52 Weeks in the Word: A Companion for Reading through the Bible in a Year

by Trillia J. Newbell

A joy-filled, thoughtful, and realistic pathway through the entirety of God’s Word!

Have you ever been disappointed or frustrated with your inability for consistent Bible study? Reading through the Bible in a year can feel daunting. It can be hard to know how—or where—to start. Perhaps you just need a friend who follows Jesus to help. Trillia Newbell is a trusted Bible teacher and lover of the Scriptures. She describes herself as a “forever student.” And she’d like nothing more than for you to join her in the grand and thrilling adventure of growing in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ! Rather than jumping around the Bible, you can jump into this book that will take you through the entirety of the Scriptures in one year!

This book

A reading plan—not too big or too small52 Reflections—one per weekPrayer prompts for each Scripture readingBuilt in rest and catch-up daysSpace for your own reflection or studyEasy instructions so you can begin throughout the year!
52 Weeks in the Word guides you through God’s sacred and trusted Word, all while helping you organize your reading and pausing for deeper meditation. The result? Greater knowledge of God, by grace and the power of the Spirit, can lead to wisdom and worship of God. You'll discover treasures—some old to you, some new—help for daily living, hope in times of suffering, and a deep abiding relationship with the God who loves you.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Christianity, Spirituality, Religion, Christian Living, Nonfiction

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

Trillia Newbell is the author of Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God's Good Gifts (2016), Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (2015), United: Captured by God's Vision for Diversity (2014), a children’s book, God’s Very Good Idea: A True Story of God’s Delightfully Different Family, and a six-week Bible study on Romans 8, If God is For Us: The Everlasting Truth of Our Great Salvation (releases January 2019) . Her writings on issues of faith, family, and diversity have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, and more. She is currently Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention. Trillia is married to her best friend, Thern, they reside with their two children near Nashville, TN. You can find her at trillianewbell.com and follow her on twitter at @trillianewbell.

Reviews

[Taliah Kendrick]

If you are looking for a companion to use as you journey through the entirety of Scripture, this would be a good resource. In the stage of life that I’m in, the daily journaling sections did not get used much and I didn’t get to read every weekly recap. I did modify the plan to work for me towards the end of my time. If you want to walk straight through the Bible, book by book, this will work for you!

[Annie Riggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) A well-paced reading plan for the Bible in a year, though I wished the weekly reflections had been meatier. As for the Bible itself? “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” (Proverbs 19:7)

[Cover Lover Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

52 Weeks in the Word is such an artsy, interactive, unique reading guide/devotional/journal book that promotes a thorough and thoughtful journey through the Bible in a year. (Whew, that was a mouthful…but seriously, it's so many things wrapped up on one.)

I love the organization of this book.
• Scripture passages to read for 6 days of each week
• Ideas for your “Rest” day
• Questions to consider
• Lined spaces to write answers, notes, or thoughts for each day
• Blank spaces to write prayers
• Inspiring weekly reflections/devotions
• The Bible Reading Plan & blank lined pages in the back of the book

The weeks are divided with artsy full-page drawings, satisfying the creative side of my reflective time, and a chart listing the estimate time it takes to read each book of the Bible unique and handy.

I’m resolute to reading through the Bible this coming New Year. I’ve done it several times in the past and it’s an edifying and rewarding experience. I will document the journey in this lovely companion book.

First Line (Week 1): Genesis moves quickly.
Genre: Bible Study, Devotional
Author: Trillia J. Newbell
Page Count: 368

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you be strengthened in Scripture this new year? In 52 Weeks in the Word, Trillia J. Newbell provides a companion for reading through the Bible in a year.

This Bible reading plan is an excellent way to incorporate Bible reading into your daily habits this new year. Each week includes space to write notes, a portion for prayers, and reflections by Newbell. She does a great job of helping introduce the material while also guiding you so you get the big picture. Her writing is warm and friendly, but she is also knowledgable and clear.

Helpful and Devotional

This paperback book can be taken with you throughout your day or sit comfortably at your desk or on your bedside table. What I was most impressed by was how captivating the illustrations were for each week. Colorful and joyful, they added vibrancy to the study. I was most eager to see how the book would act as a survey of the entire Bible from the reflection material, and I was pleased to see it was helpful while also devotional.

This book would be helpful for anyone who wants to do individual book studies, or quickly read through it to get a big picture of the entire Bible. If you have never read through the entire Bible, or if you want to commit to reading it again, this is the book to get at the begging of the new year.

I received a media copy of 52 Weeks in the Word and this is my honest review.

[Jessica Wilkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this and overall, it was a good experience to read the Bible cover to cover but I found there wasn’t enough guidance. While the end of the week had little write ups which were good, I think it would have been better if they had been at the beginning of the week. Also it’s a bit tedious to spend from January to October in the Old Testament and then with the New Testament, reading one book a day was too fast. So, I’m glad I did this but I don’t think I’ll do it this way again.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed having a yearly Bible reading plan with a bit more structure than I usually have. I did wish for maybe a bit more "meat" to the reflections at the end of each week. Or perhaps a suggestion for deep dives based on that week's reading. But I did appreciate the structure that it did provide and will probably go back to it in the future when I do another "Bible in a Year" project.

[Kelsie Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved using this to read through the Bible this year. Well paced, and really enjoyed the short journaling prompts- when you're reading through the Bible in a year, it's easy to lose track of what you've read, and the journaling helped. It's also a really beautiful book!

[Rebecca ZeBarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

52 weeks, 365 days!!!! Guys I 10/10 recommend spending your year in the Word :’)

[Lauren Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed using this reading journal as I read my way through the Bible this year. It was a fruitful exercise to consider with each reading what I learned about God, where is Jesus in the chapters, and then how might I apply these verses to my life.

[Prairie Sky Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I picked up Trillia Newbell’s book from Moody Publishers entitled: “52 Weeks In The Word: A Companion For Reading Through The Bible In A Year”. So, how does this idea work exactly? Well it’s kind of a neat combination of Bible-reading plan, journal, and study guide, making this a really unique volume that can work for students of God’s word in so many ways. It provides structure while still allowing for the personal application and interpretation that pushes us to dive in and really study and think about the Scripture we are reading - for ourselves. Guiding us, through study questions and insightful snippets of relevant information, the author encourages us to find meaning and application from our daily reading and to use not only this book but other study tools as well. Of course the foundation for our study is, and always should be, the Bible itself - and “52 Weeks In The Word” works as a strong and steady reminder of this fact.

So in many ways this book is a guide and launching pad that helps start us on our journey of reading through the entire Bible in a single year… but how we navigate and work through each step of the journey, what we take from each reading, is up to us. Ms. Newbell is there as our guide, of course, and a fellow sojourner on God’s path. Yet how we fill in the blanks - both literally, the journal sections in the book; and figuratively, the application for our own lives - is up to us. Are you ready for a journey that will take an entire year but leave you changed in ways you can’t even now imagine? Then join us as we embark together on “52 Weeks In The Word”!

I received this book courtesy of Moody Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Ayden Tilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Bible reading guide was spectacular! The colors and art of this book are beautiful, and it’s laid out so well. I love that each day isn’t dated, so you don’t have to stick to a very specific timeline, rather it just says “Day 1, Day 2 etc.” The prompting questions are perfect, starting out with “What does this tell you about God,” which is exactly how we should be reading the Bible, and not with “What does this tell you about ME.” The end of the week short devotionals were very well written, and there was some great truth in them.

[Val Plagge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't get it done in a year but I loved the format of this book to help me read through my Bible. It goes from cover to cover in the Bible and gives you about 10-15 minutes worth of Bible reading and then a section to write down notes. I used that section to write notes and a prayer about what I read. At the end of six passages, the author gives a recap for the week and encourages you to meditate more over a certain section. I'm very happy I chose this to use as I read through my Bible. It helped me break up the passages and gave me time to think and pray over every book in my Bible.

[ondrea harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is really no reason to purchase this book. It’s pages with reading assignments and journaling space (a notebook is an adequate description). I gave it two stars only because the author did put some discussion points in each week.

[Ruth Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good way to keep track of reading the Bible through in one year. I read the Bible through in 1 year and 51 days! It was a blessing to me that I can’t even explain. I didn’t do all the journaling, but I marked off chapters as I read them. I’m happy that I did it and will do it again.

[Heather Voelz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This plan breaks up the Bible into manageable pieces and provides a devotion at the end of each week. Trillia also provides room for reflection, but I confess I didn't utilize that as much. I would do this plan again in the future.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful in guiding Bible reading through the year. Also helpful to think through her questions and read the day's passage with that in mind. Recommend.

[Anna Lanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOO HOO! BIBLE IN A YEAR! 🥳 I thought this was a great guide to keep me on track!

[Eugenia]

62.5 weeks of 52 weeks in the Word :D

[Robin Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read more quickly and skipped some sections of Scripture that I had recently read/studied. This is a good aid to keep you on track and engaged with the Bible.

[Nat Cuany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great and Practical Bible reading plan

I greatly enjoyed reading through the Bible in a year with this reading plan. It was divided well, had thought provoking questions, and ended each week with a short devotion. There is even a podcast to go along with each week. I would highly recommend this book as a resource when reading through the Bible in a year.