When the mid-point of the year arrives, I usually reflect on the first six months of the year or highlight something that I am thankful for. As we conclude the final day of the first half of 2021, there is one thing that I am especially appreciative of.

In January, I started the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz. For those unfamiliar with general bible in a year programs, it is exactly what the name implies: you read the entire bible in 12 months. Or, in this case, you listen to it.

The Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz is incredible.

Let me tell you, listening to this podcast has been such a refreshing way to start my day. I listen to it in the early morning on my way to the gym and usually finish it at home before I start work. Each episode is about 20-25 minutes. But how does it all work?…

Fr. Schmitz, a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Duluth (Minnesota), has put together an incredible plan. Although by December 31 we will have read the bible from Genesis to Revelation, we aren’t necessarily going in a straight line chronologically book-by-book. Rather, we read a couple chapters from a few different books each day. For example, currently we are reading from 2 Kings, Amos, and Psalms.

During these first six months, Fr. Schmitz has taken two breaks from the Old Testament books for “Messianic Checkpoints.” At these checkpoints he has devoted a week to reading through the gospels. So far we have read John and Mark. It is a nice way to shake things up a bit and help us to put everything in the Old Testament into proper context with the life of Christ.

After Fr. Schmitz reads from the bible he will offer a prayer and then follow that with some brief commentary. His preaching is amazing and relatable! He explains everything so well and then relates it to the grand scheme of salvation and to everyday life. His personality will grow on you as he provides humorous, but honest, takes. The bible at times has dark themes and it is nice to have someone like Fr. Schmitz navigating us through. His podcast isn’t one of the most downloaded in the country for nothing.

It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic or another Christian denomination/non-denominational, this podcast will speak to you if you open up your heart. It is very well-done and impactful. Aside from numbering each podcast by day (for example, I just finished Day 181), the episodes aren’t marked by dates or current events. Thus, they are timeless. If you wanted to, you could listen to two podcast episodes starting today and go through the entire bible by the end of the year. Or, you could just start your bible in a year journey with one podcast episode per day and be done on June 29, 2022. It is entirely up to you.

Listening to a podcast on a daily basis does take some dedication but perhaps there is no better commitment to make than that of the bible. Personally, having stayed the course and completed the first half of the Bible in a Year podcast by Fr. Mike Schmitz, I am hoping that remaining on track for the next six months should not be an issue. Friends, if you desire a stronger understanding of the bible and our Lord’s love, please consider this podcast. Thanks be to God. Don’t Blink.