3 Day Bible Reading Plan - “The Fall”
“What is wrong with us? Look around. Observe the world. Look into yourselves. Can any of us honestly deny the presence of both good and evil? We witness acts of profound kindness, breathtaking beauty, and selfless love. Yet, we also see acts of unspeakable cruelty, devastating injustice, and heart-wrenching suffering. We can all admit that there is good and evil in us. We struggle with our own internal battles, torn between our best intentions and our worst impulses. There is beauty and brokenness in us and our world. We don’t experience the same levels of each, but we all experience them. Whether it's the lingering effects of a past mistake, the frustration of unmet expectations, or the ever-present awareness of our own imperfections, we know that something is not quite right.” - Pastor Paul Crandell, 6/29/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Genesis 3:1-7 - “Then the eyes of both were opened.”
How does the serpent’s approach reflect the nature of temptation, and what does this suggest about the strategies used to challenge human obedience to God?
How does the serpent’s question, “Did God really say…?”, introduce doubt, and what can this teach us about the relationship between trust in God and vulnerability to sin?
How do the immediate effects of Adam and Eve’s actions (such as shame and awareness of nakedness) reflect the spiritual and relational consequences of disobedience, and what might this imply for humanity’s ongoing relationship with God?
Pause and Reflect: Lord God, I confess my own struggles with temptation and the times I’ve questioned Your truth, seeking my own way instead. Grant me the wisdom to trust Your guidance and the strength to resist the allure of sin, so I may walk faithfully with You.
“Satan began, as he usually does, with a question, ‘Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’. He did not openly deny the word of God, but he hinted a doubt, and that doubt was the egg from which the whole brood of evil was hatched.” - Charles Spurgeon
Day 2
Featured Verse: Genesis 3:17-19 - “Cursed is the ground because of you.”
How does God’s declaration that the ground is cursed “because of you” reflect the relationship between human sin and the natural world, and what might this suggest about the broader impact of disobedience on creation?
What does God’s address to Adam, focusing on his listening to Eve rather than obeying God, teach us about personal responsibility and the ripple effects of individual choices in a theological context?
How might the curses in Genesis 3:17-19 point forward to themes of redemption and restoration in later biblical narratives, and what hope can be drawn from the idea that God’s judgment includes a continuation of life and provision?
Pause and Reflect: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge the weight of sin’s consequences in my life and the toil that often marks my days, yet I am grateful for Your provision amidst the curse. Grant me strength to work faithfully and hope in Your promise of redemption, trusting that You transform even the dust of my existence for Your glory.
“The curse of toil and death pronounced in Genesis 3 shows us the terrible reality of sin’s consequences, but it also points us to the grace of God, who provides for us even in our fallen state. The thorns and thistles of the cursed ground remind us daily of our rebellion, yet in our labor, God teaches us dependence on His provision. Through the sweat of our brow and the return to dust, we are humbled, but in Christ, we find hope that transforms our toil into a testimony of redemption.” - Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Day 3
Featured Verse: Romans 5:12-19 - “...through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
In what ways does Paul’s comparison of Adam and Christ as representative figures illuminate the theological concepts of original sin and imputed righteousness?
How does Paul’s statement that “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin” shape our understanding of the universal nature of sin and its consequences across humanity?
Why does Paul emphasize that the free gift of grace through Christ is greater than the trespass of Adam, and what does this reveal about the surpassing power of God’s redemptive work compared to the consequences of sin?
Pause and Reflect: Lord Jesus, I stand in awe of Your abundant grace that triumphs over the sin brought through Adam, offering me life through Your righteousness. Strengthen my faith to embrace Your free gift of salvation, trusting in Your power to redeem and restore me despite my fallen nature.
“It is written, ‘By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life’; this shows the infinite mercy of God, that where one man’s trespass condemned all, one man’s obedience saves all who believe.” - Jonathan Edwards
“Romans 5:17 tells us, ‘They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ’; what a glorious truth, that Christ’s gift not only cancels Adam’s sin but elevates us to reign with Him!” - Andrew Murray