Let Us Commence Preparations for Reading

The first week of this cycle of reading will be spent in the book of Joshua. We are going to take a different approach to our reading for this section of the Bible. Here is a worksheet that you should print. Use it as you work your way through the book. NOTE: This exercise will be most fruitful if you have a partner. You can hold each other accountable to the schedule and share the work you have done. (If you need someone to share your answers with and keep you accountable, email your contact information to strategicbible@gmail.com and we can talk over the phone or through email.) The goal of this first read-through is to familiarize ourselves with the content so that we can engage with it in a more meaningful way the second and third times that we read it.

The first section of the worksheet is an outline. The book is divided into four sections. What I would like you all to do as you read is name each of these sections. Then write down one event in that section (or more if you are feeling ambitious) that stood out to you.

The second section on the worksheet is a section called “Words and Phrases”. As you come across these words and phrases in the book, write down the reference in the section provided. After you have finished reading the book, go back and see if you can give a good definition(s) of the word or phrase based on the content of the book.

Finally, there is a section in which you can write questions in preparation for your next read-through. Maybe something caught your attention halfway through the book and you did not have time to go back and look. Maybe you have an idea that you need to research further. Write it down and look for more evidence in the second read-through.

I hope this worksheet will help to facilitate a more focused and fruitful reading for you all.