The Audience of One resource page is designed to help support your spiritual growth by offering links to Bible study resources, printable Bible verses, and more to aid you in your journey. Below is a start with more to come!
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Best Study Bible
ESV Study Bible
The ESV Study Bible is a bestseller, and this is the exact one I recently bought for myself. I stumbled onto the ESV translation when I was searching for a personal-sized thinline (non-study) Bible to carry to church. When I started looking for a new study Bible, I was planning to get an NIV, but I’ve really grown to prefer the ESV.
There’s also a wide-margin version ESV study Bible, which is the one my daughter bought for herself in college.
Here’s a brief summary from Christianbook.com:
Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award- The ESV Study Bible ranks at the top of the list of the most comprehensive study Bibles ever published. It was created by an outstanding team of 95 leading Bible scholars and teachers from 9 countries, nearly 20 denominations, and 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities. The ESV Study Bible features a wide array of study tools equivalent to a 20-volume Bible resource library, making it an invaluable resource for serious readers, students, and teachers of God’s Word.
Life Application Study Bible
The Life Application Study Bible has been a bestseller for over 30 years, and it’s the one I used until just recently. It comes in a variety of translations (NIV, KJV, NKJV, NLT, NTV and the RVR), but the most recent revisions are to the NLT, NIV and KJV.
My only word of caution would be to stay away from colored “leather” options (i.e. teal, etc.) and stick with the more classic, natural leather options like brown and black.
Several years ago, a friend gifted me an NIV Study Bible that had a blue and green cover. It was super cute (and now kind of dated-looking), but the biggest issue is that the synthetic Italian Duo-Tone™ cover did not withstand the test of time. The colored cover began peeling to the point that it makes a mess, which was disappointing. So with that experience in mind, proceed with caution should you choose to purchase a cutely-colored Bible.
This review of the Life Application Study Bible offers some good information, and here’s a snippet from the publisher:
Impacting more than 30 million lives over 30 years, the Life Application® Study Bible is the #1–selling study Bible of our generation. Now, it has been thoroughly updated and expanded to be even more helpful and relevant for your life and today’s world.
With a fresh, new interior page design and comprehensively updated study notes and features, this Bible will help you better understand God’s Word and provide you with practical ways to apply it to your life every day. The Life Application Study Bible—It’s how to do life!
Study the stories and teachings of the Bible with verse-by-verse commentary. Gain wisdom from people in the Bible by exploring their accomplishments and learning from their mistakes. Survey the big picture of each book through overviews, vital statistics, outlines, and timelines, and grasp difficult concepts using in-text maps, charts, and diagrams.
NIV Study Bible
The NIV Study Bible is a solid choice and generally a top seller. It’s also been recently revised. They print this Bible in a variety of configurations.
Here’s a brief summary of the NIV Study Bible from Zondervan, the publisher:
Set in Zondervan’s exclusive NIV Comfort Print® typeface, this stunning, full-color study Bible answers your pressing questions with just the right amount of information, placed in just the right location.
With its decades-long legacy of helping readers grasp the Bible’s meaning, the NIV Study Bible, Large Print, embodies the mission of the NIV translation to be an accurate, readable, and clear guide into Scripture. Specifically designed to expand upon the NIV, the NIV Study Bible’s editorial team crafts that same accuracy and clarity into every study note…Thousands of newly written or revised notes and articles combine with hundreds of four-color maps, charts, photos, and illustrations to create an entire library of study helps designed to increase your understanding and application of God’s word.
The Apologetics Study Bible
I don’t have any personal experience with this Bible. However, I ran across it while researching good Bible options for college students, and now I’m considering purchasing one to have for reference.
If you are unfamiliar with the term apologetics, put simply, it is defense of the Christian faith. The Apologetics Study Bible supports doing just that. As the publisher explains:
The CSB Apologetics Study Bible helps today’s Christians better understand, defend, and proclaim their beliefs in an age of increasing moral and spiritual relativism. This revised and updated edition includes new articles and extensive apologetics study material from today’s leading apologists to reflect and provide deeper understanding of the relevant apologetics issues and questions being discussed today.
Here’s a review that provides additional insight.
Thinline
If your student simply needs a Bible that is convenient to carry, a thinline (which simply means it’s usually 1″ thick or less) is the way to go. You usually can take your pick of translation in a thinline version, as well.
Prayer Journal
I created this Prayer Journal download as a tool to help focus your time with the Lord. While this is a format that works for me, I use it as a guide rather than a prescriptive approach to spending time with God. Above all, I’m learning to listen, which was where the idea for this first was born.
You might find it helpful also to read this post about developing your quiet time which describes how to incorporate the prayer journal into your daily quiet time.
However, you can find many other prayer journal resources online, and I would encourage you to find something that works for you, even if it’s nothing more than a lined journal or notepad.
If you are interested in purchasing one, here are a few that I like:
Guided Prayer Journal from The Daily Grace Co.
I like this one because it leads you through categories of prayer. The one thing I don’t love about it is the binding. I prefer spiral bound journals, but that’s just me. The Daily Grace Co. has an entire collection of journals, though, so you’re likely to find one that you love.
Prayer Journal for Women
I like this one because it includes Bible verses, reflections, and journal prompts. It also comes in either a paperback or spiral, and I do like having that option.
Moleskine Classic with Soft Cover
I mean, you can’t really go wrong with a Moleskine. While these are not designed specifically for prayer, they are quality journals. From size to color to style of paper and cover (hard or soft), the options here are abundant!
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
Printable Bible Verses
Memorizing Scripture is a powerful spiritual discipline. When we know God’s Word, it helps us understand Him more. And whether in memory or meditation, the Bible leads us to truth. It comforts in times of sadness and despair. It guides our steps and directs us toward godly obedience. It offers wisdom, and points us to praise.
Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Below you will find a collection of Bible verses. Each includes printable Bible verses that you can download and share. Or you simply can add them to your Bible study resources to use in your personal time of reflection and prayer.
Bible Verses to Encourage Parents
Encouraging Bible Verses for College Students
Bible Study Resources
Studying the Bible is something we need to do in community but also alone. Spending time daily in God’s Word is a spiritual discipline that draws us closer to God. As we learn more about him, our hearts and lives are changed.
If you are looking for a plan to keep you consistently in God’s Word, I’ve rounded up some Bible study resources to help kick start your search. I have used—and recommend—each one of them.
The Daily Grace Co.
I recently started this 4-week Bible study, Growing in Grace | Knowing and Loving God Through Spiritual Disciplines, from The Daily Grace Co. This is the first study I’ve ordered from their site, but I have really enjoyed it and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase others from them.
WordGo by BSF
I just started a study of James on WordGo this week. This is a fairly new app for BSF, so the course selection isn’t extensive at this point. However, there are several to choose from, each with varying lengths. I like that you can customize your study time (length of time/days of week/start time), as well as set push notifications and reminders for prayer. It provides an audio overview and teaching of the chapter, as well as a place to record your responses to questions.
First 5 by Proverbs 31 Ministries
I love the First 5 app; it was my “go-to” all last summer. In addition to the daily devotions, First 5 also includes a large library of study plans broken up into categories: Old Testament, New Testament, Multi-Book, Single-Book, and Biblical Themes. The options are plentiful, but there aren’t so many that it’s overwhelming. The First 5 app is designed specifically to help you start your day with God, but the Proverbs 31 Ministries also has online Bible studies you can join if you are looking for a group option.
The Bible app by YouVersion
The selection of Bible reading and study plans on this app is extensive! You can search topically, but they also have a “Help me find a Plan,” which makes study recommendations once you narrow down your primary interest. You’ll find plans here that range from days to weeks. and overall, it’s just a good app to have on your phone. You can set it to send you the Verse of the Day, along with Verse of the Day images that are easy to save and share.
ReadScripture
Maybe now is the time to start reading through the Bible. For whatever reason, reading through the Bible seems to be one of those things people often save for New Year’s resolutions. Why is that? Why wait? Maybe summer is your perfect start! I first learned about this app a couple of years ago during a churchwide campaign to read through the Bible. It is an excellent resource and includes short videos to introduce chapters and help explain concepts and themes. You can set your start date, track your progress, and set notifications and reminders.
Is Your Salvation Secure?
Whoever you are and wherever you happen to be reading this, my greatest desire is that you know the One True God. It’s not about going to church, doing a Bible study, being a good person, or spirituality. It involves a very real and personal relationship with Jesus. If you’re not sure about your salvation, here are a few Bible verses to help:
- Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
- Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
- Romans 10: 9-10: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”