As the new year approaches, many of us are making resolutions to read the Bible. For some of us, it’s been a struggle to read the Bible on a regular basis. Others have never tried, and the task looks daunting.
To help build this new habit and overcome some of the common obstacles to reading Scripture, we have collected resources to help Bible readers stay on track. We hope these tools will help you cultivate this important spiritual disciple.
Check out our round up of 5 useful Bible study tools. Excerpts from each post describing the tool are below.
1. Use the “Right” Bible Study Plan
First off, there is no “You Have to Read the Bible in a Year” rule that Christians must follow. The hope is that all Christians build a regular rhythm of being in God’s presence and in His Word. The intention behind that idea is good, but it can be a daunting obstacle and result in a high failure rate.
That leads us to the second point: There is no one right Bible study plan.
2. Check Out “The Bible Project”
The Bible Project is an amazing resource for Christians who want to learn about Biblical context and themes. The makers of The Bible Project give overviews of individual books of the Bible using great analysis plus animated videos, most of which are only about 5-6 minutes long.
3. Utilize Devotionals & Other Helpful Books
If you need a little bit more help reading through the Bible, you might look into devotionals.
Here’s a list of some quality devotional books recommended by SOLA Editorial Board member, Kevin Yi. Some of the materials are dated and some are not, so pick one that works for you.
4. Use Your Phone
There’s nothing wrong with reading the Bible on your phone. In fact, our phones can be a helpful tool in helping us to read better, with links accessing us to further references, informational videos, and devotionals.
Here’s a list of some good apps to help keep you on track as you read the Bible this year.
5. Write it Down
We don’t want to add any requirements for reading the Bible. However, writing is a powerful tool that helps us to reflect on what we read and learned from the Word and the Holy Spirit.
So do what works for you, whether it’s in your bullet journal, the Notes app on your phone, or on a spare napkin.
Finally, read “Five Unique But Practical Suggestions for Reading Your Bible.” in which SOLA Editorial Board member Thomas Hwang gives a list of unique tools to help you dig into the word.
Here’s an excerpt:
1. Invest in a New, High-Quality Bible
This may sound superficial at first, but one way to get your Bible reading going is to invest in a new Bible. I can’t tell you how often I see Christians carrying these old, janky hand-me-down Bibles that they probably got for free at a Christian conference. There’s absolutely no ownership that this is “my Bible” and their devotional life reflects this.
We hope these tools will be useful in helping you in both reading the Word and knowing Jesus, who is the Word become flesh.