What Bible version should I use?  Our Pastor teaches from many different versions:  the New International Version (NIV),The New Living Translation (NLT), etc.  Both are accurate and easy to understand. The Message is a paraphrase that is easy to read and understand if you are just starting to study the Bible.

What extra materials are helpful? Warren Wiersbe’s Bible Exposition and “Be Series” are helpful. If you’re looking for a Bible that has lots of information about the text, The Life Application Bible is a great tool for new bible students. The Daily Bible is great if you’d like to read through the Bible in a year.

What do I need to know before starting? It is helpful to choose a consistent time of day to read. If you miss a day, don’t panic and quit. Satan wants to talk you out of reading God’s word. If you aren’t a great reader, you can download daily bible readings from I-Tunes. Search under daily bible readings to download. Also when reading a book of the Bible, it is helpful to find a study bible that offers a short explanation about the context of each book. You’ll want to know who wrote the book, who it was written to and why.

What websites are helpful? LifeChurch.tv’s www.youversion.com is a great tool to interact with God’s word. Other good sites include: www.studylight.org, www.biblegateway.com, www.crosswalk.com, www.biblestudy.org, www.oneyearbibleonline.com.  Also see the Helpful Sites page.

Where do I start? You don’t have to read the Bible from beginning to end on your first time. The Bible is sixty-six books. John’s gospel in the New Testament is a great place to start. Some enjoy reading one chapter of Proverbs each day for a month. Spend time learning the New Testament. Once you understand the basics of the New Testament, you’ll be blessed by the richness of the Old Testament. Don’t feel overwhelmed. You have the rest of your life to get to know God through his word. Start with baby steps. If you need some extra help you might read "A Beginner’s Guide to Reading the Bible" by Craig Koester or "A Beginner’s Guide to Studying the Bible" by Rolf Aaseng.

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New Life Church / 1083 Cool Springs Industrial Drive / O'Fallon, MO 63366 / 636-240-3567 / office@nlchurch.org