In 2012 our church is going thru the Bible in a year. To help, I gathered resources and some Bible reading plans and put them out at our information table at church. I thought I would post the information here as well as a help to those considering reading the Bible thru in 2012. This is not comprehensive by any means, but it points to some nice tools and links:
Digital Tools:
1. Youversion.com – This is perhaps the easiest and best online Bible. You can find your Bible reading program and have it remind you every day via email or you can visit the site. This was created by the folks at Lifechurch.tv
a. Youversion also has a terrific smartphone app for almost every platform (look it up in your appropriate app store) that will pop up a daily reminder. It also allows you to catch up if you’ve gotten off track.
2. Crosswalk.com – This is another online Bible with a very intuitive way to follow our plan and have it remind you. This also allows you to track your progress. Crosswalk.com does offer a variety of commentaries. Crosswalk.com also has a variety of devotional emails that you can sign up for and has a smartphone app as well.
3. Biblegateway.com – This is the most popular Bible program. Doesn’t have nearly the Bible reading programs as Youversion or Crosswalk
4. Read the Bible For Life – This is Professor George Guthrie’s (Union University) new program for reading the Bible for life to get the entire storyline of the Scriptures. The website: readthebibleforlife.com has a variety of downloadable tools as well as resources to purchase to enhance your study. There is also a Read The Bible For Life smartphone app.
3) ESV Bible (esvbible.org) – This is the online ESV Bible. This site has a ton of terrific tools, including 12 Bible reading plans that you can use with your smart phone, you can integrate into your online calendar, simply print out or even have go to your RSS reader.
6. Justin Taylor – Justin Taylor who blogs for the Gospel Coalition has a terrific summary of some of the best plans:
7. Alextran.org. – This guy has links to the printable pdf’s of the Bible reading programs if you’d prefer to have the chart and list them. He’s got just about all of them here.
8. Bible.org is an resource run by professors from Dallas Seminary. It’s a terrific site with great, trusted commentary and it’s own Bible version, the Net Bible, which has a ton of footnotes and explanatory information.
Books and Other Suggested Resources
1) Read the Bible For Life. The people who have developed the “Read the Bible for Life” plan have three excellent resources:
- Reading God’s Story, a chronological daily Bible. This is a Bible arranged specifically to fit this plan. The strength of this is that it ties the Bible together in three main acts and seventeen scenes. Each day has a commentary on the Scriptures. It is in the Holman Christian Standard Translation, a very trustworthy and readable translation.
- Readers Guide to the Bible. This doesn’t have the text, but is more in-depth with daily readings and commentary helping you go through the Scriptures and connect the entire storyline of the Bible.
- Read the Bible for Life. This is a book that includes commentary from a variety of scholars on exactly how to interpret various forms and genres of the Bible. Great for getting a handle on how to study the Bible.
2) The God Who is There by D.A. Carson. This short book covers the entire Bible story from Creation to Revelation, discussing God’s unfolding revelation of Himself.
3) One-Year-Bible. This is the classic Tyndale book that offers the one-year Bible reading plan arranged with readings.
4) ESV Daily Reading Bible This is an ESV Bible arranged according to M’Cheyenne’s reading plan.
5) Favorite Study Bibles:
a. Ryrie Study Bible – commentary from reknowned Scholar, Charles Ryrie
b. ESV Study Bible – comprehensive commentary, notes and charts
c. Life Application Study Bible – great study Bible with people profiles and great explanatory note
d. Transformation Study Bible – Notes from Dr. Warren Wiersbe
e. Life Essentials Study Bible – Notes from Dr. Gene Getz