December 9th - December 13th | Student Reading Plan

December 9th - December 13th | Student Reading Plan

Student Reading Plan

Instructions: 
Read each chapter once. After, read it again this time also following along with the key points. Then, write out answers to the questions. Then, read and reflect over the application. Next, follow the instructions for the daily encouragement. Lastly, spend time in prayer use the prayer prompt but also spend some time just talking to God. 


Tuesday: Mark 13


Key Points: 


  • Jesus correctly predicts the destruction of the Jewish temple. This would be fulfilled in 70 AD. 
  • Jesus warns His disciples of people coming in His name. People who will say they are from Jesus but teach contrary things. 
  • We see this through religions such as Islam or Mormonism. They were founded by men who claimed to see God or an angel who brought them new revelations from the Bible. 
  • We were called to be wary of these people. 
  • Jesus warns us that we will be persecuted for His name. The world is against us because Jesus preaches a gospel that goes against what the world believes. Jesus doesn’t say you don’t have to preach the gospel because the world is against you, but He says, “When you are arrested, don’t worry, the Holy Spirit will guide you.” He says it is necessary to preach the gospel even in the face of persecution; people need to hear it. 
  • The abomination of Desolation is when the Greeks defiled the Temple of God. 
  • Even though there’s this darkness of persecution and the defilement of the Temple, we can persevere because one day Jesus will return. 
  • No one knows when Jesus is coming back. So, we must live in a way that we are always ready for His return. 


How can we persevere in Christ in a world of chaos?

How can we have the courage to share the gospel?

How do we live in a way that we are ready for Christ’s return?

Application: 


 When Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jewish temple, it seemed unthinkable. Yet in 70 AD, His words came true exactly as He said. This should strengthen our confidence that every promise He makes about His presence, His power, and His return is trustworthy. Jesus also warns His disciples that many will come claiming His authority but preaching a different message. Throughout history, false teachers and entire religions have risen from those who claim new revelations or a new path to God. Jesus’ warning is clear: stay alert, stay grounded in Scripture, and stay close to the truth. Deception grows wherever discernment is lacking. He then prepares His followers for persecution. Jesus doesn’t promise an easy road; instead, He promises His presence. He doesn’t say opposition is a reason to stay quiet, but He says the Holy Spirit will empower us to speak. The gospel must be preached even when the world opposes it, because the world desperately needs it. Our fear can’t stop God’s word from spreading. Jesus mentions past and future moments of deep spiritual darkness, like the abomination of desolation, reminding us that evil is real, and the world is broken. But He also gives us hope: He will return. The suffering and chaos of this world do not get the final word. Jesus does. We will spend an eternity with Jesus. It doesn’t matter what happens on this Earth we can always hold on to that hope. 

Daily Encouragement: 


Write down some ways God has been faithful. 

Prayer: 


Help us stay faithful and alert in a world full of confusion and pressure. Give us discernment to recognize what is true, courage to share the gospel even when it’s hard, and strength to persevere when we face resistance. Fix our eyes on Your promised return, and teach us to live each day ready, obedient, and anchored in Your hope. 

Wednesday: Mark 14 


Key Points: 


  • A woman came and anointed Jesus with her most expensive and valuable item. Jesus is worthy of our best and greatest talents. We should present all that we have to Him. 
  • Next, Jesus tells His disciples very specific instructions, and it works. They go to a random man and ask about a room. The man gives it to them. When Jesus commands us to do something, we are called to obey. What He says will come true. 
  • Jesus predicts Peter’s denial of Him. Peter, in his pride, says that he could never deny Jesus. So, Peter isn’t on alert because he believes that someone like him could never be capable of denying Jesus. When we become so prideful we think were above sin that is when we often stumble. 
  • Jesus prays in the garden. He asks God to take the cup from Him. Jesus says the words, “Not what I will, but You will.” Jesus is saying this is going to be difficult, but God if it’s your will I will do it. That is what our attitude should be as well. 
  • The Sanhedrin humiliated Jesus. They slapped Him and spit on Him. Jesus in that moment could have destroyed them. He chose to endure that suffering for you and me. 
  • We see the fulfillment of Jesus’s prophecy of Peter at the end of the chapter. Peter realizes that he has denied his Lord and it crushed him. 


What sin do you feel that “you’re above” or that “you’ve mastered”? How can you combat that pride?


How can you stay alert?


How can we surrender our will to God’s?

Application: 


The woman who anointed Jesus shows us what true devotion looks like. It is offering Jesus our absolute best. But often, instead of giving Him our best, we give Him our leftovers. This reveals the selfishness that still lives in us. Her example calls us to surrender everything and not just what’s convenient. Jesus’ detailed instructions for the Passover remind us that when God commands something, our job is to obey. Many sins grow in our lives simply because we delay or avoid obedience. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. Peter’s pride is a warning for all of us. He thought he was spiritually stronger than he really was. When we believe we are “above” certain sins, we stop being alert, and that is when we fall the hardest. Pride blinds us to our weaknesses, and humility is the only way to stay guarded and alert to sin. In the garden, Jesus models perfect submission: “Not what I will, but what You will.” Sin thrives when our desires rule us. Holiness grows when we surrender our will to God’s, even when it’s uncomfortable or painful. Finally, Peter’s denial shows us what sin does that it breaks our fellowship with God and leaves us crushed. But Peter’s story also reminds us that conviction is a gift from God. Feeling broken over our sin is the first step toward restoration.

Daily Encouragement: 


Pray every day this week to surrender to God. 

Prayer: 


Help us give You our very best, not what is left over. Keep us humble so we don’t fall into pride like Peter. Strengthen us to obey quickly when You speak, and teach us to pray like Jesus, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” When we stumble, draw us back to You with a repentant heart. Give us courage, surrender, and faithfulness as we follow You today.

Thursday: Mark 15 


Key Points: 


  • Jesus doesn’t answer their accusations. He knows they have made up their mind. He also knows what has to happen. 
  • The people chose Barabbas over Jesus. We are the people. We often choose our own sin or pleasure over Jesus even though Jesus laid down His life for us. 
  • Verses 16-20 remind us of the mockery that Jesus endured. 
  • The men who were being crucified with Jesus were even mocking Him. 
  • Jesus’s death was quite a spectacle. The earth shook, there was darkness, and the veil was torn. After Jesus was crucified then people believed that He was the Son of God. 

What is the most moving part of Jesus’s sacrifice to you?


What is your reaction to the mockery that Jesus endured? 


Application: 


Then Jesus is accused, He remains silent and not out of weakness, but out of complete surrender to the Father’s plan. He knows the path before Him, and He willingly walks it for our salvation. The crowd chooses Barabbas over Jesus, and in many ways, that crowd represents us. Far too often, we choose our own sin, comfort, or desires instead of choosing Jesus. Mark 15 forces us to see that contrast and ask: What am I choosing over Christ? The mockery Jesus faces included being beaten, spit on, and ridiculed by soldiers and criminals and it reminds us of the humiliation He endured so we could be forgiven. What’s shocking is that Jesus never retaliates; He absorbs the full weight of their cruelty so He can offer them (and us) mercy. Then creation itself responds to His death. Darkness covers the land, the earth shakes, and the temple veil tears from top to bottom. The veil tearing means that through Jesus’ sacrifice, the barrier between God and humanity has been broken. Access to God is now open. The Roman centurion, after witnessing everything, finally declares: “Truly this man was the Son of God.” It’s a reminder that the cross reveals the truth about Jesus more clearly than anything else.

Daily Encouragement: 


What are you choosing over Jesus?

Prayer: 


Help me never take lightly the suffering Jesus endured for my salvation. Give me a heart that chooses Him over my sin, and fill me with deep gratitude for the love displayed on the cross. Let the truth of Jesus’ death move me to live faithfully, humbly, and obediently each day.


Friday: Mark 16 


Key Points: 


  • All hope seems lost. Jesus is dead, but not for long. 
  • Jesus appears to women who were considered less than at that time. Jesus shows that all are equal in His eyes. 
  • Some manuscripts don’t include the last verses. However, this story appears in Matthew as well. It is Jesus’s ascension. 

What would it have felt like to be a disciple at that time?

How would you have responded? 

How can we share this joy of the resurrection with others?


Application: 


Mark 16 opens with the darkest moment in the disciples’ lives because Jesus is dead, and every promise seems broken. But in the place where hope appears gone, God brings resurrection. This chapter reminds us that when life looks impossible, God is still working behind the scenes to fulfill His word. Jesus appears first to women, people who in that culture were often overlooked or undervalued. By choosing them as the first witnesses of the resurrection, Jesus shows that in His kingdom, worth is not based on status or reputation. Everyone has a place, and everyone is called to proclaim the good news. The resurrection should fill us with the same amazement and joy the disciples experienced. Jesus is alive and because He is alive, our hope is secure.


Prayer: 


Thank You that the grave could not hold You. Thank You that in moments when life feels hopeless, You are still working resurrection power. Help us to live with the same joy and confidence the disciples felt when they saw You alive. Fill our hearts with awe, strengthen our faith, and give us courage to share the hope of Your resurrection with others. Let Your victory shape the way we think, speak, and live today.

Saturday: Luke 1 


Key Points: 


  • Luke provides a detailed and carefully researched account of the life of Jesus.
  • His writing emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, God’s faithfulness, and His care for all people, including the marginalized.
  • Luke’s Gospel shows that salvation is for everyone—Jews, Gentiles, rich, poor, men, women, old, and young.
  • Luke, a physician and companion of Paul, wrote this Gospel.
  • He was not an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry but carefully investigated everything to give an accurate account.
  • Luke wrote to Theophilus, likely a Roman official or believer, to assure him of the truth of Jesus’ life and teachings.
  • His writing is intended to strengthen faith and understanding of Jesus’ mission and God’s plan.
  • An angel appears to Zechariah, telling him that his wife Elizabeth will have a son who will prepare the way for the Lord.
  • Zechariah questions the angel, and as a result, he is unable to speak until John’s birth.
  • Mary is told she will miraculously conceive Jesus, the Son of the Most High.
  • Despite uncertainty, Mary submits fully to God’s plan, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant.”
  • Mary praises God for His faithfulness, justice, and mercy, highlighting His work in lifting the humble and scattering the proud.
  • John will prepare hearts for the Messiah, fulfilling God’s promises to Israel.
  • Both Zechariah and Mary show lessons about trusting God’s promises even when they seem impossible.

How do Zechariah and Mary respond differently to God’s plan, and what can we learn from each?


Why is it significant that God chooses ordinary people for His extraordinary plans?


How can we live with faith and obedience like Mary, even when we don’t understand God’s plan?

Application: 


Luke 1 teaches us about trusting God’s promises and responding in faith, even when His plans seem impossible. Zechariah doubted the angel’s message and was silenced, showing the consequences of disbelief. Mary, on the other hand, responded with humility and trust, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant.” Her obedience reminds us that faith requires surrender, not just understanding. The chapter also highlights God’s faithfulness to His promises. Just as He fulfilled His word through John the Baptist and prepared the way for Jesus, He is still at work in our lives today. God often chooses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things, showing that our value comes from Him, not from status, wealth, or ability. Luke 1 challenges us to respond to God with trust and action. When God calls, even in ways that seem difficult or impossible, we are invited to say yes, confident that He will accomplish His purposes. Faith and obedience are not always easy, but they are the pathways through which God works miracles in our lives and in the world.


Daily Encouragement: 


What is one way you can trust God today?


Prayer: 


 Thank You for showing us Your faithfulness through Zechariah, Mary, and John the Baptist. Help us to trust Your promises, even when they seem impossible. Give us hearts like Mary that are humble, obedient, and willing to say yes to Your plan. Strengthen our faith so we can follow You courageously, and remind us that You can accomplish great things through ordinary lives. Guide us to live with trust, hope, and surrender each day.