Would you read a Gospel a day for thirty-two days? In January 2022, during a Better Man Breakfast Series, Pastor Jason Ishmail suggested I take up that challenge.
We had been talking about Bible reading habits. I told Jason how I read the Bible cover-to-cover in October 2016 after first attending Antioch Christian Church. I mentioned I wanted to do it again, but Jason encouraged me instead to focus on the Gospels—reading one each day for a month.
At first, I hesitated. Each Gospel is long, and I wasn’t sure I could carve out the time. But later, as I began walking to get in better shape, I decided to try it. My routine grew from one mile to three and a half miles daily, and I used that walking time to read Scripture. By September 2022, I was fully committed to the challenge.
What It Looks Like
The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—tell the life and ministry of Jesus from four perspectives. Reading one Gospel each day for 32 days means you’ll cycle through all four books eight times.
- Matthew: 28 chapters
- Mark: 16 chapters
- Luke: 24 chapters
- John: 21 chapters
By the end, I will have read John eight times, Matthew eight times, and so on. Sometimes it takes me eight miles of walking to finish a Gospel; other times, I finish at home. But whether walking or resting, I read—not listen—because I want to take in every word carefully.