Greetings from our pastor
Miguel A. Lopez, ThM, DMin
Dear church family,
I am so grateful to start a new year in God’s word and prayer through our Remain bible reading plan. Our bible verse for 2026 is from Colossians 2:6-7. Pauls says “ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” In this verse Paul reminds us that in order to fulfill our mission of glorifying God by multiplying disciple-makers who invite all people to join Jesus Christ in a life-long, life-changing, and life-giving journey, we must remain and mature in Christ to bear fruit.
Jesus told his disciples that to become fruitful, they would have to remain in him (John 15:4). That phrase “Remain in me” captures what this journal is all about. As you read the Scriptures and pray daily, the Lord will show you how to walk in Christ and will build you up into a mature and fruitful disciple (Col. 2:6-7). A grateful life for the grace God has given us in Christ is the foundation of a fruitful life that blesses us and those around us.
If you would like to access the daily reading in text and audio, go to our Remain Bible Plan page. There you will also be able to access instructions on how to read your Bible and pray to receive direction from the Lord, and our church prayer guide, with other resources.
The Remain Bible reading plan is designed to help you accomplish three goals. First, the reading plan will help you read your whole Bible in a year. Second, you will be encouraged to grow in prayer and intercession with access to real-life needs. Third, you will be encouraged to intercede for the salvation of others and have access to the gospel presentation video to share.
May this year be a year for our DFBC family to grow in our faithfulness and fruitfulness to the glory of God!
How to read the Bible to know the word of God
“Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of your law”
The Bible is not like any other book. The Bible is God’s written word inspired by his Holy Spirit pointing to God’s Living Word, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This Bible reading plan includes Old Testament and New Testament readings everyday with Psalms intertwined. It is arranged in a canonical order. This means that the readings follow more or less the theological and chronological development in the books of the Bible in a way that points to the complementary nature of the Testaments. The Old Testament is the written account of God’s promises to his people. The New Testament is God’s fulfillment of his promises through his Son, Jesus Christ.
To get the most out of your Bible reading, I would like to encourage you to set apart a special time of your day to make room for God to speak to you through the passages that you will read and through prayer. Look for a place where you can give your attention to God even if for a few minutes. Nothing is more vital to your relationship with God than reading your Bible and praying.
I would also like to encourage you to have a journal to record your conversations with God. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one, just a notebook that you devote for this purpose would be enough. At the very least, use the right column on this reading plan to record the main idea God wants to communicate to you each day.
The following four steps are a guide that you may use to prepare yourself to listen to God. Many believers have followed these steps throughout history to experience God’s presence as they read Scripture.