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 n the weeks ahead, I’d like to explore each of these top 20 passages with you, as well, starting with number 20--the Christmas story from Luke chapter 1--and working our way to number 1, which just might surprise you! Introduction to the Top 20Introduction: The Top 20 Passages In The Bible By Eric Elder The Bible is the most quoted book in the world. Why? Maybe it’s because the Bible has been around so long. Or maybe it’s because the Bible is so big. But most likely it’s because the Bible contains wisdom that has touched the lives of so many people throughout the ages and throughout the world. I recently saw a list of the top 20 passages in the Bible, words that people turn to again and again, more frequently than any others, and I was intrigued. What makes these passages so special? Are they words of comfort or words of conviction? Words of encouragement or words of challenge? Words of utter simplicity or words of profound depth? As I’ve looked through the passages, I’ve seen that they contain elements of all of these things. And I know from personal experience, having read each of these passages many times over the years and at different stages of my life, that they contain some of the most inspiring, convicting, encouraging, and faith-strengthening passages I’ve ever encountered. I can see why they have bubbled up to the top 20 passages of the Bible. In the weeks ahead, I’d like to explore each of these top 20 passages with you as well, starting with number 20--the Christmas story from Luke chapter 1--and working our way to number 1, which just might surprise you! Whether you’ve been an avid Bible reader for years, or you’re brand new to discovering the life-changing power of the Bible, I think you’ll truly enjoy this study--not just for the insights you’ll learn about the passages, but because I believe that each passage can speak directly to your heart. To be honest, I believe any passage from the Bible could speak to you just as profoundly. I couldn’t count how many times I’ve had something on my mind and opened the Bible, only to find that God had something to say to me about it on the words on the pages before me. I once was thinking about the role of women in leadership and wondered why there weren’t any women shepherds mentioned in the Bible. Later that morning, I happened to be reading in Genesis 29 and read, to my surprise, that “Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess” (Genesis 29:9b). Another time, I felt like God was urging me to make a move with my family by Christmas, but couldn’t imagine there was a verse in the Bible that. But later that day, I was reading in the Bible where Paul wrote to Timothy: “Do your best to get here before winter” (2 Timothy 4:21a). Winter was on December 21st, just 4 days before Christmas. Needless to say, I did my best to get my family moved by the date that God had already been speaking to my heart! How does God do this? I believe it’s because the Word of God is, as it says in Hebrews 4:12, “living and active.” God has inspired the words on the pages by instilling them with His Spirit, and it is that same Spirit that brings them to life for you. All Scripture is literally “God-breathed,” as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16. So whether you turn to a top 20 passage or to one of the less celebrated ones, know that God can speak to you through His Word, if your heart is open to hearing from Him. No wonder the Bible is the best-selling, most translated, and most quoted book in the world! I want to encourage you to pick up your Bible again today and read through it, praying as you go, and listening for God to speak. There’s no doubt in my mind that the God who created you has things He’d can’t wait to speak to you, and things that you won’t want to wait to hear. Then join me in the weeks ahead as we look at the top 20 passages from the Bible that people turn to again and again. I’m sure that God has things He wants you to know, things He wants you to do, and mysteries He wants to reveal. Let’s pray... Father, thank You for giving us Your words in the form of the Bible. Speak to us as we read from it today and in the days ahead, just as You spoke to those who first recorded Your words for us to hear. In Jesus’ name, Amen.------------------ Invite your friends! If you’d like to study these passages with friends in the coming weeks, send this note to them and encourage them to sign up for these free email messages, too! Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 4:12 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 To get more inspiring books or music like this, please visit: To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here: |
