For so many of us, the Bible has always felt like a book we should read—but never quite knew how to read. Maybe we started with Genesis and lost steam in Leviticus. Maybe we sat through Sunday readings but never felt like Scripture truly came alive.

But then came The Bible in a Year podcast from Fr. Mike Schmitz. 

What started as a simple invitation—"Listen to the Bible for 20 minutes a day"—has transformed hearts, homes, and entire faith communities. And through it, God has been working in ways we never could have imagined.

The Bible in a Year Podcast Gives People Hope 

For those battling grief, loneliness, or despair, Bible in a Year has been a light in the darkness. People who had drifted from their faith have found their way back, one episode at a time. Those who felt spiritually numb have rediscovered the voice of God speaking directly to them through his Word.

A woman’s son who was struggling with addiction started listening to The Bible in a Year when she signed him and her husband up for the podcast. Yesterday, they all went to Mass together for the first time. God is working in their lives. 

A couple traveling to the hospital for the wife’s cancer treatment listens to Bible in a Year on the trip. They learn love, compassion, and mercy, and they thank God for the gift of the podcast. 

Erik, a lapsed Catholic who had recently lost his job, started going to church again after listening to Bible in a Year. He tells everyone who will listen about the powerful transformation he experienced with this podcast and how it can awaken great change in your life. 

Lives are being changed. Souls are being healed. And it’s all because people are encountering God’s Word—many for the first time.

"My daughter was killed in a car accident. My sister took custody of my granddaughter… a long story. My heart was shattered. I needed healing and hope in my life. Listening to the trusted voice of Fr. Mike and the words of God come to life each morning in a safe place built that hope and joy back. Suddenly the light of Christ Jesus breathed life back into me. I completed the year, and I am listening again this year! Also, listen to Father Mike’s Mass! Thank you!" - Anna Maria

"I started Bible in a year in 2022, Catechism in a year in 2023 and doing Bible in a year again in 2024. I experienced a divorce in 2021 after a 41 year marriage, both of these podcasts have gotten me through a very difficult time in my life and I'm not sure what or where I would be without them. God is Good and so is listening to Fr Mike" - Colleen Stich

Families, Marriages, and Friendships Transformed

The Word of God does not return empty. It takes root and grows—sometimes in ways we never expect.

Couples have found new depth in their marriage by praying through Scripture together. What started as a shared podcast quickly became shared prayer, shared conversation, and a deeper love for each other and for God.

Parents have introduced their children to the Bible in a way that finally makes sense. Many have started listening as a family, turning car rides and dinner conversations into opportunities for faith formation.

Friends have started text groups to discuss each day’s reading, holding each other accountable and growing in faith together. What began as a personal journey became a communal experience, deepening relationships and strengthening faith.

I converted to Catholicism while listening to Bible in a Year. God used it to help me understand Scripture and find his Church. Thank you soo much for answering his call. - Casey C

Bible in a Year Sets the Church on Fire

What happens when millions of people commit to reading the Bible together? A movement begins.

Priests are hearing more confessions than ever before. Parish Bible studies are popping up in churches worldwide. People who never thought they could read the whole Bible are now leading others to do the same.

In an age when faith can feel like it's declining, The Bible in a Year is proof that God is still moving. Hearts are being set on fire. Souls are being drawn closer to Christ. And it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

As a Catholic priest of many years, Scripture study has of course been a feature of my training and life in general - but these podcasts have brought both new ideas and a new dynamism to the story of God's chosen people and our own place in that story. They bring a new relevance to texts that could easily be overlooked and to passages (in Judges, etc) that seem at face value so far from God's truth. Overall a wonderful experience - and being currently only about half way through I look forward to the rest of the series. Sincere thanks! - Fr. Martin Collins 

It’s Not Too Late to Join the Movement and Start Bible in a Year

If you’ve ever felt like reading the Bible is too hard, too complicated, or just not for you—this podcast proves otherwise. The Word of God is living and active. It speaks to us in every season, every struggle, every joy.

If you haven’t started yet, today is the perfect day. You don’t have to wait for January 1. You don’t have to catch up. Just press play.

God is ready to change your life through his Word. Are you ready to listen?

Help Us Keep Bible in a Year Alive!

While The Bible in a Year is free to listen to, it is not free to create. Each episode requires hours of production, editing, hosting, and distribution—all to bring the Word of God to as many people as possible at no cost to them.

If this podcast has blessed you, would you consider making a gift to Ascension Free Media? Your support allows us to continue this life-changing mission so that even more people can encounter the power of Scripture.

Make a gift today and help bring the Bible to more hearts, more families, and more souls around the world.