Helpful resources for you to better engage with the Bible

Dear Redeemer friends,

This is a post to give you some resources to help you better read, understand and apply the Bible in your life.

Free apps:

YouVersion Bible: This is a fantastic Bible resource with different languages, reading plans and many great resources (including for kids!)
Bible in One Year: This is a very helpful tool to help you read through the whole Bible in one year. The Bible passages are accompanied by excellent commentary from Nicky Gumbel. This app also has an audio option so you can listen to the Bible and commentary while you walk/drive, etc.
Read Scripture: This is another app to help you read through the Bible in one year. There is no commentary but there are good supporting videos from the Bible Project (see later).
Streetlights: This is the whole New Testament in audio form with backing music and ‘read’ out in hiphop.

This could be a good time to buy a study Bible with some tools to help you better understand what you’re reading and hear God speak, such as the ESV Study Bible or NIV Zondervan Study Bible (recently re-released as the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible).

Other helpful resources:

“How and Why Should I Read the Bible?” is a talk on the Alpha course. You can watch a version by Amy Orr-Ewingor as part of the Alpha Film Series.
Why Trust The Bible? by Amy Orr-Ewing is a short book that deals with the most common objections to the Bible. Other books that deal with similar issues are Unbreakable by Andrew Wilson and Can We Trust The Gospels? by Peter Williams.
The Bible Project is a fantastic website with many fantastic resources helping you to engage with the Bible, including a series of videos called “How to read the Bible”.
A Bible dictionary can give you more detailed explanations of the words, themes and people you’re reading. Options include the IVP New Bible Dictionary (Third Edition), Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible.
John Piper answers ten questions about Bible reading.
Other books to help you with reading and understanding the Bible: The Bible in 100 Pages by Phil Moore, How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts, Women of The Word by Jen Wilkin (a book not just for women!).