"I have more wisdom than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation." Psalm 119:99, right-hand page, left-hand column, dead center of page.

Many people ask me how it is that I know precisely where virtually everything is in my Bible.

The answer: this system. I began in 1983 (adapting and tweaking the basic design of another system) as a brand-new convert; within 3 years I knew the text of my Bible very well.

Twenty-five years later it is essentially imprinted on my mind and heart. I have been all over the country and have taught this system in many churches. I have done open-microphone Q&As on Bible and theology -- with 1200 people in the audience -- as well as cultural-analysis live radio shows where you have to think fast -- and it has been the "imprinting" value of this system that has helped me provide quick, clear, heavily contextualized scriptural answers. I have no Seminary degrees, no Bible-college or Christian school education -- hey, I never even went to Sunday school. All I did have was a chair, a lamp ... and my Bible.

This is not merely a speed-reading program, nor is it a 'study' system. Read the description provided here to see how it works. DO NOT be intimidated! I was a college dropout, ex-heavy-druggie when I started it. If I can do it -- so can you! TRY IT FOR A MONTH. Then tell me what is happening!  But one more note before we start.

I remember very clearly in 1983, when my soon-to-be father-in-law handed me his old but unused 1967 Scofield Study Bible as an off-the-cuff gift. I had never seen a good study Bible before, and was just starting to listen to MacArthur and Swindoll and Stanley on the radio. I was determined as a new believer to get to know the Bible. So I adapted the present system and have tweaked it many times since. Its present form dates from the mid-1990s when I was in doctoral work at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke and wanted to keep my head screwed on somewhat straight. That old Scofield was literally read to tatters by then -- covers absolutely gone, spine vanished away, glue-backing visible and all curled up, stitching coming apart, the prefatory material destroyed all the way up to Genesis 1 and the concordance vanished past the entry for "sin." But as a poor grad student, I had no money for a quality re-bind.

Sometime later, I was flown out by Masters College for a 3-day interview/grilling process.  The culmination was, of course, being ushered in to Dr. MacArthur's private study, which is where he asked me his one question: "Can I see your Bible?" I thought he would be horrified, because it looked like it had been through a typhoon -- it looked unloved and neglected.  Something from a dumpster.  It was unbound, with stringy mess and paper debris hanging out.  I was so embarrassed.  I thought he would chastise me and recommend I get a new study Bible if I was serious about the Word. However he flipped through it and handed it to his wife and said, "If your Bible is falling apart, you probably aren't." And I was basically hired on the spot. ​

I have done the system sometimes doubling up (2 sets per day, or 20 chapters), and other times by alternating days (5 chapters per day).  The key is to get into a habit for a month. Then you'll see you've probably been starving yourself.   The very best effect it has is rapid, broad-scale contextualizing across both testaments and all the different biblical genres. Did you know about all the similarities between Ecclesiastes and 2 Corinthians? How about the relationship between Deuteronomy and Matthew?​​

 It is like no other system that way, and it provides constant variety (which humans love) as well as consistent conviction (which humans hate).  I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have on facing up to the challenge, how you are doing in your first days, first week, first month.... The System Each day you will read one chapter from each of ten lists.