Inscribe the Word 2025: The Gospel of John
Welcome to a New Year of Inscribe the Word. This is my tenth year of engaging in the practice of Scripture Writing, and this spiritual discipline has been transformative. If you’ve never written Scripture, the practice is simple.
Inscribe the Word is a spiritual practice rooted in the discipline of Scripture writing—taking time to handwrite passages of the Bible as a way to slow down, reflect, and meditate on God’s Word. By writing Scripture, we engage our minds and hearts in a deeper way, noticing the richness of each word and allowing the truths of the Bible to sink more deeply into our souls. It’s not about how much we write but how intentionally we engage, creating space for the Holy Spirit to speak, teach, and transform us through the living Word of God.
The Current Climate
According to a 2017 LifeWay Research survey, only 20% of Americans have read the entire Bible all the way through. About half of Americans (53 percent) have read relatively little of the Bible. The research is staggering. We don’t know Scripture. We don’t know what God is speaking because we aren’t engaged in His Word. (Source)
Inscribe the Word 2025: The Gospel of John
When we learned that only about 20% of Americans have read the Bible all the way through—and that less than 30% of Christians worldwide have done the same—we felt both burdened and inspired. These statistics reveal a deeper challenge: many people who call themselves Christians haven’t fully engaged with the very foundation of their faith. For some, the Bible feels intimidating or irrelevant; for others, it’s simply hard to prioritize in our busy, distracted lives.
We get it.
Life moves fast, and slowing down to engage with Scripture can feel daunting.
But here’s the truth: God’s Word isn’t just another item on a to-do list—it’s the key to knowing Him more intimately, to hearing His voice, and to letting His truth shape our lives.
That’s why this year, we are inviting you to slow down and savor the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John was written to reveal Jesus in a way that invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. John doesn’t just tell us what Jesus did—he shows us who Jesus is: the Word made flesh, the Light of the world, the Bread of life. By inscribing this Gospel, we’re creating space to meditate on each verse, letting its truths settle in our hearts and minds.
We’re not rushing.
From January to November, we’ll focus on one section of John each month, with a new theme that highlights the richness of this Gospel. December will be a time of reflection, journaling through how these Scriptures have spoken to us.
If you prefer to Inscribe another topic or theme this year, CLICK HERE for our ITW Collection.
Community
When we dreamed about diving into the Gospel of John this year, we knew we didn’t want to do it alone. That’s why we created this space on Substack—to give us a way to journey together. This isn’t just about reading and writing Scripture; it’s about walking alongside one another, sharing insights, asking questions, and encouraging each other as we slow down and savor God’s Word.
Through weekly reflections, encouragement, and a growing community of fellow sojourners, this Substack is a space for connection and growth. You’ll have access to Scripture meditations, practical tools, and meaningful conversations to guide your own journey of faith. Whether you’re new to Inscribe the Word or have been part of our community for years, this space is designed to feel like home—a place where we can learn, reflect, and worship together as we experience the beauty and depth of John’s Gospel.
We will still post on our website and through our regular email list, but Substack is an alternative to creating social media communities. We love sharing our thoughts and musings with the world over on Instagram, but as social media has changed over the years, we have found it harder and harder to squeeze all of our thoughts into small captions while figuring out the ever-changing algorithms.
What I Am Using This Year
The NIV Life Application Study Bible. You can check it out here.
The CSB Notetaking Bible. You can check it out here.
I am studying the day's Scriptures using the Bible Study Method I developed, W.O.R.D.
You can learn how to study using W.O.R.D. in depth here. Steven and I will be updating our Substack daily/weekly using the W.O.R.D. method and showing you how to study using this method.The monthly plans will be released during the last week of the prior month.
That’s all you need:
A Bible.
The ITW Monthly Plan.
A Notebook.
If you prefer to Inscribe another topic or theme this year, CLICK HERE for our ITW Collection.
Above is my CSB Notetaking Bible.
Will You Join Us?
If you prefer to Inscribe another topic or theme this year, CLICK HERE for our ITW Collection.
As we begin this journey through the Gospel of John, our hope is that this year will be a time of transformation, not just in our understanding of Scripture but in our hearts and lives. By slowing down to inscribe God’s Word, we’re creating space for His truth to take root, His love to fill us, and His Spirit to guide us.
Let’s commit to this together—one verse, one day, one prayer at a time—allowing the beauty, depth, and power of John’s Gospel to draw us closer to Jesus. I can’t wait to see what God will do in and through us this year. Let’s begin.
John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Let’s see where He takes us.
What are you looking forward to as we inscribe The Gospel of John this year?
Let us know in the comments!
