Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

1 Peter 1. Day 201 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 Peter 1 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
A Living Hope. Faith Refined Through Trials. Called to Be Holy.

"Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." — 1 Peter 1:3

First Peter opens by reminding believers that our hope is rooted in something far more secure than our circumstances. Through the resurrection of Jesus, we have been given a living hope and an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Peter is writing to Christians who are facing hardship, and he does not minimize their suffering. Instead, he shows them that trials can refine genuine faith like fire refines gold. Our pain is real, but it is not pointless. God can use even difficult seasons to deepen our trust in Him and prepare us for the glory that will one day be revealed.

Peter then calls believers to live differently because they have been redeemed at such a great cost. We are to prepare our minds, set our hope fully on God's grace, and live as obedient children rather than returning to old patterns. "Be holy, because I am holy." Holiness is not about becoming impressive or earning God's love. It is the response of people who have been rescued by the precious blood of Christ. First Peter 1 reminds us that we have a secure hope, a faith worth refining, and a Savior worth following. When life feels uncertain, hold tightly to the hope that is alive because Jesus is alive.

3 John 1. Day 200 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 3 John 1 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Walking in Truth. Faithful Hospitality. Imitating What Is Good.

"I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth." — 3 John 1:4

Third John is a short and personal letter to a believer named Gaius, whom John praises for faithfully walking in the truth. His faith was not just something he believed privately. It was visible in the way he treated others, especially traveling believers who were serving the gospel. John celebrates Gaius because his hospitality and generosity were helping advance the work of Christ. It is a good reminder that supporting ministry is itself a form of ministry. We may not all preach, travel, or lead publicly, but we can all use what God has given us to strengthen those who are faithfully serving Him.

John also gives a warning through the example of Diotrephes, a man who loved to have first place and refused godly authority. Pride had turned leadership into control. In contrast, John points to Demetrius as someone with a good testimony. The lesson is simple: "Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good." Third John challenges us to ask what our lives are helping multiply. Are we making ministry harder through pride and selfishness, or are we encouraging faithfulness through generosity, humility, and truth? Walk in the truth, support what is good, and use your influence to help others follow Christ faithfully.

2 John 1. Day 199 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 2 John 1 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Walking in Truth. Loving One Another. Guarding Against Deception.

"And this is love: that we walk according to his commands." — 2 John 1:6

Second John is short, but its message is clear: truth and love belong together. John rejoices that believers are walking in the truth, and he reminds them of the command they have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. But biblical love is not separated from obedience. John says, "This is love: that we walk according to his commands." Real love is shaped by what God has said, not simply by what feels kind or compassionate in the moment.

John also warns the church about deceivers who deny the truth about Jesus Christ. Believers are called to guard what they have received and not give support to teaching that undermines the gospel. That can feel uncomfortable in a culture that often treats discernment as unloving, but John shows us that protecting truth is part of loving people well. Second John reminds us to walk in truth, love one another deeply, and stay anchored in the real Jesus revealed in Scripture.

1 John 5. Day 198 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 John 5 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Faith That Overcomes. Confidence in Eternal Life. Confidence in Prayer.

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." — 1 John 5:11

First John 5 closes the letter by bringing together faith, obedience, love, and assurance. John says that everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and that faith is what overcomes the world. Our confidence is not found in our own strength, but in the Son of God. John makes the message unmistakably clear: eternal life is found in Jesus Christ. Whoever has the Son has life. Whoever does not have the Son does not have life. John writes so that believers can know, not merely hope, that they have eternal life.

John also gives us confidence in prayer. "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Prayer is not a way of forcing God to follow our plans. It is learning to bring our desires under His will and trusting that He hears us as a loving Father. The chapter ends with a simple but serious command: "Guard yourselves from idols." Anything that takes the place in our hearts that belongs to Christ can become an idol. First John 5 leaves us with a strong foundation: believe in the Son, rest in the eternal life He gives, pray with confidence, and keep Jesus at the center of everything.

1 John 4. Day 197 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 John 4 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Testing the Spirits. God Is Love. Perfect Love Drives Out Fear.

"We love because he first loved us." — 1 John 4:19

First John 4 begins with a call to discernment. John tells believers not to believe every spirit, but to test what they hear because false teachers are in the world. The central question is what they say about Jesus Christ. Truth matters, and not everything that sounds spiritual comes from God. John then reminds us that believers have confidence because "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." Our security does not come from being clever enough to detect every lie. It comes from belonging to Christ and remaining grounded in the truth He has given us.

John then moves to the heart of the chapter: God is love. We know what love is because God showed it to us by sending His Son so that we might live through Him. His love came first. That means Christian love is never simply a feeling or personality trait. It is a response to the love we have already received from God. John says that perfect love drives out fear and then gives us the simple foundation for everything: "We love because he first loved us." First John 4 reminds us to hold tightly to the truth about Jesus and to let the love of God become visible in the way we treat others.