has given us - a faith which sees the sinfulness and brokenness which resides in our hearts. We are to be humble rather than haughty.
Second, we are to sacrifice our inclination toward vengeance: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil... Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath" (verses 17, 19). In other words, when someone else wrongs us, sins against us, hurts us, or betrays us, rather than exacting revenge and executing retaliation, we are to forgive even as Christ has forgiven us. We are to be merciful rather than judgmental.
These sacrifices, of course, are only two instances in a whole life of sacrifice which we are called to live out as Christians. But notice that when we make such sacrifices, we are "living sacrifices." In other words, the sacrifices which we make won't kill us. So often, when we are called to sacrifice something for the Kingdom, we dramatically and hyperbolically act as if making such a sacrifice will surely mean our demise. But as my mother used to remind me when she called upon me to "sacrifice" my taste buds on a meal that I did not want to eat: "Just try one bite. That's all I'm asking. After all, it won't kill you." And indeed, it never did. And neither did my day at jury duty. I'm still alive and kicking to write this blog. And even if we are called to sacrifice our lives as martyrs for the sake of the gospel, we are still "living sacrifices," for the very message of the gospel which we have given our lives for is that not even death can mute God's eternal life.
10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare1 and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
15 “Because you have said, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’ 16 thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 17 ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they did not pay attention to my words, declares the LORD, that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, declares the LORD.’ 20 Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before your eyes. 22 Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” 23 because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the LORD.’”
24 To Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: 25 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 ‘The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons. 27 Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? 28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, 32 therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.’”
[1] 29:11
(ESV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) This is possibly the best known Bible verses out of the whole book of Jeremiah. It is interesting to note that it comes in the context of Jeremiah dispelling the lies of the false prophets who promised immediate deliverance, and speaking the truth that the exile in Babylon would be lengthy, lasting 70 years. Nevertheless, God's promise was true. He did have plans to prosper Israel, and to give them hope and a future by restoring them to the Promised Land. But even the exile was planned for their good, so that God's people would learn repentance and humility before the LORD. When their lessons had been learned through the hardship of the exile, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." We need to remember that even in the hard times, when life is difficult, God has good plans for us. However, if we would fail to listen to the LORD and refuse to repent of our sin, our fate could be like that of those who remained in Jerusalem. Jeremiah said that they would experience the sword, famine and plague. He also condemned a false prophet named Shemaiah who sent letters to Jerusalem urging the priests and people to arrest Jeremiah and put him in irons. Because Shemaiah perpetuated the lie of early deliverance, Jeremiah said that he would not live to see the good plans that the LORD had for Israel come to pass.
78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
5 He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
6 that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
8 and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The Ephraimites, armed with2 the bow,
turned back on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant,
but refused to walk according to his law.
11 They forgot his works
and the wonders that he had shown them.
12 In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters stand like a heap.
14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a fiery light.
15 He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
16 He made streams come out of the rock
and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
(ESV)