Growing Believer
The Kingdom Story.
Matthew alongside the exodus he keeps quoting.
Companion App
Take it with you.
Reading plans for every stage of faith, an optional Psalm, Proverb or Gospel of the Day, and questions and tips as you read. Free on iPhone and Android.
See what's in the app →
Why this plan
Matthew writes for a Jewish audience and constantly quotes and echoes the Old Testament — "Out of Egypt I called my son." Reading him alongside Exodus and Numbers makes those connections visible instead of passing them by.
Exodus and Numbers are read as one continuous wilderness story, which carries on after Matthew finishes.
What you'll read
2 streams, read side by side.
Matthew
Matthew
Exodus & Numbers
Exodus → Numbers
Week by week
The plan for the next 16 weeks.
Every reading, in the order the app gives them. When one stream finishes, the others carry on until the plan is done.
Week 1Matthew 1 – Matthew 5
- Day 1Matthew 1 · Exodus 1
- Day 2Matthew 2 · Exodus 2
- Day 3Matthew 3 · Exodus 3
- Day 4Matthew 4 · Exodus 4
- Day 5Matthew 5 · Exodus 5
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 2Matthew 6 – Matthew 10
- Day 6Matthew 6 · Exodus 6
- Day 7Matthew 7 · Exodus 7
- Day 8Matthew 8 · Exodus 8
- Day 9Matthew 9 · Exodus 9
- Day 10Matthew 10 · Exodus 10
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 3Matthew 11 – Matthew 14
- Day 11Matthew 11 · Exodus 11
- Day 12Matthew 12 · Exodus 12
- Day 13Matthew 13:1–30 · Exodus 13
- Day 14Matthew 13:31–58 · Exodus 14
- Day 15Matthew 14 · Exodus 15
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 4Matthew 15 – Matthew 19
- Day 16Matthew 15 · Exodus 16
- Day 17Matthew 16 · Exodus 17
- Day 18Matthew 17 · Exodus 18
- Day 19Matthew 18 · Exodus 19
- Day 20Matthew 19 · Exodus 20
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 5Matthew 20 – Matthew 24:1–28
- Day 21Matthew 20 · Exodus 21
- Day 22Matthew 21 · Exodus 22
- Day 23Matthew 22 · Exodus 23
- Day 24Matthew 23 · Exodus 24
- Day 25Matthew 24:1–28 · Exodus 25
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 6Matthew 24:29–51 – Matthew 27:1–31
- Day 26Matthew 24:29–51 · Exodus 26
- Day 27Matthew 25 · Exodus 27
- Day 28Matthew 26:1–35 · Exodus 28
- Day 29Matthew 26:36–75 · Exodus 29
- Day 30Matthew 27:1–31 · Exodus 30
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 7Matthew 27:32–66 – Exodus 35
- Day 31Matthew 27:32–66 · Exodus 31
- Day 32Matthew 28 · Exodus 32
- Day 33Exodus 33
- Day 34Exodus 34
- Day 35Exodus 35
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 8Exodus 36 – Exodus 40
- Day 36Exodus 36
- Day 37Exodus 37
- Day 38Exodus 38
- Day 39Exodus 39
- Day 40Exodus 40
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 9Numbers 1 – Numbers 4
- Day 41Numbers 1
- Day 42Numbers 2
- Day 43Numbers 3:1–39
- Day 44Numbers 3:40–51
- Day 45Numbers 4
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 10Numbers 5 – Numbers 8
- Day 46Numbers 5
- Day 47Numbers 6
- Day 48Numbers 7:1–47
- Day 49Numbers 7:48–89
- Day 50Numbers 8
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 11Numbers 9 – Numbers 13
- Day 51Numbers 9
- Day 52Numbers 10
- Day 53Numbers 11
- Day 54Numbers 12
- Day 55Numbers 13
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 12Numbers 14 – Numbers 18
- Day 56Numbers 14
- Day 57Numbers 15
- Day 58Numbers 16
- Day 59Numbers 17
- Day 60Numbers 18
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 13Numbers 19 – Numbers 23
- Day 61Numbers 19
- Day 62Numbers 20
- Day 63Numbers 21
- Day 64Numbers 22
- Day 65Numbers 23
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 14Numbers 24 – Numbers 28
- Day 66Numbers 24
- Day 67Numbers 25
- Day 68Numbers 26
- Day 69Numbers 27
- Day 70Numbers 28
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 15Numbers 29 – Numbers 33:1–49
- Day 71Numbers 29
- Day 72Numbers 30
- Day 73Numbers 31
- Day 74Numbers 32
- Day 75Numbers 33:1–49
- Rest dayReflect on the week's readings
Week 16Numbers 33:50–56 – Numbers 36
- Day 76Numbers 33:50–56
- Day 77Numbers 34
- Day 78Numbers 35
- Day 79Numbers 36
- Rest dayReflect on the plan you've just finished
Weekly rhythm
Five days to read. One to reflect.
Each reading day has one reading per stream. On your rest day, look back over the week. You choose your rest day in the app: Saturday, Sunday or the whole weekend. Your place only moves on when you mark a reading done, so a missed day never leaves you behind.
How to read
Read, Reflect, Respond.
The same three steps every day, in any plan. Fifteen to thirty minutes is plenty.
- 1
Read
Read slowly and on purpose, with a pen in hand. Mark the words and verses that stand out, the big words to look up, the repeated ideas, and the connecting words like therefore and because.
- 2
Reflect
Ask why you marked what you did. What did it mean to the people it was first written to? What does it mean for you today? What does it show you about God?
- 3
Respond
Turn it into prayer: thanksgiving, praise, repentance, or asking for help, using the words you marked. Optionally, write down one thing to carry into the day.
Optional, in the app
Add a companion reading.
Alongside this plan, you can add a short daily reading. Turn on any of them, or alternate the Psalm and Proverb from day to day.
Psalm of the Day
One psalm a day, working through the whole Psalter.
Proverb of the Day
One chapter of Proverbs a day, cycling every 31 days.
Gospel of the Day
This plan already reads Matthew, so Gospel of the Day waits until you've finished that part of the plan, then picks up where you left off.
Companion readings need a free account in the Standfirm app.
When you finish
Read another, then go deeper.
Each Growing Believer plan covers different books, so reading another before you move on gives you more ground to stand on. When you're ready, step up to Mature Believer. It's your choice, not a test.