Red Letter Family,

Before Jesus preached a sermon, healed a disease, or called a disciple, He stepped into the water.

He did not need cleansing.
He did not need repentance.
He did not need approval.

And yet, He went down into the Jordan.

In Matthew 3, Jesus stands where sinners stand—not because He is sinful, but because He has come to carry sinners. The heavens open, the Spirit descends, and the Father speaks:

“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Notice what comes before obedience, before ministry, before mission.

Beloved.
Declared.
Delighted in.

That is where discipleship begins.

This week, as we open Red Letter 2026, we are not starting with commands, strategies, or spiritual goals. We are starting where Jesus started—anchored in the Father’s voice, shaped by obedience, and led by the Spirit.

In John 1, we hear the first words Jesus speaks in the Gospel account:
“What are you seeking?”

It is a question He still asks.

Not to shame us.
Not to test us.
But to invite us.

As we walk through the Red Letters together this year—across homes, states, and time zones—we do so trusting that the same Spirit who descended at the Jordan still unites the church today. We are not together by proximity, but by Christ.

Use the attached reading plan as a guide, not a burden. Read alone, read with family, read imperfectly. If you miss a day, return without guilt. Jesus does not meet us at the finish line—He meets us on the way.

May we learn, again and again, to hear the Father’s voice above all others.

For His glory
Dillon Evans

52 Week Red Letter Gospel Reading Plan

Week 1: Baptism & First Words

 Matt 3:13–17; John 1:29–51

Week 2: The Temptation

 Luke 4:1–13

Week 3: First Miracle & Temple

 John 2:1–25

Week 4: Nicodemus

 John 3:1–21

Week 5: Woman at the Well

 John 4:1–42

Week 6: Rejection at Nazareth

 Luke 4:14–30

Week 7: Calling First Disciples

 Luke 5:1–11

Week 8: Lord of the Sabbath

 Mark 2:18–3:6

Week 9: Sermon on the Mount I

 Matt 5:1–48

Week 10: Sermon on the Mount II

 Matt 6:1–34

Week 11: Sermon on the Mount III

 Matt 7:1–29

Week 12: Centurion’s Faith & John the Baptist

 Luke 7:1–35

Week 13: True Family

 Matt 12:22–50

Week 14: Kingdom Parables

 Matt 13:1–58

Week 15: Storm & Legion

 Mark 4:35–5:20

Week 16: Sending the Twelve

 Matt 10:1–42

Week 17: Feeding the 5000

 John 6:1–21

Week 18: Bread of Life Discourse

 John 6:22–71

Week 19: Tradition vs. God

 Mark 7:1–23

Week 20: Peter’s Confession

 Matt 16:13–28

Week 21: The Transfiguration

 Luke 9:28–45

Week 22: Greatness & Forgiveness

 Matt 18:1–35

Week 23: Cost of Discipleship

 Luke 9:51–62

Week 24: Sending the Seventy Two

 Luke 10:1–37

Week 25: Mary & Martha / Prayer

 Luke 10:38–11:13

Week 26: Feast of Tabernacles

 John 7:1–52

Week 27: The Adulteress & the Light

 John 8:1–59

Week 28: Man Born Blind

 John 9:1–10:21

Week 29: Warnings on Hypocrisy

 Luke 12:1–59

Week 30: The Narrow Door

 Luke 13:1–35

Week 31: Lost Sheep & Prodigal Son

 Luke 15:1–32

Week 32: The Shrewd Manager

 Luke 16:1–31

Week 33: Lazarus Raised

 John 11:1–54

Week 34: Ten Lepers

 Luke 17:11–37

Week 35: Pharisee & Tax Collector

 Luke 18:1–14

Week 36: The Rich Young Ruler

 Matt 19:1–30

Week 37: Laborers in the Vineyard

 Matt 20:1–28

Week 38: Zacchaeus

 Luke 19:1–27

Week 39: Triumphal Entry

 John 12:12–50

Week 40: Taxes to Caesar & Temple Debates

 Matt 22:15–46

Week 41: Seven Woes

 Matt 23:1–39

Week 42: Olivet Discourse

 Matt 24:1–25:46

Week 43: The Last Supper

 John 13:1–38

Week 44: The Way, the Truth, the Life

 John 14:1–31

Week 45: The Vine & the Branches

 John 15:1–27

Week 46: The Work of the Spirit

 John 16:1–33

Week 47: The High Priestly Prayer

 John 17:1–26

Week 48: Arrest & Trial

 John 18:1–40

Week 49: The Crucifixion

 Luke 23; John 19

Week 50: The Resurrection

 Luke 24; Matt 28

Week 51: Ascension & Acts

 Acts 1:1–11; 9:1–19

Week 52: Revelation of Jesus Christ

 Rev 1–3