Winter break Bible reading plan for college students: 4 weeks, December 14 to January 10, with a plan for going home
A dated winter break Bible reading plan for college students: 24 short readings from Dec 14 to Jan 10, one question a day, and a plan for quiet time at home.
In this article
- How the winter break plan works
- Week 1: done with finals (December 14 to 19)
- Week 2: Christmas at home (December 21 to 26)
- Week 3: family, grace and a new year (December 28 to January 2)
- Week 4: back to campus (January 4 to 9)
- How to keep a quiet time when you go home for break
- If your break is a different length
- What to do after January 10
- Frequently asked questions
This winter break Bible reading plan for college students covers four weeks, from Monday, December 14, 2026 to Sunday, January 10, 2027. It has 24 short readings (276 verses in all), six days a week, with Sundays left for church and catching up. Each week has a theme for where you are: resting after finals, Christmas at home, family and the new year, and heading back to campus.
Winter break is a strange stretch for a lot of Christian students. On campus you probably had a rhythm: a small group, a campus ministry night, a friend who asked how your quiet time was going. Then finals end, you drive or fly home, your schedule disappears, and three weeks later you realize you haven't opened your Bible since the plane.
This plan is built for that gap. The readings are short on purpose (the longest is Daniel 1, at 21 verses), so you can do them in a noisy house. And there's a section below on the part most plans skip: keeping time with God when you're back in your childhood bedroom.
How the winter break plan works
US college winter breaks vary a lot by school, but many run from mid-December to early or mid-January. This plan uses the four weeks from December 14 to January 10. Check your own academic calendar and slide the start date if you need to.
Here's the rhythm:
- Monday to Saturday: one short passage and one question. Write your answer in a notes app or a journal.
- Sunday: go to church (with your family if you can, more on that below), and use the day to catch up on anything you missed.
- Any time: if a passage grabs you, slow down and do a full SOAP Bible study on one verse (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer).
| Week | Dates | Theme | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 14 to 19 | Done with finals: rest | 6 readings, 47 verses |
| 2 | Dec 21 to 26 | Christmas at home | 6 readings, 82 verses |
| 3 | Dec 28 to Jan 2 | Family, grace and a new year | 6 readings, 76 verses |
| 4 | Jan 4 to 9 | Back to campus | 6 readings, 71 verses |
Verse counts are from the King James Version. Read in whatever translation you use; the passages are the same.
If you'd rather not track this in a notes app, the app can hold the habit for you: a reading plan, a streak, and a short quiz after each reading.
Week 1: done with finals (December 14 to 19)
Finals week usually ends with too little sleep and too much caffeine. The first week of this plan is about rest, and about the fact that God isn't impressed by how exhausted you are.
| Date | Reading | Question for today |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Dec 14 | Psalm 23 | Which line of this psalm do you need most this week? |
| Tue, Dec 15 | Psalm 121 | Read it on your travel day. Where do you look for help when you're stressed? |
| Wed, Dec 16 | Matthew 11:25-30 | What is one burden you carried through the semester that you can hand to Jesus? |
| Thu, Dec 17 | Psalm 127 | Where have you been working "in vain" without asking God to build it? |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Isaiah 40:21-31 | What does it mean to "wait upon the Lord" during a break with no deadlines? |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Mark 1:29-39 | When and where could you get a few quiet minutes at home, like Jesus did in verse 35? |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Church and catch-up |
Psalm 121 has the heading "A Song of degrees" in the KJV. It belongs to the group of psalms (120 to 134) that many scholars connect with pilgrims traveling up to Jerusalem, which makes it a good travel-day psalm. It ends like this:
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
And Psalm 127:2 is a verse many students need to hear in December: "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep." Sleep isn't a lack of faith. Take it.
Week 2: Christmas at home (December 21 to 26)
Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday. This week walks from Isaiah's promise to the birth, with Luke 2 on Christmas Eve and John 1 on Christmas morning.
| Date | Reading | Question for today |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Dec 21 | Isaiah 9:1-7 | Which of the four names in verse 6 means the most to you this year? |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Luke 1:26-38 | Mary says "be it unto me according to thy word" (verse 38). What would that sentence cost you right now? |
| Wed, Dec 23 | Matthew 1:18-25 | Joseph obeys without saying a word. What is one thing God has already made clear that you haven't done yet? |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Luke 2:1-20 | The shepherds heard, went, saw and told. Which of those four is hardest for you? |
| Fri, Dec 25 | John 1:1-14 | What does "the Word was made flesh" (verse 14) tell you about how close God is willing to come? |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Luke 2:21-40 | Simeon waited years to see Jesus. What are you waiting on God for? |
| Sun, Dec 27 | Church and catch-up |
If your family reads the Christmas story together, offer to read Luke 2:1-20 aloud on Christmas Eve. It takes about the same time as one song. For background on which details come from Matthew and which from Luke, see where the Christmas story is in the Bible. You can also read the story pages for the birth of Jesus and Simeon and Anna.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Week 3: family, grace and a new year (December 28 to January 2)
By the week after Christmas, everyone's been in the same house for a while. This week reads two of the Bible's great family stories, then turns to the new year on December 31 and January 1.
| Date | Reading | Question for today |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Dec 28 | Genesis 45:1-15 | Joseph forgives brothers who sold him. Who in your family do you need to be patient with this week? |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Luke 15:11-32 | Are you more like the younger son or the older son right now? |
| Wed, Dec 30 | Colossians 3:12-17 | Pick one word from verse 12 (mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering) to practice at home today. |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Psalm 90 | Verse 12 asks God to "teach us to number our days." What do you want 2027 to be about? |
| Fri, Jan 1 | Lamentations 3:19-26 | What is one mercy from 2026 you can thank God for by name? |
| Sat, Jan 2 | Philippians 3:7-14 | What do you need to leave "behind" from last semester? |
| Sun, Jan 3 | Church and catch-up |
Joseph's words to his brothers are one of the most surprising lines in Genesis. Read the whole story on our page about Joseph revealing himself.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
New Year's Day lands on Lamentations 3 because of verses 22 and 23: God's compassions "are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." If you want a longer New Year reading, our New Year devotional for young adults has three passages and a SOAP entry.
Quick quiz: Luke
To whom does Luke dedicate his Gospel?
Luke writes that it seemed good to him to set everything down “in order, most excellent Theophilus.” Luke 1:3
To whom does an angel announce the Savior’s birth on the very night Jesus is born in Bethlehem?
Shepherds were keeping watch over their flock by night when the angel told them: “unto you is born this day… a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8–11
Which tree does Zacchaeus climb to see Jesus?
Being short, Zacchaeus “ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him.” Luke 19:4
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.
Week 4: back to campus (January 4 to 9)
The last week gets you ready to go back. Spring semester brings new classes, maybe a new roommate, and the same pressures as before. These readings are about courage, wisdom and keeping your heart steady somewhere that doesn't share your faith.
| Date | Reading | Question for today |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jan 4 | Daniel 1 | Daniel "purposed in his heart" (verse 8) before the pressure came. What will you decide before you get back? |
| Tue, Jan 5 | Joshua 1:1-9 | Where do you need the promise of verse 9 this semester? |
| Wed, Jan 6 | Proverbs 3:1-12 | Which plan for this semester (classes, internship, relationship) do you need to hand back to God? |
| Thu, Jan 7 | Matthew 6:25-34 | What worry about the spring are you carrying already? |
| Fri, Jan 8 | 1 Timothy 4:6-16 | Verse 12 says "let no man despise thy youth." Where could you be an example on campus? |
| Sat, Jan 9 | Psalm 119:9-16 | What time and place will your quiet time be once classes start? |
| Sun, Jan 10 | Church, then back with your small group |
Daniel was a young man far from home, in a culture that wanted to rename and reshape him (Daniel 1:6-7). His story makes a good companion for your first week back: see Daniel and his friends in Babylon.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
How to keep a quiet time when you go home for break
Most reading plans assume your normal life. Winter break isn't normal life. Here are the problems students run into at home, and what helps.
Your schedule disappears. On campus, classes give your day a shape. At home, you might sleep until eleven. Tie the reading to something that happens every day anyway: your first coffee, the dog walk, the drive to a part-time job. Jesus went out "a great while before day" (Mark 1:35), but the point is the solitary place, not the hour.
The house is loud. Siblings, cousins, a TV that's always on. Take your Bible or phone on a walk, sit in the car for ten minutes, or read before anyone else is up. Each reading in this plan is short enough for that.
You're between churches. Go to church with your family if they attend, even if it's not the style you're used to now. If your family doesn't go, find a church near home for the break, or go back to the one you grew up in. Hebrews 10:25 talks about "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together," and that doesn't take a break in December.
Family questions about your faith. College changes people, and parents notice. Some families are glad you're more serious about Jesus; some are confused or worried. Honor your parents (Ephesians 6:2) even where you disagree, and when the questions come, be "ready always to give an answer ... with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). Meekness is the hard part over a holiday dinner.
You lose your people. Your small group scatters across three time zones. Pick one friend and agree to do this plan together. Text each other your answer to the daily question. Our guide on how to stay consistent reading the Bible has more ideas on habits that survive a schedule change.
If your break is a different length
| Your break | What to do |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks | Do weeks 2 and 3 (December 21 to January 2), or week 2 plus week 4 if you go back early. |
| 3 weeks | Skip week 1 and start on December 21. |
| 5 or 6 weeks | After week 4, read the Gospel of Mark, one chapter a day (16 chapters). |
| You work during break | Keep the readings and drop the written answers to one line. |
| You're an international student staying on campus | Use the plan as written and find a local church's Christmas Eve service. |
Fell behind? Don't try to read three days at once. Skip what you missed and read today's date. Our post on what to do when you fall behind on a Bible reading plan explains why that works better than catching up.
What to do after January 10
Four weeks of short readings won't make you a Bible scholar, but it can keep the habit alive until the semester gives you a rhythm again. When you're back on campus, a longer plan fits better: try the Bible reading plan for young adults, or the 2027 Bible reading plan if you want to read the whole Bible this year.
Bible Academy helps with that step. You pick 1 to 5 chapters a day, the app keeps a calendar and a streak, and a short quiz after each reading shows you what stuck. You can also add friends and see each other's weekly streak, which helps when your small group is scattered over break.
Frequently asked questions
What should a college student read in the Bible over winter break?
Short passages that fit where you are. This plan reads rest psalms after finals (Psalms 23, 121 and 127), the Christmas story from Isaiah 9 to Luke 2, family and new-year passages like Genesis 45, Luke 15 and Psalm 90, then back-to-campus readings like Daniel 1 and Joshua 1. Each day is one passage of 5 to 22 verses with one question.
How long is a winter break Bible reading plan?
This one is four weeks, from Monday, December 14, 2026 to Sunday, January 10, 2027, with 24 readings and Sundays left for church and catch-up. That covers most US college winter breaks. If your break is three weeks, start on December 21; if it's two, do weeks 2 and 3.
How do I keep a quiet time at home during Christmas break?
Tie your reading to something that already happens every day, like your first coffee or a walk, and keep it short. Find a quiet spot outside the busy rooms, even the car. Go to church on Sundays, and do the plan with one friend from your campus small group so someone notices if you stop.
What Bible verse is good for going back to college?
Joshua 1:9 is a strong choice: "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Daniel 1:8, where Daniel "purposed in his heart" before the pressure came, and 1 Timothy 4:12 on being an example in your youth also fit the first week back.
What if I miss days on my winter break reading plan?
Skip the missed readings and pick up with today's date. Each reading in this plan stands on its own, so missing one doesn't break the next. Sundays are free for catching up if you want to go back. The goal of a four-week break plan is to keep the habit alive until classes start, not a perfect record.
Can I do this winter break plan with my small group?
Yes. Everyone reads the same short passage each day and texts a one-line answer to the daily question in a group chat. When you're back on campus, use the Sunday catch-up readings or the Christmas week passages as your first small group discussion of the semester.