Bible Study Resources

by Eddie Hastings, Pastor of Discipleship

During the month of April, our adult LifeGroups have been talking about the Bible. That may sound a little strange as we talk about the Bible every week in LifeGroup. But we mean the Bible as a whole book. We’ve been discussing questions like “Can I trust the Bible?” and “Why does the Bible matter?”. As we end this series, we wanted to pass on some of the amazing resources that are out there now to help you spend time in God’s Word.

The first time I really began to dig into the Bible was after coming home from Fuge Camp as a 9th grader (yes, Fuge has been around that long). I remember asking my parents for a new Bible and I picked out an NIV Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible (and a big brown leather case with a sword on it to carry it in). I loved that almost every verse had a comment that helped explain it and a reference to another part of Scripture. I found that the more I read, the more I wanted to read. If you feel a bit stuck or not sure where to start, the good news is there are plenty of resources to help you.

Remember, none of these are meant to take the place of the Bible itself (except the ones that actually are a Bible!). These are to spark you into further study and energize your time in God’s Word.

Bibles

I think in selecting a Bible, the best thing to do is go into a Christian book store and check them out “hands-on.” Look at the size of the text, the size of the Bible, what resources it includes (maps, charts, character studies, word studies, book intros, notes, etc.). When you find one that you like, it might be cheaper online and you can ask if the store will price match.

Study Bibles
Life Application Study Bible (various translations)
Thompson Chain Reference (still a classic!)
ESV Study Bible
David Jeremiah Study Bible
NIV Study Bible

For a refreshing look at Scripture, try reading in a different version than what you normally use. Web sites like BibleGateway.com or The Bible App offer lots of different translations. Here are some interesting ones to try: The Amplified Bible, The Message, The Voice, or The Living Bible.

Click here for a helpful guide to the various translations and paraphrases of the Bible that are available.

Bible Reading Plans

Most of the web sites like BibleGateway.com and YouVersion have lots of different plans to read through the Bible in a year, 6 months, 90 days, etc. They also have lots of different types of plans from chronological to topical.

Books (links are to Amazon)

How to study the Bible
Rick Warren's Bible Study Methods
What the Bible is All About by Henrietta Mears
Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks

Bible Overviews
What the Bible is All About by Henrietta Mears
God's Story in 66 Verses by Stan Guthrie
The Story of Reality by Gregory Koukl

Family Devotions for Teens (links are to Amazon)

Higher Series by Kevin Johnson
Middle School Survival Series by Kurt Johnston and Mark Oestreicher

Music

Setting Scripture to music is a great way to memorize it and get it into your life. For adults, try The Verses Project and for kids try Slugs & Bugs.