How do you start reading the Bible?

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How do you start reading the Bible? When I first got my Bible, I thought I needed to read it like a normal book, from beginning to end. But then in church, it would seem like they would open to a random page and start talking about it. So, I remember after I first became a Christian, I read the Bible like this. Now, sometimes that can be helpful, but is there a better way to start? In this one Bible, there are 66 books, tons of stories spread out across thousands of years. A lot of people are going to have different opinions on how to start and what versions to read because this book has been translated throughout time. Somebody once asked, "What version of the Bible is best?" And the response I heard was brilliant, "The one you actually read." You can do your research if you want. The ones I personally recommend that are easy for me to read are the Christian Standard Bible and the New International Version. Now, you could get a physical Bible and at some point you should, would first recommend downloading the YouVersion Bible app. 100% free and almost all the versions you can think of are on there, even in different languages. So, if somebody says, "Turn to the book of John," you don't have to try to figure out where John is. You can actually just select the book of John and easily jump to it. Speaking of the book of John, that is where I would recommend starting because it tells the story of Jesus. It'll be important to get to the other things, but I have found hearing the life and story of Jesus was foundational in me becoming a Christian. And if you want, you can also jump to the book of Proverbs, which is great for wisdom, or jump all the way back to the first book in the Bible called Genesis, which is the start of everything, when God created the earth and you find out why we needed Jesus. Okay, so we know where to start, but how do we understand it? Now, when I first started, I really just wanted to get something out of it, for my life to be better. So, I wanted to make sure I started in the right place. But, the Bible says, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God, you and I, may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." God can use all of this to help us, which is encouraging, right? But, it brings up the question, "What if I find something I don't understand?" For example, if I open to a random page and read, "And I will bring charges against your children's children." Are they talking about my children's children? This is where understanding the context of what you're reading is going to be really helpful. Who wrote it? What was happening in their day and time? Who were they writing it to? Now, some of those answers are pretty clear, but as somebody who's just getting started in the Bible, it can already feel overwhelming. So, one of my favorite resources of all time is something called The Bible Project. It's a group of people that started a YouTube channel that have spent over the last 10 years trying to make very simple and digestible videos to help give you the right context when reading books of the Bible. So, if you're going to start by reading the book of John, I highly recommend looking up The Bible Project John and watch that overview. It'll give you all the context you need before you jump in. They also have a reading plan in the YouVersion Bible app I told you about that simply guides you through, "Hey, watch this video. Now, read these chapters to understand." If you're someone who's already read the Bible, drop your recommendations of where you think people should start. And for those of you just getting started, I'm so excited for you to read God's word and hear what he's speaking into your life. I'm praying for you today, friends. God bless.