Where to Start Reading the Bible

Start reading the Bible in Genesis 1–3, then read the Gospel of John, then the rest of the New Testament, and finally the Old Testament story from Genesis 4 onward. You do not have to read the Bible front to back — it is sixty-six separate books, and forcing it into page order is the most common reason beginners stall and quit. Begin instead at the foundation. Genesis 1–3 shows our Heavenly Father creating His sons and daughters and moving to restore them the moment they fall; the Gospel of John shows the Son arriving to bring the family home. Take it a chapter at a time, lean on the audio when life is full, and let one question travel with you: what is this showing me about my Father? That simple order — Genesis, then John, then outward — keeps the whole story clear, and it is how the Father’s Heart Bible is made to be read.

The simplest plan to start reading the Bible

Here is a beginner’s reading order that keeps the story clear from day one:

1. Genesis 1–3 — creation, the family, and the fall: the foundation of everything.
2. The Gospel of John — meet Jesus and, through Him, the Father.
3. Matthew, Mark, and Luke — the life of Jesus from three more angles.
4. Acts and the letters (Romans, Ephesians, 1 John) — the family growing up.
5. Back to Genesis 4 and the Old Testament — the long story you now have eyes to read.

You still read the whole Bible — you simply start where the story makes sense. Open Genesis 1 free online and you can begin in under a minute.

Why begin in Genesis, not the Gospels

It is tempting to skip straight to Jesus — but the opening of Genesis is the lens the rest of Scripture is read through, and the featured chapter above shows why. John deliberately begins with the same three words as Genesis, “In the beginning,” signaling that the Gospel is not a fresh start but the continuation of a story already under way. Genesis 1–3 introduces the cast: a Father who forms His children in His own image, and a family that breaks away and needs rescuing. Arrive at John without that, and the cross can feel like the answer to a question you were never asked. Arrive after Genesis, and you recognize the Son stepping in to finish what the Father began — to carry His children home. That is why the order runs Genesis first, then John.

What to read after the Gospels

Once you have read the four Gospels, keep moving through the New Testament. Acts tells how the first believers carried the good news; the letters — start with Romans, Ephesians, and 1 John — explain what it means to live as the Father’s beloved sons and daughters. Then return to the Old Testament and read it as the long backstory you now understand: the same Father, pursuing the same family, through Abraham, the Exodus, the Psalms, and the prophets. The Psalms are worth reading a little each day alongside whatever else you are in — they teach you to talk to the Father honestly. By the time you finish, you will have read the whole Bible, and every part will point back to the Father’s heart you met in Genesis 1.

How much should you read at a time?

Move through the plan one chapter at a time. At that pace the Gospel of John takes roughly three weeks and the entire New Testament fits inside a year — real progress without the burnout of marathon sessions. If a chapter runs long, split it across two days; if you have room, read a second. The point of a reading order is momentum, so set a target you can hold when life gets busy, and let the free audio carry you on the days you cannot sit down with the text. For building the daily habit itself — making it stick — see our companion guide, How to Read the Bible.

Which Bible should a beginner start in?

Start in a clear, modern, plain-English translation — old-fashioned wording is the single biggest reason beginners feel lost. The Father’s Heart Bible is a fresh translation built for exactly this moment: it reads in everyday English, it carries verse-by-verse audio so you can read and listen together, and it surfaces the Father’s heart that older translations often leave buried. You can read the Father’s Heart Bible free with audio and see how it reads next to the translation you grew up on, or pick up the free book and other downloads in the resource library. Whatever translation you choose, the best one to start in is the one you will actually read.

Common mistakes when starting out

Three mistakes trip up most beginners. The first is starting at page one and grinding through Leviticus until the momentum dies — start with Genesis 1–3 and John instead. The second is reading for information rather than relationship; the Bible was given to reveal a Father, so read asking what each passage shows you about Him, not just what facts it contains. The third is trying to do too much — a heroic hour that you never repeat does less than five faithful minutes a day. Keep it small, keep it daily, and keep it centered on the Father’s heart. Do that, and reading the Bible stops being a project you start and restart, and becomes a relationship that grows.

Frequently asked questions