The Time I Got Shredded in 30 Days

  I can remember a few years back the first time someone told me about “The Shred”. Reading the entire Bible in 30 days. My first reaction was the same as everyone else’s, “That’s crazy! and “That’s something I could never do.” At the time I had already found a consistent flow to my personal time with the Lord. Read a little, usually a chapter or two a day, then write out a page in my notebook of takeaways. In doing this I had read through the Bible a few times over the years. It was kinda intentional, but never a “read the bible in a year” plan. That intentionality didn’t happen until 2023. For Christmas that year I received the ESV Illuminated Scripture set and I determined to read through the entire Bible in one years time. So the next year that is what I did…and actually, I read it in 9 months. This was a huge accomplishment and at the end, the challenge of “The Shred” remained in the back of my mind. 

During this time I was truly starting to see the lack of Biblical knowledge in those who say they are Christians. So I went online to see what statistics say about people reading the Bible, and what I found honestly shocked me. In 2021 a study showed that only 11% of Christians read the Bible daily while OVER 45% read the Bible AT LEAST 3 TIMES A YEAR. That’s not a typo, you read that correctly. When I saw this I was genuinely upset. How is it that the majority of Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the ultimate authority on all matters of faith, yet they don’t actually take time to read it? The more I looked around, watched videos, and listened to people speak on the Bible, it became very clear that the statistics I read were very true. 

This stirred in me a desire to teach the Word of God and encourage others to take up reading the Bible for themselves. As a youth pastor I had a great place to start, with the students I served. So I started a group on Sunday Mornings and we began to dive into the Bible. We were able to get about 3 months in before we had to stop due to going to two services. During that time I realized how much I enjoyed studying the Word of God and also teaching it. I was even given a comment that I would of made a great teacher. (Not sure if that student was trying to make me feel good or really meant it haha) So ending this group was hard, but it inspired me to teach a class on a off night and making it available to the whole church. I began to dream about it, but it just seemed like the time was never right. Though the dream got put on the back shelf, the desire continued to grow in me and I kept learning and studying where I could and kept trying pushing myself. 

Then 2025 happened…It was a season of transition for me and Katie. First we found out we are having a second child, then in May a discussion came about with me moving out of youth ministry and into the executive role at the church. I’m not going to lie, many tears were shed when I realized I was stepping out of youth ministry. I loved the students, I loved Wednesday nights, I loved the unexpected chaos, I loved the energy, but now it was time to transition into a new role. In the midst of everything happening and all the emotions, there was something that stood out to me above everything else. In talking with my pastor he mentioned that my heart for teaching was needed and that he’d like for me to potentially take on Wednesday nights with the adults. In the middle of all my emotions, tears, and wondering, God showed me that He was already changing my heart and preparing me long before the transition was ever going to happen. October of ‘25 Pastor had me take over teaching on Wednesday nights and my desire to study, teach, and encourage others into the Word continues to grow! 

I am very thankful to my pastors, Timothy and Hope. They lead with excellence, they push us to grow personally, they encourage us, but most importantly they truly have a heart that desires the Lord!

So what does all this have to do with “The Shred”? Well now that I am teaching and encouraging others to read the Bible the challenge popped back into my mind. I spent the majority of December tossing the idea around to Katie and some of my friends. Every time I’d think about it and look at how much scripture I would have to read daily, as well as, how much time it would take, I’d talk myself out of it. Then a thought hit me…what better way to kill your selfishness than taking all your free time away and giving it to the Lord. So after a few more days of contemplation I told Katie that I was going to lock in and do “The Shred”. 

**Pause**

Before I move on I wanted to point something out. Anyone can read the Bible in a year. On average it would take you 20 mins a day of reading…20 mins! The average person spends 4 hours on their phone daily. It’s not a TIME issue, its a PRIDE issue. You are not going to do it because that is 20 mins of “your” time. Other reasons I feel people don’t spend time reading the Bible is #1: It is not a priority #2: They do not truly believe it is God’s Word #3: They just do not care. All of which points to the status of our hearts. (Which after the reading these past 30 days, the Heart is super important) 

Not even reading the entire Bible…45% of Christians do not even read the Bible more than 3 times in a year. I hope this does upset you or encourages you to pick up the Bible and read. One of the main reasons Israel kept sinning against the Lord was that they failed to learn, teach, and pass on the Torah. They forgot the Lord and they forgot His Words. 

**Un-Pause**

1 Bible…66 Books…30 Days

I want to be honest on the front end…”The Shred” can be quite brutal at times. On average I spent around 2 hours a day reading, close to 35-45 chapters everyday, and don’t even think about missing a day. You think one day is hard, try doubling it the next day haha! (Sadly this happened 3 times) There are also long stretches of the Bible that are difficult to read even one chapter at a time. Genealogies, dimensions for buildings, ways to sacrifice, the same stories repeated. Again, it is difficult. But…it was so rewarding! 

The most asked question I received when I told somebody what I was doing was, “What’s the purpose?” followed by, “How are you going to take anything from it?” Both valid questions, but these never come up when you slam a novel in a few days. Though you read through it quickly, you were still able to comprehend the story, the characters, the themes, how it made you feel, and still there were some details that stood out to you along the way. “The Shred” is not for studying the Bible, it’s for completely consuming it. So I want to simply list out some things I learned and some takeaways I had while reading the Bible in 30 days. (Not in any particular order)

1. Context Matters

One of the coolest parts about reading this much scripture is that you get to see the context of the entire Bible and books vs just a chapter or a few verses. One of the biggest issues we face in a world of Biblical illiteracy is that people pick out verses and use them out of their intended context. More than truly communicating what the author is saying or teaching (Exegesis), we take one verse and read into it what want it to mean or to fit our opinion (Eisegesis). This is so important! We often approach the Bible to study and find a word to help us in our situation. Because of this we often read our situations into the Bible instead of pulling out what God’s intended purpose really is. I’m guilty of this at times. (If all you are ever receiving from the Bible is encouraging words that never call you to die to yourself, kill your selfishness, or repent because you have sinned, then you aren’t actually reading the Bible.) Here’s the thing…when reading this much scripture you don’t have time to read into anything. You’re not here to receive a word, you are here to simply encounter the Word, for 2 hours haha! As I read I found myself seeing some things differently than before because I was not looking at the Bible through the lenses of my life. I was there just taking it all in. 

**Before moving on, the idea of Context is super important to many of the other things I am going to talk about. Because when you see the whole story and not individual verses or even individual books you pick up on the larger themes that the Bible is showing us.**

2.   Same God

Most people who occasionally read the Bible feel like the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament. Old Testament God is a god of wrath, whereas the God of the New Testament is a god of love. On the surface this would seem true. Through out the Old Testament you see God’s judgement on wicked nations play out juxtaposed to the love poured out from Jesus’s life. Honestly growing up this was something I believed and had questions about. Yet the more I read the Bible I see that it is far from the truth. The God I see in the Old Testament is the same I see in the New Testament. The idea that God doesn’t display His love in the Old Testament is absurd. As I’m reading (OT) I could not help but be drawn to the beauty of the Lord that much more. When talking to others during this time I struggled to even put words to it and even now I am at a loss. I can not read the Old Testament without seeing His love on every page. Something deep in me would stir up as I constantly saw His grace and mercy extended to His people. Even in times of chaos when He would have to punish His people or the prophecy comes of exile, there was always hope attached to the end. 

I never felt like I hit a moment where the author of the story changed hands. God’s Words, character, and style are evident through every book. He doesn’t change, He remains the same!

3.   Acts 11

“If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””

Acts 11:17-18

In Acts 10 we are told about a man named Cornelius, a centurion, a devout man, one who feared God, made charitable donations to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually. Cornelius was a gentile. One day while praying he receives a vision from God to send for Peter to come. During this time Peter receives a vision of unclean animals and he is told to rise and eat. This happens multiple times until he realizes when he arrives to Cornelius’ house that he is “not to call any person unholy or unclean.” Peter then begins to preach the good news to these gentiles and as they are listening the Holy Spirit fills the room and they begin to pray in other tongues just like the 120 Jewish people did on the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Jews with him were amazed, but they realized that this was the work of the Lord. 

Acts 11 is Peter returning to Jerusalem to report of all that has taken place amongst the gentiles. Then we get to the verses above…While reading these verses I began to cry. The impact of these chapters and verses can be missed if we do not pay attention…but I am a gentile. I am one to whom God has granted repentance that leads to life. I am one to which He has poured out His Spirit. 

I know this subject can be a whole post by itself. With more time and preparation I could share verses from the Old and New Testament pointing to this moment. Maybe another day. Those verses jumped off the pages and straight into my spirit and I had a moment of reflection and just like the Jews Peter was speaking to, it was a time to simply glorify God. I know it’s cliche to say, but where would I be if not for the Lord? I honestly hope that phrase does not become cliche on our own lives. I hope every time I hear those words it resonates deep within me of my eternal need of the One who spoke eternity into existence. All that I am and all that I have is from the Lord. He paid the price to ransom my life. So this life is but an offering unto Him to use as He deems fit. All for His glory! 

4.   A Rewarding Experience

I mentioned earlier that “The Shred” is brutal and difficult at times. Some will read this and say, “Because of that I’ll never do it.” If that is you let me also tell you some other things that are brutal and difficult at times. Raising children, your job, relationships, buying a house or car, family gatherings, did I mention raising a 3 year old? As hard as many of these things are, they are also very rewarding. 

The most obvious thing is finishing. When I turned over that last page of Revelation and saw that I was ending I got super emotional. I did it! What seemed to be a monstrous mountain to climb had been conquered. The other rewarding thing was spending time with God’s Word. I know what I am reading, but just to sit back and know that it’s me and Him for 2 hours was nice. When moments got hard or difficult I would remember this and joy would return. Another thing was that I’m getting to do something people wish they could do (which they can do, but that’s another point) I didn’t just sit back and dream about it, I DID IT! 

5.   At Least Once In Your Lifetime

I am now under the belief that everyone who calls themselves a Christian should take of the challenge of “The Shred” at least once in their lifetime. There are many things that I can write about and you can read from my experience, but there are some things you will only understand after you do it yourself. Like trying to explain being at Neyland Stadium for a Vols game. I can tell you all day, but until you are there with over 100,000 people singing Rocky Top and watching the power T open up…you will not fully understand. The point of taking time at the beginning of everything and talking about how I got to “The Shred” for myself was to show you it’s a process. I did not arrive here over night. It has taken me multiple years to get to this point, but if I can do it so can you! 

Make a plan. Challenge yourself with where you are at. Have a goal and start working towards it. I can tell you that as I was half way through the “The Shred” I began to figure out my next goal with reading the Bible. For the last 11 months of the year I want to read the Bible through 3 more times. A 4 month plan twice and then a 3 month plan. Keep growing and keep learning! It’s not just about gaining more knowledge of the Bible. It’s about gaining a deeper love and knowledge of God. 

6.   Kill Your Selfishness

You want to know what Jack did not want to do for 30 days? Spend 2 hours reading when he could of been playing Xbox, watching tv, going out with the family, scroll on my phone, etc. Going into this I knew that all of my free time would be sacrificed on the altar of “The Shred”. I knew that if I wanted to complete this there were things that I would not get to do for 30 days. It came down to this…is it worth it? We ask this question about a lot of things when it comes to God and we always say “YES!” He is worth it. Our mouths are moving, but what do our actions show? Genuinely it is worth it because He is worth it, but now it was time to actually go through with it. For me the biggest struggle was going to be staying away from my Xbox. I know some will read that and laugh or think it funny but we all have a thing to help us relax and let our minds rest. Mine just happens to be video games. 

A long time ago I set a rule in my life that I would not touch my Xbox until I have spent time with God and in His Word. The more I wanted to grow in the Lord I realized that I was going to have to set boundaries for myself. My spirit wanted time with it Lord, but my flesh wants nothing to do with it. So how can I crucify my flesh or submit it to my spirit? Healthy boundaries that help me win that war that is raging in me. Boundaries are not a bad thing and honestly we all probably need more. Boundaries are meant to help us from falling into danger or even death. Some of you reading this would love to spend more time with the Lord or make that time more consistent, I believe it starts with setting some healthy boundaries in your life. 

So for 30 days my free time was turned into God’s Word time. For 30 days I denied myself from many of the pleasures my flesh would love, most not being productive in my life anyway, to read. What I found in this to was how much time I waste. I was wondering where I had time to read for 2 hours and I found it alright. We all complain that we do not have enough time yet we all have the same 24 hours. I realize that we are all at different places in life, but blaming your kids for not having enough time only works at times. Use that excuse enough and  its not an excuse anymore but a crutch you lean on because deep down you are selfish but you don’t want to admit it. 

If time is not the issue, what is the real problem? Commitment and Intentionality. We are not committed to many things we set out to do, neither are we actually intentional on how we will succeed. What is one way to be intentional? Are healthy boundaries in your life. 

    There is probably more that I will want to share in the coming days as I remember it, but for now I believe this is good. I hope that you are encouraged and challenged by this. I want you to encounter God and know Him more.

He is the Goal, He is the Prize. 

So keep pursing Him with all that you have!